Series of Homeruns Earn Lotte Giants Opening Day Win Over KT Wiz

A seventh-inning three-run homerun from Dixon Machado put an early pitching battle in the rearview mirror for the Lotte Giants, helping give them a 7-2 win over the KT Wiz on KBO opening day.

The win came without a live audience at the Suwon KT Wiz Park due to precautions as South Korea slowly comes out of a COVID-19 quarantine.

The Big Plays

Wiz first got on the board in the second inning, with an error in fielding a ground ball by Han Dong-hee bringing Yoo Han-joon home.

The Giants came back with a run of their own in the fifth, with Machado bringing Hoon Jung in with a hit.

Kang Baek-ho launched a ball past right field for a homerun that put the Wiz back ahead

Giants moved up to a 4-2 lead in the seventh inning after Machado hit a three-run homerun against reliever Kim Jae-yoon.

Jeon Jun-woo got his own two-run homer an inning later over Wiz reliever Lee Sang-ha. Later in the eighth, a sacrifice fly from Jung Hoon brought Son Ah-seop in to score the seventh run.

Kim Wong-joon pitched the final three outs for the Giants, striking out two of the batters.

Strong Starters

Wiz pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne worked for six full innings, allowing six hits and earning eight strikeouts along the way. Despaigne made his KBO regular season debut in this game, playing with the Chicago White Sox in the 2019 season.

Giants starter Dan Straily allowed only three hits before being pulled late in the sixth. Similar to the Wiz starter, Straily made his first KBO appearance in this game.

The game started just over an hour late due to rain delay, making it the latest starting game of the five on the matchday, among many which were delayed by rain.

The second game of the series between the Giants and Wiz has a start time of 6:30PM KST (5:30AM EDT).

Around The KBO

On the road, the Hanhwa Eagles kicked off their season with a 3-0 win over SK Wyverns. Wyverns were limited to two hits in nine innings by Warwick Saupold, who enters his second season as an Eagle.

LG Twins sealed win over defending champions Doosan Bears after an eighth-inning rally extending their lead by five runs. The game ended with Twins on top 8-2.

Broadcasted to American fans on ESPN, NC Dinos put on a homerun show, hitting three into the stands for a 4-0 win over the Samsung Lions.

A late rally wasn’t enough for the Kia Tigers, who fell 11-2 at home against the Kiwoon Heroes.

Manny Pacquiao Captures Championship In Decision Over Keith Thurman

Manny Pacquiao claimed the WBA Super World Welterweight Championship in a split decision victory over Keith Thurman on Saturday night. Thurman took his first professional loss after two of the three judges gave Pacquiao the nod at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada (114-113 Thurman, 115-112 Pacquiao and 115-112 Pacquiao).

In the opening minutes, Thurman was holding his own. It was near the end of the first round that Pacquiao landed the sole knockdown of the fight. Thurman was floored by a right hook, but got up quickly and didn’t take any more severe damage. The 10th round was the only other time that Thurman looked to be in trouble, showing a sour reaction to a punch to the body.

While Pacquiao had a good start, it was clear that Thurman continued to improve as the fight went on. Tides turned around halfway through the fight when Pacquiao’s combinations became less frequent and Thurman walked him down more.

After the fight, Pacquiao talked about his interest in facing the winner of Errol Spence Jr. versus Shawn Porter. He leaned more towards fighting again in 2020 as opposed to a third 2019 bout.

The co-main event of the evening was a 12 round WBC Welterweight Title Eliminator bout, with Yordenis Ugas defeating Omar Figueroa Jr. via unanimous decision (119-107, 119-107 & 119-107).

Pancrase 306 Full Report

Finishing off June was a 17 fight card from Pancrase. Pancrase 306 included the crowning of an interim Welterweight Champion, a clash of veterans and some fun prelim fights. Let’s start with the first bout of the evening.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Takashi Araya vs. Tatsuki Ozaki (2019 Neo Blood Tournament Semifinal Strawweight) (3×3)

Starting off the evening of fights was a Neo Blood Strawweight Semifinal matchup. In the first 30 seconds, Araya landed a takedown. Ozaki got up and put in a guillotine choke, which made Araya tap out.

Bout 2: Yota Tatsunari vs. Yohei Nada (2019 Neo Blood Tournament Semifinal Featherweight) (3×3)

The next Neo Blood fight was a featherweight semifinal. Nada landed a punch which dropped Nada. When he got up he was hit with knees up against the cage. Nada jumped and put in a guillotine which made Tatsunari tap out. The first and second fight felt like deja vu.

Bout 3: Real King Date vs. Masayoshi Watanabe (2019 Neo Blood Tournament Final Welterweight) (3×3)

In the finale of the Welterweight Neo Blood Tournament, Real King DATE fought Masayoshi Watanabe. In the first round both fighters were frequently throwing kicks. It became apparently in the first round that this would be a pure striking matchup despite DATE’s submission experience. Watanabe made DATE slip due to a kick to the chest. This became the first fight for DATE that went into the third round. Neither fighters ever really threw combinations, but instead just threw signular punches and kicks. The final round ended with DATE in top position. In a split decision, Masayoshi Watanabe won the fight.

Bout 4: Kento Mizutani vs. Naoki Arikawa (Flyweight) (3×3)

In the first bout between fighters not involved in a Neo Blood Tournament, Kento Mizutani faced Naoki Arikawa. Arikawa landed a good combination of punches at the start of the round. Mizutani circled the outside of the cage for all of the first round. Mizutani tried for a takedown in the opening moments of the second round although Arikawa got in top position. Arikawa kept the dominant position but didn’t get much done. Arikawa got the top position on the ground in round three as well. The fight went the distance with Naoki Arikawa getting the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 5: Toru Fujii vs. Yuki Tashiro (Bantamweight) (3×3)

The next bout was a bantamweight battle between Toru Fujii and Yuki Tashiro. Over a minute into the first round, Tashiro landed a left hook which knocked out Fujii. The referee ended the fight shortly after.

Bout 6: Ippei Takase vs. Ryo Iseki (Bantamweight) (3×3)

In another bantamweight matchup we saw Ippei Takase versus Ryo Iseki. Iseki shot for a takedown early in the bout. On the ground he took Takase’s back, but didn’t get anything done. They stood up in clinch against the cage. Takase threw down Iseki and took top position. They got back up with 30 seconds left in the first round. The second round started with decent striking from both fighters. Iseki tripped Takase to the ground and kept him there with a takedown moments after. In the final round they went into clinch up against the cage. Iseki landed elbows in the clinch. He took it off the cage and landed a takedown. The fight went the full three rounds, with Ryo Iseki getting the nod.

Bout 7: Juan Lizama vs. Mitsuhiro Taki (Bantamweight) (3×3)

Ending off the prelims of Pancrase 306 was Juan Lizama versus Mitsuhiro Taki in a bantamweight bout. Lizama had the better striking and movement in the first round. Taki landed a takedown in the final minute of the second round. The final round was somewhat close until Lizama dropped Taki with a punch with a minute left. Taki recovered and took the fight to the ground. Lizama got out of the ground position as the fight concluded. Throughout it looked like Lizama was pushing the pace of the fight. Juan Lizama was given the split decision win.

Main Card

Bout 8: Kyohei Wakimoto (3-3) vs. Toshikazu Suzuki (8-7-1) (Welterweight) (3×3)

Starting off the main card was a battle between two fights with shaky records. Toshikazu Suzuki had a significant height and reach advantage over Kyohei Wakimoto. Early on in the fight Wakimoto put Suzuki up against the fence. Suzuki flipped the script, putting Wakimoto against the cage. They broke the clinch and went to striking. Halfway through the round Suzuki got dropped by punches but recovered. Wakimoto put Suzuki up against the cage once again. The round ended in this position. Wakimoto got a takedown early in the second round. Suzuki gave up his back. Wakimoto stayed on his back until the round concluded. Suzuki was knocked down yet again in the third round, with Wakimoto taking top position on the ground afterwards. Wakimoto did some strikes while in the position. The fight went the distance with Kyohei Wakimoto undoubtedly getting the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 9: Ukyo Abe (9-5-1) vs. Genpei Hayashi (8-8-1) (Lightweight) (3×3)

The next bout was a lightweight battle between Ukyo Abe and Genpei Hayashi. Moments into the first round, Abe landed a takedown. Abe tried to a rear naked choke on Hayashi’s back. He then flipped around and started landing strikes. The elbows he landed were strong. Hayashi tried for an armbar after getting hit quite a bit. Abe escaped the armbar and gets landing strikes. The referee finally stepped in and ended the bout.

Bout 10: Ryosuke Kano (7-5) vs. Kohei Sugiyama (7-4) (Flyweight) (3×3)

Ryosuke Kano faced Kohei Sugiyama in the final three minute round fight of the evening. Kano tried for a takedown early on but Sugiyama stayed standing. Kano was often walking down Sugiyama. With a minute left in the round Kano landed a takedown. Sugiyama tried for his own takedown in the second round and took the back of Kano. He put in a tight rear naked choke which Kano survived until the bell. In the third round Kano got a takedown. There was a pause in the third round to check out an eye of Kano. Sugiyama threw two punches then went for another takedown. He landed strikes from above as the round ended. In a split decision, Kohei Sugiyama won the fight.

Bout 11: Toshiya Takashima (4-3-1) (#10) vs. Suguru Hayasaka (18-13-5) (#9) (Strawweight) (3×5)

Toshiya Takashima and Suguru Hayasaki faced off against each other next in a five minute round fight. Early on Takashima landed a good right hook which dropped Hayasaka. He couldn’t capitalize off it as Hayasaka got up and pinned Takashima against the cage. When they went to the ground it was Takashima in control. Hayasaka was able to transition onto Takashima’s back. In the second round Hayasaka got a takedown. He stayed on the ground but didn’t do much. On the open scoring Takashima was ahead. Takashima brought Hayasaka to the ground. He landed some strikes as the round closed out. Toshiya Takashima took the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 12: Adam Antolin (13-5) vs. Teppei Maeyama (4-6) (#11) (Strawweight) (3×5)

In the next fight, American fighter Adam Antolin fought Teppei Maeyama. Antolin seemed to be the more composed and controlling fighter in the first round. Antolin kept landing harder strikes in the second. On the ground, he landed strikes as the round ended. Antolin’s dominance only continued in the third. He started to throw knees. In top position, Antolin landed hammerfist strikes and elbows until the referee stepped in and ended it.

Bout 13: J.J. Ambrose (31-8-2) vs. Akihiro Murayama (20-9-9) (#5) (Welterweight) (3×5)

In a fight between two fighters with experienced records, J.J. Ambrose fought Akihiro Murayama. Right off the bat in the fight Murayama put Ambrose up against the cage. They eventually separated and went back to stand-up. Ambrose landed numerous punches that dropped Murayama. He survived but was dropped three times and became very shaky afterwards. Murayama had a better second round, landing significant punches. Early in the final round Ambrose was in control in grappling. After Ambrose was in control for quite some time, Murayama flipped around and took top position. With a few seconds left, Murayama tried for an armbar but couldn’t finish the fight with it. In a unanimous decision, J.J. Ambrose got the victory.

Bout 14: Manabu Inoue (19-9-4) vs. Ryuichi Miki (19-12-4) (Flyweight) (3×5)

In the next bout Manabu Inoue faced Ryuichi Miki. Miki landed a takedown in the first minute. They got back up in no time. Miki landed a couple more takedowns in the round. Inoue kept trying for takedowns in the second round. In the final few seconds of the second round, Ryuichi Miki landed a walk-off knee KO. Afterwards, he claimed this was his comeback fight.

Bout 15: Kim Young Ji (1-3) vs. Yoko Higashi (3-1) (Featherweight) (3×5)

The next bout was the only women’s fight of the evening. Pancrase fighter Yoko Higashi fought Kim Young Ji, from Road FC. This was Higashi’s return to the featherweight division after fighting a few times in the bantamweight class. From the jump Higashi was throwing hard punches. Both fighters seemed to throw combos of punches with no guard. In the second round Higashi tried for a takedown. Heading into the final round it was apparent that Young Ji was behind. The whole fight stayed on the feet, with Higashi out-striking Young Ji. The fight went the distance with Yoko Higashi getting the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 16: Eiji Ishikawa (30-24-3) vs. Ikuhisa Minowa (65-42-8) (Middleweight) (3×3)

In the co-main event we had a bout that was nothing short of a veteran matchup. We went back to three minute rounds for this one. Ishikawa landed a takedown in the first minute. The round ended in this position. Ishikawa brought it back to the ground again in the second, after landing a couple of punches. He landed strikes from above as the round came and went. Ishikawa shot for a single leg takedown and got it in the final round. The final round was much like the ones before, with Ishikawa in top position. The fight went all three rounds. Eiji Ishikawa won the fight via decision.

Bout 17: Kenta Takagi (17-16) (#4) vs. Hiroyuki Tetsuka (6-3) (#1) (Interim Welterweight Championship) (5×5)

The main event of the evening was Kenta Takagi facing Hiroyuki Tetsuka for the Interim King of Pancrase Welterweight Championship. Tetsuka landed a left hook which caught Takagi in the first minute. Tetsuka landed a takedown after two minutes. Tetsuka put in a strong rear naked choke with a minute and a half left which made Takagi tap out. He celebrated with a backflip afterwards.

At the end of July, Pancrase will hold their 307 show. There is a special “Pancrase Osaka” show mid-way through the month, but coverage can’t be guaranteed as it is not listed on UFC Fight Pass.

Demetrius Andrade Retains WBO Middleweight Championship In A Clean Sweep

Demetrius Andrade saw a perfect score on the judges scorecards on Saturday, going over Maciej Sulecki and retaining his WBO Middleweight Championship. Despite it being the 27th victory in his professional career, it was the first time Andrade had fought in his hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, USA. The middleweight went all twelve rounds at the Dunkin Donuts Center, with all three judges giving him the win with a score of 120-107.

Andrade got off to a hot start in the fight, knocking down Sulecki in the first round. No more knockdowns came in the bout but every round that followed was a clinic being put on by Andrade. In most rounds he had a low stance keeping his head typically below Sulecki’s, despite the similar height. He even showboated in some rounds by flailing arms, lowering guard and having fancy footwork.

With the victory on Saturday, Demetrius Andrade stays on the current Mount Rushmore of the middleweight division along with Jermall Charlo, Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin.

Another championship bout went down in the co-main slot, with Khalid Yafai having a unanimous victory of Norbelto Jimenez (117-109, 119-107 & 118-108) to retain his WBA Super Flyweight Championship.

Jermall Charlo Gets Unanimous Victory Over Brandon Adams

In a homecoming fight for Jermall Charlo, the WBC Middleweight Champion successfully defended his gold in a 12 round battle with Brandon Adams. Winning on all three scorecards quite decisively (119-109, 120-108 & 120-108), Charlo picked up his 28th career victory in the NRG Arena in his hometown of Houston, Texas, USA.

While the scorecards were one-sided in favour of Charlo, it wasn’t an easy fight for him. Adams was frequently hard to hit and displayed a good chin, never getting knocked down during the 36 minutes of competition. Also, Charlo admitted afterwards that he hurt one of his hands “in like the second round.”

The victory was the first defence of the WBC Middleweight Championship for Charlo, defending the interim belt once beforehand. Canelo Alvarez is the most prominent Middleweight champion, holding the WBA Super, IBF and The Ring Championships. Demetrius Andrade and Robert Brant also hold belts in the division.

In the co-main event slot, Erickson Lubin picked up a fourth-round stoppage victory over Zakaria Attou. Attou’s corner threw in the towel after he endured a knockdown.

Jermall’s twin brother Jermell Charlo fought last week in Nevada, defeating Jorge Cota in three rounds. The victory was a bounce back from his first pro loss, losing to Tony Harrison via decision on a card he shared with his brother.

Richard Commey Gets Eighth Round Stoppage Over Ray Beltran

Richard Commey picked up an eight round stoppage against Ray Beltran on Saturday in Temecula, California, USA at the Pechanga Resort & Casino. Commey retained his IBF Lightweight Championship, in what was his first appearance since defeating Isa Chaniev in February to win it.

Commey had the edge from the start, scoring two knockdowns on Beltran in the first round, and yet another in the fifth. In the eighth round, it was a left hook from Commey that sent Beltran to the floor. Despite his willingness to continue, the referee made the decision to end the bout.

Ray Beltran’s battle started early this week when he didn’t make weight the day before. Despite not making weight initially, by Saturday, Richard Commey weighed more due to rehydration.

The fighters clashed heads twice in the fight, with the right eye of Commey swelling because of this. Upon both collisions, it looked like Commey got the worse of the exchange.

In the co-main event in Temecula, Carlos Adames defeated Patrick Day in a 10 round bout to retain his NABO and NABF Super Welterweight Championships. The scorecards favoured him unanimously (97-93, 97-93 & 98-91).

Tenshin Nasukawa Becomes ISKA Featherweight Champion at RIZIN 16

Tenshin Nasukawa extended his kickboxing record to 31-0 on Sunday and got some gold around his waist. From World Memorial Hall in Kobe, Japan, it only took two rounds for Nasukawa to defeat Martin Blanco, gaining the ISKA Featherweight Championship.

The first round of the fight wasn’t that busy, with both fighters landing some shots but none really worth noting. In the second round, Nasukawa found success with landing knees to the body, which is what caused all three knockdowns in the round. The third time it connected was when the referee made the decision to end the contest.

Tenshin Nasukawa’s original opponent was Ahmed Ferradji, who was pulled from the event a few weeks ago. He put out a statement on Instagram recently stating that he “refused to do the fight because they had not respected the initial conditions that we (ISKA) had agreed upon.” He was the ISKA Featherweight Champion, with the Championship being stripped from him for this bout.

Tenshin Nasukawa is expected to fight on the 21st of July at the Rise World Series 2019 Semi-Finals, facing Suakim PK Saenchaimuaythaigym. He advanced to the second round of the tournament back in March, defeating Federico Roma in the third round with a cartwheel kick.

Full coverage of RIZIN 16 can be found here

Billy Joe Saunders Earns Super Middleweight Belt In Dominant Performance

Billy Joe Saunders put on a dominant 12 round performance on Saturday, defeating Shefat Isufi via unanimous decision (120-108, 117-111 & 118-110) and becoming the new WBO Super Middleweight Champion. The championship was vacated prior to the fight which took place at Lamex Stadium, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, UK.

Saunders looked comfortable in the opening rounds, landing combinations and even finding time to taunt his opponent. He seemed to be more mobile than Isufi throughout. The only hiccup in his offence came in round 6 when Saunders was caught with two overhand rights that had him retreating. He walked the perimeter of the ring for the rest of the round.

After the fight, Saunders called out Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin whilst expressing his interest in a bout with Callum Smith. “Golovkin and Canelo, they don’t want that style… I’ll sign the contract twice to fight them,” said Saunders. Smith’s last bout was in September, defeating George Groves and extending his undefeated record to 25-0.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Saunders	Isufi
Round 1	10	9
Round 2	10	9
Round 3	10	9
Round 4	10	9
Round 5	10	9
Round 6	9	10
Round 7	10	9
Round 8	10	9
Round 9	10	9
Round 10	10	9
Round 11	10	9
Round 12	10	9
Total	119	109

UFC on ESPN+ 10: Dos Anjos vs. Lee Full Report

In UFC’s sixth consecutive weekly show, they returned to Rochester, New York for a Welterweight clash between Rafael Dos Anjos and Kevin Lee. Both fighters are coming off main event losses, going all 25 minutes in their respective bouts. Will they see another scorecard showdown, or will they see a stoppage? We’ll find out, but first let’s look at the other 12 bouts on the card.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Julian Erosa (22-8) vs. Julio Arce (15-3) (Featherweight)

The first fight was a Featherweight showdown between Julian Erosa and Julio Arce. The first few minutes of the bout were slow with neither fighter really showing their skills. They started to heat up in the final minute, with Erosa seemingly falling after getting hit with a left jab. It was hard to score the round. Erosa’s punches proved effective in the second round. Erosa was the one walking down his opponent, but he was the one getting hit as well. The fight seemed to speed up as it progressed. At the start of the third round, both fighters were doing some good striking exchanges. Arce landed a left leg kick to the head after a two punch combo which dropped Erosa and ended the bout. What seemed like a potentially dull bout became a fun one near the end.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Erosa	9	9
Arce	10	10

Bout 2: Trevin Giles (11-0) vs. Zak Cummings (22-6) (Middleweight)

The next bout of the evening was Middleweights Trevin Giles and Zak Cummings competing. Similar to the fight before, the first round was very slow and methodical striking. Cummings got a cut above his right eye in the first. The was a pause in the second after Giles accidentally got Cummings in the groin with a kick. Giles’ striking continued to work for him through the second round. In the final round, Cummings tried to bring the fight to the ground for the first time. He wasn’t successful in doing so. In the final two minutes of the fight, a left hook made Giles fall. Cummings used this chance to bring the fight to the ground, putting in a rear naked choke that made Giles tap out.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Giles	10	10
Cummings	9	9

Bout 3: Ed Herman (24-14) vs. Patrick Cummins (10-6) (Light Heavyweight)

Moving up even further in weight classes, Ed Herman and Patrick Cummins fought in the Light Heavyweight division. From the very start of the fight both of these guys were landing hard blows. Cummins was stunned by a knee in a clinch and then was finished on the ground by Herman.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Herman
Cummins

Bout 4: Grant Dawson (13-1) vs. Michael Trizano (9-0) (Featherweight)

In the fourth preliminary bout, Michael Trizano put his undefeated streak on the line against Grant Dawson. Dawson fought for a takedown up against the cage shortly after Trizano was showing his speedy stand-up. Dawson wasn’t able to land the takedown, despite trying for nearly a minute. Halfway into the round Dawson scored a takedown. He took Trizano’s back while Trizano was standing up. They eventually went back to stand-up. Dawson landed a second takedown as the round came to a close. Dawson had a cut near his right eye after the first round. Dawson got a takedown in the first minute of the second round. He tried for a rear naked choke, with Trizano tapping out after a short amount of time. Dawson extended his record to 14-1, and put the first blister on Trizano’s.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Dawson	9
Trizano	10

Bout 5: Michel Pereira (22-9) vs. Danny Roberts (16-4) (Welterweight)

The next fight had debuting fighter Michel Pereira face Danny Roberts. Pereira had an emotional walkout, crying on the way to the octagon. He’s Road FC alumni, making the rounds online in the past when he has done moonsaults off of a cage. He did breakdancing when announced. Pereira landed a strong overhand right in the first seconds. He jumped off the cage with one foot but didn’t connect anything off of it. He tried to do a front roll kick, but didn’t land it. After doing a weird foot movement, he tried for a superman punch. The fight came to a close after Pereira landed a flying knee and then a right jab which dropped Roberts. This was a real fun one to watch. Pereira seemingly is a perfect mix between goofy and intelligent.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Perreira
Roberts

Bout 6: Charles Jourdain (9-1) vs. Desmond Green (22-8) (Lightweight)

In the next bout, Desmond Green fought in front of his home crowd against Canadian promotion “TKO” alumni fighter Charles Jourdain. The crowd was very alive for when Green landed strikes. Green landed a takedown with a minute and a half left in the first round. He landed some strikes from above until Jourdain got up and ran away. Both fighters slowed down their speed significantly in the second round. They hugged at the start of the third round. Green landed a final takedown in the second half of the final round. Jourdain tried getting up but was thrown back down. This happened again, with Jourdain finally separating on the third attempt. The fight went to the judges scorecards, with all three judges giving it to Desmond Green (30-27, 30-27 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Jourdain	9	9	9
Green	10	10	10

Bout 7: Sijara Eubanks (5-2) vs. Aspen Ladd (7-0) (#6) (Bantamweight)

Finishing off the preliminary portion of the show was Sijara Eubanks and Aspen Ladd battling in a rematch of a Bantamweight bout. Ladd went into the fight undefeated with a 7-0 record. In the first minute of the fight Eubanks slammed Ladd to the ground. Eubanks found herself in a guillotine after trying for a single leg takedown. Ladd was completely dominant in the second half of the round until Eubanks landed a good combo of punches at the end. Ladd landed a takedown after clinching against the cage in the second round. She put in a rear naked choke but couldn’t secure it. Ladd was consistently on the attack for this round. The final round showed nearly four straight minutes of striking, with Ladd putting Eubanks up against the cage during the final minute. They traded strikes for the final time as the bout came to a close. The judges gave to Aspen Ladd in quite dominant fashion (30-26, 29-27 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Eubanks	10	9	9	28
Ladd	9	10	10	29

Main Card

Bout 8: Justin Hubbard (10-2) vs. Davi Ramos (9-2) (Lightweight)

The main card started with Lightweights Justin Hubbard and Davi Ramos competing. A rare moment happened in the first round where seemingly both guys got kicked in the groin. There was also an eye poke from Hubbard later. Ramos looked like he was doing more damage in the stand-up between these two. He landed a takedown in the final minute, trying for a rear naked choke before the bell went. Ramos was the better grappler on the cage and on the ground throughout the second round. After being on the ground for quite some time in the third, both fighters were stood up. This did not please Ramos. A knockdown landed in the final minute of the fight, with Hubbard landing a punch after dodging a spinning kick. The fight went all fifteen minutes. The judges gave Davi Ramos the win, all with matching scorecards (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Hubbard	9	9
Ramos	10	10

Bout 9: Nik Lentz (30-9-2) vs. Charles Oliveira (26-8) (#15) (Lightweight)

In their trilogy fight, Nik Lentz battle Charles Oliveira. The first round had close striking. Oliveira landed a front kick in the final two minutes of the first round which opened a big cut on Lentz’s head. Lentz landed a takedown right after taking the kick. Oliveira tried for a guillotine but couldn’t fully get it. The first round ended with both fighters landing punches. At the start of trhe second round, Oliveira landed a few good strikes and then took the fight to the ground, trying for the guillotine once again. He let go and get fighting but was stopped by the referee after Oliveira did a kick from to the head from the bottom position. Lentz opted to not lose the position, so they went back to the ground. They stood up almost right after the fight resumed. Oliveira dropped Lentz with a right hook, ending the fight with hammerfists on the ground right after. This makes Oliveira up 3-0 in his rivalry against Lentz.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Lentz	9
Oliveria	10

Bout 10: Derrick Krantz (24-10) vs. Vicente Luque (15-6-1) (#15) (Welterweight)

Despite the extensive record, Derrick Krantz made his UFC debut in this bout against Vicente Luque. Krantz came out swinging, but found himself in a standing guillotine shortly after. The brought the fight to the ground and escaped the hold. Krantz tried for a rear naked choke and transitioned into a guillotine, but didn’t find success with either. At the halfway point of the round, they went back to stand-up. Luque landed some punches that had Krantz backing up. He was hit more and more, on all fours until the referee stepped in the end it.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Krantz
Luque

Bout 11: Felicia Spencer (6-0) vs. Megan Anderson (9-3) (Featherweight)

In what was touted as a long-awaited clash between to former Invicta FC Champions, Felicia Spencer battled Megan Anderson next. In the first round, Spencer was dominant, being on Anderson’s back for a long time. She put in a rear naked choke and eventually got a tap from Anderson to end the bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Spencer
Anderson

Bout 12: Ian Heinisch (12-1) vs. Antonio Carlos Junior (11-2) (#12) (Middleweight)

In the co-main event slot of this fight night was Ian Heinisch and Antonio Carlos Junior. After some striking, Carlos Junior landed a takedown in the first round. When Heinisch tried getting up, Carlos Junior made sure he would go back to the ground shortly after. Heinisch was out-wrestled for the whole first round. Carlos Junior took it the to the ground in the second and stayed in control once again, though Heinisch was landing more strikes. Heinisch did land some strikes on the ground in the final minute of round two. There was a stop in the third round after Carlos Junior landed a knee to the groin. A USA chant broke out during this. The third round was Heinisch’s best, showing off better grappling and utilizing striking on the ground. The fight went it’s allotted time, with all three judges giving Ian Heinisch the win (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Heinisch	9	10	10
Carlos Junior	10	9	9

Bout 13: Kevin Lee (17-4) vs. Rafael Dos Anjos (28-11) (#3) (Welterweight)

In his Welterweight debut, Kevin Lee faced Rafael Dos Anjos in the main event of the fight night. In the first minute of the scheduled five round fight, Lee got a takedown after dropping Dos Anjos with strikes. Dos Anjos stood up, but Lee was on his back. They went back to stand-up where both guys landed good strikes. Lee tried for another takedown but did not get it. Instead, they fought against the cage in a clinch for a couple of minutes. Dos Anjos landed a takedown in the final minute of the first round. Lee tried for a takedown in the first minute of the second. Dos Anjos tried for a guillotine against the cage, with Lee doing a slam before escaping the hold. Lee was working way harder than Dos Anjos in the first two rounds. This would be a good thing if he got a finish, but since he didn’t it was just rough pacing. Dos Anjos kept trying for a kimura when standing up against the cage. Dos Anjos landed a flying knee at the very start of round three. He landed a takedown attempt in the first minute of the third round too. When Dos Anjos was trying for another takedown, Lee did a good reversal that gave him Dos Anjos’ back on the ground. Lee accidentally kicked Dos Anjos in the groin in the first minute of the fourth round. Shortly after they resumed, Dos Anjos kicked Lee’s left leg, making him drop to one knee. Lee made a face downplaying the strike afterwards. Dos Anjos got top position off of Lee’s sloppy takedown attempt in the final two minutes. He put in a arm triangle choke which made Lee tap out. He did not call out anyone in particular after the fight

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Lee	10	10	10
Dos Anjos	9	9	9

UFC takes a week off next weekend, but returns on the first of June with a card from Stockholm, Sweden, with Alexander Gustafsson facing Anthony Smith in a five round bout. A week after that, UFC will host UFC 238, with Bantamweights Henry Cejudo and Marlon Moraes fighting for the Championship of the weight class. Under them on the card will also be Valentina Shevchenko defending her Flyweight Championship against Jessica Eye. Although there is not a show next week, there is many big matchups on the horizon for MMA’s top promotion.

Deontay Wilder KOs Dominic Breazeale In One Round

The “Bronze Bomber” Deontay Wilder made his return to the win column on Saturday, getting a first round KO victory over Dominic Breazeale, retaining his WBC Heavyweight Championship in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center. The win came after the Heavyweight Champion’s draw against Tyson Fury back in December, the first time Wilder saw a result that wasn’t a victory, and only the second time he finished a fight without a stoppage.

The victory came in the third minute of the initial round. After the referee separated the two fighters from a clinch, Wilder stuck out his left arm and then came around with a right hook that dropped Breazeale. He did not answer to the 10 count, making the referee end the contest.

People wonder what’s next for Wilder as the Heavyweight division is still divided. Anthony Joshua, the WBO, IBF, WBA and IBO Heavyweight Champion is set to take on Andy Ruiz Jr. on June 1st, putting all four belts on the line in his American debut at Madison Square Garden. Lineal champion Tyson Fury will have to defeat Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas on June 15th before he can try for a rematch. The heavyweight division has the potential for a superfight on the horizon, but whether that may actually happen won’t be found out for a little more time.