UFC Fight Night 215 ‘Lewis vs. Spivak’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Round 1

A week removed from a dynamite pay-per-view offering of UFC 281,
the UFC takes refuge back in its headquarters of the Apex for a
dozen-fight show. While 281 saw a litany of ranked competitors, and
around six or seven bouts that could headline any given Fight
Night, this UFC Fight Night 215 is far less stacked and only sees
two top-10 competitors and four in the top 15 of their respective
divisions – and those are contained in just two fights. Many of
these athletes competing today actually lost on their appearance of
Dana White’s Contender Series, only to later make it to the roster
anyway. We begin in the women’s flyweight division, when Brazil’s
Silva (13-5-1, 1-0 UFC) meets unbeaten Czech DWCS pickup Bleda
(6-0, 0-0 UFC). Of note, Bleda is now one of the youngest fighters
to compete in the Octagon, as she will turn 21 in less than two
weeks. The two women do not touch gloves in front of referee Chris
Tognoni, and away we go. Silva pecks early with a few low kicks,
and she swings with several heavy hooks to get Bleda’s attention in
an instant. Bleda crashes the pocket as Silva spins with a back
kick, and the Brazilian finds herself grabbed and shoved back to
the wall. The youngster keeps Silva tightly pressed to the wire,
spamming short knees to the body and she hunts for trips and power
moves, but Silva is the one to toss her to the mat. Bleda walks
right back up, and Silva again attempts to hit a throw. Bleda keeps
her balance as the ladies jockey for position against the wall, and
Silva hits a head-and-arm toss to put Bleda down. As they continue
to roll when hitting the mat, Bleda winds up on top, and she shifts
right to half guard to keep the Brazilian pinned to her back.
Silva’s explosions fall short as she thwarts her own efforts to get
up by hanging on to Bleda, which allows Bleda’s shoulder pressure
to maintain this position. Silva continues to move, and she sweeps
Bleda over and moves to half guard. Bleda, on her back, swings her
legs up and sets up a triangle choke. Bleda locks her left angle
under her right knee, and she tightens up the choke as Silva bucks
and moves with all her might. Bleda snatches on to an armbar as she
still has the triangle locked up, and Silva rolls to her side to
keep the triangle from choking the life out of her. Silva, in an
awkward position, rides out the submission danger to the end of the
round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The flyweights meet in the middle, and Bleda leads the dance with a
solid calf kick. Silva replies with a clean one-two, and she snaps
the head back with a follow-up left hand. Bleda shakes it off and
sells out for a diving double-leg takedown, but this time, the
Brazilian muscles her back to her feet. Bleda settles for clinch
position with knees up the middle, and she changes levels only to
be spun around. Bleda’s strength is the difference-maker as she
bullies her opponent in these exchanges, but Silva manages to break
free and stings her opponent with a fast right hand. Bleda’s face
is marked up from these powerful blows, and she fakes a takedown
try to keep Silva from busting her up further. The Czech fighter
chases a double, and Silva sprawls effectively even as Bleda
isolates her left leg and lifts it briefly. Bleda elects to use her
strength in one mighty burst, lifting the Brazilian off her feet
and dumping her to the mat. Silva moves to her seat and climbs back
up with the fence at her back, all while Bleda continues to hunt
for takedowns. Silva frees herself from the grip and prepares to
let her hands go, and Bleda is wearing it and appears a little
worse for wear from the grappling. Silva spins with a back kick
that plants on the liver, and every punch she connects with knocks
Bleda’s head around. Bleda’s physical reactions from the strikes
are telling, and her own offense is extremely limited while Silva
is fresh as a daisy. Bleda walks into a left hand, and she absorbs
two more punches on the chin until lumbering forward in pursuit of
a single. The Brazilian hangs on while still on her feet until the
bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

An excited Silva rushes out of her corner, clearly with momentum in
her favor as Bleda is fading. She leaps forward to strike, and this
causes a caught kick that leads to an odd exchange where both
ladies tumble to the floor. Silva explodes back up before Bleda can
grab her and pin her to the floor, and she allows Bleda to stand
back up. A body kick and two punches from Silva get Bleda’s
attention, and she makes Bleda nearly spin around with a fastball
right hand. Likely out of options as Silva lays into her, Bleda
reaches forward and leans down for a low takedown.
The Brazilian hatches a plan as this happens, turning a full
rotation with a picture-perfect spinning back kick. The heel
collides square into Bleda’s jaw, and the lights are on but no
one’s home. Bleda crumbles to her knees, not likely with it but
still somehow reaching for legs on instinct, and Silva pounds on
her with wild, swinging punches until Tognoni stops the
fight. In an instant, Silva produces one for the
highlight reels, as she has just scored the first knockout from a
spinning kick in UFC women’s divisional history. What a way to
start the day!

The Official Result

Natalia Silva def. Tereza Bleda R3 1:27 via TKO (Spinning Back Kick
and Punches)

Round 1

Pushing right along, bantamweights take center stage as one man
will earn their first UFC victory here soon, barring something
unusual. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 29 finalist Hiestand (5-2,
0-1 UFC) returns nearly 15 months after his unsuccessful attempt to
claim the crystal trophy of that season, and he faces Fortis MMA
product Garcia (10-2, 0-1 UFC). The 135ers bump fists as referee
Jacob Montalvo watches on, and Garcia claims the center of the cage
and swats away a kick. Garcia fires a low kick, and he drills
Hiestand with a devastating right hand that sets “Bam Bam” to his
set. Garcia pounces in hopes of finishing the job, and Hiestand
digs deep as Garcia locks down a side choke in a strange position.
Hiestand grits out the choke, even if he might not have his wits
about him, and manages to flip Garcia over to his back and find
side control. Hiestand slows things down and shakes out the cobwebs
and fish for a choke, but before anything can materialize, Garcia
pops out of the position and forces a scramble. Garcia fishes for a
one-arm choke around the back, but this is more for holding
position than pulling off a submission. Hiestand pushes through and
turns Garcia around, leading to a wild series of exchanges where
one man takes the back, the other flips around and gains the
dominant position briefly. The two fight the way back to the feet,
and Hiestand takes the back standing and threatens with a
rear-naked choke to force Garcia down to the floor. Hiestand gets
his hooks in as they hit the ground, and Garcia fights off the grip
with solid two-on-one wrist control. Hiestand switches to a short
choke and several different rear choke configurations while Garcia
keeps breaking out of them, and he hops over to secure mount.
Garcia kicks off and returns to guard, and he snatches up a
guillotine and throws his opponent over his head in a move one
would likely see in a pro wrestling show. The two scamper back to
their feet, and they catch their breath as the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Ready to get back to it, the bantamweights meet in the middle and
engage on the feet. Garcia reaches out with a left hand, as
Hiestand keeps his distance with kicks to the leg and body. When
Garcia advances, Hiestand leans back and smacks him up the head
with his shin. “Fernie” walks through it without batting an eye,
and he marches the TUF veteran down and absorbs another clean kick
to the dome. The second kick slows Garcia’s advancement a bit, and
he shoot for a double that gets blocked. Garcia reaches out with
his fingers outstretched, and he ignores a body kick to plant a
one-two on the chin. Hiestand ducks down for a single, and he drags
Garcia down by snatching up the other ankle and pulling them out
beneath him. Hiestand moves swiftly to half guard and then to side
control, and Garcia scrambles only to find himself in
disadvantageous north-south position. “Bam Bam” continues to slide
around and looks to lock down an arm or the neck, and as he hunts
for something, Garcia turns with a well-timed scramble to escape
and get back up. Garcia plods forward and gets blasted in the body
with a kick, and he shrugs it off to wing an overhand right.
Hiestand knees the body on the way in, and Garcia considers a
double of his own. Hiestand stuffs it and knees him on the chin,
and Garcia is completely unfaced as he leaps forward for a double.
Hiestand deftly shuts it down and looks to grab hold of a choke,
but this just leads to more furious grappling exchanges until the
bell splits them up.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

A quick fist bump reintroduces the men to one another, and Garcia
is the aggressor while Hiestand peppers him with kicks. Garcia
slams a kick to the calf, and Hiestand rushes through it to snag an
ankle pick. Garcia turns to his knees as he attempts to escape and
stand, but this allows the TUF veteran to take his back and slide a
hook in around the side. Hiestand softens his man up with a handful
of short right hands, and he intentionally keeps his right leg on
the outside instead of as the second hook to fluster Garcia with
leg-fighting. When Garcia turns the right way, Hiestand slaps on a
quick body triangle, and he crushes the midsection with his
squeeze. Garcia smartly keeps hold of one of Hiestand’s wrists to
prevent him from any kind of submission setup, and he opts for
punching Hiestand behind his own head to little effect. Garcia
turns to the side and breaks the body triangle momentarily, but
Hiestand adjusts by setting it up on the other side. Garcia follows
his corner’s advice to a T to protect himself from harm, and
Hiestand settles for a brute force rear-naked choke slash neck
crank when he cannot get the forearm under the chin. “Fernie” guts
it out and smacks Hiestand with no-look punches, and they begin to
redden Hiestand’s face up. Hiestand returns fire with some punches
to the side of Garcia’s head, and this low-damage slugfest
continues right until time expires.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Brady Hiestand def. Fernando Garcia via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

In a couple hours, one of the largest men in the company competes
on the main card. Now, two of the smallest fighters in the lightest
division do battle. Demopoulos (8-4, 2-1 UFC) aims to continue her
brief win streak, and she will have to do so at the expense of
Parana Vale Tudo upstart Oliveira (13-5, 1-1 UFC). There is a no
interest of a glove touch from the 115-pounders, but there is not
nonsense either as referee Keith Peterson is on the call. The
strawweights come out cautiously, not willing to engage with
anything of significance as a minute elapses beyond a right hand or
two from the Brazilian. Demopoulos sits down on a leg kick, and
Oliveira responds in kind. Oliveira anticipates a takedown entry by
lifting up a check knee, but Demopoulos does not take it on the
chin. Oliveira connects with a right, and Demopoulos quickly
replies with a left hand. Demopoulos ducks a punch and snatches up
her opponent’s legs to lift her off the ground and slam her to the
ground. “Lil Monster” lands in side control, but she elects to
slide back to half guard for control purposes. Demopoulos clings to
her opponent from above, covering Oliveira’s mouth with her hand
but doing little else offensively. Demopoulos grinds her elbow and
bumps it on the face of “Spider-Girl” a few times with no effect,
and she postures up and slashes down on the side of the head with
several more elbows. The American considers a guillotine choke in
order to take mount, but she bails on it when Oliveira sits up and
nearly escapes from her back. Demopoulos slides through to full
mount, and she rains down elbows that slam into Oliveira’s cheek
repeatedly. Oliveira bucks but cannot get out, and Demopoulos
blasts her with punches and several elbows until the horn splits
them up.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Oliveira claims the center of the cage, and she plods forward and
leans back when Demopoulos swings at her. Oliveira pushes out the
ball of her foot on the solar plexus, and she sticks out several
jabs to stop Demopoulos from coming at her. The Brazilian strings a
few punches together, and she leaps with a flying kick that
partially grazes the size. Demopoulos winds up on a windmilling
right hand, and the breeze blows the tied-up hair back but does not
connect. Demopoulos aims for a takedown, but the strength of
“Spider-Girl” allows her to stop the try. Oliveira sets her
opponent down with a right hand, but this lights a fire in the
American. Demopoulos climbs back to her feet and charges at her
opponent, and she rails into Oliveira with a few overhand rights
that stagger and drop Oliveira. Demopoulos bowls her over without
needing a takedown to claim top position, and she puts a beating on
Oliveira with ruthless ground-and-pound. The onslaught slows from
“Lil Monster,” as she aims to claim mount and do some damage from a
more advantageous position. Demopoulos postures up to smack
Oliveira around, but a finish does not appear to be around the
corner as time ticks down. The 10-second clapper spurs Demopoulos
into unleashing a salvo of elbows, and once more, the bell is what
stops the bludgeoning.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Demopoulos
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Demopoulos
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Demopoulos

Round 3

The Brazilian does not march out so much as she sprints from her
corner into action, knowing she is probably well behind on the
scorecards. Demopoulos stays on her bike early, circling on the
outside and not allowing Oliveira to connect with anything of note.
Oliveira tosses out a front kick and corners Demopoulos briefly,
allowing her to tag Demopoulos with a clean right hand. Several
heavy fists from “Spider-Girl” blast Demopoulos in the face, and
Demopoulos is wobbled and in trouble as she is backed against the
wall. When Oliveira lets up briefly, Demopoulos surges forward in
pursuit of a takedown. Oliveira times this so that she can try to
flip the former LFA champ off of her, but Demopoulos is a woman
possessed and she finds her way on top again. Demopoulos maintains
half guard, keeping a flagging Oliveira flat on her back and
shutting down any further offense from the Brazilian. Demopoulos
pushes to three-quarter mount and elbows her foe in the face until
she can slide her knee over to the mount position. Oliveira bucks
hard to stop the dominant position and quell the drubbing, and she
spends every last bit of energy in her supply to get out and up.
With 75 seconds to spare, Oliveira steels herself and charges
towards her backpedaling opponent. Oliveira loads up on everything
she throws, and the straight punches from Demopoulos hit her in the
face but do not dissuade her from the attempted comeback. Oliveira
turns it up with a long series of punches and a knee, and
Demopoulos is on the ropes and still swings back with a vengeance.
The Brazilian looses all the arrows in her quiver but it is not
enough to merit a stoppage, and we go to the judges.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Vanessa Demopoulos def. Maria Oliveira via Unanimous Decision
(29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

Bantamweights grace the cage once more, in a division some argue is
currently the most talent-rich in the company today. The winner of
Season 29 of TUF, Turcios (11-3, 1-1 UFC), is ready to bounce back
from his first UFC defeat. In his way will be Natividad (9-3, 0-2
UFC), who is searching for his first victory in the Octagon in his
third try. The high-pace 135-pound collision will draw officiating
from referee Mark Smith, and they do not bother with a touch of
gloves as Turcios races out of his corner to attack. Turcios scores
with a quick right hand, and Natividad turns the tables on him with
a clean takedown. They both club one another with hammerfists, and
Turcios effectively connects off his back well enough to allow him
to turn the tables and hunt for a takedown that sets Natividad on
his seat. Natividad gets to a knee as he attempts to work his way
up the wall, and Turcios is heavy on him as he isolates a leg and
looks for a back take. Natividad explodes out and wings a left hand
on the break, and this surprises Turcios. Natividad crashes forward
to grab a single, and Turcios defends with elbows on the side of
the head even as Natividad grounds him. “Quicksand” traps Turcios
with one hook around the side as he toes to take the back, and
Turcios threatens with a leglock that trips Natividad out. The
scrambles and odd submission attacks from Turcios allow him to dump
Natividad to his back, but only for a moment as Natividad climbs to
his knees and upright again. Natividad drills Turcios with several
punches, and one short right hand stuns Turcios. “Pretty Ricky”
retorts with a takedown that drags Natividad to his knees, and
Natividad fights off a quick choke attempt as they keep moving and
gets back up. The grappling exchanges are wild and wacky, with
Turcios’ unorthodox approach to grappling allowing him to get the
upper hand in many of these tests. Natividad rings Turcios’ bell
again and finds himself getting thrown to the ground when
overswinging a right hand, but Turcios cannot keep him down. The
round ends right after Natividad breaks the grip and gains some
space.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Turcios starts the second round offensively, hurling kicks and
right hands. Natividad stays composed and kicks the body with each
leg, and the second kick allows Turcios to grab it and pursue a
takedown. The strength of Natividad pushes Turcios to his back, and
he nails his opponent with punches and elbows. Turcios stands and
breaks the grip of a possible guillotine choke setup, and he sticks
out a jab that makes Natividad rub his nose. A low kick from
Turcios is followed by a powerful tackling takedown from Natividad,
and he moves smoothly into half guard and the side until Turcios
wriggles out. Turcios is warned for grabbing his foe’s glove, and
Natividad wrenches him down to the floor again. Natividad pounds on
Turcios with steady left hands, and Turcios remains busy throwing
punches off his back as well. Turcios explodes effortlessly to not
only stand, but hunt for a single. Natividad pushes him back and
lays into him with a left hook, and Turcios’ circuits are scrambled
as he wobbles back to the fence. Natividad looks to take him down
instead of punching him out against the fence, and this lets
Turcios get back into the game from a stability perspective.
Natividad releases the grip and pounds “Pretty Ricky” in the face
with another few punches, prompting Turcios to engage in a mighty
brawl that knocks Natividad back to the wall. Natividad, possibly
staggered from the sudden onslaught, ducks down and secures a
takedown. A savvy Turcios scrambles well enough to sneak around and
take the back, but Natividad slithers out and bull-rushes Turcios
to take him down again. Turcios defends with elbows to the side of
the head, a guillotine choke and a clear fence grab to stop a
takedown. Natividad, frustrated by this, lets his hands go, and
they brawl it out to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The gloves are touched to begin the last round, and Turcios stands
firm and throws hands. Natividad is happy to engage him in a
reckless melee, believing his power to be superior. As he connects
with a few punches, Natividad changes things up with a takedown,
and he puts Turcios down. When Turcios inevitably scrambles to work
his way back up, “Quicksand” snares him with a guillotine choke to
place him to the mat again. Turcios nevertheless still bursts his
way back up, and he doggedly rushes forward for his own takedown.
Natividad times a perfect flying knee that connects to the side of
the head, and Turcios drops face-first to the ground but is not
out. The toughness from Turcios is off the charts, as he bites down
on his mouthpiece and swings heavy leather. Natividad punts him in
the face with the ball of his feet, and Turcios still will not
flinch and instead knees his opponent in the body repeatedly.
Natividad takes the strikes and rips Turcios’ legs out beneath him,
but he is not on top for more than a couple seconds until Turcios
hits a reversal and makes them both get up. Turcios sells out for a
single, and Natividad stops this in its tracks and gets shoved back
to the wall. Natividad works his way out and takes a right hand on
the break, and he dives in for a single that does not succeed.
“Quicksand” drags Turcios to the floor on his second attempt, and
Turcios is quick on the reversal again after pummeling Natividad
with repeated elbows. Turcios’ escape lets him swirl around to the
back, and he flattens Natividad out and starts battering him with
unanswered punches. As Natividad sits up, Turcios latches on with a
rear-naked choke. Even when Turcios has one arm grasped by his
opponent, he maintains the other under the chin and squeezes for
all he is worth. Natividad gives a thumbs-up, and Turcios bails on
the choke and pushes Natividad over to beat on him. The ground
strikes continue until time elapses, and this wild battle has come
to a conclusion. It could be anyone’s game here.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Turcios (29-28 Natividad)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Turcios (29-28 Turcios)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Turcios (29-28
Natividad)

The Official Result

Ricky Turcios def. Kevin Natividad via Split Decision (29-28,
28-29, 29-28)

Round 1

The bantamweight ride continues with two more heavy-handed and
fast-paced competitors, as Morales (11-6, 3-4 UFC) throws down with
recent Glory MMA trainee Johns (12-2, 3-2 UFC). Referee Chris
Tognoni steels himself for the action, whether it lasts 15 seconds
or 15 minutes, and the two would rather battle it out than touch
gloves – the bad blood appears to be high, as the commission had to
separate them ahead of the introductions. Now that the fight is on,
the two 135ers do not engage, with over 30 seconds elapsing before
either man throws a single strike. Johns reaches out with a
straight left hand and a leg kick, and Morales responds with a left
hab. Johns pushes him back with a jab of his own, and he doubles up
on it while Morales is measuring his range. The two collide with
heavy blows at the same time, but neither man budges an inch. The
inactivity continues as they are not willing to commit on their
strikes, and any power punches go well away from their intended
targets. Johns steps in with a quick calf kick, and Morales takes a
funny step back after absorbing it. A quick jab from “Chapo” makes
Morales backpedal, but it is one-and-done until Morales gets his
gumption to toss out a single low kick. Johns loads up on a right
hand, but Morales ducks it in the nick of time. Johns pokes out
with a jab, and he slides back as Morales whips a left hook towards
him. Morales attempts to get his own jab doing, snapping it out a
few times and ducking when Johns throws a right hand that would
have knocked down a building. Johns crashes forward suddenly to
snag a single, and Morales hops back and yanks his leg out. Johns
loads up on another massive overhand right, and he does not find
the target with that but gets off a clean left hook. The activity
spikes, relative to the other action, when Johns scores a few left
hands before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Johns lords over the center of the cage when the round begins, and
neither man is willing to throw anything effective. The two jab at
one another, and Johns’ mouth begins to bleed. Johns thumps the
lead calf with his shin, and he pushes out a jab that makes Morales
blink a few times. As Morales marches forward, he throws hard, and
Johns dips down and grabs hold of a single. “Vandetta” wriggles the
leg out and races away, resetting in the middle of the Octagon and
preparing to throw. As Morales comes forward, he walks into one of
Johns’ outstretched fingers, and Tognoni recognizes this and pauses
the bout. To give Morales additional time to recover, Tognoni calls
in the doctor to check on the condition of Morales’ eye, and
Morales explains that he is good to go and holds no ill will
towards his opponent. After about 90 seconds, the two get back to
business, the jabs come from the fighters at the restart. Johns
walks his man down and swats out several jabs, and he releases
several booming hooks that all miss one after the other. Morales
circles out and into a low kick, but he shows no concern and
reaches out with a front kick to the sternum. Morales catches a low
kick and swipes out with a right hand, but Johns replies with a
swiping right hand on the way out. Johns blocks a high kick and
eats a jab, and he charges with a small barrage that bounce off the
guard. Johns glances a right hand over the top, and he finds
himself eating a kick to the belly for his work. “Chapo” loads up
on another right hand, following it with a high crotch single-leg
but not succeeding with it. Morales defends with elbows to the side
of the head, and this distracts him enough for Johns to elevate him
and slam him down one second before time expires.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Jabs are exchanged to start off the final round of what has been a
tepid and tentative affair. The striking accuracy totals of both
bantamweights are likely extremely low, especially in the
significant strike category. Johns ducks in for a single without
setting it up, and he lifts Morales’ left leg up in the air and
chases him from one side of the cage to the other. Morales trips to
the floor, and he bounces right back up without a care in the
world. On the reset, Morales picks and pokes with a jab, and Johns
sits down with a calf kick that lands with an audible thud. Morales
replies with a slapping body kick, but the bantamweights are
largely targeting one another with single strikes. Johns misses
with a right hand, Morales is similarly inaccurate, and they return
to their jab-centric approach. Morales chains a jab into a right
hand, and Johns gives chase and swarms him with winging but missing
punches. “Chapo” attempts another single, and this is nowhere near
secure as Morales springs away. Morales makes him pay for this
attempt with another body kick, and Johns blitzes him with a
single-leg takedown effort. “Vandetta” keeps himself from hitting
the mat once more, and he plants a front kick on the torso while
Johns swings at air. They alternate with jabs, and the follow-up
strikes from both fighters miss the mark again and again. Johns
fires off huge overhand rights, but the evasiveness of Morales
keeps him safe from harm. Johns attacks with one final takedown,
and he bullies Morales to the wall and holds him there until the
fight comes to a merciful end. The judges will have their hands
full evaluating this lackluster contest.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Morales (29-28 Johns)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Morales (29-28 Johns)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Morales (29-28
Morales)

The Official Result

Miles Johns def. Vince Morales via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

Suddenly elevated to the featured preliminary contest due to the
main event of Derrick Lewis vs. Sergey Spivak getting scratched,
flyweights take the stage in hopes of remaining in or entering
top-10 contention. Former title challenger Maia (19-9-1, 4-5 UFC)
will hope to stave off a younger, surging foe in Moroz (11-3, 6-3
UFC), and she will do so in the presence of referee Jacob Montalvo.
The ladies meet in the middle without considering a touch of
gloves, and Moroz begins her offense with a line of piercing jabs.
Maia initiates a response with a crisp right hand on the jaw, and
she strings several more punches together as Moroz meets her in the
middle to trade. Maia drives Moroz back with her heavier fists, as
she puts more arc on her shots while Moroz is straight and direct.
The Brazilian ducks a punch, kicks the body, takes one on the chin
and knocks Moroz back with an overhand right. Moroz maintains high
volume, but she does not land with all of her strikes, while Maia
reaches her with powerful rights time and again. Moroz rolls with
one right hook, and she dodges another that whirls at her, but she
cannot get out of the way of the third. The power of Maia slows the
momentum and combinations of her opponent, and the simple one-two
of the former title challenger is disrupting the Ukrainian. Maia
staggers her foe with two powerful right hands, and Moroz remains
active but her strikes have little effect on her opponent. A right
hand from “The Iron Lady” makes Maia slip, but it is one-and-done
as she catches a kick that Maia responds with. Maia bullies forward
to push Moroz to the wall, and she considers a body lock takedown.
Moroz keeps her balance by posting off the ground with one arm, and
Maia lifts it up and nails her opponent in the face. The round ends
with the two clinched up.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The ladies meet in the middle and throw hands, just like they
started the first round. Maia slips a few punches and drills Moroz
with her thudding right hand, with this punch her proverbial
“money” punch that she seemingly cannot miss with. Moroz strings a
few punches together, but Maia ignores them completely to smack
Moroz in the chops with far heavier strikes. Moroz wades forward,
with long straight punches, and Maia is able to get around them and
belt Moroz frequently. Moroz spins after missing, but her back fist
collides off the glove of the Brazilian with no issue. Moroz fakes
another spin again, and Maia stays in her element and smashes Moroz
in the face with relentless right hands. When Maia stuns Moroz with
a right, she can sneak in a left to follow, and Moroz can only take
it on the chin and keep moving. The ex-title challenger rings
Moroz’ bell with several two-punch combinations, and her one-two is
super effective. Moroz is landing consistently, but the impact of
the blows is drastically different compared to the ones that come
at her. Moroz sits down on an overhand right, and she connects with
a solid combo that makes Maia reel back. Maia walks through fists
that fly at her so that she can ding Moroz, and Moroz gives a good
account of herself as she throws back with a vengeance. Maia shakes
up Moroz with a few punches, and she plants the ball of her foot on
Moroz’ face. The horn sounds to conclude after this fistically
furious frame.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Moroz appears urgent as she comes out of her corner, bouncing back
and forth but missing with a front kick and a looping punch. Maia
answers with a knee on the jaw, and she dips back as Moroz looks
for counters. The Ukrainian just misses with a high kick, and she
absorbs a responsive body kick and catches the leg. When she cannot
do anything with it, she releases it and subsequently releases a
few punches. Predominantly a boxing match with a few kicks mixed
in, and little in the way of an interest in grappling, the story is
all about Maia’s power vs. Moroz’ volume. A straight right hand
from Moroz sends Maia off-balance, and Maia staggers back but
gathers her thoughts to come back swinging. Moroz intercepts her
with a right hook, and this blunts of the offense of the Brazilian
temporarily. Moroz opens up with a few punches, but the action
wanes as both ladies need a minute to recover from the damage they
have sustained. Maia loads up on another overhand right, but the
combination that typically follows it is silent. Moroz continues
her high work rate, rarely throwing one shot at a time, and Maia
chomps down on her gumshield and fires off a huge right hand. Moroz
tanks it and swings back with reckless abandon, and she takes a few
heavy rights flush on the side of the head without flinching. Moroz
lines several punches up as Maia is relegated to one or two punches
at a time, and she flirts with a body kick that Maia catches and
lets go. Moroz leaps forward with a few punches, and walks straight
into a left hook that knocks her chin up in the air. Maia cracks
her with another heavy right hand, and she presses Moroz to the
wire in the waning seconds. Maia lets go of the clinch to lob four
punches, and one final front kick ends the match. The bell sounds,
and Moroz is not done, as she throws three punches after the fight
is over. Maia looks at her quizzically, and Moroz promptly
apologizes for the post-fight activity. This high-intensity boxing
match remains in the hands of the judges.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Jennifer Maia def. Maryna Moroz via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

This flyweight affair unexpectedly shifts from the prelims to the
main card, in the form of a must-win between former LFA champ
Johnson (11-3, 0-1 UFC) and ex-Fight Nights Global titleholder
Zhumagulov (14-7, 1-4 UFC). The third man in the cage will be
referee Keith Peterson, and this means the nonsense has left the
building. Zhumagulov offers a glove touch, but Johnson passes on
it. Zhumagulov introduces himself with several quick, resounding
leg kicks, and he swipes out with a right hand to follow. Johnson
keeps a high guard to blow the strikes that are aimed at his head,
but one looping shot finds its way around the guard. Johnson pushes
off with his left hand, and his hand or thumb scrapes the eye.
Peterson calls in the translator and doctor immediately, and the
replay shows that it was at best the tape of the glove or the palm
that connected with the eyeball – thus being a legal blow.
Zhumagulov is asked if he can continue, and after 80 seconds, the
fighters get back to it. Johnson opens up after the break with leg
kicks from both sides, and Zhumagulov walks him down and throws
hammers. Zhumagulov blasts the lead leg with a kick that forces
Johnson to switch stances, and he throws ferocious right hooks to
close the distance as Johnson maintains reach. The aggression makes
Johnson slip, and Zhumagulov allows him back up so that he can belt
his man with a couple more overhand rights. One staggers “InnerG,”
and he fights off a level change and gets his wits about him at the
same time. Zhumagulov continues his reliance on his heavy right
hand, and a thudding shot hurts Johnson again. Johnson fights
through it and jabs, and Zhumagulov races forward and works the
body. Zhumagulov ducks and swings heavy blows, but Johnson sees
them coming and tags the Kazakhstani fighters with a short
combination. Johnson lets loose a front kick that slams square into
the cup, and Zhumagulov holds his arm out in hopes of Peterson
seeing the foul and pausing the action. Zhumagulov collapses to the
ground after the foul, and he coughs and sputters in major pain.
Johnson walks to a neutral corner and sits down. Zhumagulov takes
all the time he needs and gets back to it, and when he resumes the
melee, he is energized and swings at “InnerG” with all of his
muster. Zhumagulov pursues a takedown, and Johnson springs back up
and initiates a brawl. Both men deliver power punches and kicks,
with neither man bowing from the intensity, and Johnson throws with
all his might and takes an awkward step as he turns himself over.
Johnson spins with a back kick, whips a high kick up and gets his
bell rung with a right hand. Johnson hoots at his man after taking
the shot, and Zhumagulov chases him down. The round ends before
they can continue battling.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The flyweights meet right in the middle and proceed to engage with
attacks to the head, body and legs indiscriminately. Zhumagulov’s
leg kicks hamper his foe’s movement, and seemingly every time he
gets off a kick to the inner thigh, Johnson changes stances.
Johnson releases a kick to the body, and Zhumagulov answers with
one to the inside of his foe’s knee. Zhumagulov whips a left hand
that makes Johnson bounce off the wall, and both men have the power
to get the other’s attention but not decimate them. Zhumagulov
loads up on a few body shots, and Johnson times them and cracks
Zhumagulov with a fast response. Zhumagulov walks his adversary
down and keeps chopping down either leg, and Johnson pushes him
away as Zhumagulov complains about another eye poke. Peterson does
not buy it, and he tells them to keep fighting. Zhumagulov chases
his man down and clinches up with him, and a dangerous knee blasts
Johnson in the cup. Johnson falls to the ground and rolls around,
marching around the cage and stomping out the pain. Despite several
fouls, there is no ill will towards one another, and they resume
after 45 seconds. Zhumagulov, hellbent for leather, releases
several powerful swinging blows that careen off Johnson’s head.
“InnerG” sticks and moves with them, absorbing them but not
appearing concerned. Johnson lets go with several body kicks, and
he punches the body to bend Zhumagulov over. Johnson, feeling
himself, marches straight into a few punches, and Zhumagulov trips
Johnson down to the floor in a wild exchange. Johnson fights his
way up and uses the fence to drag Zhumagulov off of his back.
Johnson turns him around and knees Zhumagulov up high a few times,
and he fights off a trip and starts trading short uppercuts. Both
fighters rip the body with ferocious punches until the horn
sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Johnson’s corner does not mince words to their fighter between
rounds, and Johnson is ready for action with five minutes to go.
The two slap hands, and then immediately start swinging. Johnson
attempts to kick the body, but the ball of his foot bounces into
the cup and forces another stoppage. Peterson rules the blow as
accidental and implores Johnson to be careful, as this foul-filled
contest continues after about 1:45 of recovery. Zhumagulov shakes
his head several times and appears to want Peterson to do
something, but there is nothing to be done as they get back to it.
Zhumagulov hurts Johnson badly with a leg kick on the right leg,
and Johnson is extremely compromised and stomps his leg several
times to get feeling in it again. Zhumagulov tries to lay into him
with one final assault, but it is not enough to put Johnson away.
Johnson starts jumping and running in place as he rewires his leg,
and he manages to tag Zhumagulov with a right hand on the inside.
When Johnson resets to put that damaged leg forward, Zhumagulov is
quick to kick it. They trade powerful punches without much in the
way of defense or head movement, and Zhumagulov appears to be
fading as they approach the midpoint of the final round. Johnson is
fired up, and he nails Zhumagulov with several punches. As he grows
in confidence, “InnerG” is energized and actively landing,
bloodying up the face of his presumably fading opponent. Zhumagulov
scores with counters, and he continues to batter the leg. Johnson’s
poker face is immeasurable as he walks Zhumagulov down and looks to
hit him with everything and the kitchen sink. Zhumagulov barely
dodges a high kick, but the uppercut that follows clacks square
into his jaw. Johnson initiates a wrestling exchange, but he uses
it to close the distance and belt Zhumagulov with a right hand.
Zhumagulov fights back with the last of his energy reserves,
knocking his man back with a right hook but not keeping him away
for long. Johnson blitzes forward and stops a takedown effort from
succeeding, and he lines up several uppercuts from up close.
Johnson pushes off and looks up at the clock, and he unloads with
one final surge of strikes. As the waning seconds remain, Johnson
pulls back on the offense, and he goes to hug Zhumagulov before
time expires. What a wild fight, one that defied the nickname of
referee “No Nonsense” Keith Peterson.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Johnson (29-28 Zhumagulov)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Johnson (29-28 Zhumagulov)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Johnson (29-28
Zhumagulov)

The Official Result

Charles Johnson def. Zhalgas Zhumagulov via Split Decision (29-28,
28-29, 29-28)

Round 1

The fists are sure to fly in this welterweight affair. Winner of 12
straight fights, with 11 going down inside the distance, Maddalena
(12-2, 2-0 UFC) is keen on rising up the rankings fast. His next
test comes in the form of British brawler Roberts (18-6, 7-5 UFC),
who will almost certainly meet him in the middle. For as long as
this match lasts, referee Mart Smith will be here for it. Like most
of the fights thus far, there is no glove touch to initiate the
proceedings. Maddalena measures himself, and he works his way in to
close the distance and smack Roberts in the face with a right hand.
Roberts tries to back him off with kicks, but Maddalena is on him
with a fire and a fury. Maddalena rips the body in the midst of a
lengthy combination, but Roberts has the wherewithal to dodge a
high kick. As he dips down, he eats a knee on the chin, and his
knees wobble but he keeps his bearings. As Roberts escapes,
Maddalena gives chase and slams his fists into the face of his
adversary. The Brit topples to the mat in big trouble, and
Maddalena climbs down in hopes of finishing the job. Roberts
protects himself from further harm and fights back to his feet.
Maddalena is there to meet him with punches and a high kick, but
the latter gets blocked. The Aussie lines up a knee and a right
hook, and Roberts is taking a pounding but still in the fight.
Roberts swings with a few looping shots before charging in from
across the cage for a double, and Maddalena defends it with the
wall to his back. Roberts checks a kick, and he unloads a
combination of brutalizing blows.
Roberts backs up to the wall, and Maddalena swarms him with a long
salvo that breaks Roberts with a left to the liver. Roberts’ legs
give way beneath him, and Maddalena only needs a few pulverizing
punches until Smith has seen enough and calls it. This
stellar performance for the man that has now won 13 fights in a row
makes him absolutely one to watch in the welterweight division, and
he calls for a fight at UFC 284 against anyone who will take it in
his home city of Perth, Australia, in February.

The Official Result

Jack Della Maddalena def. Danny Roberts R1 3:24 via TKO
(Punches)

Round 1

Striker faces striker in what has slotted itself in the “featured
fight of the night” spot, although their approaches could scarcely
be more different even if the end result is the same. The
heavy-handed Portugal native Fialho (16-5, 1 NC; 2-2 UFC) will
throw down with a spinning specialist nicknamed “King of Kung Fu”
in Salikhov (18-3, 5-2 UFC), and referee Chris Tognoni will have
his hands full here. The respect is ample with a clap of hands to
begin the scheduled melee, and Salikhov strikes first with a calf
kick. Fialho responds with two. A front kick from the Dagestan
native pushes Fialho back as Fialho delivers a third kick to the
lead leg. Fialho gets his balance and leaps forward with a left
hook, but it hits the guard of his opponent. Fialho looks to sweep
the leg, and Salikhov responds with his own low kick. A left hand
from Salikhov splits the guard, and he sits down on a loud low kick
to follow. The tense striking match largely consists of single-shot
offerings, and Salikhov spins with a wheel kick but misses the
mark. Fialho slips a winging right hand and drives Salikhov back
with a straight left hand, and he finds the mark with an uppercut
shortly thereafter. Salikhov absorbs a right hand and spins with a
back kick, and he surprisingly grabs hold of Fialho’s leg and drags
him down to the floor. Salikhov wades into the closed guard of his
opponent, and Fialho defends with hacking elbows off his back. The
fighter from Portugal defends himself from danger as he swats at
Salikhov while on his back, and he jumps up and absorbs a spinning
back kick right to the midsection. Fialho drives a right hand into
the eye socket, and Salikhov blinks it out and swelling develops
quickly. Fialho blasts him with an uppercut, with Salikhov grabbing
hold of his foe and ramming a few knees to the midsection to slow
Fialho down. Fialho settles for a clinch as he gets his back turned
to the wall, and he frees himself right as the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The gloves are touched to start off the second round, and within
seconds, Salikhov bull-rushes forward to get a body lock and
attempt a takedown. Fialho turns around and protects against a
subsequent single, and this too fails from the Russian. Fialho
lands a right hand on the break, but Salikhov replies with a kick
to the liver. A left hand wraps around the guard of the Portugal
native, and Salikhov gets on his bike and takes potshots of front
kicks and reaching punches. Fialho prepares himself to take a flush
spinning back kick as he plods forward, with his offense falling
off a cliff while Salikhov is still swinging for the fences.
Salikhov jabs the body and stays light on his feet, and Fialho
returns fire with a jab and a low kick. “King of Kung Fu” spins
with a back fist that pounds into the side of the head, and Fialho
wobbles and takes a clean spinning wheel kick on the neck as well.
Fialho bites down on his mouthpiece and throws hammers, leading to
Salikhov clinching him up and pursuing some form of takedown.
Fialho takes several punches on the chin as he slowly walks
forward, still offensively muted as Salikhov picks and rips with
single effective strikes. Salikhov is able to put a front kick on
the body and a superman punch on the side of the head, and Fialho’s
balance is shot as he swings so hard that he falls down to the
ground. The Russian looks to finish the job by raining down a long
series of powerful hammerfists, and Tognoni implores Fialho to
fight back or show some signs of life. Salikhov slows down and
makes sure not to fully gas himself out, and the damage on Fialho’s
face shows his nose is busted up and leaking crimson fluid on the
mat. The ground strikes continue until the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Salikhov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Salikhov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Salikhov

Round 3

The final round begins with an aggressive Fialho, who leaps forward
to swing his fists at his opponent. Salikhov hops and springs away
from the brunt of the damaging strikes, and he chambers and fires a
high kick. Salikhov spins with a perfect spinning back kick to the
body, and Fialho falls back against the wall but does not go down.
He leans back and allows Salikhov to advance, and he might be
playing possum as he suddenly springs to action with huge punches
in response.
“King of Kung Fu” showcases his skills to the finest with a
magnificent spinning wheel kick that smashes into the side of
Fialho’s head, and Fialho clutches his head and is in a bad way.
Tognoni thinks about intervening, but allows Salikhov to bludgeon
Fialho with a couple more punches before stepping in for the
standing TKO. Fialho immediately protests the
stoppage, but his body language before the finish was anything but
positive as he was getting destroyed by the flashier striker. For
the fifth time in his career, Salikhov has pulled off a finish with
a spinning kick, with this one bigger than any he had registered in
the past.

The Official Result

Muslim Salikhov def. Andre Fialho R3 1:03 via TKO (Spinning Wheel
Kick and Punches)

Round 1

The year is 2022, and because of unfortunate circumstances, Sherman
(16-10, 4-9 UFC), who has won four times in 13 walks to the Octagon
thus far, is serving in a UFC card’s co-main event. He is on a
one-fight win streak, as he put Jared Vanderaa away in July to
break a four-fight skid. “The Vanilla Gorilla” will square off
against an unbeaten former baseball player in Cortes-Acosta (8-0,
1-0 UFC), who also beat Vanderaa a few weeks ago. Referee Jacob
Montalvo draws the charge for a fight that could end in an instant,
but he does appreciate that the two are in good spirits as they
touch ‘em up before colliding. The big men aim jabs and single
punches at one another to measure their range. Sherman strikes
first with a powerful strike, sinking in a calf kick on the inside
of the leg and the another on the outside. Cortes-Acosta snaps the
head back with a jab, and Sherman smashes his shin on the calf as
“Salsa Boy” does a little impromptu dance to recover. Sherman puts
his jab in his foe’s face, and Cortes-Acosta responds in kind.
Sherman mixes things up with his low kicks, and he plants his leg
on the midsection as well. Cortes-Acosta charges with a flurry, and
Sherman slides out of the way of the worst of it and sinks in
another low kick. Cortes-Acosta rifles a few jabs and a right hand
down the pipe, and Sherman takes it on the chin. The big men kick
at the same time, and they both take an odd step back before coming
back to trade hands. Sherman sticks and moves as Cortes-Acosta
rushes forward in a straight line, but he does not avoid the
chopping kick at the end of the salvo. Sherman backs the undefeated
fighter up, but he does not walk face-first into a big overhand
right. Cortes-Acosta loads up on power punches, and Sherman keeps
his composure and trashes the lead leg of his opponent with a
brutal kick. Cortes-Acosta reaches down and grabs it, where he uses
it to bully Sherman into the wall in hopes of dragging him down.
Sherman escapes and turns the tables to clinch up, and
Cortes-Acosta plays the proverbial game of putting one hand down on
the mat to prevent knee strikes to the head. Cortes-Acosta explodes
out with a jab and an uppercut, but Sherman takes the wind out of
his sails by throwing him down on the floor and landing in side
control. Before anything can come of it, the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The second round opens with several stiff jabs from the ex-baseball
player, and he walks through a low kick to continue jabbing Sherman
up. Sherman’s face begins to turn red as he absorbs repeated jabs,
and he backs off when Cortes-Acosta turns up the offense and
attacks. “Salsa Boy” blitzes Sherman with a long series of punches,
knocking Sherman’s head around and hurting him badly. Sherman
survives by clinching up and hanging on to clear his head, doing so
long enough to shake it out before Cortes-Acosta pushes him away.
When separated, Cortes-Acosta unloads again with a string of
punches, and Sherman takes them all and fires back to rock
Cortes-Acosta. The undefeated fighter bounces off the wall and
connects with a right hand that stuns Sherman, but Sherman’s chin
holds together after the ferocious blow. Cortes-Acosta rails
Sherman with heavy punches, and he shrugs off a leg kick and stops
a takedown that is aimed at him. Cortes-Acosta pops out several
jabs to fluster Sherman, and he checks a low kick and does a
showboating dance. Cortes-Acosta surges into action, battering
Sherman with several fierce punches. Cortes-Acosta catches a low
kick and responds with a body kick, but Sherman protests the foot
hit him in the groin. Montalvo tell them to play on, and
Cortes-Acosta obliges by swarming his man with punches.
Cortes-Acosta unleashes a hellacious salvo of uppercuts, standing
hammerfists, flailing fists and other ridiculous punches in hopes
of getting Sherman out of there, but Sherman makes it through them
all. Cortes-Acosta appears to have completely spent his gas tank
searching for that finish, as he practically puts his hands on his
hips from fatigue. The round concludes with the two clinched
up.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Cortes-Acosta
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Cortes-Acosta
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Cortes-Acosta

Round 3

The heavyweights reach the last round, and both men are feeling it.
Sherman appears the fresher man of the two, as Cortes-Acosta is
slowed and keeps his hands low. The volume of the two fighters has
diminished greatly, relegated to bursts of one man and then the
other. Cortes-Acosta checks a low kick and takes a front kick to
the body, and Sherman kicks him in the side. This third kick
prompts Cortes-Acosta into action, as he races forward with a
booming right hand. Sherman is barely on his feet, and
Cortes-Acosta pummels him with a few more fastballs that Sherman
incredibly takes. The two are sucking wind, and Sherman gathers
himself and walks Cortes-Acosta down and connects with a few
punches and a knee up the middle. They trade punches, with defense
an afterthought as exhaustion overcomes both men. Cortes-Acosta
works the body and head, and starts playing around with his hands
as he does not appear concerned with Sherman’s power. Sherman
answers this with a few quick punches and a low kick, and a second
makes Cortes-Acosta wag his finger at him. Cortes-Acosta ducks down
with a right hand up top, and he is so spent that he can barely
make a fist. As a result, Cortes-Acosta slaps Sherman a few times
with an open hand, and Sherman jumps forward with heavy punches.
Cortes-Acosta flails and swings with little mustard on his shots,
and he still catches Sherman coming at him with a short right hand.
Try as he might, the unbeaten fighter cannot put Sherman out of
there, but he backs away and keeps throwing punches and kicks right
to the final horn. Sherman is tough, doing the same, and walking
through anything coming his way, and this heavyweight
slobberknocker has surprisingly gone the distance.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cortes-Acosta (29-27
Cortes-Acosta)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Cortes-Acosta (29-27
Cortes-Acosta)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Cortes-Acosta (29-27
Cortes-Acosta)

The Official Result

Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Chase Sherman via Unanimous Decision
(30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

Do not adjust your set, we have reached the main event of the
evening. This three-round light heavyweight affair is the new
marquee matchup, if you have not been following the news today thus
far. With knockout rates of 70% or higher, they very well might not
need those 15 minutes, and referee Keith Peterson is on high alert
and prepared to dispose of any nonsense that rears its ugly head.
Nzechukwu (10-3, 4-3 UFC) looks to put two wins together after his
demolition of Karl Roberson in July, while Cutelaba (16-8-1, 1 NC;
5-7-1 UFC) is gunning to get back in the win column. This almost
certainly ultraviolent affair begins with a touch of gloves as
these two are thrilled to be here, and it’s on with the makeshift
headliner. Nzechukwu begins with a jab and a one-two, and he trips
up Cutelaba in an odd exchange. Cutelaba unloads with three punches
that appear to hurt Nzechukwu, and he suddenly grabs a takedown
even though his right hand stung the Fortis MMA fighter. Cutelaba
elevates and drops Nzechukwu to his knees, and Nzechukwu climbs
back up to absorb several crisp uppercuts. Nzechukwu breaks the
grip around his waist and blocks a high knee just in the nick of
time. Cutelaba secures a trip, and Nzechukwu nearly grabs the top
of the cage to stop it from succeeding. “The Hulk” falls straight
into full mount, and he drops down a few punches until Nzechukwu
drags him back to half guard. The defensive grappling of Nzechukwu
allows him to bring Cutelaba back to the guard, and he kicks off
and fights to his feet. Cutelaba grabs him from behind and
considers lifting and slamming Nzechukwu again, but that does not
succeed on a second attempt. Cutelaba hits a throw and lands in
scarf hold position, and he isolates Nzechukwu’s arm while slamming
his left hand into Nzechukwu’s face. Cutelaba cannot get the
armlock, and Nzechukwu does enough to fight out of the position and
stand back up. Cutelaba defends with a standing kimura effort, in
which he plans on taking the fight back down to the mat again.
Cutelaba stomps the toes several times with his heel, doing so
until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Fists are bumped to commence Round 2, and the strikes come fast and
furious from both fighters. Nzechukwu reaches with a left hand, and
Cutelaba loads up on power punches. Cutelaba rushes forward for a
takedown, and Nzechukwu times a perfect knee that busts into
Cutelaba’s chin. Cutelaba eats it like a platter of friptura and
somehow is not completely out from the devastating blow. Nzechukwu
looks hammer the nail, but Cutelaba works his way back up to his
feet and swings for the fences. As they wildly continue striking, a
foot from Cutelaba comes up and smacks into the cup. Nzechukwu
bellows but takes a couple seconds before Peterson can even pause
the fight to wave him off and say he wants to continue fighting.
Cutelaba strikes, and
Nzechukwu lashes back with a flying knee that cracks the Moldovan’s
chin. When Nzechukwu plants both feet on the ground, he shoves
Cutelaba back, and Cutelaba is in big trouble as his legs go
splayed like a baby deer on a frozen pond. Nzechukwu loads up and
smashes “The Hulk” with several punches, punctuated by a ruthless
uppercut that practically separates Cutelaba from his senses. While
Nzechukwu beats on him, Cutelaba reaches one knee while leaned up
against the fence, but the assault is not slowing. “African Savage”
swings his fists like wrecking balls, and the damage is
insurmountable as Peterson intervenes to rescue Cutelaba from any
further harm. That is one more comeback victory for
Nzechukwu, who woke up this morning and chose violence, earning
what should register as the biggest win of his career. The man who
can unleash great vengeance and furious anger is soft-spoken on the
microphone, giving his love to his mother suffering from illness
and praising his training partners and team for the end result.
That’s it. There are no more fights tonight after this one. With
luck, Derrick Lewis will recover from his illness soon and get back
to action. The UFC takes next week off for Thanksgiving, and it
will return in Orlando in December. We will be here for it, and we
hope you are too.

The Official Result

Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Ion Cutelaba R2 1:02 via TKO (Flying Knee
and Punches)

Round 1

The UFC revealed during the broadcast that the main event between
Lewis and Spivak had been canceled due to a medical issue unrelated
to COVID-19 suffered by Lewis.