UFC 299 ‘O’Malley vs. Vera 2’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Round 1

For the last handful of UFC shows not on pay-per-view, fans and the
community have voiced disapproval in card quality. When it comes to
UFC 299, no one is complaining. The UFC has stacked the deck in its
return to Miami, with an event built so solidly that one title
fight is plenty given the breadth of options on display over the
next seven hours. We kick things off with a rematch between two
flyweights both ranked in the top 10 at one point. In 2015,
Scotland’s Wood (16-8, 8-8 UFC) fell victim to a 90-second armbar
from Moroz (11-5, 6-5 UFC) in a bit of a shocker. Many years have
passed, and Wood is planning on making this bout her farewell
fight, win or lose. Taking charge of this retirement fight will be
referee Mike Beltran, who checks in the rematch. They do not waste
time with pleasantries like a glove touch, and prefer to instead
start kicking. Wood lands a couple solid body kicks, and Moroz
catches one and trips the Scot up to take her down. Moroz lowers
herself down on top, and Wood ties her up with a closed guard. “The
Iron Lady” drops down short punches and elbows, ignoring Wood’s
high guard to land strikes. Wood hand-fights to defend from the
more powerful shots lobbed at her face, and as she does, Moroz
tries to move her way into half guard. Moroz delivers solid punches
from above to stave off any potential referee intervention, and
Wood answers with a couple of elbows. Moroz mixes punches to the
head and body before pressing down to set up an arm-triangle choke.
Wood turns to her side and keeps wrist control on her opponent to
stop it from materializing. Moroz softens her up with punches with
her free hand, and Wood times a Moroz movement to snatch up a
leglock. Moroz escapes it before anything comes from it, and she
thanks Wood for trying by punching her in the face. Wood hangs on
tight to the arm to prevent Moroz from advancing, so Moroz attacks
with her other arm. Moroz pours it on when she wriggles her arm
free to bust Wood in the chops with punches and elbows. The round
ends in this position.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Moroz
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Moroz
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Moroz

Round 2

The flyweights meet in the middle to engage, and Moroz lets Wood
fly by her with advancing strikes. Wood catches her opponent at the
end of a right hand and boots her in the ribs, and Moroz changes
levels to get back to the ground. Wood stops it, gets shoved to the
wall, and elbows Moroz in the face. Moroz presses her opponent up
against the chain links, and she wraps up a body lock and hunts for
a trip. Wood is wise to it and stops getting tripped up, but Moroz
continues to muscle her around against the fence. Beltran asks for
more activity when Moroz settles for short knees to the body, and
Wood responds with one and elbows Moroz on the break when she
escapes. Wood blitzes forward with a right hand, and she clips
Moroz with an uppercut. Moroz fires back with a quick barrage of
punches, and is backed off by a stern front kick. Moroz gets in an
elbow when up close, and Wood makes her take a few steps back with
a sharp jab. The ladies trade hands, and Wood mixes in a low kick
that bangs into Moroz’ groin. Moroz signals that she needs a pause,
and Beltran allows her to recover—a groin shot is a groin shot, as
commentator Daniel Cormier awkwardly giggles. The two get back to
it, and Moroz tries to tie her up, only to get turned to the wall
and worked by “Jojo.” Wood beats Moroz to the punch with an
overhand right, and she shrugs off a head kick to connect with a
few more punches. Moroz grabs hold of her and knees her to the body
before breaking free, and the two back off to reach with jabs.
Moroz follows a jab with a right hand, and she shoots in for a
takedown that Wood sees coming and stifles. Both women knee one
another in the body, and Wood swipes out with a left hook that
bangs into the cheek. Wood prods with a front kick, and she spins
with a back fist that glances off the target. Wood connects with a
pair of one-twos, and Moroz fires back with a vengeance. Wood gets
her nose bloodied up, and she smacks Moroz with a back fist that
busts Moroz’ nose open as well. The round ends with both of them
trading.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Wood
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Wood
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Wood

Round 3

Wood races out of her corner to pick up right where she left off,
and she fires off a one-two to get going. Moroz flails back with
punches, and Wood measures her with a few jabs. Moroz slams her
shin on the abdomen of Wood, and she charges in with three punches.
“Jojo” drives her back with a front kick, and she flicks out a jab.
Moroz just misses with an unexpected high kick, and she comes up
short with punches but manages to get close in so she can try for a
takedown. Wood stands her up and eats a knee and an elbow, and she
pushes off and kicks Moroz in the ribcage. Wood kicks low and jabs,
and she paws out with a front kick that glances off the chest. Wood
catches a kick and dumps her foe to the mat, and she jumps back up
rather than playing in the guard of her opponent. Moroz thanks her
by bloodying Wood up again with a one-two, and she connects with a
solid right hand after it. Wood digs two front kicks to the body,
and the first stuns Moroz momentarily. The two briefly tie up, and
they knee and elbow one another before splitting. Moroz lets her
hands go with a couple big right hands, and Wood stays composed and
keeps her jab going. Moroz jabs the body and misses with subsequent
shots, and Wood doubles up on a jab. Wood takes a straight right
hand on the jaw and fires back with an overhand right, and the two
are keeping it exceptionally close. Moroz jabs and is reached with
a one-two, and the two take turns connecting with one another.
Moroz forces more blood to flow out of Wood’s nose with heavy left
hands and overhand rights, and Wood is right there to throw back.
Wood ties her opponent up, absorbs a flush elbow and spins with a
back fist that slumps Moroz. The Ukrainian stands back up thanks to
the fence behind her, and Wood chases after her, unloading
everything she has to try to finish the job. Wood pours it on,
chasing a retreating Moroz around the cage, and she even attempts
another spinning strike. Wood drives a few knees to the chest,
Moroz tries to respond with anything she has left, and the thriller
ends with what could be a victory for the retiring Wood after that
spectacular ending for Round 3.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Wood (29-28 Wood)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Wood (29-28 Wood)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Wood (29-28 Wood)

The Official Result

Joanne Wood def. Maryna Moroz via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28,
29-28)

Round 1

For the third time in his last six fights, Vergara (12-4-1, 3-2
UFC) failed to make weight. He surrenders 30% of his purse Almabaev
(18-2, 1-0 UFC), who has not engaged in a Zhekpe Zhek match unlike
fellow flyweight countryman Bekzat Almakhan. While Vergara will be
putting his two-fight win streak on the line, the 30-year-old from
Kazakhstan has won his last 14 outings dating back to 2017. The two
will be joined in the cage by referee Keith Peterson, who starts
the nonsense-free fight as the two men touch gloves. Almabaev says
hello with a vicious calf kick, dropping Vergara to his knees
immediately. The American climbs back up, and he is met with a body
kick and a right hand. Vergara keeps his hands extremely low,
perhaps to prepare for a takedown entry, and Almabaev circles on
the outside before spinning to kick him in the chest with a back
kick. Vergara finally strikes at the one-minute mark, landing a
single leg kick, and Almabaev answers with one to the ribs before
shooting for a takedown. Vergara sprawls to defend it, and Almabaev
re-enters in pursuit of a single-leg takedown. This time, the
Kazakhstani fighter gets it, but only for a moment. Vergara climbs
back up, and Almabaev stays pinned to him and manages to get a hook
around the side while Vergara leans on the fencing. Vergara
hand-fights to prevent another entry, and Almabaev turns the corner
and drags Vergara to his knee. Almabaev hammers the thigh with a
few knees before lifting Vergara up and slinging him to the mat.
Vergara springs back up, and he stops a second high-amplitude
attempt from his opponent. Almabaev lets Vergara turn, so that he
can lift him up and slam him down once more. Vergara is able to
return to his feet before long, and Almabaev remains tight goes to
change levels. Vergara spins him around briefly, only to get warned
for grabbing the fence. Vergara lands a knee to force a break, and
Almabaev chases after him and drills him in the midsection with a
spin kick. Vergara opens up with a big uppercut that gets
Almabaev’s attention, and Almabaev responds with a shot in the open
cage and succeeds in using a double-leg takedown to ground him.
Almabaev moves to side control, and as Vergara turns, Almabaev
jumps into full mount. Almabaev floats over to maintain top
position as Vergara scrambles, and he ends the round on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Almabaev
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Almabaev
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Almabaev

Round 2

Almabaev advances out of his corner to move to the middle of the
Octagon, and Vergara stays on the outer edge picking away with low
kicks. Almabaev spins with a kick that lands in the chest, and he
dances back before Vergara can reach him. Vergara lands a body
kick, and he reaches out with a right hand. Vergara leaves his
hands by his side, and he raises one every so often to strike with.
Almabaev takes a right hand, and he grabs hold of a single, runs
the pipe and drags Vergara to the mat. Almabaev lands in guard and
starts smacking Vergara with hammerfists, staying busy with
ground-and-pound while working on a guard pass. Vergara slaps
Almabaev in the side of the head with a palm, and Almabaev grinds
on him and lands occasional strikes. Vergara looks for elbows off
his back, and he keeps the Kazakhstani fighter in his guard.
Almabaev slides to half guard and presses Vergara down to pursue an
arm-triangle choke. Vergara sits up, and he gets his arm controlled
like a seat belt and slugged in the face. Vergara turns to his side
and stands, and Almabaev lifts him up and slams him to the canvas,
where he lands in immediate back control. Vergara twists, and
Almabaev flows and follows him to continue connecting with some
offense. Vergara explodes but is unable to get off of his back, and
he tries to scoot towards the wall. Almabaev lays into him with
several unanswered right hands, until Vergara flattens himself out.
Almabaev falls off the back when Vergara stands, and Vergara ducks
a spinning back fist and blocks a head kick before the horn
blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Almabaev
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Almabaev
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Almabaev

Round 3

Almabaev moves right to the center of the cage to initiate his
offense in the final round, and Vergara stands before him and is
ready to trade. Almabaev spins with a strike, and Vergara ducks it
and counters with a big right hand. Almabaev shoots down low for a
takedown, and Vergara answers with a knee that connects cleanly.
Almabaev bounces back up, chases after Vergara and kicks him in the
side. Vergara squares up and looks to unload with power punches,
and that is when Almabaev shoots for a takedown and wrenches the
Texan down to the mat. Almabaev circles around to take the back,
and he gets both hooks in almost instantly. Vergara times a spin to
escape the position, and the two get back to striking range.
Almabaev whiffs on a spin, and Vergara sits down on a body kick.
Almabaev aims a right up top, spins with a wheel kick that bangs
into the side of the head, and he shoots. Vergara stuffs it, and he
gets beaned with a right hand that wobbles him. Almabaev follows
him and knees him in the head, and Vergara fires back to make
Almabaev change his approach. Almabaev goes for another takedown
when Vergara kicks high, and he succeeds in grounding Vergara
temporarily. Vergara climbs back up, and Almabaev doggedly pursues
a single. Vergara attempts a standing submission to threaten or
force a break, and Almabaev steps back and spins with a back kick
that does not land cleanly. Vergara loads up on heavy punches, and
Almabaev retreats and resets. Vergara lands with a strike or two,
but he throws so hard that Almabaev takes him down as the
commentary booth groans in frustration as they sound like they are
rooting for one fighter over the other rather than calling the
action objectively. Vergara gets back up, and Almabaev moves around
to take the back and drag Vergara from behind. Almabaev sets up a
rear-naked choke, and Vergara hand-fights and keeps his neck free
from danger to ride out the position and end the fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Almabaev (30-27 Almabaev)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Almabaev (30-27 Almabaev)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Almabaev (30-27 Almabaev)

The Official Result

Asu Almabaev def. C.J. Vergara via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

The structural integrity of the cage will be tested for this
heavyweight affair that combines for 527-plus pounds in addition to
referee Andrew Glenn. The 6-foot-7 Cuban juggernaut Despaigne (4-0,
0-0 UFC) is responsible for about half that amount, while Parisian
(15-7, 2-4 UFC) may have cut weight to hit the 266-pound mark. With
15 knockouts in their combined 19 victories, the judges might be
able to take this one off. Before fists go flying, they do not
touch gloves, and instead Despaigne meanders forward with his hands
down. Despaigne wings a right hand, whiffs on an uppercut, and
launches a head kick that makes him topple to the mat. The massive
Cuban springs right back up and backpedals fast, as Parisian gives
chase, swinging his mighty fists.
While Parisian is attacking, Despaigne counters with a clean right
hand, a left and one more powerful right to send Parisian down to
his knees. Despaigne pushes his downed foe to his back and slams
him in the face with a blistering right hand, and Glenn rushes in
to wave the fight off. “The Big Boy” is now on the
map, with five victories as a pro including five debilitating
knockouts. Despaigne only needed about 20 seconds to get the job
done, and the crowd goes wild for the Cuban that trains in
Orlando.

The Official Result

Robelis Despaigne def. Josh Parisian R1 0:18 via TKO
(Punches)

Round 1

A casual observer might look at this battle of Michel vs. Michal
and not immediately know which one competed at light heavyweight
recently. By the size of Pereira (29-11, 2 NC; 7-2 UFC), he does
not look like the kind of person that made welterweight in 2022. On
the other hand, Oleksiejczuk (19-6, 1 NC; 7-4, 1 NC UFC) appears
well-suited for his newer, lighter weight class, and his knockout
last year over Chidi Njokuani shines on his ledger. Pereira is
psyched to compete in Miami, and he brings his cousin with him to
do a synchronized, choreographed dance before walking out. This
potentially wild 185-pound affair will be officiated by referee Dan
Miragliotta, and there is a quick glove touch from the competitors
to get it going. Pereira hops back and forth, changing stances, and
he dodges a right hand and rips two kicks to the body. Oleksiejczuk
goes over the top with a right hook, and Pereira backs off and
skirts to the side. Pereira lands two speedy punches before
springing to the side, and he drives a right hand on the solar
plexus and hurts Oleksiejczuk. Oleksiejczuk backs off to the fence,
bent over but trying to remain on his feet, and Pereira charges at
him and knees him twice in the same spot to buckle the Polish
fighter’s knees.
Oleksiejczuk slumps to the ground, and Pereira leaps around to take
his back and grab hold of a rear-naked choke without even bothering
to get a hook in. The Brazilian locks down the choke and his
forearm slides beneath the chin, and he squeezes with all his
might. Oleksiejczuk does not once consider tapping, and he fades
into unconsciousness as the submission puts him all the way
out. Miragliotta pulls them apart when recognizing
Oleksiejczuk is out cold, and Pereira rushes to the center of the
cage and breakdances to celebrate. What a performance for Pereira,
who has now won seven in a row and may soon be a contender at his
new weight class of middleweight.

The Official Result

Michel Pereira def. Michal Oleksiejczuk R1 1:01 via Technical
Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Round 1

At long last, we will finally see the oft-delayed light heavyweight
showdown between Cutelaba (17-9-1, 1 NC; 6-8-1 UFC) and Lins (17-5,
3-2 UFC). This fight was initially slated for an October 2023
event, and a fight night medical scratch for Lins delayed it until
now. Both men sharing their preferred method of victory of the
knockout, referee Mike Beltran may have his hands full until it is
all over. The two have to be separated when Cutelaba walks right in
front of his opponent during the introductions, and they do not
touch gloves when completed. Lins strikes first with a low kick,
and Cutelaba answers immediately with the same blow. Lins goes low,
and Cutelaba tries to catch it and go over the top with a right
hand. Lins slides back in the nick of time, and he connects with a
heavy calf kick that Cutelaba does not like. Cutelaba gives him a
lighter kick back to the same target, and he intercepts an
advancing Lins with a jab. Lins comes out swinging, and he ends a
combination with a low kick that gets checked. Cutelaba turns his
hips into a leg kick, and Lins throws one back as Cutelaba reaches
for it. Lins hops in, lands a straight left, and gets out of harm’s
way before the counter lands. Lins lands a hard calf kick, and
Cutelaba swings heavy punches him that bounce the Brazilian off the
cage. Lins ricochets off and chambers to fire a low kick, and he
buckles Cutelaba’s leg for a second. Cutelaba shakes it off and
winds up with a right hand, and he blasts Lins in the face and
sends him flying to his seat. Lins pops back up, no worse for wear,
and he throws a leg kick. Cutelaba checks it and grins, and he
reaches out with an overhand right. Cutelaba preemptively lifts his
leg ahead of time to prevent a kick from landing, and this allow
Lins to pops him with a right hand over the top. Lins then goes low
with a heavy leg kick, and he shoots in for a single. Cutelaba hops
back to the wall, elbows Lins in the face and drags his leg back
down. Lins backpedals and lets go with a head kick, and Cutelaba
charges him and busts him in the chops with an elbow. Lins scores a
leg kick, draws a wobble, and fires off a one-two that gets
Cutelaba’s attention. Cutelaba bites down on his mouthpiece and
starts trading heavy leather, cracking “Monstro,” and Lins throws
back hard. Cutelaba gets rocked as they keep throwing, and Lins
shoots for a takedown that ultimately fails. Cutelaba lashes out
with an elbow that cuts the Brazilian on the cheek, and he wades
into a brawl and slugs it out with his opponent. Lins backs off,
scores a low kick, and the tense round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cutelaba
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lins
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Lins

Round 2

Lins opens up in the second round to throw a low kick at the
compromised lead leg of his opponent. Lins motions that he has done
some damage to his foe’s leg, and he throws another that takes
Cutelaba’s balance away. Cutelaba changes stances and is hurt badly
from the kicks, and it is swelled and damaged. Cutelaba blitzes,
walking through a low kick so he can throw hands, and he ignores
another kick so he can engage in a brawl. Lins shrugs off a back
fist and scores another devastating leg kick, and Cutelaba is tough
as nails as his calf has swelled up on multiple places. Cutelaba
overswings, and Lins ducks and circles around to take his back
standing so he can take the fight down. Cutelaba keeps on his feet,
and they spin around in the clinch until Lins trips his man up and
falls on top of him. Lins lands in half guard, and he smothers his
opponent without getting any ground-and-pound off. The crowd rains
down boos as Lins holds on from on top, and Cutelaba hangs on to
force a standup. Cutelaba pushes off and Lins stands up, and they
start talking to one another. Lins lowers himself down, and he
leans back before taking an upkick on the chin. Lins leaps down and
hammers his man with standing-to-ground punches, and Cutelaba
explodes through to get back to his feet and put his back to the
fence. Lins attempts another takedown, and Cutelaba shuts it down.
Cutelaba squirrels away with 30 seconds left in the round, and he
plods forward and shoots in right after absorbing a low kick. Lins
shucks it off, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lins
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lins
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Lins

Round 3

The two are so excited to fight, they have to get ushered back to
their corners by Beltran before he clocks them in. When they
commence, Cutelaba pushes forward, and he checks a low kick and
limps forward. Lins winds up with a left hand, and Cutelaba’s
aggression makes Lins trip up. Cutelaba swarms forward, and he
opens himself up to a takedown by swinging for the bleachers. Lins
takes him down, and holds him there for a few seconds. Cutelaba
muscles his way up, only to get dragged down with a mat return.
Cutelaba attempts a kimura to sweep, but this only allows Lins to
turn the corner and take his back. Cutelaba goes for another double
wrist lock to force his way back to his feet, and he succeeds with
his back to the wall. Lins presses heavily on his man against the
cage, and Cutelaba pushes off and swings hard but misses the mark.
Lins strafes to the side, trying to get away as he sucks wind.
Cutelaba charges at him, ignoring jabs so he can throw bombs. Lins
shoots for a single and is stood up, and Cutelaba hacks down with
an elbow on the back of the head. Beltran immediately calls time
and very sternly warns Cutelaba for the blatant foul. Beltran
resets them in the center of the cage rather than putting them back
in the clinch where Lins was. Cutelaba thanks him for this by
rushing forward to throw hands, and he catches Lins with a right
hand but cannot hurt him enough before Lins shoots. Lins knees him
in the body, and he hangs on to run the clock out. Lins softens him
up with knees from both sides, and he shoots in for a double.
Cutelaba sprawls his hips to stop the takedown, and he bops Lins
with short right hands until Beltran splits them up at the
40-second mark. Cutelaba plods forward while Lins runs away, and he
throws two punches and eats a right hand. Cutelaba screams at Lins,
and he wings punches that Lins can avoid. Lins knocks Cutelaba back
with a left hook, and he gets bounced off the wall with a counter.
The fight ends, and it could be a close one where a 30-27 tally
might not illustrate just how evenly matched it was.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lins (29-28 Lins)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lins (30-27 Lins)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Lins (30-27 Lins)

The Official Result

Philipe Lins def. Ion Cutelaba via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

In the talent-rich no-nonsense bantamweight division, speed sells,
and both Munhoz (20-8, 2 NC; 10-8, 2 NC UFC) and Phillips (11-2,
5-1 UFC) are buying. Nine years the elder, Munhoz has served as the
more active man of the two over the last few years. Referee Keith
Peterson is ready to keep up with these two talented competitors,
whether they need 15 seconds or 15 minutes to get things done. The
fighters touch ‘em up to begin, and Munhoz moves forward, only to
dodge a low kick and a pair of jabs. Phillips reaches his foe with
a second leg kick, and Munhoz leaps forward to grab the leg and
take the fight down. Phillips spins with a wheel kick that draws
audible gasps but does not connect, and he chains a few punches
into it to keep Munhoz from crowding him. “The Young Punisher” gets
inside to land a right hand, and Phillips scores back with his own
offense. Munhoz intercepts a striking Phillips to tackle him to the
mat. Munhoz leaps into the guard, but Phillips kicks him off and
pushes off with a finger when getting to his feet. Peterson sees
this and allows Munhoz to recover, and Munhoz only takes a few
seconds before he is ready to go. The two bantamweights jab at one
another, and Phillips whips a head kick after. Both men throw leg
kicks, and Munhoz crowds him and lands punches that force Phillips
to turn away and escape on the edge of the cage. Munhoz pushes out
a front kick, and Phillips times a right hand over the top. The two
measure one another in single strikes, and Phillips kicks low and
buzzes the hair with a kick. Phillips keeps his long jab
outstretched, and he leans back when Munhoz wings inaccurate but
powerful punches at him. Phillips dodges and spins with a back
kick, and he drives a knee on the chin that stings Munhoz. Phillips
unloads with a barrage of punches and kicks, and he further tags
Munhoz in his long series of strikes. Munhoz gathers himself and
throws back, and he knees him in the face. Phillips jabs out his
finger while rattling off a long combo, and he jams it into Munhoz’
eye. Phillips also cuts Munhoz, and it was a punch that cause it
and not the poke. When they get back to it, Munhoz wipes his eye
and engages in a brawl. Phillips sticks and moves, landing flush
and getting shoved back with a front kick. Phillips nods at him and
eats a left hook that cuts him on the cheek. The fast and furious
round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Phillips

Round 2

The cut on the eyelid of Munhoz is not sealed between rounds, and
blood leaks from it to start off the round. Phillips sprints
forward to attack, and Munhoz is right there to greet him with
strikes including a pair of low kicks. Phillips has a one-two
bounce off the guard, and he comes up short with a hook kick.
Munhoz checks a low kick, and he dips down to rip a left to the
body. Phillips kicks him back in the leg, and Munhoz is right there
to chop him back. They both crack one another with left hooks, and
Munhoz slips and scores a right. Phillips connects with a solid
right hand, and Munhoz’ chin is made of sterner stuff. Phillips
grazes the hair with a fast head kick, and he swats away a jabbing
front kick. Phillips rifles off several jabs while Munhoz comes at
him, and he evades the heavier of the strikes coming his way. They
both go low with a kick, and Munhoz has his guard raised to block a
standing elbow but it cannot defend against a body kick after it.
Munhoz keeps his head movement on full display as he dodges and
ducks vicious strikes like a spinning back fist, and he remains
right close to Phillips. Phillips kicks him in the mouth, and
Munhoz takes it cleanly and wades forward to throw back. Munhoz
shoulder-rolls when a right hand comes down the pipe, and he
parries a left hook. The two trade leg kicks, and Phillips hops
forward and stomps the side with a kick. Phillips digs a left to
the body and right to the head, and Munhoz does not bat an eye.
Phillips chains punches together into a low kick, and he slides
back before Munhoz can reach him. Munhoz scores a single body kick,
but it is one-and-done while Phillips is largely more active.
Phillips gets off a right and a left, and he leapfrogs Munhoz when
Munhoz ducks down. Phillips spins with a wheel kick that tags
Munhoz, and he stops a potential takedown from coming at the
bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Phillips

Round 3

Munhoz sprints out of his corner ready to engage, and he tosses out
a glove touch before darting in to shoot for a takedown. Phillips
staves it off and pops out several jabs, keeping him away from the
right hand of the Brazilian. They both smack one another with leg
kicks, and then aim body shots. Phillips lands a right to the body
and a spinning back kick to the other side. Munhoz jabs his way in
and misses with an overhand right, and Phillips jabs and paws at
the damaged eye of his opponent. Phillips shimmies as he dodges,
and he flicks out a front kick that lands on the chin. The two
clinch up, but nothing comes of it as Phillips is out of range when
he tries to reach a left hand on the break. Phillips strafes to the
side and lands a right hand up top along with a body kick. Munhoz
scores a low kick, but Phillips is right in his face with punches
and his own leg kick. Munhoz snaps the head back with a jab, and he
absorbs a clean leg kick in response. Phillips looks to counter a
leg kick with a right hand over the top, and he bounces and moves
to flick out jabs. Munhoz times a right hand while Phillips is
bouncing around, and Phillips has to reset. Phillips slaps a leg
kick in the outer lead leg, and he steps in with a left hook and
whips a head kick up on the other side. Munhoz does not bat an eye,
and he spins with a back kick aimed at Phillips’ head but cannot
reach him. Munhoz prods out a front kick, only to get driven back
by punches and a head kick. Phillips kicks low to stop Munhoz from
getting to him. It temporarily disrupts Munhoz’ constant forward
movement, but Munhoz is quick to get back to racing forward.
Phillips has a head kick bounce off the guard, and he clips Munhoz
with an overhand right. “The Matrix” styles on his opponent with
punches that leads to a spinning kick, and the fight ends as
Phillips attempts and lands a back flip to celebrate.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips (30-27 Phillips)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Phillips (30-27 Phillips)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Phillips (30-27 Phillips)

The Official Result

Kyler Phillips def. Pedro Munhoz via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

In a lightweight contest that could easily serve atop the marquee
of some UFC Fight Night show, former KSW two-division champ Gamrot
(23-2, 1 NC; 6-2 UFC) will meet ex-UFC lightweight king dos Anjos
(32-15, 21-13 UFC). While Gamrot will be engaging in his 27th
professional outing—by itself a solid feat in the sport of MMA—this
is dos Anjos’ 35th fight in the UFC alone. The third man in the
cage will be referee Dan Miragliotta, and he checks in this
important lightweight affair as the competitors bump fists. Gamrot
pokes out his jab early, and he whips a head kick from the other
side that is blocked just in time. Gamrot continues jabbing until
he ducks down for a faked level change, and he comes over the top
with a right hand. Gamrot connects with a one-two, and he jabs and
kicks the side before “RDA” recovers. Dos Anjos lines up and blasts
Gamrot in the face with a knee when Gamrot changes levels, and
Gamrot is hurt and desperately attacks for a takedown. Dos Anjos
defends from the first attempt and gets off some short strikes, but
he gets slowed down when Gamrot drops down to his knees to take the
fight down. Dos Anjos stop the second try and splits off. Gamrot
jabs, and he takes a right hand on the chin as he rushes in for a
takedown. Dos Anjos shuts down the effort and has a low kick
checked. Gamrot jabs, and he ducks back to evade a huge overhand
right. Dos Anjos lets go with a heavy body kick, and he snaps the
head back with a left hook. Dos Anjos defends a takedown by
practically pulling guard with a guillotine choke, and Gamrot
ignores the submission so he can claim top position. Gamrot settles
down in the guard, and he thwarts kick-off attempts so he can move
to half guard. Dos Anjos keeps control of Gamrot’s left arm to
prevent further advancing, and Gamrot lands shots while dos Anjos
turns in an effort to scoot himself to the fence. Dos Anjos grabs
the fence to pull himself to the wall, but Gamrot pulls his back
out from it and hammers down an elbow and some punches. Gamrot gets
off a few more strikes, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 dos Anjos
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 dos Anjos
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 dos Anjos

Round 2

The lightweights tap gloves, and Gamrot starts measuring with a
jab. Gamrot follows one with an inaccurate overhand right, and he
dances back as dos Anjos leaps at him with a jump knee. Gamrot
sinks a kick to the body, and he shoots in for a single. The
Brazilian hops around to defend against the takedown, and he works
his way to lean on the fence to stop it. Gamrot trips him down from
behind, and dos Anjos pops back up. Gamrot clings to him from
behind, where he succeeds in dragging the former champ down again.
Once more, dos Anjos springs upright. Dos Anjos manages to break
free, and he wings a right hand that just misses the body. Gamrot
ducks down in pursuit of a double, and he chains it into a single
that trips dos Anjos up. Dos Anjos keeps his balance until Gamrot
kicks his leg out, and he maintains a heavy pressure on the
Brazilian that now has a bloody nose. The Polish fighter goes old
school to stomp the toes, and he eats an elbow when dos Anjos
shoves him back. Gamrot shoots down low for a takedown, and he
succeeds in planting “RDA” on his back. Dos Anjos turns over and
gives up his back, but Gamrot does not threaten with anything more
than back control with a hook in while standing. Dos Anjos stifles
another takedown, and he backs Gamrot off. Both fighters land right
hands, and Gamrot follows with a jab and a front kick. Gamrot snaps
out a right hand, and dos Anjos blitzes him with a few punches
before Gamrot skirts away. Gamrot scores a right hand and a front
kick, and he blocks a head kick at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gamrot
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Gamrot
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Gamrot

Round 3

The final round kicks off with a glove touch, and dos Anjos tries
to sweep the leg to start things off. Gamrot moves to the side, and
he takes a right hand on the top of his head that cuts him. Gamrot
pays him back with a right hand that knocks the Brazilian into the
wall. Dos Anjos gains a full head of steam and charges ahead, and
he swings with a left hand that leaves him wide open for a
takedown. “Gamer” easily gets to the top position, and he fights
off a kimura sweep but cannot stop the scrambling former champ from
getting up. They both land leg kicks, and dos Anjos meanders in
with long outstretched fists. Gamrot jabs with a front kick, and he
puts two punches on the chin and shoots. Dos Anjos sprawls with his
side against the fence, and Gamrot takes him from behind and
wrenches him to his knees. Dos Anjos works his way upright, and
Gamrot cannot keep him against the fence. Gamrot meets a low kick
with a one-two, and he ignores a leg kick to let his hands go and
bounce off the guard. Gamrot shoots for a single from a wide berth,
and “RDA” stops him from succeeding but gets shoved to the wall.
They separate after Gamrot is warned for fence grabs, and he ducks
a right hand and shoots again. Dos Anjos bounces off the ground and
up, and he gets jabbed as he jumps forward with a knee. Dos Anjos
bloodies up the bridge of the nose of his opponent with a right
hand, and Gamrot strings several punches together in a
mean-spirited response. Dos Anjos charges, and he eats a right hand
and sells out for a takedown defense. The fight ends, and the two
hug it out.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gamrot (29-28 Gamrot)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Gamrot (29-28 Gamrot)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Gamrot (29-28 Gamrot)

The Official Result

Mateusz Gamrot def. Rafael dos Anjos via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 30-27)

Round 1

With 10 years separating these two flyweights, the UFC has created
a potential “passing of the torch” scenario with the victor right
in the title picture. Formerly known as Chookagian, Cerminara
(18-5, 11-5 UFC) has had plenty of personal issues to overcome to
get to this bout. She meets the 25-year-old wunderkind Barber
(13-2, 8-2 UFC), who may not have made good on her promise to be
the youngest champ in UFC history, but is knocking on the door of a
title shot if she wins tonight. Referee Andrew Glenn will join the
two in the cage and keep things on the up-and-up. No bad blood
comes between the two, and they gladly bump fists. Barber comes out
firing, and Cerminara stays on the outside and leans back to land a
body kick. Barber swings from her hips, absorbs a clean knee and
lands a few punches on the way outside. Cerminara shoots for a
takedown to slow down the flailing Barber, only to get turned
around on the cage. Barber fishes for counter trips, and she gets
dragged down to her knees but is not taken down. The women jockey
for position against the fence, with one landing knees, then
getting turned around and absorbing a few. Cerminara drives a few
knees to the chin, and Barber swings with right hooks to break
away. Cerminara shoots low for a takedown, and Barber sprawls to
flatten her out. Cerminara muscles her way back up, and she defends
another attempt as Barber pushes her to the fence and pops her with
a few shoulder strikes. Cerminara turns her around and gets off
some knees to the midsection, and she tries to lower the younger
woman down to the mat but is unsuccessful. Barber takes a knee in
the chest and tries to aim a right hand on the break, and Cerminara
gets hold of her again. Barber dirty boxes, and Cerminara continues
to work her over with knees. Barber connects with a clean left
hook, and Cerminara shoots for a single. Barber stands her up and
the two tie up, where they spin one another around as if engaged in
a malicious slow dance. Cerminara sells out for a takedown, and
Barber knees her in the face to stand her up and stifle her.
Cerminara breaks off and dings Barber with a right hand, and the
grindy round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barber
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Barber
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Barber

Round 2

Cerminara advances out of her corner ready to strike, but she is
beaten to the punch by the surging Barber. Cerminara lands a left
to the body, and Barber goes up top. Barber sneaks a left hand over
the top, and she gets knocked back with a straight left hand and a
head kick. Cerminara sits down on a right hand, and she pops Barber
with a jab. Barber charges and ducks down to attack, and Cerminara
intercepts her and turns her away. Cerminara catches a kick and
bops Barber on the forehead with an overhand right. Cerminara jabs
to disrupt a takedown entry from her opponent, and she walks
through a leg kick to jab a few more times. Barber whiffs on
offense, and Cerminara is sharp with jabs. Cerminara blocks a head
kick and dodges a second so she can scoop a left hand on the jaw,
and she aims a straight left to the body in the midst of a short
combo. Barber reaches but is caught on the way in, and Cerminara
kicks her in the midsection twice. Barber wings a left hand that
glances off the cheek, and she takes a straight right down the
middle as she tries to clinch up. Barber looks for trips when she
presses Cerminara against the fence, and she hurls the former title
challenger to the mat. Cerminara climbs right back up, and Barber
clings to her from behind with a hook in standing. Barber uses her
full body weight to drag her foe down again, but Cerminara keeps
her footing and lets Barber wear on her. Cerminara looks to the
clock, and Barber whacks her with a left hand. The clinch is
largely an even position, with both women landing knees and short
punches. Barber stomps on the toes several times as she looks for
another takedown, and Cerminara gets tossed to her seat with
seconds to spare. Barber lands two punches before Cerminara gets
back up, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cerminara
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Barber
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Cerminara

Round 3

Cerminara attempts to touch gloves to start the final frame, but
Barber wants nothing to do with it. Instead, Barber swings hard,
and this only throws her off-balance and allows her to get taken
down. Barber does not take long to stand back up, and Cerminara
breaks off to get back to her distant strike range. Cerminara
tosses out low kicks, and she reaches out a right hand. Cerminara
jabs and lifts up a kick that bounces off the raised guard, and
Barber crashes the pocket to tie her up. Barber lands a right on
the break, and Cerminara kicks her in the chest. Barber connects
with big punches, and her pressure leads them to the wall in a
clinch position. They both knee one another from up close, and
Barber looks for a body lock takedown but there is nothing there.
Barber hooks Cerminara’s leg between her own, and she drives an
elbow into the forehead of her opponent. Barber attacks a single,
and Cerminara shuts it down in a hurry but is stuck against the
wire. Barber wrestles her down to the canvas, and Cerminara hits
her back and immediately hunts for a leglock. “Blonde Fighter” uses
this submission attempt to work back to her feet, and she pushes
Barber against the wall and lands a couple short shots. Cerminara
separates, and Barber backs her off with a head kick that crashes
into her guard. Cerminara greets her with a one-two down the
middle, and she leans back as a head kick whizzes past her face.
Barber lands a push kick, and attempts to go up high with two other
kicks, only to be blocked. Cerminara jabs and kicks her foe’s
raised guard, and Barber kicks her back and sinks her shin on the
body. The two tie up and knee and elbow one another, and Barber
backs Cerminara off. Barber kicks the liver, and Cerminara ties her
up and knees her in the face. Barber sweeps the leg and makes
Cerminara topple to the mat, and Cerminara rolls all the way
through to get up. Barber swings to break, and the two trade hands
until the final horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barber (29-28 Barber)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Barber (30-27 Barber)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Barber (29-28 Barber)

The Official Result

Maycee Barber def. Katlyn Cerminara via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 29-28)

Round 1

At long last, the preliminary headliner is upon us. It comes in the
form of a pivotal heavyweight clash, with the winner right there in
the championship picture. Perennial contender Blaydes (17-4, 1 NC;
12-4, 1 NC UFC) would like nothing more than to hold the line
against the surging Almeida (20-2, 6-0 UFC), and a clash of
grappling styles will treat fans for as long as it lasts. Referee
Mike Beltran will gain the tough task of keeping up with these big
men, although they touch gloves before engaging. Both men bounce in
and out, and Blaydes jabs a few times before sprawling to defend a
leaping takedown from the Brazilian. Almeida pushes his man against
the wall with a double, and he changes sides and takes Blaydes to
the ground. Blaydes is quick to power himself back up to his feet,
only for Almeida to hit a clean mat return. Almeida hangs on tight
and drags Blaydes to his knee when Blaydes stands again, and
Blaydes looks surprised when Almeida chucks him to the canvas yet
again. Almeida has a hook in from behind as he drags Blaydes to his
knees, and Blaydes forces himself back upright despite the seat
belt arm from behind. Almeida slings Blaydes to the ground, and
Blaydes is looking at his corner, totally shocked, as Almeida has
already taken him down more times than every other fighter Blaydes
has faced in the Octagon combined. Almeida puts Blaydes on his
seat, and the crowd is not loving the grapple-heavy approach of the
Brazilian without offering any additional offense. Blaydes stands
up, and Almeida mat returns him once more. “Razor” climbs upright,
and he is pinned to the wall as the audience lets them have it.
Almeida lifts Blaydes up from behind and slams him down, and he
gets both hooks in as Blaydes is on his knees. Blaydes tries to
stand up, and Almeida takes his back standing and rides out the
position until the exhausting round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Almeida
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Almeida
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Almeida

Round 2

The heavyweights touch gloves to lead off, and Almeida wings a
right hand to reintroduce himself. Blaydes leans and counters with
a right hand, and he tags the Brazilian with a short uppercut as
Almeida shoots in from afar.
Almeida does not move as he hangs onto a single, and Blaydes
jackhammers his opponent with hammerfists on the side of the head
until Almeida goes out. Almeida rolls to his side as the continued
hammerfists bring him back online, and he shells up while the
strikes keep coming. Beltran sees that Almeida is not defending
himself from the constant right hands, and he steps in to call a
halt to the contest in the most heavyweight ending a
fight could possibly offer. Sometimes these things happen in
MMA.

The Official Result

Curtis Blaydes def. Jailton Almeida R2 0:36 via KO (Punches) 

Round 1

His back against the wall, former bantamweight champ Yan (16-5, 8-4
UFC) has lost four of his last five after charging into the UFC to
win seven straight. On the other side of the cage, Team Alpha
Male’s Song (21-7-1, 1 NC; 10-2-1 UFC) has plenty of momentum on
his side, winner of four of five to get himself a ranking next to
his name. While not as big as the main event, there will be waves
made from this bantamweight bout. It begins with referee Keith
Peterson checking the fighters in, and they clap hands first. There
will be no nonsense going forward. Song leads off with a low kick,
and Yan throws one back only to get countered with a check left
hook. Song comes up short with a low kick, and he fakes with a
takedown that makes Yan oversell to try to stop it. Yan comes out
firing with an overhand right, and Song eats it like a bowl of hot
and numbing beef. Song wings a left hand that gets Yan’s attention,
and he tries to launch it again but comes up just short. They
engage in a stalemate when standing in front of one another, and
Song hops out of the way and leaps forward with a left hand. Song
doubles up on a jab and whips a right hand over the top, and Yan
bends him over with a body shot. Song attacks with a combination,
and Yan defends the worst of the blows and is ready to trade back,
only to find his enemy is not to be found. Song counters a leg kick
with a huge overhand right, and they both dip down at the same time
but do not engage. Song tags him with a left hook, and he walks
through a punch to land a sharp jab of his own. They both duck down
at the same time again, and they nearly bounce heads. Song catches
a leg kick and bangs his right hand into the temple, sending Yan
down to the mat. Song follow him and tries to keep him down, but
Yan scrambles wildly to work his way up to his feet. Yan tries to
roll through to nearly escape and find himself in better position,
but Song hangs on to stay on Yan from behind. Song lands a few
right hands until Yan fights to his feet with 30 seconds to spare.
Yan sneaks in a right hand and ducks a massive overhand right, and
he bites on a faked takedown and awkwardly attacks his own. The
round ends before a takedown is landed on either side.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Song
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Song
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Song

Round 2

They bump fists before getting started, and Song says hello with a
body kick. Yan races ahead, only to walk partially into an elbow.
Song swings a left hook and shoots, and when Yan stands him up,
Song elects to score several right hands before shoving the Russian
to the wall. Song nails his man with an elbow, and Yan breaks off
and ducks into an uppercut when trying to defend a takedown. Song
eats an uppercut when shooting, and when he tries again, he takes
another uppercut to the same spot. Yan sits down on his punches
when Song walks him down, and he looks to defend a takedown and
gets grabbed from behind. Song sticks out several jabs when
breaking free, and he ducks square into an uppercut. Peterson calls
time to remove some tape from Yan’s glove, and they cut it and move
on. Yan restarts and aims two body shots, and he stops a takedown
by tackling Song over. Song shrugs at him, and he takes a right
hand for his effort. Song jabs, and he snatches up a single and
lifts it in the air. Yan miraculously keeps his balance and drags
his leg back, and he snaps out multiple jabs. The crowd starts
chanting “let’s go Petr” as if the Miami fans had forgotten he is
Russian, and Song takes energy from it and surges ahead. Yan beats
him to the punch and aims shots to the body, and Song throws hands
too hard and takes a clean uppercut. Yan digs a right to the body
and leans back to avoid the big strike from his opponent, and he
crashes forward to hit a clean takedown and plant Song on his back.
Yan works the body and head as soon as they hit the ground, and he
cuts Song open with elbows. The round ends as blood leans from
above Song’s left eyebrow.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Yan
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Yan
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Yan

Round 3

The bantamweights meet in the center of the Octagon, and Yan swings
a huge right hand that Song barely ducks. Song counters with a
spinning kick that glances off the guard, and he gets his jab
going. Yan aims an uppercut and shoots down for the ankle, and he
spins around and works to his feet when he does not get Song down.
Yan stings his opponent with a right and spins with a back kick,
and Song doubles up on a jab and gets smacked in the head with a
spinning wheel kick. Song is tough as nail, and he rushes forward
to trade hands and surprises Yan with a right hand. Song goes after
a single, and Yan bounces off and throws hard at his opponent. Song
gets knocked to his hands, and he rebounds and eats a body shot in
the midst of a combination. Yan aims a one-two to the body, and he
shoulder rolls to avoid the counter. Song desperately pursues a
takedown, and Yan crawls away. Song connects a left on the side of
the head, and he gather his thoughts and spins with a back fist.
Blood leaks down both of Song’s eyes, with cuts all over, and he
completely ignores it so he can trade with his opponent. Yan beans
him with a spinning back fist, and Song stands right in front of
him and scores a heavy right hand back. Song takes a left hand on
the jaw and gets shoved back to the fence, and he elbows Song and
pursues a double. Yan turns the corner and plants Song on his seat
with a minute to spare, and he sits in half guard and starts
shellacking Song with elbows and punches. Yan gets dragged back to
guard while striking, and he flows over to the side and elbows Song
once for good measure. Song rolls to his stomach, and Yan holds him
down with a brabo choke until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Yan (29-28 Yan)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Yan (29-28 Yan)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Yan (29-28 Yan)

The Official Result

Petr Yan def. Yadong Song via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28,
29-28)

Round 1

The deep card continues with a potential thriller at 170 pounds
between a striker and a grappler who loves to bang. Former
lightweight and Mundials medalist Burns (22-6, 15-6 UFC) will try
to derail the hype train and 16-fight win streak of talented Aussie
Maddalena (16-2, 6-0 UFC), and referee Dan Miragliotta is as
psyched as the fans are to see it go down. Ahead of their scheduled
melee, the two men bump fists. Burns whips a low kick to find his
distance, and Maddalena paws out a jab. Burns aims a kick to the
body and then lead leg, and Maddalena jabs him back. Chants of
“Gilbert” rain down in support of the Brazilian by way of Florida,
and he does not go crazy when hearing it and stays composed to land
punches and a body kick. Burns shoots for a takedown, and when
Maddalena scrambles, he takes the back. Maddalena scrambles and
turns, and Burns drags him down from behind to assume partial
control of the back again. Maddalena once more explodes to his
feet, and he is pushed back to the fence as Burns wants to relocate
him to a more horizontal position. Burns aims a knee to the sternum
hen the takedown is thwarted, and he drops down low for a single
and lets it go to hang on. Maddalena counters with a throw and
knees Burns in the face with a strike that was borderline, but it
was uncalled as a potential foul, so they continue. Burns appears
no worse for wear, but he is less aggressive than before as
Maddalena sticks out several jabs and a low kick. Maddalena sneaks
in and scores a right hand, and Burns kicks him in the ribs and
comes up short with a booming right hand. Burns fires off another
big right, and Maddalena sees it coming and boxes him back.
Maddalena tags Burns with a left hand, and he leans back to dodge a
head kick that flies past his noggin. Maddalena strings three left
together to the head and then body, and Burns grits his teeth and
swings back with bad intentions. Maddalena times an advancing Burns
to nail him with a left hook, and Burns takes it well enough and
jabs back. Burns wings a right hand that just misses, and Maddalena
skim a right hand off the cheek. Burns again fires off an
inaccurate head kick, and he crashes forward to engage and lands a
right hand, backs off and kicks the body and lead leg. Maddalena
darts in with two swiping lefts, and he defends against a takedown
that puts him on his back. Burns sits up and drops down
hammerfists, and he concludes the close round with a
standing-to-ground right hand.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Burns
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Burns
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Burns

Round 2

Maddalena jabs early to lead off, and he prods out a front kick
that Burns parries. Maddalena aims a left to the body as he doubles
up on jabs, and he ducks when Burns counters with an overhand
right. Burns swings hard, and Maddalena sees it coming and backs
him away with a straight right hand. Burns kicks high, and he is
the one that bounces back when hitting the guard. Maddalena dings
his man with a punch, and Burns shoots for a single and moves
Maddalena to the mat. Maddalena gets to a knee, and Burns clings to
him from on top. Maddalena shrugs off a potential submission from
the Brazilian to stand back upright, and they both land punches at
the same time. Maddalena aims a left hand straight down the middle,
and Burns throws back with a heavy right that draws some swelling.
Maddalena dings “Durinho” with a one-two, and Burns throws back
with the same and hops away to avoid an Anderson Silva-esque back
elbow. Burns winds up and bounces a right hand on the forehead, and
Maddalena crowds him and chains five punches together before
pulling back. Maddalena leans back, scores and evades the counters.
Maddalena connects with four punches before Burns escapes out the
side, and Burns smiles and throws a big right hand. Maddalena slips
and digs a right to the body. Burns blasts Maddalena in the face
with a huge overhand right, and Maddalena frowns and gets taken
down from a blast double. Maddalena turns to his knees, and he
considers his own takedown but Burns easily stops it and drags him
down with his arm wrapped around the neck. Burns steps into full
mount, but Maddalena scrambles perfectly to get out. Burns takes
the back as they keep moving, and he get hooks in and secures the
body triangle. Burns sneaks an arm around the chin, but there is
nothing there as Maddalena sticks his tongue out before the horn
sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Burns
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Burns
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Burns

Round 3

The last round kicks off, and Maddalena is back to his jab. Burns
strafes laterally, and stops as Maddalena kicks him in the chest.
Maddalena scores a right, and he leaps forward with another as
Burns continues to move. Burns kicks him in the head, and Maddalena
counters him with several uppercuts that rock the Brazilian. Burns
leans over, and after absorbing a few more, he shoots for a single
to stop himself from taking damage. Maddalena elbows him once
before rolling through to stop a takedown, and the elbow smashes
the Brazilian’s nose open and blood leaks down his face. Burns
wrenches him down to the floor from the side. Burns presses his
full body weight on his opponent, and he disallows Maddalena from
standing by isolating the right leg. Maddalena looks at the video
to find a better way to get up, and Burns wraps arms around the
waist and drags him down. Burns gets a hook in and uses his left
arm to set up a rear-naked choke, but his other arm is busy so
there is no submission in sight. Burns pushes through to advance
position, and they both flip all the way over. Maddalena scurries
back to his feet, and Burns follows and charges directly into about
the cleanest knee one could ever offer. Burns falls to his back,
and Maddalena lays into the damaged Burns with a long barrage of
punches and elbows. As Maddalena puts more mustard on the elbows,
Miragliotta watches closely and makes the decision to intervene and
wave the fight off while Burns is staring blankly into space,
detached from his senses. This is a huge comeback for the Aussie,
who has now won 17 fights in a row while putting away the
ultra-durable “Durinho.”

The Official Result

Jack Della Maddalena def. Gilbert Burns R3 3:43 via KO (Knee and
Elbows)

Round 1

It is a striker’s delight coming up next, with a former Bellator
fighter hoping to represent the UFC brand well. That ex-Bellator
name would be Holland (25-10, 1 NC; 12-7, 1 NC UFC), who prevailed
at Bellator 195 against Teagan Dooley prior to his Contender Series
fight. He greets Super Fight League veteran Page (21-2, 0-0 UFC),
who may have also fought somewhere that that the commentary booth
will not likely say. This could be a wacky one, so referee Andrew
Glenn better know what he is getting himself into. Although they
have had a back-and-forth leading up to this “featured fight of the
night,” the welterweights do touch gloves first. Page springs back
and forth, his hands down, and he swats away a punch from his
opponent. Holland swings wide, and Page nails him with a low kick.
Holland lands a jab, and he misses with a heavy left hand as Page
is quick in and out. Holland misses on a punch, and Page tags him
back and tells the crowd to hush because it was just a punch.
Holland grins at him, and he comes forward and swings with
everything he has as Page starts doing the Ali shuffle. Holland
ties him up against the fence, where he stomps Page’s toes and
smacks him with his shoulder. Holland continues thumping the Brit
with his shoulder, until Page throws him aside and resets to his
preferred striking range. Page reaches with a right hand over the
top, and he elbows Holland on the temple when leaping forward. Page
backs off and then jumps back in to grab Holland from behind, and
Holland shrugs it off and absorbs an elbow when they break. Page
delivers a kick to the side, and he hurts Holland with a right hand
and makes a face at him. Holland charges and catches Page with a
single elbow, but he gets blasted with an overhand right from the
awkward Page. Page scores another huge right hand, and Holland
responds with a low kick that knocks him off his feet momentarily.
Page springs up and the two tie up, and Holland heel kicks the back
of the thigh of Page. Holland uses open-handed slaps to box the
ears, and he pulls himself free. Page dodges and connects with a
clean right hand, and he strafes out of the way. Holland lunges
forward, and even with a reach advantage, he cannot quite get off a
shot on his opponent. Holland kicks the lead leg, and they crash
together in a clinch. Holland pushes him to the wall, and he knees
the Brit once before Page splits away. Page spins with an elbow
that drill Holland in the forehead, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Page
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Page
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Page

Round 2

Holland is all smiles to start off the second round, and after a
glove touch, he narrowly avoids a spinning wheel kick. Holland
charges and catches Page at the end of a right hand, and he bullies
Page to the fence. Holland uses the close range to knee his foe in
the thigh a few times before Page splits off, and they resume their
distant striking approaches. Holland comes up short on a winging
right hand as Page is in and out like the wind, and Page pops him
with a short right hand. Page considers an axe kick, and when he
spins with a back kick, he topples over. “Trailblazer” charges
after him, nearly dragging Page down from behind, and Page stands
up. Holland drags him down from behind, and he practically falls
into back control. Holland hooks up a choke, and Page turns to put
his back to the mat so he can break it up. Holland lowers himself
down and slashes with elbows, and he smothers his opponent in half
guard. Page tries to sit up, and Holland presses him back down and
elbows him a few more times. Page works his way to his knees and
gets back to his feet, and he makes Holland pay for the ground game
by nailing Holland with an overhand right. Holland almost walks
face-first into a short right on the way in, and he whiffs with his
own big right. Holland kicks behind the knee of his opponent, and
Page connects with a short right hand. Page lands with a hard right
hand, and he slings Holland to the ground. Holland is hurt, but
Page does not bother finishing him in this position and instead
lets him get back to his feet. Holland kicks the body and head, and
he walks into a spinning back elbow. Holland races ahead after him,
missing with most of his strikes, and the clinch ends the
round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Page
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Page
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Page

Round 3

The last round begins with Page charging, and he connects with a
right hand and trips Holland up to throw him down. Holland laughs
when he hits the ground, and Page appears to offer an apology,
perhaps because he missed the glove touch. Holland climbs back up,
and he ties Page up. Page tosses his foe down to a knee, and
Holland pops back up and grabs Page from behind. Holland brings
Page down to his knees, and Page fights his way to his feet and
shoves Holland away. Page clips him with a fierce right hand, and
he tosses Holland down and starts dancing. Holland rolls back to
his feet and looks frustrated as Glenn lets him up. Page sprints in
with two punches and a head kick, and Holland defends against it
and takes a jumping side kick. Holland’s gas tank runs on empty as
Page kicks him in the stomach. When Holland advances, Page spins
with a back elbow that cuts Holland on the cheek. Page then trips
and dumps him to the ground, and Holland climbs back up and crashes
forward only to miss. Page ties him up, and the two start talking
when clinched up. Page pushes him away, and he steps away from a
low kick and lands a straight left hand. Holland grips a single,
and this only pushes Page back to the wall so he can stomp his
toes. Page stops any possible takedown and scoots away, and he
leaps forward to nail Holland with a right hand. Holland stops the
sweep that follows, and he walks into a body shot. Holland flails
at air, unable to find his mark, and he dances away and is angry
while telling Page to fight him. Page does not bite, so Holland
pushes up close to him to clinch as the fight ends. The crowd does
not love the conclusion of the fight, but it was the end of a
one-sided performance for the showman Page, who has introduced
himself to the UFC in a memorable way.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Page (30-27 Page)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Page (30-27 Page)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Page (30-27 Page)

The Official Result

Michael Page def. Kevin Holland via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

The co-main event is a five-rounder because reasons, and it comes
between former interim beltholder Poirier (29-8, 1 NC; 21-7, 1 NC
UFC) and the ultra-violent St. Denis (13-1, 1 NC; 5-1 UFC). While
it has been scheduled for 25 minutes, referee Mike Beltran is ready
in the likely event it does not need that long to conclude. While
Poirier has beaten a litany of top-tier names, his French
counterpart is shooting up the charts with finish after dramatic
finish. The excitement begins with a touch of gloves, and St. Denis
moves right to the middle of the cage to release two quick low
kicks. Poirier responds with one that is much heavier, and St.
Denis punches his way into a takedown attempt. Poirier jumps guard
with a guillotine choke, and St. Denis wrenches his neck out and
slides around to turn the corner and cover Poirier on the side. St.
Denis knees Poirier on the side of the thigh as he clings to him,
with Poirier leaning on the cage wall. Poirier tells Beltran that
his foe is grabbing his gloves, and Beltran mentions that St. Denis
shouldn’t. Poirier again says his gloves are being grabbed, and St.
Denis jumps onto his back to take it and fish for something.
Poirier slides him off the back, and he eats two punches and
snatches up a guillotine choke when St. Denis attacks for a
takedown. St. Denis breaks off and gets out of it again, and he
starts throwing hands and elbows. Poirier takes punishment as he
presses forward, and he hunts for a single and then chains it to a
double that he uses to sit St. Denis on the ground. St. Denis
successfully sweeps him with a kimura, and he stands back up and
elbows Poirier several times. Poirier clips him with a right hand,
and he backs off and takes a few punches on the chin and smiles.
St. Denis presses ahead and goes for a single, and Poirier attacks
a guillotine from a different angle. St. Denis breaks out of it and
sets Poirier down, and Poirier turns to his side to get up. The
Frenchman takes Poirier’s back and fastens the body triangle around
the waist, and Poirier hand-fights to stop a choke setup from going
anywhere. Poirier sits up even while in the body triangle, and he
fights off chokes forming around from either side. Poirier waves
his finger and punches St. Denis behind his own head. Poirier turns
around into the guard, and St. Denis snatches up an armbar. Poirier
wags his finger, and time expires before it is tight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 St. Denis
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 St. Denis
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 St. Denis

Round 2

Poirier jogs out of his corner, seemingly fresh, and St. Denis
swipes at him with body kicks and punches. Poirier drills him with
a right hand and jumps guard for a guillotine choke. St. Denis
fights it off and moves to full mount as he looks for an
arm-triangle choke. Poirier turns over, and he gets flattened out
as St. Denis looks for a rear-naked choke. Poirier sits up and puts
his back to the wall, and St. Denis goes for a brute force face
crank submission. Poirier turns him around and gets back to his
feet, and he eats an elbow. St. Denis pursues a single, and when
that fails, he connects with an elbow and a knee. Poirier counters
with a few punches, and he hunts for another guillotine but lets it
go so he can get away. St. Denis reaches out with a left hand, and
he gets staggered by a pair of punches and an uppercut. Poirier
lines up a short right and a massive left hand, and he fastens a
guillotine choke and lets it go again. St. Denis takes a breath,
and he loads up for bear with everything he has left. Poirier
unleashes a massive right hand from the depths of the underworld,
and he knocks the Frenchman clean off his feet. St. Denis hits his
back, barely conscious, and Poirier finishes the job with one
devastating right hand that would make Dan Henderson proud. The
crowd explodes in support of the victorious Louisianan, who walks
away knowing his work here is done. What a win for Poirier,
survives some tough sledding to ice an incredibly tough foe that
had never been finished as a professional. It’s all gas, no brakes
for the 35-year-old, who reminds everyone watching that he’s not
done yet.

The Official Result

Dustin Poirier def. Benoit St. Denis R2 2:32 via KO (Punches)

Round 1

We have made it to the main event after 13 long fights, and it is
for all of the marbles at 135 pounds. Keith Peterson keeps a
watchful eye to make sure there is no nonsense to come from the
rematch between champ O’Malley (17-1, 1 NC; 9-1, 1 NC UFC) and the
only man to beat him in Vera (23-8-1, 15-7 UFC). A lot has changed
since their first meeting in August 2020, when Vera chopped “Suga”
down with leg kicks and put him away with ground-and-pound. Since
then, Vera has remained a top contender while O’Malley has scaled
the mountain and unseated champion Aljamain Sterling. If you bet
that these two would not touch gloves before facing one another,
cash your ticket now. O’Malley moves right to the center of the
Octagon, and Vera pushes off with a front kick. O’Malley responds
with a leg kick, and Vera walks him down and comes up short with
another front kick aimed higher. O’Malley paws at him with kick,
and the two keep a distance from one another. O’Malley delivers a
spin kick to the side, and he settles and aims a body kick to the
same spot. O’Malley chops at his foe’s lead leg, and Vera swats at
him and does not have his range. Vera tries and fails to push out
another push kick, and O’Malley smacks him with a right hand. Vera
misses with another front kick, and his combination that follows
bounces off the guard. O’Malley lands a hard leg kick, and he darts
in with a left hand and springs away to avoid the counter. O’Malley
aims a straight right to the body, and he is away from anything
Vera can throw at him. O’Malley doubles up on a sharp jab, and his
front kick reaches his opponent. O’Malley snaps the head back with
a jab, and he chains a few punches and a kick into it. Vera lands
once in response, and he is once more popped with a right hand on
the chops. O’Malley digs the toes to Vera’s stomach, and he leans
back to avoid a high kick and attacks the body when settling down.
O’Malley whiffs on a huge right hand that blows the hair back, and
he is light on his feet switching stances bouncing around. Vera
stomps at the lead leg, and he eats a pair of right hands to the
midsection. Vera flails with punches that miss, and O’Malley has
the range he wants and kicks Vera in the ribs. O’Malley again digs
a right to the body, and he misses the mark with a haymaker to end
the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 O’Malley
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 O’Malley
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 O’Malley

Round 2

Vera races out of his corner, ready to engage, and he just slides
out of the way of a spinning hook kick that grazes his beard. Vera
lands a solid leg kick, steps in with a knee and reaches out with a
right hand. O’Malley replies with a front kick and one to the lead
leg, and Vera blocks the punches up top. Vera connects with a stern
low kick, and he jabs a few times but is out of range. O’Malley
swaps stances a few times, jabs down the middle and keeps his guard
up to block a head kick. O’Malley then fires off his own high kick,
and he jams his fists into Vera’s abdomen. O’Malley jabs up Vera’s
nose, reddening it, and Vera whips a kick low on either side. Vera
kicks the body, and O’Malley catches it and moves out of the way.
Vera tries to rush forward, and O’Malley beats him to the punch
with a straight right hand. O’Malley then dings Vera with a big
left hand, and Vera cannot reach him with a counter because of
O’Malley’s speed. Vera pushes off with a front kick, and O’Malley
does the same. Vera leaps forward with a few punches, and they all
miss, while O’Malley comes back him with short bursts of punches
that largely land flush. Vera has a high front kick miss by a small
margin, and he reaches the champ with a left hand after having a
leg kick checked. Vera walks through a low kick to swing hard over
the top, and O’Malley times him with a right hand and a knee up the
middle. Vera is frozen from the knee, and O’Malley lands a second
one that split open a cut on Vera’s cheek. O’Malley does not
recklessly chase, as Vera appears to have his legs beneath him, but
Vera backs off to the fence. O’Malley snipes him from afar, and
Vera bounces off the cage wall, taking punishment without scoring
back. O’Malley lets his hands go, not worrying if he pops the
guard. Vera winds up with a left and a massive right, and O’Malley
takes it like a champ and fires back with a head kick. O’Malley
rings Vera’s bell with a right hand, and he drops Vera to a knee
with another hard right. Vera springs up, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 O’Malley
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 O’Malley
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 O’Malley

Round 3

O’Malley is ready to get rolling to start off the third round, with
long jabs and follow-up punches. Vera kicks low, then aims high and
chases after him with a swarm of punches. O’Malley shakes him up
with a left hook, and he aims a shot right after it to the body.
Vera shrugs off straight punches down the middle as he throws a
stomp kick to the lead leg, and he tries to reach the champ but is
too far away. O’Malley chains a few punches into a body kick, and
he leans back to block a hook kick. Vera takes a left hand and
parries a front kick so he can run at O’Malley. O’Malley tosses the
strikes aside and jams his fist in Vera’s face. O’Malley switches
stances, jabs, changes again and scores the left to completely
fluster the challenger. Vera sits down on a body kick, and the left
hands of O’Malley have drawn blood from Vera’s nose. Vera blitzes
to no effect, and O’Malley is still faster with higher volume.
O’Malley drives two punches to the body, and he blocks a body kick
and pushes Vera back with a pair of long left hands. O’Malley
connects with a left to the head and right to the body, and he
ducks out of the way of a leaping right hand from “Chito.” O’Malley
forces Vera to retreat with a left hand, and he absorbs a front
kick to the body because it is a one-and-done shots while he
measures a few more. O’Malley gets off a left to the body and comes
up top with a right to the head, and Vera’s response is not there.
Vera swings wildly, and O’Malley slips and rips a left to the
liver. O’Malley jumps in with a knee in the midst of a punch
combination, and he is backed off by “Chito” who swarms him with
power punches. Vera lands a right hand and a head kick, bloodying
the champ’s nose. Vera falls over after landing the kick, and
O’Malley pounces on top and rides out the round on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 O’Malley
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 O’Malley
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 O’Malley

Round 4

Reaching the championship rounds, the two meet in the middle and
trade. Vera lands his own punches, and he jumps at the champ and
pops him with a knee. O’Malley backs off to measure distant strikes
to the body, and a kick to the ribs punctuates a combo. O’Malley
chains punches to the body into head shots, and Vera is impossibly
tough as he just kicks right back at him without flinching. Vera
fakes a lunge, and he gets jabbed in the face before snapping the
head back with an uppercut. Vera races forward throwing bombs, and
he catches O’Malley with a jump knee. O’Malley backs him away with
sharp punch combinations, and Vera does not care as he again
charges in to attack. Vera sticks out a heavy jab, and O’Malley
doubles up on his own and sticks a right hand down the middle. Vera
continues to give chase, and he lands and gets his legs kicked out
beneath him. Vera looks shocked, and he jumps back up to keep
trading. O’Malley welcomes him back to the feet and lands
combinations, with his punches as accurate as ever. Vera connects
on the nose and chin, opening O’Malley’s mouth as blood pours from
the nostrils. Vera shakes off punches to the head and body, and he
prods out a front kick. O’Malley triples up on a jab and takes a
low kick, and chants for “Chito” energize the Ecuadorian enough to
land a left hand. O’Malley jabs him back with fists and feet, and
Vera surges into action with a combination that drives the champion
back. O’Malley measures and fires several straight punches on
Vera’s bloody face, and he cannot miss as he rams a right hand into
Vera’s chin. Vera kicks the body, and he then lands a low kick, but
O’Malley picks him apart with jabs and straight shots. O’Malley
jabs away, and Vera races at him and clips him with a left hook.
O’Malley answers back with jabs, and Vera scores a low kick and
flies past his target with a jump knee at the end of the round, one
much closer than the others.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 O’Malley
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 O’Malley
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 O’Malley

Round 5

The fighters trade jabs to lead off the final round, with Vera
needing a stoppage in order to win the title. He opens up with
multiple low kicks, and O’Malley smashes him in the face with a
straight right hand that hurts him. The challenger ducks a spinning
wheel kick, and he backs himself up to the wall. O’Malley lands to
the cheek, and Vera is compromised as O’Malley points up in the
air. Vera squints out of his eye, struggling to see, and O’Malley
takes advantage of this and jumps at him with a knee. Vera takes a
clean head kick, possibly with his orbital damaged, and he closes
his left eye several times. O’Malley jabs his way in, aiming
punches to the swelling eye of his opponent, and he lets go with a
big right hand. O’Malley chains three punches together and hops
back to avoid the counter, and Vera goes after him with a body
kick. O’Malley drives two punches home and then aims three to the
body, with “Suga” mixing up punches without fear of reprisal. Vera
chops at the lead leg, and he surprises the champ with a left hook.
O’Malley lands a leg kick, and “Chito” spins with a back kick that
lands on the body. Vera continues to wince out of his left eye, and
he kicks with to the body and swings a right hand over the top.
Vera jabs twice and takes a body shot, and he gets driven back by
the straight punches of his opponent. Vera lands a body kick and
spins with a kick to the side, and O’Malley pays it no mind as he
strings punches together up high and low. O’Malley looses a head
kick, and Vera defends it and leaps forward with a left hand. Vera
slaps a front kick off the chin, and he chases after the champ with
big punches and a knee. O’Malley backs himself up to the wall and
rings Vera’s bell with several punches. Vera throws back to the
liver, and O’Malley tees off on him. Vera kicks the lead leg and
swings with bad intentions, and O’Malley throws right back at him.
The two go right down to the bitter end, with Vera driving a left
hook to the body as O’Malley winces right at the bell. The fight
comes to a close, and O’Malley collapses to his seat, totally spent
after 25 minutes of furious action. When he gets his victorious
post-fight interview, O’Malley gives props to the incredibly tough
Vera and is happy about avenging a past loss, and he has his sights
set up a division against featherweight champ Ilia Topuria. Top
bantamweight challenger Merab Dvalishvili might disagree,
especially as O’Malley has registered exactly one title defense. If
the UFC decides to oblige “Suga” with a chance at two-division
gold, or if they make him face “The Machine,” we will be here for
it. We hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 O’Malley (50-45 O’Malley)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 O’Malley (50-45 O’Malley)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 O’Malley (50-45 O’Malley)

The Official Result

Sean O’Malley def. Marlon Vera via Unanimous Decision (50-45,
50-45, 50-44)