UFC 308 ‘Topuria vs. Holloway’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Round 1

Welcome fight fans one and all to an early morning blitz of combat,
with a baker’s dozen matchups from featherweight to heavyweight—and
not a women’s bout on the billing, with the event taking place in
the United Arab Emirates. The first pairing of the day, one that
will serve like a cup of coffee to get started, takes place in the
welterweight division. Originally planning on facing Nursulton
Ruziboev, Fakhretdinov (22-1-1, 4-0-1 UFC) will instead welcome
Leal (21-5, 0-0 UFC) to the UFC on short notice. The Brazilian is
no stranger to large stages, having spent a few seasons in the
confines of the Professional Fighters League with Sadibou Sy
lording over him. The fighters will be joined in the cage by
referee Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, who clocks them in as they touch
gloves. Fakhretdinov introduces himself with a jab and a low kick,
and he jabs again to the body. Another jab is met with a leg kick
from the Brazilian, who swipes in with two hooks to follow.
Fakhretdinov is out of the way, pawing out with a calf kick.
Fakhretdinov punches his way into a takedown attack, taking Leal
down to the mat. Leal muscles his way back to the fence and up to
his feet, and Fakhretdinov pushes him tightly against the cage and
lifts up a knee that narrowly misses his mug. Fakhretdinov reaches
the chin on a second high knee, and Leal tries to dirty box in
response with short little punches to the midsection. Fakhretdinov
embraces the grind until Leal explodes out of position, and this
results in a mad brawl. Leal eats a right hand, gives back a pair
of hooks and stings the Russian. Fakhretdinov shoots in again for a
takedown, and this time Leal is energized and stops him in his
tracks. Fakhretdinov gets knocked back with a few strikes, and he
dives forward for another shot. This time, Leal hits his backside,
but only for a moment before springing upright. Fakhretdinov uses
his momentum to jam Leal up against the fencing, where his knees
start finding their home on the thigh. Leal nods to his corner as
they issue instructions, and he follows them to set up a Thai
clinch to knee Fakhretdinov in the dome. Leal swings his way out of
the tie-up, nailing Fakhretdinov with heavy punches and following
them with chopping calf kicks. Leal works his way forward, using
his leg kick to open up strikes. Fakhretdinov replies with rangy
jabs and a body kick, and Leal gets up a few knees on the dome but
slips. The Brazilian somehow regains his balance and keeps trading,
and his left hands begin to do some damage on Fakhretdinov. Both
fighters bite down on their mouthpiece and throw leather, and
Fakhretdinov starts grinning. Fakhretdinov tries for another
takedown and is easily stuffed, and he whips a high kick up. Leal
shells up, stops a subsequent takedown and is met with a sudden
front kick up the middle. They trade hands and smiles at the
bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The welterweights tap gloves to get going, and they pick up right
where they left off with heavy hands. Leal stifles an early
takedown to nail the front leg of his opponent with a kick, and
Fakhretdinov decides to give a few back with far less impact.
Fakhretdinov swipes out with a left hand, and when Leal lunges to
attack, Fakhretdinov snipes him with another. Fakhretdinov fails on
a subsequent takedown entry, allowing Leal to catch him flush with
a sharp one-two. Leal shuts down a takedown effort to blast his
opponent in the face with a left hand, and his low kick begins to
do some damage. Fakhretdinov is getting backed off with the
constant offense from the acne-sporting Brazilian, who does not
fear his strikes. Fakhretdinov sticks out a sharp jab, but Leal is
hitting him harder across the board. The jabs from Fakhretdinov
start to add up, until Leal chops his front leg down. Fakhretdinov
grins and sells out for an overhand right, and he has to change
stances as the leg kick is chewing him up. Fakhretdinov’s shot
comes up short, and he takes a knee on the chin when ducked down.
Fakhretdinov relies on pushing the Brazilian against the wire, and
Leal bides his time before exploding away. Fakhretdinov flicks out
a few jabs on the way out, and Leal shrugs them off and lines up a
straight right hand. Fakhretdinov sets up a pair of hooks after a
front kick, and he blasts the front leg and catches Leal with a
haymaker. Leal wings a head kick back at him, and even when
blocked, it shakes Fakhretdinov up slightly. Fakhretdinov shoots,
and Leal meets him with a knee and a left hook. Fakhretdinov gets
sloppy, and Leal takes advantage of it with wide but dangerous
hooks. Leal pounds on the front leg when not battering Fakhretdinov
with power punches, and when Fakhretdinov gives him a few back,
Leal is not concerned. Fakhretdinov scores another leg kick into
two-punch combo, and Leal gives him back a leg kick that
compromises him. Fakhretdinov goes all-out for a takedown, with the
last kick making him immediately change stances, and he scoops Leal
up to dump him on the mat. A few right hands from Fakhretdinov on
top open a cut on the corner of Leal’s left eye, and the horn
sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Fakhretdinov offers a hug to start the final frame, and Leal gladly
accepts it. They get back to striking right out of the gate, and
Fakhretdinov chin-checks Leal but Leal is right there to pay him
back with volume and power. Fakhretdinov pushes him back and works
behind a jab and a two, and a takedown shot that he sets up well
does not succeed. Fakhretdinov’s jab slows his opponent, who
appears to be slowing. Fakhretdinov takes advantage of that by
working the body with a few knees, and he pushes Leal back to the
fence. Leal takes a few seconds to get his wind before breaking out
of it, and he starts walking the Russian down throwing hands.
Fakhretdinov sharply counters, lining up several punches and
letting Leal duck so he can smack him with a standing back fist.
Leal gets a bit wild swinging back at him, and it opens him up to a
takedown. Fakhretdinov comes up just short of the takedown, and
Leal trips his legs out with a hard kick on the outside.
Fakhretdinov climbs back upright and throws everything he has into
a right hand. Leal times this moment by taking advantage of his
off-balance throw, dropping down and securing his own takedown.
Fakhretdinov crawls to the fence to get back up, and they resume
brawling. Fakhretdinov catches Leal with a clean left hand, and he
crashes forward to try for a takedown. Leal backs off, and
Fakhretdinov chases after him and tags him in the chin repeatedly.
Leal’s hands are down, and he eats flush strikes without batting an
eye. Leal puts a one-two on the chin, and as he winds up with
another, Fakhretdinov shoots on his hips. Leal sprawls, knees
Fakhretdinov in the chest and resets. Fakhretdinov leans forward to
throw hands and then change levels, and Leal stops him in his
tracks as they tie up in the middle of the cage. Fakhretdinov goes
low for another takedown, and Leal’s takedown defense is stalwart.
Low kicks are traded, and Fakhretdinov winds up with everything he
has in a pair of punches. Leal takes it on the chin and trades
back, and the two welterweights throw the kitchen sink at one
another until the final bell surprisingly sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Carlos Leal Miranda via Unanimous Decision
(29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Round 1

Fresh off a prolonged stint in Brave CF—one where he only went .500
while getting finished three times—Austria’s Naurdiev (23-7, 2-2
UFC) has somehow worked his way back to the organization while
moving up to 185 pounds. His comeback draws powerhouse Silva
(23-11, 4-5 UFC), who has bricks for fists but has struggled to
land them cleanly as of late. High finish rates of 78% and 87%
collide, which puts referee Mark Smith on notice while likely
letting the judges take it easy. Gloves are touched before they are
traded, and Silva strikes first with a sharp guard-splitting jab.
Silva flicks out a few more, and Naurdiev’s nose is already
reddening. Naurdiev opens up with wide punches and a power low
kick, and Silva absorbs a flush body kick on the way back. Silva
pushes out another jab, and Naurdiev goes for one to the
midsection. Silva throws off-balance and gets countered with an
overhand right, and his offense slows. He attempts a one-two and a
low kick, and Naurdiev responds with a right hand over the top.
Silva tosses a high kick that gets caught, and Naurdiev uses it to
pushes his man to the fence. Silva sprawls with his back to the
cage, and he posts off one hand to stop himself from being taken
down. Naurdiev opens up with an elbow and a few punches to break,
and as Silva throws back, Naurdiev whips a head kick at him. Silva
chops at the front leg, turns around slowly, and gets nailed by a
much quicker Naurdiev. The Austrian by way of Morocco shoots for a
potential takedown, dragging Silva to his hands but not to the mat.
Naurdiev leans on his opponent until Silva stands up, and he knees
the Brazilian in the gut. Both men score elbows as they split up,
and Silva attacks a low kick on the break. Naurdiev shoots in for a
double-leg takedown, putting “Blindado” on his seat and hooking his
legs around Silva’s. Silva bursts back to his feet, and Naurdiev
hops onto his back and immediately starts fishing for a rear-naked
choke. Silva leans against the fence and hand-fights to protect his
neck, and Naurdiev slides off in part to Silva grabbing the fence,
forcing a reset to kickboxing range. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The second round opens with Silva tossing out low kicks. Naurdiev
replies with a loud body kick, and Silva catches it and releases it
when missing on a right-hand counter. Naurdiev jabs the body and
walks into a left hand, and he fakes a level change to open up an
overhand right. Silva tosses out a lazy low kick, and Naurdiev
responds with a body shot. Naurdiev times a right hand over the top
when Silva pitches another slow leg kick, and he shoots in on the
Brazilian’s hips and puts him on the mat. Silva tugs on the fence
to hope to improve his position, and Naurdiev climbs on top of him
as Smith issues a warning. Naurdiev hacks at his man with elbows as
Silva works his way up, and he sells out for a double and lifts
Silva up but cannot deposit him on the floor. Silva knees and
punches his way out of the tie-up, and he walks Naurdiev down and
takes a few jabs on the jaw. Silva attempts a takedown, and
Naurdiev easily defends it and sets up a power guillotine choke.
Silva throws him off of him rather than technically fighting the
choke, and he stalks “The Austrian Wonderboy” down and walks into a
takedown entry. Naurdiev resets, punching his way into a double,
and he secures it and dumps Silva to his backside. Naurdiev
wrangles his opponent, sitting on top in half guard while working
him over with punches. Silva once more grabs the fence, and Smith
issues yet another warning. Silva returns to his feet, and he jabs
his way to get some space. Naurdiev jabs him back and pitches out a
front kick, and Silva tries to sway to dodge the attacks. Naurdiev
flicks out a question-mark kick, and he dives after a double and
settles for a single-leg entry to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The fighters touch ‘em up to get going, and Silva appears to have a
little fire under his belly as he launches attacks at his opponent.
Silva’s swings are lumbering and telegraphed, and Naurdiev is
sharper and picks him off before shooting for a double. Naurdiev
pushes Silva from one end of the cage to the other, and he scores
knees to the body and a right hand over the top to break off. Silva
whips a kick to the ribs, and he shoots low for a takedown that
fails miserably. Silva puts his hands on the mat to defend his face
from getting kneed while leaned over, and he leans back up against
the wall when the Austrian hangs onto him. Naurdiev backs off to
put jabs on Silva’s face, and he lines up a right hand that glances
off the temple. Naurdiev allows Silva to throw a weak high kick,
and when Silva turns around slowly like a Lazy Susan, Naurdiev
charges him. Silva gets pushed to the wall, doggedly pursuing the
takedown while hunting for trips. Silva sets up a Thai clinch,
getting off one knee before absorbing several heavier blows.
Naurdiev backs off and trades hands with his opponent, and they
bounce on their heels to shake things out. Naurdiev chases Silva to
the fencing, letting his hands go and blasting his foe’s front leg
with a kick. Silva gets off two punches and a knee, and Naurdiev
dances in and out with jabs and leg kicks. Silva tries to wing a
left hand over the top, and his second fails as well and a leg kick
turns him around. When Naurdiev crashes towards him, Silva manages
to turn around in time, but he does not throw anything
intercepting. Silva pushes out long left hands, and Naurdiev is
light on his feet, sliding from side to side while pecking at the
Brazilian with a body kick. The fight comes to a conclusion.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Ismail Naurdiev def. Bruno Silva via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

Once preparing for a bantamweight contest, Basharat (12-0, 3-0 UFC)
learned on Friday morning that his opponent Hugo (25-4, 1-0 UFC)
was about to come in 10 pounds over the 136-pound limit. Rather
than the match falling apart, the Brit born in Afghanistan decided
to allow Hugo to weigh in at that newly agreed range of
featherweight. Basharat will officially clock in eight pounds
lighter than his opponent as a result, and the bout may not have
remained together if the event were running with commission
oversight. This 145-pound tilt will be officiated by referee Kerry
Hatley, and because of what would have been a nearly historic miss,
there is no interest in a glove touch. The fight begins with Hugo
diving after a takedown, missing so badly that Basharat stands firm
and slugs him in the chops on the way up. Hugo walks his man down,
and Basharat is lighter on his feet, sniping him from a safe
distance. Hugo steps in with a solid right hand, and Basharat
gathers himself, bounces off the fence and pays the Brazilian back
with his own right hook. Hugo catches a front kick and trips his
man up, and Basharat regains his balance and winds up with a right
hand. Hugo keeps chasing, fighting behind a jab and a front kick,
and Basharat connects with a leg kick on the outside. Basharat
shoots for a single, and he bails on it when seeing it will not
succeed. Leg kicks come on both sides, and Hugo whips a high kick
at him that is blocked. Basharat slips and rips a right hand over
the top, and walks face-first into a spinning back elbow. The man
from Afghanistan wears it well and chops down the front leg a few
times, and Hugo dives for a rolling heel hook and succeeds in
dragging Basharat to the floor. Basharat turns to the side and gets
out of danger, where he walks over to side control easily and opens
up a cut on the corner of Hugo’s left eye with strikes. Hugo
explodes back to his feet and leans back to dodge a spinning wheel
kick, and he meanders forward to throw hands with his opponent.
Basharat lines up a right hand and a left, beating the heavier man
to the punch and getting off a quick kick before intercepting a
spinning Hugo. Basharat wraps his hands around his foe’s waist and
pushes off to reset, and he dodges a looping punch and drives a
right hand over the top. Hugo leaps after another heel hook, and
Basharat wags his finger at his opponent at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The fight resumes with both men meeting in the middle measuring
their strikes. Basharat pushes off a few punches, and Hugo fights
behind kicks to the lead leg and body. Hugo crashes the pocket, and
Basharat times a perfect jump knee that bashes his man in the face.
Hugo keeps a stiff upper lip and rebounds off the fence, and he
lets loose a number of unanswered calf kicks. Basharat lets fly a
right hook, and he switches stances to work his way in and connect
with another. Hugo spins with a back fist that makes him hit the
deck, and he springs back up when Basharat does not want to deal
with him on the mat. Basharat instead allows Hugo up so he can
stick out a right hand, and Hugo spins with nothing and chains a
kick into it. Basharat works the body a few times with long left
hands, and Hugo drops his hands and lines up a low kick. Hugo clips
Basharat with a left, and Basharat blinks it out and counters him
cleanly a few times. Basharat’s footwork allows him to slip and rip
strikes, rolling with counters if they land at all and giving him
the proper distance to get in and get away. They trade jabs, and
Basharat fakes a takedown to draw out a reaction. Hugo loads up on
power strikes, and he raises his arms in the air after they nail
one another with heavy blows. Hugo gets his foe’s attention with a
sharp left hand, and he follows it with another to wobble
Basharat’s legs briefly. Hugo’s momentum allows him to grip hold of
the Afghan-born fighter, lifting him in the air to slam him on his
seat. Basharat wall-walks to get up and free, and he lets Hugo
swing at him wildly so he can counter slickly. Hugo spins with
another elbow that dings his man in the chin, and Basharat wags his
finger at him. The jabs from Basharat have reopened Hugo’s cut, and
Hugo shrugs at him and tries to engage a brawl. Basharat stays
light on his feet, pushing through to grab Hugo when Hugo spins.
The horn sounds when they clash together.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Hugo is loaded for bear to begin the final frame, swinging wildly
with punches and kicks. Basharat uses his footwork and head
movement to stay safe until Hugo catches him with a right hand and
knocks him across the cage with a spinning back kick to the
ribcage. Basharat rebounds off the fence and back upright, and he
circles away to get some space. Hugo’s momentum gets him tied up,
and Basharat knees him in the chest, but Hugo is exploding to do
anything and his punches have some serious heat on them. This
forces him off-balance, and Basharat sees this and times a smart
takedown to put the Brazilian on his back. Hugo throws his legs up
to threaten off his back as soon as he hits the ground, and
Basharat wriggles out of it and assumes side control. Hugo gets
hold of an unorthodox triangle from the side, and Basharat forces
his way out once more and rolls Hugo to his back. Hugo attempts a
brief shoulder lock, and Basharat softens him up with some
ground-and-pound. Hugo works to his feet, only to succumb to a mat
return. Basharat climbs on the back, and he fastens a rear-naked
choke that is on the jaw. Hugo does not show any concern, instead
pulling on the fence to stand back up. Hatley sees this and swats
his hand away, and Basharat remains focused on wrenching the
newcomer to the floor and taking his power away. Hugo rolls for a
leglock, and this forces Basharat to abandon ship. Hugo charges
like a bull, swinging wildly and into another takedown from the
unbeaten fighter. Basharat easily puts Hugo on his knees, where he
slips a hook in and takes the back. Basharat wraps a body triangle
around the waist, preventing the Brazilian from turning while
smacking him upside the head with an elbow. Before Basharat can
assume full mount, Hugo turns to his back, and Basharat rains down
another sharp elbow. Hugo pursues one final leglock, and Basharat
grabs the fence to break free. They both stand up, and Hugo races
at him but cannot reach him before time expires.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Farid Basharat def. Victor Hugo via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

A veritable meme fight has come to life, with gargantuan light
heavyweight Nzechukwu (12-5, 6-5 UFC) simply not cutting weight and
coming in as a shredded 240-pound behemoth. He battles a man eight
inches shorter and 25 pounds heavier in Barnett (23-8, 2-2 UFC),
who is always one spinning kick away from a stunning victory.
Anything can happen when it comes to the heavyweight division, and
referee Jason Herzog better be ready to roll with the punches
literally and figuratively. During the introduction, Barnett jumps
in the air and stomps down in excitement, and he lands awkwardly
and shows a bit of concern looking down at his leg. There is a clap
of hands first, and Nzechukwu strides forward with confidence.
Barnett slaps out a low kick and gets backed off with a long jab.
Barnett connects with another leg kick as chants in support of him
echo through the building, and he keeps working on that lead leg.
Barnett wings a right and a left, and Nzechukwu shakes them off and
jabs the body with a stabbing kick. Nzechukwu kicks the belly
again, and Barnett spins and does not do anything with it.
Nzechukwu pirouettes, and they laugh and high-five. Nzechukwu
tosses out a low kick that bangs into the cup, and Barnett waves
Herzog off and wings a right hand that is not in range. Nzechukwu
keeps working the body with his kicks, and Barnett responds with a
jumping switch kick that is chained into a spinning wheel kick.
Nzechukwu’s front kick cannot miss, and he puts a one-two down the
middle. Nzechukwu keeps jabbing with his toes extended, and he
spins into something and comes up limping, possibly hurting himself
with something unorthodox. Barnett winces and gathers himself,
tossing out a big punch that is way short of its intended target.
Nzechukwu snipes at him from afar with jabs and kicks, and Barnett
sits down on a leg kick. Two front kicks to the body hurt Barnett,
and Nzechukwu pins another one on the stomach. As Barnett tries to
shift away, his left leg is compromised and he struggles to put
weight on it. Nzechukwu does not sell out on strikes, instead
calmly working his way forward to not allow for a massive counter
to reach him. Barnett is in trouble, and he shells up against the
fence as Nzechukwu starts to tee off on him. Barnett throws with
everything he has, but Nzechukwu ignores it and hammers away with
increasingly powerful strikes.
Nzechukwu smashes his opponent with a knee to the liver, dropping
Barnett to the floor. Instead of clutching his side, however,
Barnett goes down grabbing his left leg. Herzog knows that Barnett
is done and waves the fight off while Nzechukwu is raining down
punches, and Barnett immediately attends to his leg and is writhing
on the ground in pain. Barnett has to be helped out of
the cage, and he is in serious pain even when leaving the
Octagon.

The Official Result

Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Chris Barnett R1 4:27 via TKO (Knee to the
Body and Punches)

Round 1

Batten down the hatches, because an all-offense middleweight clash
is about to light up the Etihad Arena for the next few minutes or
less. Referee Marc Goddard is prepped and ready for the oncoming
insanity. Magomedov (26-6-1, 2-2 UFC), who has seen his fair share
of ups and downs in the Octagon thus far, comes to blows with
Brazilian slugger Ferreira (12-1, 3-1 UFC). The over/under of 1.5
rounds is currently an even betting line, which mean that
prognosticators expect some violence here. Before they swing for
the fences, they touch ‘em up first. Magomedov tosses out a jumping
front kick, and the two keep their safe range from one another for
some time. Magomedov remains in the center of the cage, walking
Ferreira down and measuring out a jab that is not there. Magomedov
swings a left hook that catches the Brazilian on the chin, and “The
Hulk” wears it well. Magomedov hammers the front leg with a kick,
and Ferreira changes stances and tosses out a front kick. When
Ferreira charges, Magomedov uses his reach advantage to pop his foe
with a left hand. Magomedov gets off another chopping kick that is
partially checked, and he jabs the chest with the ball of his foot.
Ferreira tries his own front kick, and is otherwise relatively
offensively muted. Magomedov has a head kick blocked, and he
parries a punch and narrowly evades two looping hooks. Magomedov
skims the side of the head with a kick, and he jabs and prods with
a leg kick. Ferreira’s responding teep kick comes up short, unable
to find his distance. Magomedov snaps out a front kick and dodges a
counter to walk his man down. Magomedov gets away with a naked leg
kick as a right hand counter clips him, and he strings a few
punches together to get the Brazilian back. Magomedov jabs the body
and blocks a Ferreira blitz, and the disappointing round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The middleweights bump fists to start the second round. Magomedov
gets on his bike, peppering with jabs, and Ferreira rushes after
him preparing to check kicks and reaching out punches. Ferreira
marches Magomedov down with two hooks, landing at least one.
Magomedov walks the Brazilian down and pushes him back with a jab,
and Ferreira darts at him with two winging strikes. Ferreira checks
a kick and counters a jab with two punches, and two more come to
catch Magomedov standing still. Ferreira pitches out a jumping
switch kick as he surges forward, far different than the first
round as he may have already matched last round’s strike attempt
total just 90 seconds in. Ferreira blasts his man in the face with
a right hand, and Magomedov ducks down directly into a head kick
that shakes him down to his core. Magomedov desperately pursues a
takedown, falling directly into a guillotine choke from the
Brazilian. The Russian-born competitor shakes out the cobwebs and
pulls his neck out of the choke, working his way around to gain top
position, sneak around to take the back, and start fishing for
things. Ferreira explodes out of it and walks Magomedov down,
hurling heavy leather at him. Magomedov’s legs may not be fully
beneath him, and Ferreira opens up with a vicious body kick and a
jumping front kick. Ferreira splits the guard with a left hand, and
he stops a takedown in its tracks. When Magomedov gets up, he just
dodges a left hand in time, but Ferreira reaches him with a fierce
left hand. “The Hulk” smashes his man in the face with power
strikes, and he spins with an elbow that gives up his back.
Magomedov uses the moment to tackle Ferreira to the mat from
behind, and Ferreira stands back up despite Magomedov on his back.
Magomedov rolls him back down to the floor, and he assumes top
position to slow the Brazilian down. Magomedov shifts to half guard
to maintain control, where he grinds out the remainder of the
round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

There is a clap of hands to commence the final round, marking the
first time that “The Hulk” has fought beyond the 10-minute mark.
Ferreira appears fresh as a daisy, spearing his opponent with a
power punch. Ferreira lunges forward to throw out two more, and he
dips down to defend a faked takedown and eats a stunning left hand
on the jaw. Ferreira raises his arms to ask Magomedov to bring it
on, and Magomedov shrugs at him back. Ferriera plods forward,
jabbing the body with a kick and pounding a few punches off the
guard. Magomedov intercepts his advancing foe with an uppercut, and
Ferreira lets his hands fly with two punches and a spinning strike.
The spin works to his disadvantage, as “Abus” times an easy
takedown that plants the Brazilian flat on his back. Magomedov
moves into half guard, and Ferreira scrambles and gives his back
up. Magomedov slips a hook in from behind, and he starts looking
for a choke before getting the other in. This allows “The Hulk” to
escape, and Magomedov looks at the clock and rushes at his opponent
to tackle him down to the floor courtesy of a clean double.
Ferreira hits his back and hacks with elbows to the back of the
head, and he is warned loudly by Goddard.
Magomedov ignores the strikes and steps over to mount and then the
side, simultaneously securing an arm-triangle choke. The Russian by
way of Germany locks the submission down and imposes his full body
weight, and it is just a matter of time with Ferreira trapped in a
precarious position. “The Hulk” surrenders before his lights go
out, and Magomedov has now handed Ferreira his first
career submission defeat.

The Official Result

Abusupiyan Magomedov def. Brunno Ferreira R3 3:14 via Submission
(Arm-Triangle Choke)

Round 1

Another victim of a weigh-in day switcheroo, the two lightweights
in Rebecki (19-2, 3-1 UFC) and Orolbai (13-1-1, 2-0 UFC) now find
themselves competing at a 160-pound catchweight. It is currently
unclear which man struggled to make weight properly—or it could be
both—as they comfortably reached that mark together. Referee Vitor
Ribeiro draws the charge for this matchup outside of standard
weight divisions, and he checks the fight in as the two men tap
their gloves together. Rebecki strides forward ready to throw
hands, and he punches his way in and clashes his chest against his
opponent’s. Orolbai pushes him back, and gets tagged by a left
hand. The sheer momentum of the two make them crash together more
than once, and Rebecki is throwing everything he has at his
opponent. Rebecki pitches out a left hand that reddens the nose of
his adversary, and leg kicks are traded. Orolbai sneaks in a short
right, and Rebecki slides to the side and batters his opponent on
both sides of the head with power punches. Orolbai pushes out a
right hand, and they bang their heads together when coming towards
one another. Rebecki punches his way into a clinch, and he escapes
before Orolbai can take advantage of it. Rebecki chops at the front
leg and spins around, and he loads up on heavy blows that do not
make Orolbai budge one inch. Orolbai tosses out a head kick after a
one-two, and Rebecki counters with a clubbing left hand. Rebecki’s
face begins to turn red from a few absorbed blows back his
direction, and he pays it no mind as he loads up on his big left.
Orolbai sticks his opponent with a right and gets blasted with a
scooping left hand, and it causes immediate damage that swells up
his right eye. Orolbai’s eye balloons from the power punches, and
Rebecki targets it like a bullseye. Rebecki chops down the front
leg, and Orolbai walks him down and just misses with a head kick. A
left hand from the Polish fighter opens up the nose, and he gets
knocked down from a counter right that might have been from him
being off-balance. The horn sounds as Rebecki scrambles back
upright to attack again.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Ribeiro calls in the physician to example Orolbai’s swollen right
eye, which has almost completely closed between rounds. Orolbai
passes the vision test and is cleared to continue for now. He
starts off the round looking for a takedown, hoping to stifle the
momentum of Rebecki. The Polish fighter loads up so hard with his
left hand that he dislodges his own mouthpiece, and resets it and
eats a huge right hand on the jaw. Orolbai connects with a head
kick and shoots for a takedown, and the tree stump that is Rebecki
stops it in its tracks. Orolbai splits the guard with an uppercut,
and he loads up on massive right hands in hopes of hurting Rebecki
or opening something up. This allows Rebecki to wrap his hands
around the waist and push him against the fence. Orolbai drops down
to the floor for a takedown, and although he trips Rebecki up, he
cannot ground Rebecki. “Chinczyk” checks Orolbai’s chin with a left
hand, and Orolbai has to take a moment to recover from it and
absorbs a thunderous left on the busted eye. The beacon of a
swollen eye is the perfect place for Rebecki to punch, and Rebecki
punches it again and again. Rebecki uses a leg kick to open up a
right hook, and he gets caught by a right hand from his opponent
but does not budge. Instead, Rebecki surges forward with a wild
left hand, and he dips away from an uppercut. Rebecki hammers the
front leg with a kick and goes up top with a left, and Orolbai
checks a second kick and shoots in for a double. Rebecki uses the
fence at his back to stay upright, but a subsequent effort from
Orolbai drags him to the ground. Before they hit the canvas,
Orolbai appears to crash his head into his opponent’s and a cut on
Rebecki’s eye splits open and starts pouring blood. Rebecki wipes
at it but keeps swinging with full power, and Orolbai measures him
with uppercuts and somehow counters him. Orolbai rolls with the
punches and snaps the head to the side with an elbow, and he gets
popped with two right hooks and completely shrugs them off. Orolbai
connects with a left, absorbs a one-two, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

With damage on both right eyes, doctors clear them without even
needing to check on the fighters’ conditions. Orolbai opens up in
the final round with an elbow, aimed at the cut. Rebecki unloads a
left hand on the swollen eye socket, and it is miraculous that
Orolbai can see out if it. Rebecki blasts his man in the face with
a right hand as Orolbai is attacking with an elbow, and a bomb of a
second right hand sends Orolbai crashing to the mat. Rebecki pours
it on with an onslaught of right hands, smashing Orolbai’s nose to
pieces and causing blood to spray across the Octagon. Ribeiro
watches on closely but does not intervene, and Rebecki beats
Orolbai like a rented mule. Rebecki wrenches Orolbai to the floor,
hammering the fighter from Kyrgyzstan but not eliciting referee
intervention. Orolbai muscles his way to a knee and his feet, and
he continues to take destructive right hands and pursues a single.
Rebecki remains on his feet despite Orolbai’s attempts, and he
lowers himself to a knee and starts absorbing rights of his own.
Rebecki turns the tables on his opponent and dumps him to his
backside, climbing into top position while blood covers both men.
It comes from both fighters, who leak and cover the mat as well.
Through sheer force of will, Orolbai turns his opponent around and
pounds on him with left hands and elbows to the body. Orolbai
considers an arm-triangle choke but slips off the side due to the
massive blood flow. Orolbai sits in half guard as Rebecki clings to
his wrist, and Rebecki bursts back to his feet and is pushed to the
wall. Orolbai is pushed away, and he drives a one-two on the chin.
Rebecki tanks it and eats another power punch, and Orolbai rocks
him with a huge right hook. Rebecki is totally spent, and he leans
his back to the wall and survives to the bell. What a fantastic
bloodbath, one instantly worthy of “Fight of the Night” and plenty
of attention from physicians in the next few minutes. Just
bleed.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rebecki (30-27 Rebecki)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Rebecki (29-28 Rebecki)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Rebecki (29-28
Rebecki)

The Official Result

Mateusz Rebecki def. Myktybek Orolbai via Split Decision (28-29,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 4

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 5

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 4

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

Round 5

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

The Official Result