UFC 263 ‘Adesanya vs. Vettori 2’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Round 1

Fight fans in Arizona and around the world will be getting quite a
treat tonight with UFC 263, which brings a card that has a little
something for everyone. We kick things off with the obligatory
heavyweight slobberknocker, but instead of it being placed on the
main card, it is the event opener. Felipe (10-1, 2-1 UFC) and
Collier (12-5, 4-4 UFC) will throw down in a battle of deceptively
quick big men, and referee Al Guinee will be on top of the action.
The night begins with no glove touch, and away we go! Collier
flings up a pair of kicks quickly, and the Brazilian is barely able
to block them in time. Collier continues to work on the outside
with kicks low and high, and his striking is giving “Boi” pause out
of the gate. A sharp combination from Collier gets in, and he
dances out of the way when Felipe reaches out with a single strike.
Collier has a kick caught, and when he sets it down, the two start
trading. The crowd goes wild when the heavyweights start banging,
and both get off big shots but neither appears the worse for wear.
Collier sneaks in a kick to the liver and a jab, and Felipe crashes
in to throw big shots. The Brazilian aims punches to the body, and
when he backs off, Collier is there to kick him in the head. Felipe
slips and rips a left hand to the liver, and both start throwing
windmilling shots recklessly. Collier wings a looping shot and
follows it with a head kick, and both are blocked just in time.
Collier takes a deep breath as he backs off, but before Felipe can
capitalize, Collier reaches out with a head kick. Felipe aims more
strikes to the body as Collier headhunts, with a right and a left
that rings off Felipe’s dyed blonde head. Felipe is more content to
touch than load up with these strikes, and he walks through a leg
kick to load up with a left hand that glances off the temple.
Collier flicks out a jab, and one of his left hands has started
some fast swelling under the Brazilian’s right eye. Felipe does not
appear concerned, as he and his foe trade jabs from afar. Collier
swings and misses on some hooks, and Felipe stands firm and kicks
him in the leg. A looping left hand collides off the midsection of
Collier, and the two look one another in the eye and start to trade
thunderous leather. They both land flush as their grins grow wider,
and the round ends after a fierce exchange.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Collier
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Collier
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Collier

Round 2

Felipe shouts and laughs to the crowd between rounds, getting the
fans fired up before they start to swing again. Collier is more
composed, pushing out several jabs and following them with head
kicks that keep him out of range of the counter. Collier gets off a
pair of jabs and a right hand, and Felipe follows him with a power
strike that is guarded against. Felipe keeps his head safe when
Collier fires at him, but the sheer impact of the strikes knock him
back. Collier surprises many with a sudden spinning back kick, and
the crowd erupts as the two begin to brawl. Felipe motions to him
that they should throw bombs, and Collier gets drawn into it
momentarily. A strike from Felipe dislodges Collier’s mouthpiece,
and Guinee pauses the fight for a second to retrieve it. When they
start off again, Felipe is on him, digging left hands to the body
and swinging overhand rights. When Collier looks to throw back, he
is much more labored and fatigued from his strikes. Felipe clips
him with an overhand right, and Collier eats it like a steak and
tries to kick at his foe’s lead leg. Collier regains his composure
with a power jab, and a follow-up right hand collides with Felipe
right on the nose. The Brazilian laughs at him and goads him into a
wild striking battle, where Collier eats a few and walks off with
his hands held low. Collier’s combination is easily avoided as
Felipe is light on his feet, and a right hand nearly gets through
the guard as Felipe is far fresher. Collier’s jab is still
effective as he flicks it out to disrupt the forward movement, but
Felipe marches forward to thump a left hand on the body. Both men
throw home run strikes and miss, but Felipe is accurate with his
body shots. Collier tries to get one back with a kick to the liver,
and Felipe shrugs it off and tries to take his head off with a left
hook. Three punches from Collier get Felipe to back off for a
moment, but the Brazilian paces forward and lands a few strikes
before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Felipe
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Felipe
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Felipe

Round 3

The heavyweights meet in the center of the cage and touch gloves,
but Felipe is ready to push him back by throwing power strikes.
Collier backs away and scores a jab and a body kick, and he weaves
when a looping punch zooms past his head. Collier scores leg kicks
and jabs as Felipe is trying to march him down, and he scores with
a right hand as Collier retreats. A jab and a right hand from
Felipe hurts Collier, and the American bites down on his mouthpiece
to throw bombs. The heavyweights brawl for a moment, and with
Collier on the receiving end of more strikes, he shoots for a
takedown. Felipe easily stuffs it, and when Collier stands up, his
mouthpiece flops out. The crowd rains down boos at this sign of
fatigue, and Felipe is ready to unload on him as soon as it is
replaced. He lands a few punches and backs Collier off, and when
Collier tries to come back at him, he is ready with a big left
hand. Felipe’s jab has now started to come together as Collier’s
pace has waned, and when Collier reaches out with a jab of his own,
Felipe shrugs at him. “Boi” stalks him down with a few jabs and a
kick, and Collier’s response is much lighter and less impactful.
The looping shots from Collier are largely telegraphed, and Felipe
can duck them well in time and try to counter. One such right hand
comes shortly after Collier throws a naked leg kick, and the
Brazilian gets off an uppercut when Collier tries to return fire.
Felipe slings jabs, and Collier steps in with a knee to the body
only to get countered with a right hand over the top. Both big men
load up with big strikes, and they barely miss. Collier throws a
punch so labored that he looks to back fist on the way back from a
punch, and Felipe laughs it off. Felipe is fired up, and he lands
several more punches to back Collier into the cage. When Felipe
gets close, Collier shocks him with a spinning back elbow that may
have landed more with the forearm, and Felipe barely registers it.
The two throw down right to the final bell, and this fun slugfest
will be a close one.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Felipe (29-28 Felipe)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Felipe (29-28 Felipe)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Felipe (29-28
Felipe)

The Official Result

Carlos Felipe def. Jake Collier via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28,
29-28)

Round 1

Switching gears to the lightweight division, two finish-happy
fighters that have gone 1-1 in the UFC will toe the line as “Smile
Killer” Ziam (11-3, 1-1 UFC) tries to kill the smile of
Brazilian-Italian prospect Vendramini (9-1, 1-1 UFC). Drawing the
assignment is referee Mike Beltran, who observes the two touching
gloves before throwing down. Looking to find his range early is a
Ziam, who has the frame to utilize his jab effectively – he does
so. Vendramini crashes in to clinch and take the distance away, and
Ziam shoves him away and gets back to a jab that has already marked
up the nose fast. Ziam’s fakes and feints are freezing Vendramini,
but the Italian successfully scores a kick to the knee. “Smile
Killer” pierces the guard with a few jabs, breaking up a
combination and getting out of the way of looping shots in time. A
quick leg kick from Ziam lands, and Beltran tells Ziam he needs to
close his fingers when striking. Vendramini looks for a left hook
to counter, but Ziam sees it coming and is ready with a few jabs to
the head and body. The crowd grows restless as the two measure one
another from afar, and Ziam walks through a kick to get in several
jabs and a quick left hook to follow. Ziam makes his opponent walk
into a right hand, and a kick to the thigh follows suit as
Vendramini is unable to get in his rhythm. Vendramini tries to win
shots at him, but Ziam is light on his feet as he hops back out of
danger. Ziam’s jab continues to get the job done as Vendramini is
attempting to power through and throw big strikes, but those
strikes come up hitting nothing but air. Ziam kicks the leg and
gets popped in the nose, but he responds in kind with a sharp jab
up the middle. A high kick glances off Ziam’s shoulder right before
the round ends, and Ziam is proud of his work early on.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ziam
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ziam
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ziam

Round 2

The Frenchman picks up where he left off with several jabs, and
Vendramini is changing his approach as he rushes forward to throw
bombs. When Ziam backs away, he slips up a front kick that collides
off Vendramini’s chin, and Vendramini falls forward into a takedown
attempt. Ziam stuffs he and circles away against the fence, before
the two return to the center of the cage. Vendramini attacks with a
single leg takedown, and Ziam stifles it and wings an elbow that is
inches shy of his intended target. Ziam keeps his jab going
intermittently, and Vendramini has decided to stop eating them and
charge like a bull. This plays into Ziam’s hands, who darts out of
the way and counters on the outside. A left hand high and a one to
the body come together, and Vendramini is taking damage as Ziam’s
left hand is poking holes in him. Vendramini scores a single inside
leg kick, but Ziam ignores it to get off a pair of punches in
response. Vendramini has a leg kick checked, and Ziam absorbs a
second one. The range of Ziam is allowing him to land strikes from
afar, and his head movement protects him from harm as Vendramini is
selling out to throw bombs. A few big punches from Vendramini turn
into a double leg takedown attempt, and Ziam impressively shucks
him off after getting driven into the cage. When the two separate,
Vendramini wants to do some damage, with several wide shots that
all come up short. Ziam sticks him with jab after unanswered jab,
and he changes it up with a stomp kick to the knee as the crowd is
getting bored. The Frenchman does not notice the unrest and does
not change up his gameplan, with his jabs flowing right to the
bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ziam
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ziam
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ziam

Round 3

Ziam picks up right where he left off with sharp jabs, and
Vendramini is not playing around anymore as he surges forward with
enormous punches that catch Ziam standing tall. Vendramini sprints
ahead, throwing everything he has into these strikes, and a few of
them manage to connect and send Ziam flying. Vendramini’s foot
firmly on the accelerator, Ziam can do nothing but run away, and
Vendramini catches up with him. As Ziam retreats, he stumbles, and
Vendramini blitzes forward and tackles him to the ground. Quickly
and methodically, Vendramini climbs on top and advances his
position. “The Italian Stallion” steps over to half guard and then
mount, all while landing strikes from above, Ziam gives up his back
for a second to regain his position, but Vendramini backs off and
returns to half guard. As Ziam sits up, Vendramini snags his neck
and tries to hook up an arm-in guillotine choke. When Ziam defends
it, Vendramini recaptures mount and slams his fist into the side of
Ziam’s head. Ziam manages to get his foe back to his guard, and he
tries to sit up against the fence. Vendramini postures up when he
does this and smashes his elbow into his opponent’s face. Ziam is
shocked as he tries to kick off, and with a sudden explosion, he
powers back to his feet and shoves Vendramini away. Ziam appears no
worse for wear as he sticks out his jab, keeping Vendramini at bay.
Ziam is fully on his bike, escaping from any time Vendramini
charges recklessly. Ziam takes a punch when circling away, but
Vendramini locks him down against the fence and blasts him in the
face with a few punches. Ziam bounces off the fence and continues
to strafe back and forth, fully in survival mode as his offense has
dwindled almost to nothing. Vendramini tries one last-ditch effort
to attack, but Ziam ties him up and holds on tight until the final
bell. It will be interesting to see how judges score this round,
and as a draw is not outside of the realm of possibility.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vendramini (29-28 Ziam)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Vendramini (29-28 Ziam)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Vendramini (29-28
Ziam)

The Official Result

Fares Ziam def. Luigi Vendramini via Majority Decision (29-28,
29-28, 28-28)

Round 1

We move things along to the lone catchweight contest of the night,
when the youthfully exuberant Hooper (10-1-1, 2-1 UFC) takes on the
heavy Peterson (18-9, 2-3 UFC) – the latter came in 2.5 pounds
above the featherweight limit. Watching on to see if this will have
any adverse effect on “Ocho” will be referee Herb Dean, and there
is an apologetic glove touch offered and accepted for this.
Peterson comes out of his corner a man possessed, winging a few big
punches right at his foe. Hooper meets him in the center of the
cage with a few of his own, and Peterson lands flush with a stern
right hand. “Ocho” fires off a one-two, and a kick may have caught
Hooper as the younger fighter wants to clinch up. Peterson walks
him down and shoves him over, where he hops to side control and
elbows Hooper in the head repeatedly. Peterson backs off when
Hooper looks to set something up, but as soon as Dean allows Hooper
to stand up, Peterson shoots in for another takedown. He hits it,
and Hooper falls to his back and ties Peterson up. As they
scramble, Hooper manages to get the upper hand and both stand up.
Hooper pulls guard and Peterson springs up, but Hooper is on him
like Saran wrap as he looks to take Peterson’s back and get a hook
in. Peterson spins around and falls to his knee, but he manages to
circle around and push Hooper over. Hooper hangs on tight until
Peterson blasts him with elbow after elbow right on the head, and a
mouse has developed under the youngster’s right eye. Hooper rolls
around to follow Peterson and bring him back down when Peterson
stands, but Peterson is not having it. A few punches from Peterson
connect, and Hooper crashes forward with a takedown. Peterson pulls
for a guillotine choke, and Hooper allows it so that he can get
himself in position. Hooper suddenly rolls for a kneebar, and
Peterson stands up but gets dragged back down as Hooper has his
heel. When Peterson continues to scramble, Hooper latches on to a
heel hook. Peterson’s leg is still tied up but it is not in danger,
and he smacks Hooper upside the head several times to break the
grip. Peterson drops down for his own heel hook, and after a brief
50/50 position, Hooper bowls him over and climbs on top. Hooper
stands up, avoids an upkick, and drops down for another heel hook.
Peterson sees it coming and separates, but as he sits up, he gets
nailed in the face with a punch. The thrilling round ends as
Peterson is pushing off.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Peterson
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Peterson
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Peterson

Round 2

Peterson is ready to strike when he comes out of his corner, and
Hooper kicks him in the body and sneaks in a left hand. Peterson
returns fire with a body kick, and the crowd starts changing
“Hooper” when Hooper connects with a left hand. A head kick from
Hooper leads into a takedown attempt, and Peterson stuffs it and
turns him against the cage. The two jockey for position against the
wire, with both attempting takedowns of their own. Peterson turns
him about and mashes him into the fence, where he elbows the young
fighter in the face to force a desperation takedown. Peterson drops
down to pull for a guillotine choke, but his hooks are not in and
Hooper escapes. Peterson backwards somersaults to get out of the
position, but Hooper follows him and pulls guard to drag the fight
back down. Peterson sits comfortably in the guard, where he
eventually postures up and lands a solid left hand. His fingers
outstretch and they go into Hooper’s eyes, and Dean admonishes him.
Peterson apologizes but quickly strikes with an elbow on the
already damaged eye of Hooper, and Peterson works the body and head
until Hooper throws his legs up. Hooper fishes for an armbar setup
and then a triangle, but “Ocho” is unconcerned as he continues to
drill Hooper with ground-and-pound. Peterson sits up in guard and
falls into an armbar, but the Texan laughs it off and eats some
hammerfists from the bottom. Peterson sneaks in a short elbow when
Hooper is scrambling, and the two wind up briefly in north-south
position. Peterson sits on his side, and he finishes the round by
pummeling “The Dream” with surprisingly heavy strikes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Peterson
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Peterson
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Peterson

Round 3

The fighters reach to touch gloves, and Peterson leaps forward with
a superman punch that may have been a little less than sporting.
Peterson lands a few thudding punches, and Hooper fires off a kick
and drops down for a takedown attempt. “Ocho” stands him up and
presses him into the fencing, where he keeps a heavy grind as he
nullifies the dynamic grappling threat. Peterson looks to break
with an elbow, but Hooper holds tight as he absorbs the blow.
Peterson knees his man in the stomach, and he looks for a high
crotch lift that he turns into a double leg takedown. Hooper is
able to remain upright from both tries, but Peterson doggedly
pursues it to plant Hooper on his back. Peterson is already in half
guard as he hits the ground, where he introduces his right hand an
elbow to the younger fighter’s jaw. The elbows continue to mount
for Peterson as he embraces the grind, and he pops “The Dream”
several times with his shoulder to make matters worse. “Ocho”
remains comfortable in this position, stifling Hooper and getting
some strikes off before hopping over to the side. Peterson cinches
up with an arm-triangle choke, but Hooper wildly scrambles to
wrench his neck free and threaten to take Peterson’s back. The two
walk up the fence, and Hooper manages to get Peterson’s back, where
he drags his adversary to the ground with a minute to go. Hooper
hooks in the body triangle, and the fighters begin to converse with
one another in this position as Hooper attacks the neck. Peterson
tries to turn into the body triangle, and he manages to twist far
enough to survive any submission opportunity and ride out the
round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Peterson (30-27 Peterson)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Peterson (30-27 Peterson)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Peterson (30-27
Peterson)

The Official Result

Steven Peterson def. Chase Hooper via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 29-28)

Round 1

At lightweight, Frevola (8-2-1, 2-2-1 UFC) will welcome
short-notice newcomer and a man with an interesting backstory of
“T.Wrecks” McKinney (10-3, 0-0 UFC) to the Octagon. McKinney won
one week ago inside the LFA cage, and is stepping in for the
unexpectedly injured Frank Camacho. Referee Jason Herzog will be on
top of what is sure to be a torrid first round at least, but there
is a sporting glove touch before the scheduled violence. McKinney
strides out of his corner as if he knows something we don’t, and he
marches forward with bad intentions. When they meet in the center of the cage, a
jackhammer of a one-two comes from the newcomer, with a right and a
left hand that puts Frevola down like a sack of bricks. Frevola may
be out, and McKinney dives down to smash him with hammerfists as
Herzog cannot intervene fast enough. Celebrating what should be
one of the quickest knockouts in company history is McKinney, who
climbs the cage and leaps off. When “T.Wrecks” lands on the ground,
he jams his knee and may have blown it out. McKinney falls over in
pain, and he manages to get to his feet thanks to his corner, and
he hops over to his stool. Tears in his eyes, McKinney soaks in the
moment of what is easily the biggest win of his career, although he
does mar it with a potential knee injury.

The Official Result

Terrance McKinney def. Matt Frevola R1 0:07 via KO (Punches)

Round 1

The first women’s match of the evening comes at bantamweight, when
longtime vet Davis (20-10, 7-5 UFC) squares off against TUF Season
28 finalist Kianzad (14-5, 3-2 UFC). The Octagon will be graced by
the presence of referee Marc Goddard, who clocks the women in as do
not touch gloves. Kianzad tries to emulate the success of the last
fight, throwing hands early and catching Davis unaware. Kianzad
comes out swinging, and Davis returns fire with her own salvo.
“Ally-Gator” sneaks in a left hand that backs Kianzad off, and some
strikes from Kianzad have already marked up Davis’ nose. The two
bantamweights clinch up, and Davis gets the better of the exchange
with a few uppercuts. A minute in and Kianzad has already slowed
down considerably, as the two swing and miss at one another. One
lands, the other scores, and they take turns to land blows one
after another. Davis gets off a few punches, takes a kick, and
spins with a back fist that is just blocked in time. Kianzad scores
a few punches and Davis smiles at her, but she doubles up on them
and continues to land flush on Davis’ nose. The Swede interrupts
Davis’ forward momentum with a leg kick, and she follows it with a
big left hand. Kianzad’s strikes are sharp, and they have blooded
up Davis’ nose and started some swelling. The jabs and left hooks
from Kianzad keep coming, and Davis takes them flush and tries to
counter with overhand rights. Davis crashes into clinch, but
Kianzad meets her first with a few strikes and shoves her off. The
Canadian gets off a solid leg kick, and she weaves through a few
punches to plant her fist on Kianzad’s temple. Davis eats a big
left hand without issue and walks through it, and Kianzad thinks
about clinching but bails on it before anything comes. Davis plants
her shin on Kianzad’s side, and Kianzad circles out and lands
punches. Both women trade right to the horn, and both have some
damage on their faces.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kianzad
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Kianzad
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Kianzad

Round 2

The bantamweights meet in the center of the cage to slug it out
right where they left off, and Davis backs off to scores a low leg
kick. She chops at the calf again when Kianzad rushes forward, and
Kianzad absorbs the kick and counters with a straight right down
the pipe. The punches from Kianzad appear to have slightly more
impact as they knock Davis’ head back, but Davis seems to have the
volume advantage as they keep swinging. Kianzad stings her foe with
a right hand, and Davis is no worse off as she resets. Davis
ignores a punch up top when she kicks Kianzad in the side, and
Davis is ready to brawl as Kianzad scores. Two big punches from
Davis land flush on the chin, who grins and bears down on Kianzad
while landing a few more on the way in. A naked kick from Davis
gets countered, and Kianzad follows it with a thudding right hook.
Davis’ face may be damaged and swelling fast, but she does not
register them as she scores a few calf kicks and punches in
bunches. Kianzad is there to greet her with her own combinations,
all while her calf gets worked again and again. Kianzad walks
face-first into a knee, and a few more kicks from Davis have caused
some problems for her opponent. Kianzad has to switch stances, and
she takes funny steps because her lead leg may be compromised from
the kicks. Davis sticks out several jabs, and Kianzad stands firm
and smacks her with a left hand. Davis continues to chip away at
the leg, and a few punches that follow from Davis have opened up a
cut on Kianzad’s eye. The two stand in the pocket and trade, and
Davis breaks up her punching combinations with kicks to the body
and leg. Kianzad crashes in to clinch, and the two may have clashed
heads and do not land much of note. When they separate, Davis is
the one advancing, and she plants her foot on Kianzad’s lower leg.
Kianzad’s punches still come but are not nearly as powerful, and
Davis can practically ignore them as she bears down on her. Davis
kicks the leg, and turns it into a trip as she throws Kianzad to
the ground. When Kianzad falls to her back, Davis starts punching
Kianzad in that hurt calf until the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Davis
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Davis
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Davis

Round 3

Neither woman shows any ill effects from their 10-minute brawl as
they meet in the middle, and Davis flicks out a jab and lands a
pair of low kicks that give Kianzad instant pause. Kianzad tries to
string together punches, but Davis is there with striker of her own
that bust up Kianzad’s nose. Both get off jabs at the same time,
and Kianzad sits down on a few punches and catches Davis unaware.
Davis hops back and re-engages with a few crisp jabs, before
ducking down to avoid a looping shot from the Swede. Davis spins
around to think about taking Kianzad’s back, but she pushes off
when Kianzad catches on. The Canadian goes after the calf again
with kicks, and she thumps the ball of her foot on Kianzad’s torso.
Kianzad flicks out a few jabs as she gets her leg chopped down on
the inside, and Davis circles away while targeting the kick again.
Kianzad tries to counter the leg kick, but Davis is too squirrely
to absorb many of the flailing punches. Davis jabs her way in and
blocks the counters, before kicking Kianzad in the side. Kianzad
lands a few punches in rapid succession, and Davis walks through
them but is not throwing back with the same volume. A stern jab
from Davis pushes Kianzad back, and Kianzad fires back and a right
hand makes Davis reconsider her approach. Kianzad just misses with
a huge right hand, and Davis is picking her shots and suddenly
rushes in to clinch. Davis lands an uppercut, a knee to the body
and a jab on the way out, and the blood continues to flow out of
Kianzad’s eye. Kianzad strings together a line of punches, and
Davis interrupts her with a sharp jab before she can get nailed
with an overhand right. Kianzad doubles down on this strike, and
she catches Davis at the end of a right hand. Davis pushes in to
clinch, and these women are trading furiously. Kianzad scores a
combination, and Davis walks in to get off an uppercut and a body
kick. Both land one single punch, right before the horn, and this
razor-close fight has now concluded. It’s anyone’s guess who gets
their hand raised.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Davis (29-28 Davis)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Davis (29-28 Davis)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Kianzad (29-28
Kianzad)

The Official Result

Pannie Kianzad def. Alexis Davis via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 29-28)

Round 1

Opening up the four-fight ESPN prelims is what should be a
featherweight thriller between the “Mean” Dawodu (12-1-1, 5-1 UFC)
and the unbeaten Evloev (14-0, 4-0 UFC) with a possible place in
the top 10 for the victor. The third man inside the cage is referee
Mike Beltran, who bears witness no glove touch before a bout many
are considering the dark horse “Fight of the Night.” Evloev changes
levels and wings a right hand, and Dawodu has to shake it off as it
lands flush. The two featherweights stick out jabs at the same
time, and Evloev follows through with a left hand that knocks
Dawodu back. Evloev connects with a leg kick and they trade jabs
again. Evloev ducks a jab to shoot in for a low single, and he hits
it after an exciting move to put Dawodu on his back. The Canadian
rushes to the wall to walk up, and Evloev is relentless as he
pursues it. Dawodu gives up his back in the process, and Evloev has
his arms locked around his back as he lifts Dawodu in the air.
Evloev slams him to the ground, and Dawodu scrambles right back up
to his feet thanks to the fencing. Dawodu falls victim to an
emphatic mat return, and Evloev gets his hooks in and takes
Dawodu’s back. The Russian quickly snatches on to a choke that
turns into a neck crank, and he stars squeezing it even though he
does not have a choke locked in. Dawodu survives it and turns to
free himself a little, but Evloev is still there with control.
Dawodu punches behind his head, and a few punches land
dramatically, even starting a little swelling around Evloev’s eye.
Evloev responds by punching his opponent in the armpit, softening
him up as he hunts for the neck. Evloev continues to smack Dawodu
on the side of the head repeatedly as he has the back, but Dawodu
is proficient in fighting the hands. Evloev sits back and drill his
foe with several hammerfists, and Dawodu blasts out of the bad
position up to his feet. Evloev cannot drag him back down, and the
two fight hands on the fence until the round concludes. The only
question of this round is whether the judges thought it was a 10-8
for Evloev.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Evloev
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Evloev
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Evloev

Round 2

Dawodu opens up in the second frame with a few kicks, one to the
leg and one to the body. Evloev walks through both to pressure his
foe, where he grabs hold of him and wrests him to the ground. It
does not take long for Dawodu to get back up, and Evloev happily
follows him so that he can slam him back down harder. Dawodu scoots
to the fence but surrenders his back in the process, and Evloev
gets his hooks in to the same position as much of the last round
took place. The crowd turns on Evloev as he sits in this position,
and as if empowered by the fans, Dawodu explodes up. The Russian
allows him to stand for a moment before ripping his legs back out,
where he plants Dawodu on his face on the ground. In this position,
Evloev wrenches his arm around Dawodu’s face for a crank, seemingly
not even looking for the neck. Evloev whacks his man with punches
to the head and body to distract Dawodu enough to give up an even
worse position, but Dawodu ignores the blows as he tries to keep
control of Evloev’s wrists. Dawodu stays defensive as he keeps
absorbing punches and hammerfists, and Evloev has his way with him
as he keeps punishing him. Dawodu tries to slug it out from this
position, and he bursts through to break the posture and spin
around, only for that to fail and him to be stuck in this position
for longer. Dawodu scrambles, and he turns to his knees and is
nearly flattened out as Evloev pounds on him. Dawodu turns back
around to be stuck with his back taken, and Evloev slugs it out
until the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Evloev
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Evloev
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Evloev

Round 3

The featherweights meet in the center of the cage to throw jabs,
and Dawodu reaches out with a kick. Evloev decides not to take the
fight down, and he jabs from a distance when Dawodu closes in. The
Canadian scores a solid calf kick after a body shot, forcing Evloev
to clinch up for a moment. Dawodu pushes him away and dings him
with a left hand, and Evloev darts out of the way to take another
low kick. Evloev meets him in a quick clinch with an uppercut, and
Dawodu escapes to score a single punch to the body. Both trade
single strikes over the top, and a glancing blow makes Dawodu
stumble back. Evloev tries to follow it up with a takedown, and
Dawodu stuffs it and stands back up. Dawodu swings with a wide
punch that blows Evloev’s hair back, and Evloev looks to counter
but is similarly inaccurate. Dawodu strings a few punches together,
and Evloev slips them and rips back. Dawodu hops forward with a
kick to the body, and he throws everything he has into a leaping
left hand. Evloev tries to rush in for some offense, and Dawodu
sees it coming and pushes him away. Dawodu takes a leg kick and
gives one back, and he scores a right hand as Evloev turns around.
Dawodu hurts Evloev with a punch, and the crowd goes crazy for
Dawodu. Evloev motions to the crowd that the strike did not hurt
that much, and Dawodu follows it up with one that rings Evloev’s
bell and stumbles the Russian. Evloev crashes forward to take the
fight down as he is wobbled on his feet, and he scores it, much to
the chagrin of the fans in the building and the commentary booth.
Evloev takes Dawodu’s back, and he rides out the position to the
last horn, all while the crowd rains down boos.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu (29-27 Evloev)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu (29-26 Evloev)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Dawodu (29-26
Evloev)

The Official Result

Movsar Evloev def. Hakeem Dawodu via Unanimous Decision (29-27,
29-27, 29-27)

Round 1

For the winner of this flyweight contest, a likely title shot hangs
in the balance. For the loser of Murphy (14-4, 6-4 UFC) and
Calderwood (15-5, 7-5 UFC) awaits a place among the pack of women
that have a long way to go to reach the top. Whether Murphy gets
“Lucky” or Calderwood chops down the tree is anyone’s guess, and
referee Herb Dean will be the first to know. There is no interest
in a glove touch to check in the match, and instead Murphy starts
out the aggressor. Calderwood keeps her distance with a low kick as
Murphy bears down on her, and the Scot ducks just in time to avoid
a looping left hand. Murphy marches forward to throw a big punch,
and Calderwood surprises her with a spinning back fist on the way
in. Calderwood looks for her range with jabs and front kicks, but
Murphy pushes the pace and clinches up to scores a few uppercuts.
Murphy absorbs a couple knees to the body while she applies
pressure, and a few knees to the head force Murphy to back away.
Calderwood follows her with a head kick, and it is barely blocked
in time. Calderwood uses jabs and low kicks any time Murphy thinks
to advance, but Murphy jumps through them all to sting Calderwood
with a left hook. Murphy times another kick to snap Calderwood’s
head back with a pair of hooks, and Calderwood tries to get right
back at her but misses. Murphy pushes Calderwood back with a punch,
and Calderwood chips at her with a slew of calf kicks. “Lucky”
shows that luck is not a factor as she strings together a
combination ending with a right hand, and Calderwood continues to
pepper her with long strikes from afar. Murphy marks up
Calderwood’s head, but Calderwood has a varying arsenal with
punches and kicks high and low. When the two clinch up, Calderwood
gets off several sharp elbows and tries to score a knee on the
break. Murphy swings and misses with an overhand right, and her
single strikes are largely caught on the way in as Calderwood is
more combination-focused. Murphy blocks a few incoming strikes to
catch Calderwood standing tall, and she gets off a one-two that
rocks Calderwood. Murphy grabs hold of her to take her back, but
the round ends before she can do anything with it.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Murphy
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Murphy
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Murphy

Round 2

When the flyweights meet in the center of the cage, it is
Calderwood who flings up a high kick. Murphy tries to throw back
with heavy leather, but Calderwood backs off and kicks her in the
midsection. Calderwood stays in her preferred range with kicks to
the leg and body, and she rushes in with a punch combination that
gets broken up halfway through. Murphy punches her way into a
single leg takedown attempt, and she snags hold of the lead leg but
cannot elevate her opponent. Calderwood manages to get her balance,
so Murphy changes it to a body lock and she wrenches Calderwood
down to the ground. Murphy steps over when Calderwood is stuck
against the fence by taking mount, and she starts wailing on
Calderwood with right hands. Calderwood looks to defend herself
with unorthodox elbows off her back, and she pulls her foe back to
a three-quarter mount. Murphy ignores the leg battle as she
continues to slam her fists on the side of Calderwood’s head, all
while threatening with a potential choke ever so often. Calderwood
is on her side in this three-quarter mount position, which has her
flat on her side unable to do anything or defend herself. Murphy
looks to take her back in the process, so Calderwood kicks off the
cage. This change in position allows Murphy to hunt for an
arm-triangle choke, and Murphy considers hopping over to the side
to cinch it up until abandoning it to land strikes. Murphy pounds
on Calderwood’s left thigh several times while in half guard, and
she stays heavy to keep the crafty kickboxer stuck on the ground.
Any time Calderwood tries to sit up, the American presses her back
down and lands a strike or two. Murphy isolates the left arm to
pursue a kimura, but she uses this instead to advance her position.
Neither happen, so Murphy is content to elbow Calderwood in the
head a few times until the round comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Murphy
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Murphy
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Murphy

Round 3

Calderwood is the first to push the pace in the final round, with a
leg kick and a big right hand that snaps Murphy’s head back
quickly. Murphy rushes in to do something, but before she can reach
her opponent, Calderwood counters her with an uppercut and backs
her off. “Jojo” snaps out a few jabs to back Murphy off, and Murphy
loads up on a few right hands but comes up short. A few more jabs
from Calderwood make Murphy bounce off the cage, and Murphy’s power
strikes are too slow to reach their target. Calderwood is sharper,
landing punches that get Murphy’s attention time and time again.
After Calderwood lands a body kick, Murphy shoots in to take the
fight down, but she decides to instead knee the Scot in the chest.
Calderwood does not let her off the hook, landing a body kick on
her way out. Murphy gets her bell rung with a left check hook, but
she shakes it off and takes a few kicks on the knee. Murphy crashes
in for a takedown, but Calderwood sees it coming and stops it. In
the process, Calderwood gets her in the clinch to land a knee and
an elbow. Murphy again attempts a desperation takedown, but
Calderwood sees it coming a mile away. The clinch that follows
gives both women some signs of success, as they trade knees and
elbows. Murphy may have gotten away with a hair pull on the way
out, but Calderwood walks it off and smacks Murphy in the face with
a right hand. Any time Murphy gets close enough to clinch,
Calderwood greets her with a stern knee to the body. Murphy starts
throwing big punches, and although she connects with them,
Calderwood is right there to give them right back. A few strikes
from Calderwood start an unusual piece of swelling above Murphy’s
right eye, and the American responds with a superman punch.
Calderwood connects with a long string of punches, and she ends one
combination with a spinning back fist. They trade punches right to
the final bell, and both raise their arms in victory. This one
could go either way.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Calderwood (29-28 Murphy)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Calderwood (29-28 Murphy)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Calderwood (29-28
Murphy)

The Official Result

Lauren Murphy def. Joanne Calderwood via Split Decision (29-28,
28-29, 29-28)

Round 1

For the second time in his career, Stewart (12-6, 1 NC; 5-6, 2 NC
UFC) will get an immediate rematch after a no contest ended his
fight abruptly – this first occurred when he faced Francimar
Barroso in 2016 and then 2017. Three months ago, Stewart met Anders
(13-5, 1 NC; 5-5, 1 NC UFC), and the two threw down until an errant
Anders knee to a grounded Stewart abruptly halted the contest. The
two opted to rematch at light heavyweight instead of middleweight,
and referee Jason Herzog will hopefully make sure things stay clean
this time around. There is a glove touch, and both heavy hitters
are cautious to engage early. Stewart paws out with a kick, and he
reaches out with another as Anders walks out of the way. Anders
sits down on a left hand counter, and it just misses as Stewart is
hopping around light on his feet. Stewart continues to pepper the
lead leg again and again, and it is practically the only strike
thrown through 90 seconds. Anders reaches out with another long
left punch, but it is well off the mark. “Ya Boi” marches Stewart
down and punches his way into a clinch, but the Brit turns him
around before absorbing a big shot or succumbing to a takedown.
Stewart holds Anders tight against the wire, and Anders looks
irritated that he is stuck in this position with no way out. The
crowd begins to revolt as this clinch battle ensues, and “The
Dentist” changes levels for a takedown as soon as the booing
begins. Anders stuffs it and turns him around, and he pursues a
single only for that to be rebuffed with ease. Anders presses his
full body weight on his opponent now, and he takes a knee up the
middle for his effort. Herzog asks the two to work, so they jockey
around for position and spin the other about. There are knees from
both fighter, and a stern knee finds its home on Anders’ chest.
Stewart bursts through to take the fight down, and he slams Anders
on his back. Anders threatens with two-on-one wrist control, and he
scores an elbow and a few hammerfists while Stewart holds on to
him. Anders hacks at him from his back with elbows, and the tepid
round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-10
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Stewart
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Stewart

Round 2

Anders fires off a left hand to start the round, but he is a foot
away from the mark. Anders stalks Stewart down early, and he
connects with the single left hand he has been hunting for this
whole time. The punch is the only one that lands before they clinch
up, and we are right back to where we left off from much of the
previous frame. Short strikes from both land on the inside to no
effect, and Anders presses heavy and walks Stewart across the cage
in this position. Stewart tries to set up elbows and knees, and
Anders ignores them as he leans on his foe. Herzog has had enough
of the stalemate, and he separates them without warning them.
Stewart chips at him with a few leg kicks, and “Ya Boi” charges low
for a takedown only to get stood up. They wind up in the clinch
again, and the crowd is not thrilled. Anders lands a knee to break
up the clinch, and “The Dentist” is not headhunting but calf
hunting. Suddenly, a wild brawl ensues, and both men nail the other
with big shots. Anders gets the better of the exchange to pin the
Brit against the fencing, and Stewart is continually landing short
knees to the body. Stewart spins him around and they break, where
they both connect with long left hands at the same time. Anders
shrugs off a leg kick and avoids a right hand that follows so he
can crack his foe with a left hand. He turns this punch to a
takedown attempt, but it is to no avail as they tie up against the
chain links. Stewart motions frustrated as he gets pushed on the
fence, and Anders hunts for a single but cannot land it. The Brit
pushes off, and with seconds to go, it is still anyone’s round. The
light heavyweights meet in the middle, and Anders puts two
uppercuts together to snap the head back right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Anders
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Anders
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Anders

Round 3

The fighters touch gloves to open the last round, and both reach
out with jabs that are not accurate. Stewart kicks the lead leg a
couple times until Anders leaps at him, and “The Dentist” swats
away oncoming punches before they connect. Anders has his leg
kicked on the way in, and it makes him off-balance so that he
cannot score with punches. Anders swarms forward only to get thrown
down by Stewart. The American does not stay here, and instead
reverses the position to plant Anders on his back. Anders lords
over the downed fighter and punches him in the face while above,
before climbing into half guard to put Stewart flat on his back.
Stewart wriggles and twists to try to regain guard, but Anders
gloms on to him and sporadically pounds away at him. Stewart’s
attempts to stand get rebuffed repeatedly, and Anders uses his
weight to keep Stewart trapped. Precious seconds tick off the clock
for Stewart as he is stuck down on his back, and Anders exerts full
control and steps over to three-quarter mount for a moment. Anders
climbs to the other side to pursue an arm-triangle choke, and when
Stewart sits up, he pursues a rear-naked choke. Stewart defends it,
and falls into another choke attempt after he stops it, but that
too is unsuccessful. This second effort for Anders allows him to
posture up and hammer down with punches. As Stewart fails to
scramble, he gets away with a glove grab and gets to his knees.
Stewart gets back to his feet, but he is in a bad position as
Anders drills him with punch after unanswered punch. Herzog keeps a
close eye on the action, but Anders cannot get a stoppage. Stewart
breaks free, and Anders guns for him with one final salvo before
the horn ends this grueling match.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Anders (30-28 Anders)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Anders (29-28 Anders)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Anders (29-28
Anders)

The Official Result

Eryk Anders def. Darren Stewart via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-27, 29-27)

Round 1

Before the main event, Riddell (9-1, 3-0 UFC) will try to get one
on the board for his team City Kickboxing at the expense of Dober
(23-10, 1 NC; 9-6, 1 NC UFC). Keeping tabs on this preliminary card
headliner is referee Marc Goddard, and the lightweights touch
gloves before handling their business. Both lightweights score big
punches seconds into the round, with Riddell catching Dober on the
side of the head. Riddell follows it with a kick that nearly sweeps
Dober’s leg out from beneath him, and Dober gathers himself and
throws right back. A stiff one-two from Dober connects, and Riddell
sits down on a body kick. Dober responds with a kick and a punch,
and these two are going punch for punch. Dober cracks Riddell with
a right hand, and the Kiwi is in serious danger as he shoots for a
desperation takedown. Dober cracks him again, and Riddell is still
able to keep his wits about him enough to press the double into the
fence to protect his chin. Dober sprawls against the cage to keep
himself upright, and “Quake” redoubles his effort to get the fight
down. Lifting Dober’s left leg in the air, he is able to put Dober
down for a second. The American blasts his way back to his feet
without issue, and Riddell elbows him once before they separate.
Dober slings a head kick that gets blocked, and the sheer force of
the blow knocks Riddell back a step. Dober stands right in front of
Riddell and bangs it out, and when he catches Riddell again, the
Kiwi shoots for a low single. This one does not success, so he
abandons it without spending excess energy and gets back to
striking range. “Quake” rips the body with a few shots as Dober
finds a way in, and three punches from Dober open up a cut on the
forehead and rock Riddell again. Riddell fires right back, and a
huge shot just bounces off Dober’s square chin. Dober walks into a
right hand, and he manages to fire back but gets the worse of the
exchange. Riddell sneaks in another overhand right, and he kicks
the lead leg. Dober fires off a body kick and has a right hand
crack him square on the temple. Riddell’s right hand is
continuously finding its mark, and Dober staggers for a second but
throws a head kick right back. Riddell blasts his foe with two more
big right hands right before the bell, and the lightweights are
smiling and laughing as the touch gloves after the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dober
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Dober
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Dober

Round 2

There is a happy glove touch between the two to start the round,
and Dober catches a left hand on the chin as he slings a body kick.
Riddell cocks back his right hand and ducks a left hook, and he
scores it flush on the chin. Dober nails Riddell with a salvo of
punches, and Dober gets stung by counter shots but does more damage
as he cuts open Riddell’s nose. Riddell shoots for a takedown and
gets stuffed, but Dober turns it around and hits his own takedown
after a wild flurry. Dober takes Riddell’s back when Riddell gets
to a knee and stands up, but the Kiwi manages to turn the tide to
pursue a single. Dober hacks at him with elbows and maintains his
balance to stay up, but Riddell is obsessed with dragging the fight
down where he wants it. Dober continues to work his foe with sharp
elbows, until Riddell has to bail on it and let Dober stand up.
Riddell wings an elbow on the break, and Dober walks forward to
throw a left and a big right. As Dober is marching forward, Riddell
catches him and turns his momentum against him by landing an
important takedown. Riddell climbs over to half guard and quickly
advances to three-quarter mount, but the wild scramble results in
both men standing back up somehow. Riddell throws a right hand and
a stabbing kick to the body, and Dober tries to counter but comes
up short. A fake takedown from Dober leads to a furious flurry of
fists, and Dober nearly falls over when swinging with everything he
has. Punches from Dober have completely flattened Riddell’s nose,
and the Kiwi absorbs a body kick and throws back at the other’s.
Riddell scores an overhand right, and they trade body kicks. Two
punches glance off Dober’s temple, and Dober replies with a delayed
spinning back kick that knocks Riddell back. A few kicks from
Riddell end the fun round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Riddell
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Riddell
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Riddell

Round 3

The lightweights clap hands to begin the final round, and Dober
swarms forward but gets caught with a right hand that makes the
iron-chinned Dober stumble backwards. Dober shakes out the cobwebs
and presses forward, right into another thudding right hand that
hurts him. A hurt Dober changes levels for a takedown, but when he
does not get it, he pushes away before “Quake” can reverse him.
Dober lets loose with a body kick, and Riddell is right here to
throw one back at him. Riddell clips Dober with his thudding right
hand, and Dober tries to slip and rip only to take a leg kick.
Riddell targets the body after landing a right hand, and Dober has
to back away to gather himself. The American takes one more on the
chin, and he leaps forward with a pair of hooks only to duck down
for a takedown. The brawlers go kick for kick, and Dober fakes a
takedown to dart forward with a punch. Riddell works the body and
head as Dober plods forward. A Dober head kick gets through, but
Riddell eats it like a steak and stuffs a subsequent takedown
effort. On the break, Riddell glances an elbow off the target, and
he follows it with a piercing body kick. Dober swings for the
fences but Riddell is sharper, and he aims a right hand to the
body. Dober clubs him with two punches, and a Riddell head kick
leads to him falling over. Instead of pouncing, Dober lets him up
and backs off. Dober takes a body kick and tries to loop a left
hand, but Riddell counters with a blistering right hand that hurts
Dober badly. Dober attempts to keep his composure but nearly falls
back, and Riddell charges at him to blast him and put him on his
back. A furious scramble ensues as Dober goes airborne to try to
escape, and the American subsequently winds up getting his back
taken with a crucifix position reminiscent of Gary Goodridge vs.
Paul Herrera. Riddell cannot get deadly elbows off like “Big
Daddy,” as Dober spins around to take top position. Riddell
continues to move, and he manages to circle around on top to land
some final punches from above. The last horn blares to end the
prelims, and Riddell puts himself on the map with a terrific
performance.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Riddell (29-28 Riddell)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Riddell (29-28 Riddell)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Riddell (29-28
Riddell)

The Official Result

Brad Riddell def. Drew Dober via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28,
29-28)

Round 1

An all-action light heavyweight scrap kicks off the main card of
UFC 263, where the pure finisher Craig (14-4-1, 6-4-1 UFC) tries to
win one for Scotland tonight against the undefeated heavy hitter
Hill (8-0, 1 NC; 2-0, 1 NC UFC). The betting line of “Fight Doesn’t
Go to Decision” is the highest of any match on the card, currently
residing at -265, with expectations that this one will be violent
and wild. Keeping his head on swivel will be referee Al Guinee, and
there is a large amount of bad blood between these two and,
predictably, no glove touch. The finishers are cautious to engage
in the early going, with Craig trying to keep a wide berth using
front kicks. The American plods forward, unconcerned of any kicks
that come at him, and he lashes out with a kick to the body. Craig
grabs hold of him and pulls guard, but Hill climbs into half guard.
Craig clings to an arm under his armpit with an unorthodox armbar
torque, and he twists and turns but falls into a brutal armbar.
Craig cranks the arm with all his might, and the elbow hyperextends
in a horrible way. The camera cuts away after the arm snaps and the
shoulder may have dislocated as well, but Hill signals to Guinee
that he is not tapping, so the fight unexpectedly continues. Craig
looks to Guinee to stop the fight because Hill’s arm dangles
lifelessly as Craig recovers the triangle position, but for some
reason, Guinee has not intervened. Craig reluctantly smashes Hill
with elbows like Anderson Silva to Travis Lutter, and all the
while, Hill’s busted arm flops around as Hill has no control over
it and cannot even tap with it. Craig continues to tell Guinee that
the arm is broken and that the fight should not continue, but the
cries fall on deaf ears. Finally, Guinee stops the fight possibly
due to the punches and elbows that mount, or possibly because of
the clear and unequivocal arm injury. Hill slumps over when they
are separated, clutching his wrecked arm and looking around more in
surprise than pain after suffering his first career defeat in such
a dramatic fashion. How this fight wasn’t stopped far, far sooner
is a question that will be asked for quite some time.

Worry not, fight fans, as later on in the broadcast, the UFC team
alerted fans that Hill’s arm was not broken, just badly dislocated,
and it has been put back into place.

The Official Result

Paul Craig def. Jamahal Hill R1 1:59 via Technical Submission
(Armbar)

Round 1

This next match at welterweight is a grappler’s delight, as the
legendary submission specialist Maia (28-10, 22-10 UFC) will try to
become the first man to tap out the durable Muhammad (18-3, 1 NC;
9-3 UFC). Enjoying this fight with the best seat in the house is
referee Jason Herzog, and the two have nothing but respect for one
another and touch gloves. Muhammad reaches out with several
punches, and the Brazilian is right there to greet him with
punches. Maia eats a few on the chin and shoots in low for a
takedown, but it gets stuffed with ease. Maia comes out with a
solid right hand that surprises Muhammad, and he uses this to
pursue a single from afar. The grappling legend keeps the left leg
elevated as he continues to pursue it, but he has to abandon it
when Muhammad sprawls against the fence properly. Maia goes back
after the submission, and he rips Muhammad’s knee out from beneath
him to secure the takedown. Muhammad’s eyes are wide as he is
surprised that this happened to him, and he walks up to his feet to
stand back up. Muhammad lifts his leg all the way in the air to
break the grip, and he backs away to get his feet from beneath him.
Muhammad answers with a solid right hand, and he pushes away a
leaping takedown attempt from Maia shortly thereafter. Muhammad has
his leg grabbed again, and he hops back to the fence to keep his
balance. Maia eats an elbow as he pursues the single, but Muhammad
is able to put his leg down for a moment and pull it back. Maia
backs away and evades the punches that come his way, but a left
hand finds its home on his chin. A stiff jab from Muhammad backs
Maia off, and Maia fakes a takedown to draw out a reaction. Maia
puts another attempt on Muhammad with the single, and he lifts the
leg up high to take Muhammad down but cannot get it. Muhammad hops
to and fro with his back on the wire, and Maia sticks to him like
glue as he is intent on putting Muhammad on his back. Muhammad is
able to put his leg down to the ground again, and he uses the other
to sling a head kick that gets blocked right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Maia
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Maia
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Maia

Round 2

There is a quick glove touch to start off the round, and Maia
follows it with a left hand. Muhammad kicks the lead leg and hops
back before Maia can snatch it up. The American gets off a few jabs
here and there as he tries to find his range and keep a safe
distance, timing uppercut feints and marking up Maia’s nose with
strikes. Maia lunges forward with a looping left hand that hits
nothing but air, and there is a lengthy stalemate as they look for
angles. Maia drops down for a low single, and Muhammad sticks him
with punches from far out. Maia turns a punch to a takedown attempt
in the center of the cage, and Muhammad sprawls and stops it from
happening. Muhammad makes him pay with a right hand after breaking
up the attempt, and he swats away a few half-hearted punches from
the Brazilian. Maia pursues another takedown, and Muhammad jumps
far away to get out of harm’s way. Muhammad stings Maia with crisp
punch combinations, and he hurts Maia with a right hand as he is
feeling more comfortable to let his hands go. Muhammad paws out
several left hands to break up Maia’s forward movement, and he
kicks the lead leg hard. Maia tries to take him down, but his
attempts are more labored and Muhammad sees it coming from a mile
away. “Remember the Name” makes Maia remember his fists as he
introduces them to Maia’s chin a few times, until Maia charges in
for a desperate single leg takedown. When the Brazilian lifts the
leg up, Muhammad keeps his balance and stays upright. When Maia
tries for one last takedown, Muhammad defends with elbows on the
side of the head until time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad

Round 3

There is one final touch of gloves for the last round, and Muhammad
is more comfortable in the center of the cage as he jabs his way
out. Maia gets one back, but Muhammad triples up on jabs. Maia
dives for a takedown, and Muhammad springs out of danger without
much concern. Muhammad gets off a head kick that still does damage
even though it is fully blocked, and a right hand hurts the
43-year-old. Maia wings a left hand, but Muhammad’s strikes are
more accurate and quicker. There is another head kick from
Muhammad, and when it gets blocked, the Roufusport product sticks
Maia with a jab. Maia shoots low for a single, and Muhammad does
not seem concerned as he stops it once more. Muhammad jabs and
continues to redden Maia’s face up, and a clubbing left hand
frustrates Maia. Muhammad staves off a feeble single so that he can
chain punches together, and he tees off on the fading Brazilian
with combinations. Maia can do little but flirt with takedowns, and
Muhammad drills him with a shovel uppercut but gets caught with an
overhand left. Muhammad pulls his leg back before it gets snagged,
and Maia telegraphs these shots every time and does not vary his
approach. Muhammad aims a head kick at him, but it too is blocked.
Maia crashes forward with a single, and “Remember the Name” posts a
stellar takedown defense rate when he stops that one from
succeeding. Muhammad protects his leg when Maia latches on to it,
punching the Brazilian in the side of the head as Maia lumbers
towards him. Muhammad is forced to defend single after single, and
Maia lifts the leg but cannot ground him. The gritty fight comes to
an end in this position.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad (29-28 Muhammad)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad (29-28 Muhammad)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad (29-28
Muhammad)

The Official Result

Belal Muhammad def. Demian Maia via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
29-28, 29-28)

Special Non-Title, Five-Round Bout:
Nate
Diaz (170) vs. Leon
Edwards (170.5)

Round 1

For some unknown reason, Edwards (18-3, 1 NC; 10-2 UFC) vs. Diaz
(20-12, 15-10 UFC) will become the first five-round fight in UFC
history that was not the main event and did not have a belt on the
line at any point. The winner could be on the verge of a title shot
– even if it is Diaz – and referee Herb Dean will be serving as the
Octagon ranger when the door shuts. There is no glove touch, and
instead Edwards feints and fakes his way forward as Diaz throws an
inaccurate leg kick. Diaz circles on the outside of the cage,
pawing out a kick that is two feet away. Diaz dances around and
showboats when Edwards does not engage, and he is trying to taunt
Edwards and gets cracked. Edwards does not bite on any of this, and
he stings him with a right hand and a leg kick. Another leg kick
lands for Edwards, and Diaz nods at him. Diaz looks away and throws
a punch, but Edwards is out of the way and able to chop at the leg.
Diaz is forced to change stances already, and he hops forward with
an unusual punch that is off the mark. Edwards lands a few punches,
and Diaz gets one back as the Brit backs off. “Rocky” marches Diaz
down and takes a leg kick on the inside and outside of his leg.
Edwards fires off a left hand that bounces off the chin, and Diaz
taunts him and gets kicked hard on the thigh. Diaz’ leg is
reddening up fast, and Diaz reaches out with several jabs and
dodges the oncoming fire. Two punches from Diaz land, and he starts
motioning to Edwards that he got his number and leaps forward with
looping punches. Although they do not connect, Diaz does manage to
clinch up. Edwards turns the tables on him, and he pushes Diaz down
and partially takes his back. Diaz punches his man from behind, and
the strikes do not even register as Edwards gets a hook in. Edwards
circles around when Diaz sits down, and he keeps Diaz’ back
controlled as he starts to land a few punches. Edwards’
ground-and-pound mounts until Diaz kicks off, and Edwards chops
down his lead leg once more before the round ends. The leg kicks
did some damage, as Diaz limps back to his corner between
rounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Edwards

Round 2

Both welterweights jab at one another as the round begins, and
Edwards hacks at the leg with a nasty kick that makes Diaz turn
around. Diaz wanders off, looking at the ground, and Edwards does
not fall for it and waits for Diaz to come back. Diaz sprints
forward suddenly to throw punches, but Edwards is well out of the
way of any of them. Edwards rolls with a punch to land a left hand,
and he greets Diaz with a right as Diaz is swinging for the
bleachers. Diaz puts his hands at his waist, and both clock one
another with right hands as Diaz plays possum a little. Diaz gets
off a right hand, but Edwards lands a few more and a slapping leg
kick. Diaz whiffs on a one-two, allowing Edwards to score a right
hand counter when Diaz throws at him. Edwards nails the lead leg to
force Diaz to change his stances, and Diaz goads him on. This
allows Diaz to trade with him and even land a few punches before
Edwards can snag him and tie him up in the clinch. Edwards hits a
trip to put Diaz on his back, and he takes half guard comfortable
without fear of Diaz’ notorious offensive guard. Diaz suddenly
snags a heel hook, and Edwards gets away with a blatant fence grab
to stop it. This allows him to get free, and he slams his shin in
Diaz’ leg. Diaz keeps a poker face but shows some pain, and he
comes out swinging. Edwards clips him with a left hand, and Diaz
signals that it was very close. Diaz continues to taunt and toy
with Edwards, and he lands a pair of punches. Edwards stands him up
with punches, and a leg kick breaks up Diaz when he presses
forward. Diaz punches into a clinch, and Edwards reverses the
position and tags him with a spinning back elbow before the horn
blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Edwards

Round 3

Edwards comes out firing, with punches and a knee up the middle.
Edwards comes in with an elbow, and Diaz points at his gloves for
some reason. Diaz takes a left hand on the chin, and he pirouettes
to regain his composure. Edwards wrecks his calf with another kick,
and Diaz takes a funny step and tries to press forward. The clinch
ensues courtesy of Diaz, who lands a few short knees on the inside.
Edwards breaks free before there is an elbow that comes his way,
and he jabs Diaz to the body. Diaz just comes up short with a huge
left hand, and he lifts his leg anticipatorily at the kick that
comes at him. Edwards grabs an advancing Diaz into the clinch, and
he trips Diaz down to sit in his half guard. Edwards looks for
ground-and-pound with elbows from on top, and he works Diaz with
elbows that have slashed Diaz open. The blood instantly starts
pouring, and Edwards stands up and lords over Diaz until Dean
stands them up. Diaz is cut on both sides of his head, and Dean
pauses the fight because Diaz’ cup fell out of his shorts. When
they start again, Edwards gets off a right hand and a leg kick, and
Diaz crashes in but gets grabbed. Edwards bends Diaz over and trips
him out, where he drills Diaz with an elbow before Diaz rolls. Diaz
aims for a leglock, for Edwards is well out of harm’s way as he
circles around to take Diaz’ back. The Brit cannot keep Diaz down
for long, who stands back up after breaking out of the grip.
Edwards pops him with a spinning back elbow, and Edwards backs away
as the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Edwards

Round 4

The cuts are sealed between rounds, and Diaz signals he is ready to
roll out for Round 4. As Diaz presses forward, Edwards kicks him in
the body and ducks out of the way from a looping shot. Diaz scores
a one-two, and Edwards signals that he got tagged. Diaz turns it up
with another solid one-two, and Edwards is there this time to
return fire. When Diaz backs off, Edwards puts his hands on his
hips to wait for Diaz to come back. Edwards loads up on a bomb of a
left hand, and Diaz staggers but does not go down. Diaz signals a
thumbs-up when he recovers, and he is no worse for wear as he walks
away. Edwards gives chase, kicking his leg and countering with a
right hand as Diaz goes to the body. Diaz slaps out a front kick
and swipes with a left hand, but it is not effective as Edwards
lands a left hand and kicks his leg out. Diaz gets up and
congratulates his foe for the successful move, and Edwards
acknowledges this and lands a right hand. Diaz walks away, not
looking at his opponent, so Edwards kicks him in the lead leg. Diaz
turns back around, and Edwards tags him with a left hand as Diaz
tries to clinch. Diaz closes in, and Edwards comes up inches short
of a monstrous elbow. Diaz’ left eye has begun to start gushing
blood and he fires off a left hand that shocks Edwards. Diaz
presses into the clinch instead of following up, and Edwards is
able to do a quick count of his teeth and separate. Edwards takes a
healthy distance and chops down Diaz’ lead leg, and Diaz walks
through it and lands a few punches. Edwards winds up on power
punches, but a huge elbow from Edwards and opened up another cut on
the other side of Diaz’ head. Edwards clubs his man with a punch,
and he loads up on another elbow and a left hand. Diaz laughs it
off and reaches with a left hand, but it falls short as the horn
sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Edwards

Round 5

The corner could not seal the cut on Diaz’ right temple between
rounds, so it continues to bleed as the last round begins. Diaz
comes out ready for bear, and Edwards lands a one-two and a dump
that puts Diaz on his backside. The Californian gets back to his
feet, and the other cut on his left eye has opened up and it is
bleeding to obstruct his vision. Edwards swings and misses with a
few punches, leading to a Diaz clinch and a shoulder strike before
separating. Edwards drills Diaz on the side of the head with a left
hand, and Diaz reels but recovers enough to take a nasty leg kick.
Edwards stays sharp with punches, and Diaz comes up short throwing
back at him. Diaz slaps him and lands a left hand, and Edwards is
on his bike as he starts taking several crisp punches. Diaz presses
him into a takedown attempt, and Edwards stops it from succeeding
but absorbs a few short knees. Edwards frees himself and kicks Diaz
on the body, and he throws with the other leg. Diaz puts his hands
on his waist, allowing Edwards to kick his leg. Diaz dings him with
a left hand and points at him, but he does not follow it up. A trio
of hard punches land on the button for Edwards, and Diaz laughs at
him and motions him to keep it up. Diaz is bloodied but still
smiling, and he chases after Edwards and just comes up short with a
left hand. Diaz starts talking to him, and a one-two from Diaz
hurts Edwards badly. Edwards is in huge trouble, staggering back to
the fence and Diaz is taking it to him! Edwards is practically out
on his feet, and Diaz pours it on. As Edwards backs off in survival
mode, Diaz tags him with a one-two and then a subsequent left hand.
Edwards tries to escape as he ducks and moves, and when that does
not work, he holds on in the clinch. Diaz smashes him with elbows,
and he gives it everything he has left to finish the fight. When
the final bell sounds, Diaz is upset that he could not get the job
done, but he raises his arms in the air in victory after that final
round. What an incredible way to end the fight!

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Diaz (49-46 Edwards)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Diaz (49-46 Edwards)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Diaz (49-46 Edwards)

The Official Result

Leon Edwards def. Nate Diaz via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46,
49-46)

Round 1

The first of two championship rematches is on deck, with this one
at flyweight between Figueiredo (20-1-1, 9-1-1 UFC) Moreno (18-5-2,
6-2-2 UFC). Their initial meeting in December ended in a majority
draw after the champ was deducted a point for a resounding groin
shot, and Figueiredo has promised this one will not need the judges
– if that is the case, then he would be the first to finish Moreno.
Hanging on for dear life will be referee Mike Beltran, and fight
fans around the world hope that the sequel will live up to the
hype. There is a touch of gloves before the melee begins, and
Moreno takes the center of the cage early. Moreno jabs the
midsection as he stays light on his feet, aware that Figueiredo may
load up on something big. Moreno scores a leg kick as Figueiredo is
measuring him, and he sticks out a solid jab that knocks Figueiredo
back a bit. Moreno gets off a few punches, and Figueiredo blocks
some of them but backs off when the rest score. Moreno sneaks in a
left hand, and the champ backpedals without throwing a strike.
Figueiredo steps in with a knee, and he tags the champion with
several punches in rapid succession. Figueiredo rips the body with
a single shot, and Moreno ignores it and gets off a heavy leg kick.
Moreno doubles up the jab, and meets him in the middle to strike.
Figueiredo is tentative as he absorbs strikes, and he whiffs with a
big right hand. When the two clinch up, Moreno is there to knee him
in the chest. Moreno’s speed is the difference-maker, and
Figueiredo steps in with an up-elbow only to take a left hand on
the way out. A left to the body is followed by a right to the head
from Moreno, and he leaps in with a left hand and a leg kick as
Figueiredo is flustered. Figueiredo comes up with a hook kick and a
booming left hand, and Moreno catches him with a piston-like jab
and sends the champ crashing to the canvas. Moreno dives after him
on the ground, and Figueiredo grabs hold of him to get his wits
back, and he sweeps the challenger to get back to his feet. Moreno
just misses with a monster uppercut, and Moreno goes back to
sticking out his effective jab. Figueiredo dips down with a big
right hand, and Moreno sees it coming and moves out of the way with
ease. Moreno scores a slapping body kick, and a left hand shakes
Figueiredo up right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Moreno
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Moreno
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Moreno

Round 2

Moreno is sharp right out of his corner, and Figueiredo gets stuck
with a jab that hurts him again. Figueiredo ties him up in a body
lock, where he puts the Mexican fighter on his back and takes half
guard with ease. Figueiredo holds on tight with a guillotine choke
on top as he locks Moreno down, and he is not landing any strikes
but would prefer to cinch up the grip. Moreno rides it out and
kicks off, but Figueiredo is on him and back to a guillotine choke.
Moreno scrambles and gets out of it to put Figueiredo down for a
moment, but when they do not stay grounded for long, he presses the
champ into the fence and starts kneeing him in the posterior.
Moreno scoops Figueiredo up and slams him down, and he gets a hook
in to take Figueiredo’s back. Figueiredo twists around and gets his
man back in guard, and Moreno is comfortable in top looking for
ways to land strikes. Figueiredo defends himself and slashes with
an elbow from his back, and the single shot started large swelling
on Moreno’s forehead. Figueiredo hammers away with elbows that may
have popped the mouse above Moreno’s eye, and Figueiredo kicks off
and somersaults to scramble. Moreno is back able to get back on top
as he follows the champ back down, and Figueiredo goes back to
elbowing him. A few stay-busy hammerfists land from Moreno, but the
far more effective blows are Figueiredo’s elbows from his back
before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Moreno
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Moreno
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Moreno

Round 3

The third round commences as both flyweights rush out to meet in
the middle, but neither engage in the first 35 seconds. Figueiredo
lets loose a body kick, and he barely ducks a punch but eats a jab
on the way out. Moreno flicks out several jabs, and Figueiredo sits
down on a right hand as Moreno sends a kick to his lead leg.
Figueiredo jumps forward with a wild haymaker that is easily seen,
and Moreno punches his way into a clinch. Moreno uses the position
to take the champ down to the ground, and he swirls around to take
Figueiredo’s back. Moreno latches on to a rear-naked choke in an
instance, and even if it is not under the chin, Moreno is squeezing
with all his might. Figueiredo survives, so Moreno begins to pound
on him with left hands as Figueiredo’s head has nowhere to go.
Moreno’s body lock is tight around the waist, and Moreno snags the
rear-naked choke again. This time, it is firmly under the chin, and
there is no way out for “Deus da Guerra.” The Brazilian thinks
about his next move carefully, as the choke is lethally tight and
he may go out. Before he does, Figueiredo taps out, and thereby
suffers his first career stoppage loss. When Beltran intervenes,
Moreno is completely overcome with emotion, letting it all out
inside the cage. Spectacular performance for the new champion, and
a fighter that was cut by the UFC in 2018 after a pair of losses.
Figueiredo is anything but upset after the loss, going over to
congratulate the new champion and even hoisting him in the air
after the belt gets wrapped around his waist. Moreno gets greeted
by his wife and infant daughter, and after breaking down in tears,
he simply stares at the gold belt in his hands. “The Assassin Baby”
is on top of the world, and for good reason – he is now the fourth
UFC flyweight champion and the first-ever Mexican-born UFC
champ.

The Official Result

Brandon Moreno def. Deiveson Figueiredo R3 2:26 via Submission
(Rear-Naked Choke)

Round 1

At long last, the last fight of the night is upon us. This one will
be a rematch, a championship bout and a grudge match all wrapped in
one as Adesanya (20-1, 9-1 UFC) meets Vettori (17-4-1, 7-2-1 UFC)
again. Their first encounter came in 2018, and Adesanya captured a
split verdict that Vettori claims he won. Referee Marc Goddard will
look on over this final battle of the evening, and there is no sign
of a glove touch as these middleweights are ready and rearing to go
to battle. Adesanya storms out of his corner and kicks the Italian
fighter in the leg, and he follows suit with a front kick and
another leg kick. “The Last Stylebender” gets off another thudding
leg kick and dances out of the way when Vettori rushes at him.
Vettori tries to crowd him, backing Adesanya against the fence, but
Adesanya is able to chop at his leg a few more times as he circles
out. Adesanya kicks the body with dramatic effect, and Vettori
catches a leg kick and takes Adesanya down. Vettori lands in the
guard, and the champ worms his way back to the fence and pushes off
the fence before sitting up on it. Vettori does not let him do
this, but Adesanya kicks off and spins with his legs to stand back
up. Vettori stays pinned to him against the fence, and he pursues a
single but cannot land it as Adesanya pushes off. Adesanya lunges
forward with a front kick, and he goes right back to the calf
without concern that it will be caught again. Vettori strings a
one-two together and Adesanya ducks it, and Vetorri continues to
consume leg kicks one after the other. Vettori’s knee is already
reddening up, and he pursues Adesanya against the fence and lands a
few times. Adesanya channels his inner Anderson Silva by standing
with his hands down against the fence, bobbing and weaving and
looking to counter. Vettori gets off a left hand when Adesanya
circles away, but the champ is not concerned as he chips away
little by little at the lead leg. Adesanya goes high and low with
the kicks, and he scores a shovel uppercut and slaps Vettori in the
face with his foot. Vettori charges like a bull into a strike and
tumbles into the fence, and Adesanya points at him and laughs.
Vettori begins to bear down on Adesanya, and Adesanya is starting
to celebrate his work as he connects with fear of reprisal. One
last uppercut gets off for the champ right before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya

Round 2

Both men paw at one another from range, as Adesanya gets a leg kick
off early. When Vettori rushes forward, Adesanya lands on the leg
and fires off a head kick that gets through. Vettori lands a right
hand, but Adesanya is quicker and lands a few punches. The Italian
lands two punches, and Adesanya greets him with a knee and a
counter right hand. Adesanya slips a punch to return fire, and both
get off single leg kicks. Vettori puts his man into the fence, but
Adesanya ducks it and shops the leg once more before countering
with a right hand. The lead leg continues to get battered for the
challenger, who ducks down for a double leg takedown. Adesanya
elbows Vettori on the side of the head again and again, forcing
Vettori to lift his head up. Vettori redoubles his effort to drag
the champ down, but Adesanya wrenches himself free and shoves the
Italian fighter away. Vettori comes up hitting nothing but air as
he throws two-punch combinations, all the while Adesanya carries on
working his leg. Adesanya looses a head kick that bounces off the
guard, and Vettori marches forward to jab his foe a few times.
Adesanya slips the jabs and lands a stiff right hand, before
kicking the lead leg once more. Adesanya styles with a head kick in
short distance, and Vettori eats it like spaghetti as he tries to
put his hands on the champ. Adesanya swings low with a big leg kick
that lands with an audible thud and not a slap, and he comes in a
little too close to get another off. Vettori tries to box him up,
and he lands a few punches to press into a double. Adesanya elbows
him until Vettori loosens his grip, and Adesanya gives him a hard
shove to break the grip. Adesanya comes up a whisker short of the
mark with a head kick, and Vettori shakes his head at him and
lunges forward with a left hand. Right before the bell sounds,
Adesanya launches a head kick that collides with Vettori’s shoulder
and dome.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya

Round 3

The third round commences as Vettori throws a huge punch that
misses. Adesanya tries to time a knee on the jaw, and although
Vettori walks straight into it, he is able to surge through and
complete the takedown. “The Italian Dream” manages to secure half
guard as soon as they hit the ground, and the crowd reacts
negatively to this development. Vettori slowly and methodically
works the body with punches, and he holds his hand over Adesanya’s
mouth. Adesanya kicks off and scrambles, giving up his back in the
scramble and falling into a dangerous choke position. Vettori ties
the choke up in an instant, and Adesanya explodes out and spins to
wind up on top and break up the submission. Adesanya sits up and
lands a punch or two, leading Vettori to pull for a heel hook.
Adesanya wriggles out of harm, and when he stands up and Vettori
follows him, Adesanya pushes off with his fingers and may have
jabbed Vettori in both eyes at once. Adesanya apologizes, and
Vettori takes a little time before blinking it out. Vettori lands a
jab but catches an uppercut on the jaw, and Adesanya ends the salvo
with a nasty leg kick that gives Vettori some pause. Adesanya steps
in with another leg kick, and Vettori shocks him with a left hand.
Adesanya plays it off as if it di not hurt, and he backs up to the
fence and lowers his hands to dodge and weave. Vettori does not
play the game and backs off, so Adesanya kicks his leg a few times.
Adesanya chains a pair of leg kicks to a question mark kick, and it
slaps the face but does not have a full effect. Vettori tries to
power his way forward, but Adesanya is there to kick it a few more
times. The challenger takes a leg kick flush, and it gives way and
he topples to the ground. Although Vettori scrambles back up and
motions that he just slipped, it was a clearly damaging move.
Adesanya darts in with an uppercut and gets out of the way when
Vettori tries to land a booming shot. The Italian aims a right
hand, and Adesanya counters ahead of time with a front kick that
clacks square into the cup one second before the round ended.
Vettori needs a minute to recover, and again, Adesanya is
apologetic at this foul. They touch gloves when they resume, and
the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya

Round 4

The champ apologizes once more before the round begins about the
groin shot, and he offers a glove touch but Vettori is not having
it. Vettori charges ahead with two punches, and Adesanya meets him
with a leg kick and several arcing punches. When those do not
connect, Adesanya settles for a calf kick. Vettori strides forward
only to get his lead leg hacked apart by these kicks, and Adesanya
is able to slip and counter his strikes when Vettori lunges. A
naked double leg takedown attempt from Vettori leads to smashing
elbows from Adesanya, and the champ gets dragged down to the ground
only to push off the fence and roll on top. When Vettori is on his
back, Adesanya stands up and asks him to oblige him. Adesanya
batters the leg with yet another piercing kick, and the unflappable
Italian surges ahead with a stream of punches that are largely
blocked. The champ throws a front kick, head kick and leg kick in
rapid succession, and “The Italian Dream” is stuck daydreaming as
he absorbs all three. Vettori flicks out a few jabs and lands his
own leg kick, and Adesanya stands in front of him as Vettori chains
these jabs together. Vettori is able to counter a few strikes
before Adesanya can land, and Vettori answers back with a hard leg
kick. Adesanya gives him one back, and paints his left hand on
Vettori’s face. “The Last Stylebender” stabs the torso with a kick,
but he does take another heavy kick. Two punches and a leg kick
come from Adesanya, who scores all three unanswered and is out of
range when Vettori comes at him. Vettori corners him against the
cage, landing a few punches but unable to land anything flush as
Adesanya circles out and kicks at his lead leg. Adesanya goes up
top with a kick, and Vettori charges with a takedown attempt that
the champion easily stuffs. Vettori holds in this position as he
tries to isolate a leg, but Adesanya’s defense stays tight as he
signals that Vettori is not doing anything. Adesanya spanks Vettori
and grabs his foe’s backside right before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya

Round 5

The final round begins with a jab from Vettori, and he gets sniped
with a head kick as he backs away. Adesanya mixes in a right hand
with a chopping kick, and Vettori rushes in for a double leg
takedown attempt that does not succeed. When they are clinched
together, Adesanya slaps him in the face. He does this a few more
times when Vettori holds him, and Goddard warns the Italian to do
something. Vettori obliges by changing levels for a takedown, but
Adesanya staves it off and uppercuts Vettori on the way out. A leg
kick and then a head kick both land cleanly for the champ, who
escapes from harm in time. Vettori charges with a few punches in a
combination, but Adesanya’s head movement keeps him safe. Adesanya
wipes the sweat from his opponent’s head with a kick that narrowly
misses, and Vettori comes back with a right hand. Adesanya mimes
that the strike did some damage, falling back towards the fence and
then giving it up when Vettori does not fall for this obvious ruse.
Adesanya points and laughs, and he hops out of the way when Vettori
looks for jabs. Adesanya bounces off the fence with a superman
punch attempt, and Vettori greets him with a short left hand. After
Adesanya lands a kick, Vettori changes levels and scoops Adesanya’s
legs out from beneath him. Adesanya climbs to a knee and protects
his back from this position, so “The Italian Dream” is content to
clinch and squeeze the champion on the wire. Adesanya smacks him on
the side a few times with his fist, and Vettori holds on for dear
life until Goddard splits them up with 45 seconds to go. Vettori
paws out a few jabs, but he walks into a hard leg kick and hops
back gingerly. Adesanya swings a head kick that gets blocked, and a
front kick splits the guard. Vettori rushes to throw hands but opts
to tie him up with seconds to go, and the time expires to make UFC
263 among the longest cards in UFC history. It is now the first
card that the promotion has ever held that saw 11 decisions
throughout the night, setting a dubious record with some frankly
less than thrilling performances over seven-plus long hours. When
the final horn blares, Adesanya mockingly falls to his knees in
tears, before getting up laughing after a dominant performance over
a perceived bitter rival. Before the scores were read, a tired Dana
White has already wrapped the belt around the waist of the
successfully defending champion. The middleweights do not appear to
bury the hatchet after the fight, as Adesanya claims in the
post-fight interview that Vettori stated that he won the fight.
Adesanya dedicates his performance to his fallen friend and
teammate Fau Vake, and he challenges Robert Whittaker to a
rematch in his home country of New Zealand. Adesanya concludes his
dramatic night by loudly proclaiming, “I’m the motherf—ing king,
b–ch!” He is tonight. See you next week, fight fans.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya (50-45 Adesanya)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya (50-45 Adesanya)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Adesanya (50-45
Adesanya)

The Official Result

Israel Adesanya def. Marvin Vettori via Unanimous Decision (50-45,
50-45, 50-45)