UFC Vegas 101 ‘Dern vs. Ribas 2’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog’s live
UFC Vegas 101 coverage will begin Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. The
event is also known as
UFC Fight Night 249.

Round 1

The UFC is back in your life, which means the glorious Sherdog
play-by-play is in full swing again. Around 42 events from this
promotion in 2025 will be covered in this fashion, plus the major
offerings of the PFL and other big shows dropping this year. The
first of all of them comes in the world-famous Octagon, although
the cage is plopped down in the UFC Apex instead of in front of
thousands of adoring fans. Those few in the building—before the
major renovations begin—will be given their money’s worth in terms
of actual bouts, with 14 on the docket, although only two
combatants of the 28 are ranked, while around half are coming off
losses. Combat commences in the overstuffed lightweight category,
as unbeaten Tajikistan native Aliev (9-0, 1-0 UFC) tries to emerge
from the pack against relative divisional veteran Solecki (13-5,
5-3 UFC). The two will receive oversight from referee Kerry Hatley
for the first match of the evening, and with a touch of gloves,
it’s on with the show. Late replacement Solecki looks to find his
range early, circling his fist around to either prepare for a parry
or paw out a jab. He gets off first, with a one-two down the pipe.
Aliev’s looping right hand response misses the mark, and they
reset. Aliev crashes forward, bashing his head into the side of
Solecki’s as they clash, and he uses the momentum to bowl Solecki
over with a double-leg takedown to put him on his back. Solecki
keeps his guard fairly open in hopes of scooting to the fence to
wall-walk, and Aliev sucks his hips out on the first try to get up.
Solecki wraps up a guillotine choke off his back, and he
transitions to throw his legs up in hopes of locking down a
triangle choke. Solecki adjusts his legs to further tighten the leg
grip around Aliev’s neck, and he hooks his toes in the fence to get
better leverage, only for Hatley to slap them out of it. Aliev is
able to break out of the submission without concern, and his
approach is more of the methodical ground-and-pound variety rather
than looking for his own sub or something more dramatic. Solecki’s
guard prevents Aliev from passing to either side, but Aliev jams
Solecki’s neck up against the wall to put him at a tough angle.
Aliev draws a slight bit of blood around Solecki’s nose from a few
short left hands, and this prompts him to load up on some heavier
ground strikes to get Solecki’s attention. Solecki tries for
another triangle choke to slow things down, and the horn
sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The fighters tap gloves together, and Solecki awkwardly looks to
work his way in but does not throw any strike as he moves in. Aliev
walks through this unorthodox footwork to score two punches, and
Solecki whiffs on the counter. Solecki steps in the pocket to put a
one-two on the chin, and he leans back as a big right hand from the
Tajikistan native goes past him. Aliev pursues a takedown, and he
lifts Solecki up in the air and fails to keep his grip, falling to
his back as Solecki lands on top of him. As the scramble ensues,
Solecki attempts a triangle choke to lock Aliev down, and Aliev
slides around it and shifts through an armbar setup to lump Solecki
up with some heavy punches. Aliev leans on Solecki from behind,
getting off power right hands as Solecki tries to escape. Solecki
gets himself to a single knee as he leans on the wall, but this
allows Aliev to jackhammer his thigh with a number of
high-amplitude knees. Solecki explodes to his feet, and Aliev times
a perfect right hook that sends Solecki crashing to the mat.
Solecki shakes out the cobwebs and wraps up his guard, without a
submission in mind and rather hoping to just get some time to
recover. Aliev does not mind, as he prefers this smothering
position to land strikes when the moment is right. It is position
over submission or offense for the Tajik fighter, and although the
pace slows to a crawl, he is firmly in the driver’s seat. Aliev
works the body to open up strikes to the head, and Solecki rides
out the rest of the round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

One final fist bump kicks off the last round, and Solecki moves
straight to the center of the cage, likely knowing he is down on
the scorecards. Aliev swarms forward but misses with his swings,
and when he measures his right hand, he connects on the temple.
Solecki wears it well and fires back, sitting on a few left hooks
when Aliev advances. Both fighters trade hands, and Aliev hits
cleaner to more targets like the solar plexus. Aliev loops two
right hands over the top, and Solecki can only muster up a leg kick
in response. Solecki bites down on his mouthpiece to sling three
left hands, and Aliev sneaks a right hand around his arms to clip
him. Solecki blinks it out but gets cracked once more, as his legs
buckle but do not give way beneath him. Aliev loads up on two
punches, and he backs off to take a deep breath before hurling two
more. “The Tajik Eagle” rarely misses when initiating offense,
getting off at least one power strike each time he surges forward.
Solecki pitches another low kick, but it is the kind of blow that
with two minutes left in the fight, is not registered. A power left
hand from Aliev stands his opponent up, and he follows with three
more before backing off to take a low kick. Solecki tries to time a
left hook when Aliev bears down on him, but Aliev beats him to the
punch. When Aliev sells out with two big punches, Solecki times a
perfect double to take the Tajikistan native off his feet. Solecki
moves directly into full mount and starts raining down strikes, but
Aliev’s control of Solecki’s neck keeps him largely safe. Solecki
slams him out of the grip to pound away, and when he lowers himself
down for a potential arm-triangle choke, the fight comes to a
close.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Nurullo Aliev def. Joe Solecki via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

Moving right along to the women’s strawweight side of things, two
women coming off losses will try to right the ship. The highly
touted Kline (6-1, 0-1 UFC) ended up dropping her promotional debut
last July, while Russia’s Dudakova (8-1, 2-1 UFC) came up short in
August to put a halt to her unbeaten record. The former will be
moving back down to 115 pounds for this one, and she will be joined
in the cage by referee Chris Tognoni. A clap of hands of gloves
gets things going, and the two women quickly measure one another
with jabs. Kline follows one with a thumping low kick, skirting
away before getting countered. Dudakova shoots for a naked double,
pushing Kline to the wall but unable to go anywhere else. The
Russian transitions to a single-leg takedown, and Kline stops this
attempt and a subsequent trip. Kline breaks off with a knee to the
body and two sharp elbows, but this does not keep Dudakova away for
long. Dudakova crashes forward again in pursuit of a takedown, and
Kline does hit the ground but it is so she can search for an
unorthodox leglock off her back. The two continue to scramble, and
Kline is the one who turns the corner to place Dudakova on the
ground. Dudakova wraps up an armbar, using the submission to force
Kline to defend so she can gain dominant position. When Kline
fights her way out of it, Dudakova circles around to take her back
while the two are seated. Kline attempts to turn as Dudakova’s nose
starts to bleed, and she powers her way around to set the Russian
down. Kline opens up with elbows that quickly force Dudakova to
kick off her hips, and Kline hammers her with a few
standing-to-ground strikes before lowering herself back to the
guard. As Kline looks to pass guard, Dudakova gets hold of a
two-on-one wrist lock. This kimura attempt ultimately works against
Dudakova, who inadvertently allows Kline to fully mount her. Kline
postures up to connect with a few heavy strikes before lowering
herself flat to disallow Dudakova from bucking her off. Kline
slashes with an elbow, grinding her forehead against the Russian’s
face when not attacking so as to make her life miserable. Kline
gets off a few more strikes before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

As soon as the round begins, Dudakova shoots for a single, and she
manages to wrangle Kline to a knee while up against the wall. Kline
works her way around to get upright, and the scramble that follows
allows Kline to circle around and toss Dudakova to the floor. When
Kline is about to establish top position, Dudakova sweeps her, and
Kline is quick to reverse her back. Kline advances into full mount,
and Dudakova tries to pull on the fence with her fingers to improve
her position. Dudakova kicks off the fence, but this puts her in a
worse place as she is unable to get up. Dudakova hooks her leg
around the shoulder, somehow pushing off enough to get Kline to
spin around. As Kline turns, Dudakova stands and pursues a body
lock takedown. Kline hits a trip to dump her foe on her face, and
she lands in half guard dropping down left hands. Kline opens up
with punches as Dudakova uses a knee shield on the belly off her
back. “The Archangel” slashes Dudakova’s forehead open with a
vicious elbow, and blood sprays from the open wound. The body
language is quick to deteriorate for the underdog, as the sight and
smell of blood changed things significantly.
Kline lords over her foe, drumming her out with a long line of
elbows. As the elbows continue to batter Dudakova, Tognoni has no
choice but to step in, with Dudakova shelled up and no
longer intelligently defending herself. It is a statement for
Kline, who makes good on the huge betting line in her favor while
recording her first UFC win by stopping a woman that had never
before been finished.

The Official Result

Fatima Kline def. Victoria Dudakova R2 4:27 via TKO (Elbows)

Round 1

Light heavyweight, a division in need of contenders, gets a pair of
promising heavy hitters for this preliminary contest. The knockout
did not come for Dagestan native Gadzhiyasulov (9-0, 1-0 UFC) in
his first UFC outing, but he is at least coming into this bout with
a win at his back. Lopes (13-1, 0-0 UFC) is looking to get on the
map after a pair of stoppages last year, and a dramatic victory
could put the winner only five or six wins away from a title shot.
When the two start their paths towards contendership, referee Mark
Smith will handle the proceedings. Fists are bumped before they are
traded, and it is Gadzhiyasulov who assumes control of the middle
of the cage and asserts his position with two thudding leg kicks.
Lopes does not appreciate the second, and he ducks in to throw a
right hand that misses the mark. Gadzhiyasulov intercepts him with
another chopping kick, and Bruno tosses a much lighter one back on
the inside. As Gadzhiyasulov sits down on one more low kick, Lopes
winds up on a counter right hand that buzzes past his man.
Gadzhiyasulov dodges another right hand to connect hard on Lopes,
and he chains a punch into a kick as Lopes’ movement is already
struggling. Lopes shoots for a takedown, absorbs a flush low kick
on the way in, and shoves the Russian against the wall. Lopes
stalls his opponent out in the clinch, not allowing Gadzhiyasulov
to work on his lead leg much more when up close and personal.
Gadzhiyasulov sneaks in a few knees on the inside, and Lopes tries
for a trip but does not sell out as he would have landed on his
back. Lopes tries a short elbow up close, and it bumps into the
side of his foe’s head. Lopes lands one more on the break, backs
away and rushes forward in pursuit of a double. Gadzhiyasulov’s leg
kick finds its target before Lopes reaches him, and Lopes jams him
against the fencing again. The grind slows to a crawl as neither
man score much, and Lopes hooking the legs does not lead to a
takedown. Lopes goes all in for a double, scooping Gadzhiyasulov up
and dumping him to the floor, and Gadzhiyasulov scramble to stand
up at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

A tap of gloves kicks off Round 2, and Lopes is the initial
aggressor and pushes the pace. Gadzhiyasulov looks for a few
high-risk strikes that do not land flush, like a spinning wheel
kick from up close, and he uses his punches and kicks to give him a
bit of space. Lopes cramps his style, pressing him to the fence and
clinching. Lopes spins with a sudden back elbow from the tie-up,
and Gadzhiyasulov shakes it off and pushes off, only for Lopes to
meander towards him and smack him with an elbow. Lopes ducks a
looping right hand to go after a double, and although he does not
score it, he succeeds in glomming onto his adversary. The Brazilian
gathers a full head of steam, and he uses a body lock to hurl
Gadzhiyasulov to the ground, where he lands on top and drops down a
pair of elbows. Gadzhiyasulov kicks off the abdomen to force his
way back to his feet, and Lopes is a dog with a bone trying to get
the fight back down. Lopes cannot keep Gadzhiyasulov against the
cage wall for long, as Gadzhiyasulov strikes his way free and
connects a few times. Lopes is quick to re-embrace the grind, and
he holds the fence to keep Gadzhiyasulov stuck in the position.
Gadzhiyasulov circles out of the posture and kicks Lopes in the
ribs, and when he goes low with a kick, Lopes nails him with a
step-in knee. Gadzhiyasulov suddenly changes his tempo in pursuit
of his own takedown, and Lopes welcomes this as he turns his man
about and pins him to the wall. Gadzhiyasulov escapes briefly,
looping strikes at his opponent, but the strikes are labored as he
is starting to fade. Lopes crashes forward and presses the Dagestan
native to the fence. Lopes spins with an elbow again, and he gets
popped with a right-hand counter on the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The light heavies touch ‘em up, and Gadzhiyasulov is the initial
aggressor with looping distance kicks. Gadzhiyasulov kicks high and
low, and his attack to the knee appears to give Lopes pause, with
Lopes needing to shake his limb out. Lopes wants the takedown after
this, and he tries for it and fails. Gadzhiyasulov breaks the grip
around his waist, backs off and slaps Lopes in the face with the
instep of his foot. Feeling himself, he spins at the Brazilian with
an elbow, and Lopes licks his lips and wraps him up in a
suffocating clinch. Gadzhiyasulov turns himself away to return to
kickboxing range, and he jacks Lopes in the jaw with a solid shovel
uppercut. Lopes tries to pay him back with a spin kick, and he
takes advantage of a backpedaling Gadzhiyasulov by tackling him to
the ground. Gadzhiyasulov springs right back to his feet, and Lopes
wraps his hands around the back of his opponent. Lopes stays
tightly pressed to Gadzhiyasulov, and he hunts for a double and
lifts Gadzhiyasulov to dump him down. Gadzhiyasulov stands again
without issue, and he breaks away with 90 seconds to spare. Lopes
trips his opponent up and almost nails him with a legal soccer
kick, and he uses his physicality to toss Gadzhiyasulov around and
take away his dangerous offense. “Brunao” sneaks a knee up and
around when up tight, and he lowers himself to his knees for a
punctuating takedown. Gadzhiyasulov fights it off with an elbow to
the side of the head, and he still gets taken down on a subsequent
attempt. The two 205ers hear the final bell, and they drop to the
floor in exhaustion.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Bruno Lopes def. Magomed Gadzhiyasulov via Unanimous Decision
(29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

Two women with significantly different styles will clash as the
prelims roll on at the 125-pound range. Despite losing her first
UFC outing, Kareckaite (5-1-1, 0-1 UFC) comes in as a fairly heavy
betting favorite against Brazilian finisher Caliari (8-2, 0-0 UFC)
in the latter’s first stint in the Octagon. The Lithuanian will
have 15 minutes or less to prove that a bet on her is worthwhile,
and Caliari knows just one mistake is all she needs to get the job
done. Referee Kerry Hatley draws the charge for this matchup, one
that opens up as the ladies clap hands. Kareckaite immediately try
to take advantage of her significant reach advantage, pawing out
jabs and getting met with an early leg kick. Kareckaite comes up
just short with a one-two, and Caliari pushes her away and gets off
a low kick. Kareckaite strikes her way into a clinch, and Caliari
pulls away and gets caught with a few punches from the Lithuanian.
Caliari fires back, and she connects with a few punches and chains
them into a takedown attempt. Kareckaite stands upright and turns
her around, but Caliari is singularly focused on the grappling.
Caliari sneaks in a few uppercuts before deciding to separate, and
she ducks a right hand to tag the longer woman with quick strikes.
Kareckaite reaches her with a long right hand, and she strings
several more together in rapid succession as Caliari’s eyes go
wide. The Brazilian looks to slow things down with a takedown
attempt, and Kareckaite bucks her way out of it and pops Caliari
with a right hand. Caliari is ready to bang when the attempt fails,
as she uses her fast hands to set up tackling takedown efforts.
Caliari drags Kareckaite’s leg far away to force her to do a split,
and she briefly grounds the Lithuanian as a result. Kareckaite pops
right back up, and Caliari is tightly wrapped around her as they
clinch. The two trade knees and hand-fight until they break apart.
Caliari lands first, Kareckaite counters, and the former gives her
something back to think about. Kareckaite rifles off long, straight
punches, and a head kick is blocked but the front kick that follows
is not. Kareckaite drills Caliari with a slew of punches until the
round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The ladies tap their hands together before getting going, and
Kareckaite picks up where she leads off with long strikes. She does
not keep a solid defense, as Caliari meets her with blistering
elbows and short but effective shots in response. Caliari ducks a
right hand to snap Kareckaite’s head back with a right hand, and
this forces Kareckaite to clinch with her to blink out the
surprisingly heavy blow. Caliari backs her foe off with her hands,
and she gets smacked with a left hand and shoots in for her own
takedown. Kareckaite stifles it, circles around in hopes of taking
the back and settles for Caliari to roll to her back. The Brazilian
clings to Kareckaite, attempting to control Kareckaite’s arms and
get hold of a submission. Kareckaite escapes before a leglock
materializes, and when she stands right in front of Caliari, the
two trade leather. Kareckaite goes to the body to break things up,
and Caliari follows suit and rips two left hands to the liver.
Kareckaite takes the punches and hurls a few back, but Caliari’s
appear more effective when they exchange. The Brazilian goes over
the top with a kick, and her left hand continues to score on
Kareckaite’s midsection. Kareckaite counters a leg kick with a
right hand, and both women suffer damage to their noses as they
connect one after the other. Caliari fails on a trip takedown, and
she sells out for an uppercut and gets countered hard. Kareckaite
strings four punches together before Caliari can pay her back, but
Caliari is more than willing to trade violently. They take turns
punching one another in the face, defense at a premium, and two
hooks from Caliari get Kareckaite’s attention before the round ends
with a failed takedown.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

After a speedy glove touch, the flyweights resume throwing hands.
Caliari walks through the long, rangy punches to scoop up
uppercuts. Caliari mixes up a handful of headshots with a couple to
the body, and they go tit-for-tat as they appear to be enjoying the
striking affair. Kareckaite puts her fist on the chin again and
again, and she lets Caliari clinch with her so she can pound her
with a knee. Caliari hammers her opponent with a left to the body,
and Kareckaite is right there in front of her clubbing her with a
right hand. Kareckaite stops a takedown attempt, partially thanks
to a few fence grabs, and Caliari hooks a leg around hers to try to
wrench her down. Caliari again strips the leg away like before, but
Kareckaite gathers herself before having to deal with a split. The
Lithuanian, breaking away from the clinch, does not stay away from
Caliari for long. Caliari puts a few one-twos on the jaw and dives
after a takedown, but the latter does not get there. Caliari keeps
working the body, and a number of right hands have drawn some
swelling on Kareckaite’s left eyebrow. Caliari fakes a takedown to
deliver a knee to the body, and she times Kareckaite lifting her
left up to tackle her to the canvas. Caliari is active when on top,
but most of her strikes are blocked or deflected. Kareckaite slugs
it out from her back, and the two beat on one another right until
the match’s conclusion.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Ernesta Kareckaite def. Nicolle Caliari via Split Decision (28-29,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

Continuing a theme going on today of an established UFC fighter
against a vaunted newcomer with a spotless record, Parsons (11-5,
2-3 UFC) is the next of the former planning on holding the line. He
battles Oklahoma State-trained All-American Smith (9-0, 0-0 UFC),
who has done nothing but win since turning pro in 2021. Referee
Mike Beltran is prepped and ready should this welterweight match go
15 minutes or 15 seconds, and he stands by as the fighters clap
hands. Smith takes to the center of the cage, and both have the
same first though of kicking. This results in a leg clash, and
Smith is quick to recoil his limb and toss it up high. Parsons
hopes to retaliate, and the two slug it out for a moment before
Smith wraps his arms around Parsons. “Pressure” escapes, and Smith
is all over him ready to throw bombs. As Parsons loads up on power,
Smith is the quicker and more destructive of the two.

Smith connects with a right hand and blasts Parsons with a left,
putting Parsons down on the ground for the count. Beltran
recognizes that Parsons’ eyes roll back in his head as Smith is
beating on him with hammerfists, and he shoves Smith off of the
defeated fighter. Smith goes flying, backwards
somersaults to his feet and rushes over to the commentary booth to
introduce himself. Showing he is a student of the game, Smith tells
champ Belal Muhammad, “knock knock,” while also invoking Dan Ige
for his “50K” nickname to suggest he is deserving of a bonus. At
this stage of the event, he’s got an extra $50,000 on lock.

The Official Result

Jacobe Smith def. Preston Parsons R1 1:13 via KO (Punches)

Round 1

Keeping things pushing as the prelims roll on, former ranked
lightweight Moises (18-8, 7-6 UFC) finds himself in the precarious
position of a loss away from a .500 record in the promotion. A win
over Ogden (18-6, 1 NC; 3-2, 1 NC UFC) would do wonders for his
status with the UFC, but Ogden also needs a victory as well so he
does not reach that even win/loss tally. It might not be high on
the rankings, but the personal stakes are massive for the two, and
referee Chris Tognoni recognizes that. There is a fleeting tap of
the gloves to get going, and Moises tosses out a trio of kicks to
hunt for his range. Moises comes up short on a big right hand, but
his calf kick is super effective. Ogden absorbs two more and he
no-sells them, but his leg is already welted and red. Ogden tries
to give one back, and Moises shrugs it off and hurls a huge right
hand along with a power leg kick. Ogden prods out jabs to not let
Moises freely pick his front leg apart, and he kiais to further
disrupt his opponent. Moises does not appear flustered, calm as a
cucumber, and his speed is surprising even Ogden. They give leg
kicks back to one another, and Ogden snaps out his jab further.
Ogden kicks first, Moises kicks second, and Ogden tries to be first
and last but is out of range. Ogden connects with a loud body kick,
and he tags the Brazilian with a left hand. Moises draws a brief
limp out of “Shamurai” from his calf kicks, and Ogden grits his
teeth and wipes his hands on his shorts. Ogden stays right in front
of Moises, jabbing and low kicking him, and Moises’ leg kicks will
not miss when he commits to them. Ogden slaps the inside thigh with
several kicks of his own, and the swelling and redness on Moises’
front leg is also growing fast. Ogden shakes his head after
checking a kick, and he loops a left hand around the guard. When
Moises gets off a sharp front kick, Ogden knocks him back with a
stern jab. Ogden stays busy as he goes to the head and body, and he
walks Moises down and kicks from both legs. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Ogden puts the pressure on Moises right out of the gate, with hands
in his face and a shin to the body. Moises settles down and hammers
his foe’s front leg with several kicks, and Ogden wobbles after
taking one flush. Moises continues to chip away, and Ogden further
welts up his thigh with quick kicks. The jabs from Ogden redden
Moises’ nose, and Ogden makes sure that his volume is consistent
and enough to make Moises have to think about them. Moises loads up
on power, but Ogden sways and dodges the worst of them. Moises sits
down on a particularly nasty calf kick, setting Ogden down as the
Marathon MMA coach grimaces. Moises leaps down into the guard,
where he assaults Ogden with a few reintroductory elbows. Moises
remains in the closed guard, landing ground-and-pound and not
letting Ogden set anything up. Ogden twists, turns, bucks and pulls
on the fence, but Moises top pressure is smothering him and not
letting him go anywhere. Moises drops down two more elbows until
Ogden explodes to his seat, and Moises pulls him back flat. Moises
blasts his opponent with punches and elbows, and Ogden takes them
on the chin and is otherwise stuck. Moises beats on him with ground
strikes, bloodying Ogden’s mouth up before the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Ogden comes out of his corner a man possessed, committing to
several left hands right out of the gate. A powerful punch from the
American stumbles Moises, who bounces off the fence and misses on a
counter. Ogden hand-fights, takes a heavy calf kick, and shoots in
for a takedown. Moises gets to his knees, and he gives up his back.
The Brazilian spins him around and deposits him on his back, with
four minutes to work in a similar position to the previous round.
Moises revs up his engines with ground-and-pound again, stifling
any escape attempt while pummeling Ogden with short but dangerous
strikes. Ogden rolls for a possible submission, but Moises shuts it
down and elbows him to split open a cut on his right eyebrow.
Moises continues methodically battering Ogden, staying more than
busy to stave off any referee intervention, and Ogden is stuck. All
of the various methods to escape employed by Ogden, a savvy
grappler in his own right, do not go anywhere, as Moises is a
155-pound weight on his chest hitting him hard. Blood splatters
across the canvas as Moises keeps striking, maintaining this
position until the final horn.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Thiago Moises def. Trey Ogden via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28,
29-28)

Round 1

With the recent memory of a spinning back kick knockout to earn him
a spot on the UFC roster, Tulio (12-1, 0-0 UFC) surges into what
would have been a middleweight affair with plenty of momentum on
his side. The same cannot be said for the struggling Potieria
(20-7, 2-5 UFC), who has not only dropped four of five but missed
weight ahead of what may be a pink-slip matchup. This bout now
taking place at 188 pounds will be covered by referee Mark Smith,
who is prepped and ready to jump in at a moment’s notice. Potieria
offers an apologetic glove touch to get going, and it is accepted.
The center of the cage goes to Potieria, who springs away from a
low kick early. Tulio unleashes a one-two, and when that comes up
short, his leg kick does not. Potieria absorbs a right hand to
counter with a hook over the top, and it marks Tulio’s eye up fast.
Potieria goes after a second power left hook, and Tulio’s footwork
keeps him safe. Tulio chains a punch into a kick, and the two lean
towards one another and clack their heads together. Smith calls
time to warn them, and they are quick to resume after the warning
with two punches from Tulio. Potieria ducks down, and he eats a
particularly stern right hand. Tulio lines up another right as he
backs away, and he steps in and blasts Potieria in the groin with a
knee, drawing a sound that echoes in the arena. Potieria collapses
to the mat and does not make a sound, as Smith pauses the fight and
tells Potieria he will have five minutes to recover. Smith warns
Tulio, and Potieria blows his nose while on one knee. After 90
seconds, Potieria climbs to his feet using the fence, and he tells
Smith he does not need the doctor. Three minutes elapse before
Potieria is good to go, and they start up again. Tulio is quick to
strike again when resuming, with a head kick and standing back fist
surprising the Ukrainian. Tulio cracks “The Duelist” with a right
hand, and he puts Potieria down with a follow-up right. Potieria’s
nose busted open with blood leaking fast. Potieria tries to get
hold of an armbar off his back, and Tulio punches and elbows
through it.
Potieria turns to his knees, and Tulio clubs him with a devastating
undercut beneath his armpit that shuts his lights out. Smith
witnesses that Potieria has been deprived of his consciousness and
waved the fight off, and a bloody, beaten Potieria
comes to and coughs his mouthpiece out. This is a statement
introduction for Tulio, whose performance is slightly marred for
the earlier foul but sealed the deal with his fists.

The Official Result

Marco Tulio def. Ihor Potieria R1 3:04 via TKO (Punches)

Round 1

One more catchweight contest plays out as the prelims wrap up, this
time with six-footer Johnson (16-9, 1-2 UFC) unable to reach the
flyweight cap by a fair margin. He surrenders 20% of his purse to
Bunes (13-7, 0-1 UFC), who is hoping to slug his way into hearts
and minds in what is already a late run for the 35-year-old.
Referee Kerry Hatley is on call for this 129-pound pairing, one
that kicks off as the fighters touch ‘em up. Johnson says hello
with a low kick and then one to the chest, and he reaches the
Brazilian with a fierce right hand to follow. Bunes tries to take
the fight down, and Johnson hurls him to the side and winces as if
he suffered an eye poke during the exchange. There is no pause, and
instead Bunes swings for the fences to get in close to attempt
another takedown. Johnson laughs it off and blasts him with an
uppercut, and when Bunes tries again, Johnson rolls him all the way
over. Bunes hits his back and attacks an armbar, and Johnson
wriggles his arm free without concern.
Bunes ties Johnson up until rolling for another armbar, and this
time it is deep as he turns Johnson to his back. Johnson keeps
twisting, flipping himself all the way over, but Bunes has it tight
as a drum. There is no way out for Johnson, who is forced to tap
out, and Bunes releases the grip immediately. Bunes
climbs to his feet, and he performs a flawless Kamehameha from
“Dragon Ball” fame at full volume.

The Official Result

Felipe Bunes def. Jose Johnson R1 2:04 via Submission
(Armbar)

Round 1

Six bouts constitute the main card of this Fight Night in the Apex,
and the first of those six comes at 170 pounds. Former middleweight
brawler Soriano (10-4, 4-4 UFC) has picked up a few new tricks in
the form of wrestling, but he will have his hands full with former
Anchorage BJJ student Medic (10-2, 4-2 UFC). Fists are sure to fly,
and they are bumped first under the watchful eye of referee Mike
Beltran. Medic leads the dance with a short left hand, and Soriano
gives him one back to think about almost immediately. Soriano kicks
the front leg, and Medic blasts him back to the liver.

“Story Time” steels himself and charges like a bull, and a right
hand sends Medic flying. With Medic crumpled in a heap on his side,
Soriano jackhammers him with additional punches until Medic goes
out and Beltran has seen enough. Soriano rushes away
to celebrate, where he drops to his hands and rattles off over a
dozen pushups.

The Official Result

Punahele Soriano def. Uros Medic R1 0:31 via KO (Punches)

Round 1

In three of his last four outings, Rodriguez (11-2, 4-2 UFC) has
donned his prospect-killer hat while staving off an undefeated
opponent. This comes to a head once more for “CeeRod,” as this time
he battles Michigan-based up-and-comer Bashi (13-0, 0-0 UFC) in
hopes of spoiling one more flawless record. Whether he succeeds or
fails, referee Chris Tognoni will be on top of things from start to
finish. There is a sporting glove touch to commence the
featherweight scrap, and Rodriguez nails the newcomer with a right
hand and a flying knee. Bashi takes them on the chin and attempts a
takedown, only to be easily stuffed by the underdog. Bashi pushes
Rodriguez up against the fence and goes all-in for a takedown, as
Rodriguez sets him down in 50-50 position. Rodriguez snatches hold
of a power guillotine choke, turning Bashi to the side and
wrenching him to the floor. Bashi, still in submission danger,
works his way up to his feet, and he wriggles out of the choke and
backs Rodriguez off with strikes. Rodriguez feints with loud
stomps, drawing reactions out of the newcomer every time. A head
kick from Rodriguez gets up quick, and he changes levels to ground
Bashi. Rodriguez waits to line up a legal knee when Bashi stands,
planting one on the torso and retreating. Bashi follows him,
considers a takedown and elects to leap on Rodriguez’ back standing
up. Rodriguez controls Bashi’s right arm with both hands, looking
to shake Bashi off of him. When he does not fall off, Bashi resets
and hooks a triangle around Rodriguez’ hips. Rodriguez fights the
leg grip and does not let Bashi get a choke in, and he forces Bashi
to release him. Rodriguez pushes back to get enough space to
strike, and he follows a strafing Bashi and flusters him with a
stomp on the mat before spurring into action. Bashi clings to
“CeeRod” where he elevates and dumps Rodriguez to the ground.
Rodriguez sweeps him with relative ease, but he does not establish
top control as he wishes to engage on the feet. Bashi ties him up
with the clinch and pushes him to the wire, but it is Rodriguez who
takes advantage of the close proximity with a spinning back elbow.
Bashi tags him back with a right hand before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

A calm Rodriguez meanders out of his corner to commence the round,
and he skillfully tags Bashi from afar without letting the relative
neophyte score much back. Bashi dives in deep for a single and
succeeds in putting Rodriguez on his seat, only for Rodriguez to
get back up before one second elapses. Bashi goes for a double and
scoops Rodriguez off the ground to put him down, and this time, he
lowers himself into top position. Rodriguez elbows his man off his
back while scrambling, and this allows Bashi to take his back and
wrap his legs around the waist again. Rodriguez grips the ankle to
turn Bashi about, and he uses elbows to further break the leg grip.
Rodriguez peels his foe off of him and knees him in the belly, and
he takes an elbow on the break. Rodriguez peppers out a jab and
evades a swinging right hand, preparing himself for a takedown that
inevitably comes. An irritated Rodriguez falls to his back, and
Bashi quickly advances to three-quarter mount so he can hop to the
side instead of full mount. Bashi works the body with knees all
while maintaining heavy chest pressure, and Rodriguez still turns
him around and thwarts a submission setup. Rodriguez pushes Bashi
over and nearly sneaks into mount, and he pushes off the back of
the neck to stand. Bashi tries to follow him with a spinning back
elbow, and he is met with a knee on the jaw. Rodriguez cracks the
newcomer with an uppercut and a right hand, and Bashi takes a
breath and shoots. Rodriguez sprawls to keep himself upright,
turning the corner to put Bashi on his knees. Bashi reasserts going
for his takedown attempt, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Christian Rodriguez def. Austin Bashi via Unanimous Decision
(29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

Fresh off a close five-rounder against rival Brendan Allen, Curtis
(31-11, 1 NC; 5-3, 1 NC UFC) takes a step down in competition
against Russian striker Kopylov (13-3, 5-3 UFC). While Kopylov has
not been ranked, he is as dangerous as any, with knockouts
accounting for four of his five triumphs in the Octagon. Keeping a
lid on the middleweights will be referee Mark Smith, who clocks the
fighters in as they opt for a glove touch. Curtis fights behind a
jab, while Kopylov unleashes the first of likely many body kicks.
Curtis crowds him with his hands, hoping to take some of those
kicks away, but Kopylov chambers and fires off another. Kopylov
kicks low and jabs high, and he circles when Curtis backs him up.
Kopylov kicks low and is met with a body kick, and Curtis paws out
three jabs in rapid succession. Kopylov scores a one-two, and jabs
fly from both sides. Curtis kicks the body and gets his bell rung
with a right hand, and the snapping jab that follows from Kopylov
further stings him. Curtis shakes it off but absorbs another power
jab, and he wipes his hands off to reset. Curtis prods out his own
effective jab, doubling and tripling up on when he chooses. Curtis
keeps his guard up after throwing, but Kopylov still manages to
split it with a flurry. Kopylov pounds the front leg with a kick,
and he fires off a one-two down the pipe. Curtis walks through it
and hand-fights to get his way in. Kopylov flicks out numerous
jabs, and Curtis gets tired of dealing with them and crashing
forward with an uppercut. Curtis scores a right hand, and Kopylov
grabs a leg and lets it go to score a body shot. Kopylov goes for
another takedown, and bails on it before Curtis can properly
defend. Kopylov kicks the body and dings “The Action Man” with a
counter, but Curtis’ left hand lands flush as well. Curtis snaps
the head back with an uppercut, reddening the Russian’s nose and
forcing him to backpedal. Curtis walks him down behind a series of
jabs, and he is ready to block the high kick he expects is coming.
Curtis partially deflects a leg kick and puts out a left hand to
counter another, and he mixes up jabs and kicks to keep Kopylov
guessing. Kopylov strings together four punches that all bounce off
the raised guard, and he takes a deep breath and loses his
mouthpiece. Before Curtis can reach him, the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The fighters touch gloves before getting right back to it, with
volume striking on both sides. Curtis digs a few to the body when
not jabbing up high, and he zips a right hand over the top after
eating a left hook from the Russian. Curtis slams another right to
the midsection, and he keeps walking Kopylov down and scoring
cleanly. A clean left hand from Curtis shreds open a cut on
Kopylov’s right eyebrow, and blood pours from it as soon as it
opens. Curtis is in his groove, jabbing and setting up strikes
after the jabs. The damage mounts fast from Curtis, who has also
bloodied up Kopylov’s nose. Curtis does not take his foot off the
gas, proving with jab after jab. Kopylov swings back with a looping
right hand, but it ricochets down to Curtis’ cup. This is
fortuitous for Kopylov, but Curtis takes just a few seconds to
recover after Smith calls time. Curtis stays in Kopylov’s face,
walking through body kicks and jabs so he can score his own
strikes. Curtis dips and tags Kopylov with a right hand, and after
an exchange, Kopylov reaches out with a right hand and pokes Curtis
square in the eye. Curtis turns away and asks for a towel to wipe
his eye out, trying to hurry so he does not let Kopylov have time
to catch his breath. Smith warns the Russian for his second foul,
and they touch gloves. Curtis puts his jab in Kopylov’s face time
and again, ignoring a calf kick so he can pepper Kopylov with right
hands. Kopylov winds up and cracks Curtis with a left hand that
stuns “The Action Man,” and Curtis momentarily has to stop and
recover. He is quick back to his all-volume approach, and he puts a
knuckle in Kopylov’s eye to make him blink it out. Curtis flashes
his jabs, and his guard is high and effective but Kopylov keeps
throwing back valiantly. Curtis turns and rolls with most of the
worst of them, and he puts three punches on the chin. Kopylov
returns fire with a few jabs and a body kick, and he connects hard
with a left hand that would have felled lesser fighters. The second
stanza comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

There is a double glove touch to commence the final frame, and
unsurprisingly the middleweights want to hit one another in the
face furiously and frequently. Kopylov keeps his range with a body
kick, and he finds home with an uppercut as Curtis is chasing him.
Curtis’ guard is up, but Kopylov is still connecting on him at
least in part. Curtis doubles his jab up, and Kopylov puts more
mustard behind his strikes. Curtis brings up an uppercut, and
Kopylov steels himself and winds up with a left hand that staggers
“The Action Man.” Kopylov blasts the body and works the lead leg,
and Curtis shakes his head but may be fading. Curtis jabs his way
into range, and he kicks Kopylov in the ribs and uppercuts him as
well. Kopylov pins a one-two on the chin, and blood sprays from his
mouth, nose and cut when he takes strikes. Kopylov is warned for
outstretched fingers, and he gives Curtis the business with another
uppercut to the body. When Curtis advances, Kopylov times a double
to plant the veteran on his back. Curtis scrambles like a madman to
get to his knees and wall-walk upright, and Kopylov wrenches him
back down. Curtis recovers again, takes a partial head kick and
lays into Kopylov. The Russian lets his fists fly, knocking Curtis’
head around, and somehow Curtis is not only still in the fight but
firing back with a vengeance. Kopylov backs off, fatigue setting in
hard, and he takes a deep breath and shoots for a takedown. Kopylov
sells out for the single, and Curtis defends with the guillotine
choke and pushes off with seconds to spare. Putting everything
behind their final blows, they swing it out for one bit flurry.

Kopylov looses a head kick at the tail end of the match and walks
away, stumbling Curtis and putting him down to the ground. Smith
looks closely at Curtis and decides to wave the fight off with
about a second to go, and Curtis is incensed at the
stoppage as Kopylov walked off and was not laying into him with
finalizing blows. It is a bitter pill to swallow for “The Action
Man,” who firmly believes Smith should not have intervened and that
it should have gone to the scorecards, where he had a chance at
winning. The complaints are not heard, as the referee is the sole
arbiter of the bout and the fight is over. Kopylov has just earned
the biggest win of his career, doing it over an iron-chinned
competitor that had only been knocked out once.