UFC on ESPN+ 18: Hermansson vs. Cannonier

On September 28, UFC travelled to Denmark for a collection of fights. Headlining the card was Jack Hermansson and Jared Cannonier, two very high ranked middleweights. The show also featured two fighters from Denmark.

Bout 1: Nohelin Hernandez (10-3) vs. Jack Shore (11-0) (Bantamweight)

The preliminary card started with bantamweights. The crowd was pretty filled up before the first fight even started. Nohelin “Suave” Hernandez and Jack Shore kicked off the night. Shore had clean striking early on, landing good jabs. Shore got a takedown via body lock halfway through the round. He took the back of Hernandez and tried for a rear naked choke but ran out of time.

Shore landed another takedown in the first half of the second round. They got back up halfway through the round, with Hernandez pinning Shore against the cage. Shore got another takedown before the round concluded.

Shore tried for another takedown in the very first seconds of the final round. Yet again he took the back of Hernandez. He slipped in a rear naked choke which made Hernandez tap out. Jack Shore kicked off the show by moving his professional MMA record to 12 wins.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Hernandez	9	9
Shore	10	10

Bout 2: Lando Vannata (10-3-2) vs. Marc Diakiese (13-3) (Lightweight)

The second preliminary fight was Lando Vannata and Marc Diakiese. From the very start, both fighters had very fast paced striking. Vannata slipped early in the fight, but the fight didn’t go to the ground. Diakiese was targeting the legs of Vannata with kicks. One of the leg kicks was a little off target, hitting Vannata in the groin.

Vannata tried for the first takedown in the second round, although Diakiese was able to keep it in stand-up. Vanatta started to bleed around the nose quite a bit in this round.

Diakiese got his first takedown of the fight in the final round. Vannata threw elbows from bottom position. With a minute left in the round, Diakiese tried to take Vannata’s back. They stood up, although Diakiese threw Vannata back down a few times.

The fight went the distance, with Lando Vannata convincing all three judges that he won the contest (30-27, 30-27 & 30-26).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Vannata	9	9	9	27
Diakiese	10	10	10	30

Bout 3: Lina Lansberg (9-4) (#12) vs. Macy Chiasson (6-0) (#11) (Bantamweight)

Ranked bantamweights Lina Lansberg and Macy Chiasson competed in the next fight. Since Lansberg is Swedish, she got a warm reaction from the crowd. Chiasson had Lansberg up against the cage in a standing clinch in the first minute. Chiasson kept pinned to Lansberg until the round concluded.

Lansberg took control at the start of the second round, scoring a takedown. They got up into a standing clinch where Lansberg was still in control. Chiasson also had some moments in the clinch where she was in control.

Chiasson was given quite the cornering before the final round. Right off the bat in the first round, Chiasson put Lansberg against the cage again. Lansberg got a takedown from the clinch. When Chiasson got back up she was hit with a knee to the head still in the clinch. They fight concluded in the the standing clinch.

Looking to the judges to find the winner, Lina Lansberg picked up her 10th victory as a pro (29-27, 29-27 & 29-28). Lansberg was the biggest underdog on the show.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Lansberg	9	10	10	29
Chiasson	10	9	9	28

Bout 4: Giga Chikadze (7-2) vs. Brandon Davis (10-7) (Featherweight)

The fourth fight of the evening was Georgian fighter Giga Chikadze face Brandon Davis. Chikadze had some crisp striking early on, but it was stopped when Davis scored a takedown. Chikadze was able to flip the position around with two minutes left in the round. He let off some strikes from top position. They returned to stand-up with 30 seconds left. Davis got a double-leg takedown before the round concluded.

Chikadze started the second round with more good striking. Davis was denied of a single-leg takedown. Davis got a takedown in the final minute of the round, after being dominated in stand-up. They stood up for the final seconds of the round.

Davis was the more active fighter in the final round, constantly advancing and throwing strikes. While Chikadze woke up in the second half of the round, Davis closed it out with a takedown. When consulting the judges, the first two went for a different fighter, with the third scoring a draw, making the fight a draw (29-28, 29-28 & 29-29).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Chikadze	9	10	9	28
Davis	10	9	10	29

Bout 5: Ismail Naurdiev (18-3) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (24-7-1) (Welterweight)

The next preliminary fight was between Ismail Naurdiev and Siyar Bahadurzada. The second minute of the fight saw a break as Naurdiev was poked in the eye. Naurdiev wsa getting off more and better shots in the first round. Bahadurzada clearly got hurt by a strike with a minute left.

Bahadurzada had some decent striking as the second round started. Naurdiev scored a takedown halfway through the second round. He stayed in top position on the ground until the round concluded.

Naurdiev got another takedown halfway through the final round. He got on the back of Bahadurzada, who got up but was slammed back down. The fight ended on the ground with Naurdiev in top position. As expected, Ismail Naurdiev got the win with three approving scorecards (30-26, 30-25 & 30-25).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Naurdiev	10	10	10	30
Bahadurzada	9	9	9	27

Bout 6: Makhmud Muradov (22-6) vs. Alessio Di Chirico (12-3) (Middleweight)

Makhmud Muradov and Alessio Di Chirico fought in the middleweight division in the next fight. Muradov had the better start in the round, landing singular jabs and hooks. Di Chirico woke up with two minutes left in the round, starting to approach with more strikes. Di Chirico got a cut on his hairline in the final minute of the round. Muradov tried for a takedown in the last 10 seconds of the round.

The second round had some pretty close stand-up, with both of them having their moments. Muradov seemed to be the smoother fighter when it came to movement.

As the final round was nearing it’s finish, Di Chirico had Muradov standing against the cage. Muradov dropped his mouthpiece when blocking a strike. Di Chirico was applying good pressure to Muradov and landing hard shots. The fight ended as they were standing and throwing strikes. While Di Chirico had a good closing round, it was Makhmud Muradov who walked away with the win (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Muradov	10	10	9	29
Di Chirico	9	9	10	28

Bout 7: John Phillips (21-9 1 NC) vs. Alen Amedovski (8-1) (Middleweight)

Before the main card started, we had a middleweight war between John Phillips and Alen Amedovski. Both fighters were swinging hard right off the bat. You could tell someone was going to fall any second. Amedovski got dropped by a punch and got up, but was dropped yet again seconds later, with the referee stepping in moments later. John Phillips wasn’t kind to those who blinked during his fight, winning in the first minute of the bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Phillips
Amedovski

Bout 8: Alex Oliveria (19-7-1 2 NC) vs. Nicolas Dalby (17-3-1 1 NC) (Welterweight)

Starting off the main card was welterweights Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira and Nicolas Dalby. While Oliveira is often a fan favourite, Denmark’s Dalby had an overwhelming amount of support. After a standing clinch which changed control many times, Oliveria got a takedown in the fifth minute of the fight. Dalby reversed the takedown in the final second of the round.

A pause came early in the second round as Oliveira was poked in the eye. When they resumed, Dalby was charging forward with strikes. After clinching for a few seconds, Dalby landed a takedown. Dalby mostly landed strikes on the ground. They got up with over a minute left in the second round. Oliveira was getting hit with more punches, clinching against the cage in an attempt to stop it. Oliveira got a judo throw takedown, but Dalby was able to flip it over and take top position. The referee intervened as Oliveira did an upkick, resuming the fight on the feet although it could be argued that Dalby had the better position.

Oliveira seemed very tired in-between rounds. Oliveira got a takedown in the second minute of the final round. After a few minutes on the ground the referee stood them up. They went back to the ground where Oliveira tried for a triangle. Dalby escaped the triangle and took top position. Dalby tried for a choke and landed strikes as the fight came to a close. The crowd was appreciative as the fight ended. When turning to the scorecards it was Nicolas Dalby who got the win (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28). The crowd let out an impressive roar when he won.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Oliveria	10	9	9	28
Dalby	9	10	10	29

Bout 9: Ovince Saint Preux (23-13) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (14-2 1 NC) (Light Heavyweight)

The second main card fight saw UFC veteran Ovince Saint Preux face Michal Oleksiejczuk. From the very start it was Oleksiejczuk who was the faster fighter. He was picking apart Saint Preux even dropping him with a left straight at one point. Saint Preux was fighting like a gassed third round fighter except he was in the first round. Oleksiejczuk was much slower as the round was closing out.

In-between rounds the corner of OSP did one of the many memorable corners of this show. Saint Preux got a takedown halfway through the round. On the groun, Saint Preux went for a von fluke choke to win the fight. After a lackluster first round, Ovince Saint Preux earned yet another win with his famous von fluke choke.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Saint Preux	9
Oleksiejczuk	10

Bout 10: Khalil Rountree (9-3 1 NC) vs. Ion Cutelaba (14-4 1 NC) (Light Heavyweight)

Staying in the light heavyweight division, the next fight was between Khalil Rountree and Ion Cutelaba. During the introductions, Cutelaba tried to get in Rountree’s face but didn’t phase him. Early on both fighters cracked each other with a good shot. Cutelaba got a takedown in the second minute of the fight. He landed some hard elbows from top position. Cutelaba kept Rountree on the ground and threw elbows until the referee stepped in. Ion Cutelaba backed up his fight week antics with a dominant performance which only lasted one round.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Rountree
Cutelaba

Bout 11: Gilbert Burns (16-3) vs. Gunnar Nelson (17-4-1) (Welterweight)

The next contest was between Gilbert Burns and Gunnar Nelson. The commentary was billing this as a real grappling showdown. Nelson tried to catch a leg kick and turn it into a takedown in the first minute but was denied. Burns landed some good leg kicks early on. Each fighter seemed very wary of the other’s stand-up power. Burns put Nelson into a clinch up against the cage, although it was Nelson who got a trip takedown. Nelson didn’t do much work from top position before the round ended.

Nelson had a better second round, putting Burns against the cage and having sharp striking. Nelson tried for a takedown with a minute left but was countered by a hip toss from Burns. They ended up in stand-up, where Burns landed a knee and then was taken down. Burns tried for a choke before the round concluded.

The final round included a lot of Nelson pinning Burns against the cage. Burns landed a takedown in the final minute of the round, taking the back of Nelson but only for a second. The fight went all three rounds with Gilbert Burns getting the unanimous decision win (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Burns	10	10	10	30
Nelson	9	9	9	27

Bout 12: Danilo Belluardo (12-4) vs. Mark O. Madsen (8-0) (Lightweight)

The co-main event of the show saw Denmark’s Mark O. Madsen face Danilo Belluardo. Madsen got a takedown in the first minute of the fight. He landed tons of strikes while in top position. He kept going with elbows until the referee stopped the bout. In his UFC debut, Mark O. Madsen did more than enough to prove why he should be in the promotion.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Belluardo
Madsen

Bout 13: Jared Cannonier (12-4) (#9) vs. Jack Hermansson (20-4) (#5) (Middleweight)

Finally the main event of the evening was between two ranked middleweights in Jared Cannonier and Jack Hermansson. Worth mentioning that in Cannonier’s corner was Benson Henderson, who fought on a Bellator card the day before. Hermansson went for leg kicks right off the bat. He tried for a takedown which Cannonier defended. Upon second attempt, Hermansson got a suplex, taking the back of Cannonier. Cannonier escaped the position in a short amount of time. Cannonier started to open up his striking more in the second half of the round.

Early in the second round Cannonier hurt Hermansson with a punch. He was quick to start with the ground and pound, throwing punches until the referee stepped in. Jared Cannonier’s sudden yet dangerous win over Jack Hermansson left the crowd stunned as the show ended.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Cannonier	10
Hermansson	9

UFC on ESPN+ 18: Hermansson vs. Cannonier Full Preview

This upcoming weekend is a busy one for combat sports. With two Bellator shows, a UFC Fight Night and a boxing prize fight, there will be an event on at almost every time of the day. Following Bellator’s Friday event, UFC will hold “UFC on ESPN+ 18” will take place live from Copenhagen, Denmark on Saturday morning. Headlining the show will be middleweights Jack “The Joker” Hermansson and Jared Cannonier. Both ranked middleweights are up-and-coming within the division, with this fight being a test for them. Before the main event however, there is 12 other fights, with the card kicking off at 11AM EST on ESPN+ (on UFC Fight Pass for Canadian viewers).

Bout 1: Nohelin Hernandez (10-3) vs. Jack Shore (11-0) (Bantamweight)

The first bout of the evening is the debut of a prospect from the British scene in Jack Shore against Nohelin Hernandez. Shore comes into the UFC with an 11-0 record, picking up a large amount of those wins within the Cage Warriors promotion in the UK. The Wales fighter will face Hernandez, who lost his UFC debut against Marlon Vera in July.

Bout 2: Marc Diakiese (13-3) vs. Lando Vannata (10-3-2) (Lightweight)

While Marc Diakiese and Lando Vannata have settled into their positions in the UFC, their records don’t reflect that. Vannata holds a 2-3-2 record since joining the promotion, with Diakiese sporting a 3-4 record. Both fighters are coming off a victory. Whoever wins this fight will be starting their first winning streak in a couple or more years.

Bout 3: Macy Chiasson (5-0) vs. Lina Lansberg (9-4) (Bantamweight)

Macy Chiasson has had a short professional MMA career, but she has been flawless throughout. After winning Season 28 of The Ultimate Fighter, Chiasson has went on to get finishing victories over Gina Mazany and Sarah Moras, making her record 5-0. She will go up against Lina Lansberg, who has taken turns with wins and losses since her UFC debut. The Swede took Tonya Evinger to a decision three months back, getting a victory unanimously. In a tough fight for both fighters, Lansberg will aim to break the undefeated record of Chiasson.

Bout 4: Giga Chikadze (7-2) vs. Brandon Davis (10-7) (Featherweight)

Giga Chikadze will be making his UFC debut on Saturday, attempting to continue a current two-fight winning streak when he faces Brandon Davis. Just a month after his loss to Kyung Ho Kang, Davis will be attempting to rebound with this fight.

Bout 5: Siyar Bahadurzada (24-7-1) vs. Ismail Naurdiev (18-3) (Welterweight)

Continuing on the preliminary card, welterweights veteran UFC fighter Siyar Bahadurzada will fight Ismail Naurdiev. Naurdiev has fought twice before in the UFC, picking up a win against Michel Prazeres and most recently a loss against Chance Rencountre. His opponent this time around, Bahadurzada, is a veteran of the highest promotion. Although he has been with the UFC since 2012, he only holds a record of 4-3. Bahadurzada most recently fought at the end of 2018, taking a decision loss to Curtis Millender.

Bout 6: Alessio Di Chirico (12-3) vs. Makhmud Muradov (22-6) (Middleweight)

Makhmud Muradov’s entrance into the UFC this weekend will come against Alessio Di Chirico. Almost everything indicates it to be a win for Muradov. He’s the more experienced fighter, the bigger fighter and currently on an 11-fight winning streak. Di Chirico is coming off a decision loss to Kevin Holland.

Bout 7: Alen Amedovski (8-1) vs. John Phillips (21-9) (Middleweight)

Wales fighter John Phillips will potentially fight for his spot in the UFC on Saturday, attempting to snap a current three-fight winning streak that started with his promotional debut. His opponent Alen Amedovski’s situation is less severe, currently attempting to bounce back from his debut loss against Krzysztof Jotko five months ago. Amedovski has fought at a high level before, getting two first round finish wins in Bellator.

Bout 8: Alex Oliveira (20-7-1) vs. Nicolas Dalby (17-3-1) (Welterweight)

Kicking off the main card at 2PM EST on ESPN+ will be Alex Oliveira and Nicolas Dalby. The fight will be a return to the UFC for Dalby. After leaving the promotion in 2016 with a record of 1-3-1, Dalby turned to the Cage Warriors promotion to go 3-1 1 NC. Now returning to the UFC with the goal of having a better run than last time, it won’t be an easy entrance against Oliveira. While the last two fights for Oliveira were losses, they came against big opponents in Gunnar Nelson and “Platinum” Mike Perry.

Bout 9: Ovince St. Preux (22-13) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (14-2) (Light Heavyweight)

The next fight has a clear storyline: the up-and-coming fighter versus a gatekeeper of the weight class. Heading into his 20th UFC fight, Ovince St. Preux has been matched against Michal Oleksiejczuk, who has a 2-0-1 record since joining the UFC back in 2017. A win against St. Preux would be the biggest one in the career of Oleksiejczuk so far.

Bout 10: Ion Cutelaba (15-4) vs. Khalil Rountree (8-3) (Light Heavyweight)

Ion Cutelaba and Khalil Rountree are two of the biggest light heavyweight names that aren’t ranked. Bouncing back with a win against Eryk Anders earlier this year, Khalil Rountree will look to crash the rankings after beating Ion Cutelaba. Cutelaba on the other hand recently lost to Glover Teixeira, getting choked out in the second round. A win for either fighter could mean seeing their name on the top 15 list next week.

Bout 11: Gunnar Nelson (17-4-1) vs. Gilbert Burns (16-3) (Welterweight)

Just over a month after his last victory, Gilbert Burns is booked for another fight. His opponent this time around is Gunnar Nelson. Both fighters were on the same UFC 231 card in December last year where they both picked up a win. Since then, Burns has went 2-0 in MMA fights, defeating Mike Davis and just last month breaking the undefeated streak of Alexey Kunchenko. Nelson has only fought once within the same timeframe, losing to Leon Edwards.

Bout 12: Mark O. Madsen (8-0) vs. Danilo Belluardo (12-4) (Lightweight)

The under-represented Denmark will at least see a debuting fighter in the co-main event of the evening. Coming into the promotion with an undefeated record, Mark O. Madsen will face Danilo Belluardo, who is 0-1 within the promotion. Coming in as a huge favourite, Madsen’s prior notable wins came from unofficial UFC feeder promotion Cage Warriors.

Bout 13: Jack Hermansson (20-4) vs. Jared Cannonier (12-4) (Middleweight)

The main event of the evening will see highly ranked middleweights Jack Hermansson and Jared Cannonier face off. Hermansson is the higher ranked fighter (#5) while Cannonier is in a somewhat lower spot (#9). While a win from either fighter likely wouldn’t blast them up to a title contender position, they would be within a fight’s distance likely of being the top contender. Before getting to the title, they would have to defeat a top contender like Paulo Costa, Kelvin Gastelum, the loser of Israel Adesanya versus Robert Whittaker or even Yoel Romero, who is a step below the others.

Jack Hermansson is currently on a four-fight winning streak, stopping three of his opponents. His most recent win was a dominant five round fight against Jacare Souza back in April. The Swede debuted in the UFC in 2016, only losing twice since then. Cannonier has won two in a row, stopping both David Branch and Anderson Silva (although the win over Silva came via leg injury). If you’re interested in further reading, ESPN did a good piece talking about how Cannonier went from heavyweight to middleweight.

UFC has a big event next weekend live from Australia. Starting at 6:30 PM EST with the main card at 10PM EST, UFC 243 will be headlined by Robert Whittaker putting his UFC Middleweight Championship up against interim Champion Israel Adesanya. The show will also feature other prominent Australia and New Zealand based-UFC fighters.

UFC on ESPN+ 14: Shevchenko vs. Carmouche 2 Full Report

In a rare fight night that includes a championship fight, UFC went to Montevideo, Uruguay for a ESPN+ card. In the main event, Liz Carmouche challenged Valentina Shevchenko, in an attempt to take Shevchenko’s flyweight championship.

Bout 1: Polyana Viana (10-3) vs. Veronica Macedo (5-3-1) (Flyweight)

Before the flyweight championship fight, the night started with a normal three round flyweight bout. Polyana Viana and Veronica Macedo kicked off the card. Right off the bat, Viana landed a trip takedown and took top position on the ground. Macedo was able to get an armbar after a minute, getting a win in quick fashion.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Viana
Macedo

Bout 2: Alex da Silva (20-2) vs. Kazula Vargas (10-2) (Lightweight)

Moving to the flyweight division, Alex da Silva fought Kazula Vargas. Early on, Vargas came out aggressively. Silva took him down to stop his momentum. Silva got on his back and was starting to fight for a rear naked choke. Silva was in the better position until the final 30 seconds where Vargas flipped over and stood up, landing strikes from above. Silva got in the top position once again early in the second. He didn’t do much on the ground, but stayed in the dominant position. The final round had two minutes of stand-up before the fight went to the ground yet again. Just like the rounds before, not much happened on the ground. The fight went the distance with the judges giving the fight to Alex da Silva unanimously (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Da Silva	10	10	10	30
Vargas	9	9	9	27

Bout 3: Chris Gutierrez (13-3-1) vs. Geraldo de Freitas (12-4) (Bantamweight)

Finishing off the early prelims was Chris “El Guapo” Gutierrez versus Geraldo de Freitas. Both fighters had some close striking in the first few minutes of the fight. De Freitas tried for a takedown but couldn’t really get it. In the closing seconds of the first round, de Freitas landed a trip takedown after being clinched against the cage. De Freitas got another takedown in the second round. Gutierrez was able to flip around the position and get off the ground. Gutierrez had an explosive start to the final round, stopping takedowns and throwing tons of kicks and punches. Both fighters got cut on the face. Gutierrez was targeting the legs of Freitas, who seemingly was hurting from it. On replay, we saw a cut came from both fighters clashing heads. In the second half of the closing round, de Freitas started to connect with hard punches. The fight went all three rounds, with the final one being the most fast-paced one. The judges had a split decision, with two of the three favouring Chris Gutierrez (29-28 Gutierrez, 30-27 Freitas & 29-28 Gutierrez).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Gutierrez	10	9	9	28
Freitas	9	10	10	29

Bout 4: Raulian Paiva (18-2) (#14) vs. Rogerio Bontorin (15-1 1 NC) (#8) (Flyweight)

The next fight showcased two success stories from the Brazilian edition of The Dana White Contender Series. Flyweights Raulian Paiva and Rogerio Bontorin faced off as the prelims continued. Bontorin got a cut below the left eye early in the first round, causing the doctors to check on him. They went back to fighting, and despite being on the ground before, resumed in stand-up. A second later, they went back to the ground through the ref’s decision. Bontorin was blowing his nose, which sometimes can inflate the bruises on your face. When they stood back up, Bontorin was landing good punches. After Bontorin score a takedown, a dcotor came in to check a cut again, this time on Paiva’s face. It was a brutal cut, which was opened through a knee that landed during Bontorin’s flurry of strikes. The fight was ended due to the cut, with Rogerio Bontorin being the winner.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Paiva
Bontorin

Bout 5: Marina Rodriguez (11-0-1) vs. Tecia Torres (10-4) (#8) (Strawweight)

In the lightest weight fight of the evening, strawweight fighters Marina Rodriguez and Tecia Torres fought. The first few minutes of the fight was some pretty close striking. Torres tried for a takedown but it didn’t work. While neither fighter was really landing well with their strikes, Rodriguez looked like she had more success. Torres caught a kick and put Rodriguez up against the cage as the round was closing out. They exited clinch, where Rodriguez landed a few good punches. Back in clinch, she got good knees in. The second round was purely close stand-up. Rodriguez continued to have the edge in the fight through the third round. The judges all gave the win to Marina Rodriguez (30-27, 30-27 & 30-26). Rodriguez continues to be undefeated.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Rodriguez	10	10	10	30
Torres	9	9	9	27

Bout 6: Raphael Pessoa (9-0) vs. Ciryl Gane (3-0) (Heavyweight)

In the next fight, we had two heavyweights put their undefeated streaks on the record. Pessoa did a trip takedown but it was Gane in the top position. Gane put in an arm triangle choke which made Pessoa tap out quickly.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Pessoa
Gane

Bout 7: Aleksei Kunchenko (20-0) vs. Gilbert Burns (15-3) (Welterweight)

Closing out the prelims was undefeated Aleksei Kunchenko facing Gilbert Burns. In the first round, Burns had a great start. After showcasing great striking, he took Kunchenko to the ground. Burns kept Kunchenko up against the cage for the whole round, not really doing much. Burns dove for a takedown after three minutes of stand-up in the second round. Early in the final round, Burns had Kunchenko against the cage. Burns kept trying for the takedown but couldn’t get it. Nonetheless, Kunchenko was on the defence the whole time. The fight went the distance, with Kunchenko never really having a dominant moment in the fight. The judges all decided on Gilbert Burns is the winner, breaking the 20-0 undefeated record of Aleksei Kunchenko (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Kunchenko	9	9	9	27
Burns	10	10	10	30

Bout 8: Bobby Moffett (14-4) vs. Enrique Barzola (16-4-1) (Featherweight)

Starting off the main card was a featherweight showdown between Bobby Moffett and Enrique Barzola. The first round had a consistently fast-pace of striking from both fighters. The first takedown of the fight came from Barzola in the final seconds of the round. Barzola tried for takedowns early in the second round but couldn’t land them. Moffett tried for one as well, but Barzola defended it. Barzola started to come forward with good combinations. There was a pause with 90 seconds left in the second round because Moffett kicked Barzola in the groin. After another fast-paced round, the striking from both fighters even sped up near the end. Barzola got another takedown as the second round ended. The final round was continued slugging from both fighters. The fight went the distance, with a split decision going in favour of Enrique Barzola (29-28 Moffett, 30-27 Barzola & 29-28 Barzola).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Moffett	10	10	9	29
Barzola	9	9	10	28

Bout 9: Oskar Piechota (11-1-1) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (5-0) (Middleweight)

In the next fight, Oskar Piechota, who has more MMA experience, faced Rodolfo Vieira, who has been perfect in his career thus far. Vieira got a takedown halfway through the first round. Vieira was dominant on the ground for a long time, although Piechota was able to get up against the cage and land elbows to the head. After a minute in the second round, Vieira got another takedown. Later on in the final minute of the second round, Vieira put in a head and arm choke which made Piechota tap out. His dominant ground game was more than showcased in this bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Piechota	9
Vieira	10

Bout 10: Ilir Latifi (15-6 1 NC) (#9) vs. Volkan Oezdemir (15-4) (#7) (Light Heavyweight)

In the next fight, we had a clash of two ranked fighters in Ilir Latifi and Volkan Oezdemir. Latifi had a great slam takedown after a minute of the first round, almost dumping Oezdemir on his head. Oezdemir was back up moments later. Apart from that, it was mostly Oezdemir doing the work in this fight, out-striking Latifi in the first round. Both fighters were trading stand-up, with a knee to the head dropping Latifi. They got back up, with Oezdemir trying to close out the fight. Oezdemir landed a left hook that took down Latifi once again, with the fight ending after a few more strikes. Oezdemir showed composure and patience, chasing a finish but not rushing it.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Latifi	9
Oezdemir	10

Bout 11: Humberto Bandernay (14-6 1 NC) vs. Eduardo Garagorri (12-0) (Featherweight)

The next fight featured the only fighter from Uruguay on this card, in Eduardo Garagorri. The crowd was completely behind Garagorri. Also, he went into this fight with an undefeated record. Bandenay got a double leg takedown after a minute of uneventful stand-up. Garagorri got up quite quickly. Garagorri got a takedown off his own with a trip. Garagorri got up, but Bandenay wanted to stay on the ground. Jokingly, Garagorri offered his hand to help him up. The referee stood up Bandernay. Garagorri strung together some great punches, but Badenay landed a takedown to stop the momentum. Early in the second round, Bandenay had a stand-out combination of punches and knees. Bandenay got a takedown as the second round ended. The last round was an intense one, with both fighters swinging as it closed out. The fight went the distance with Eduardo Garagorri getting the unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27). The crowd was overwhelmingly loud for Garagorri.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Bandernay	9	10	10	29
Garagorri	10	9	9	28

Bout 12: Mike Perry (13-4) vs. Vicente Luque (16-6-1) (Welterweight)

In the co-main event, we had the fan-friendly fighter “Platinum” Mike Perry face Vicente Luque. The first round of stand-up gave Perry a cut around his left eye. He had a good charge of punches near the end of the first. Perry seemed to be the more aggressive fighter in the second round. The tempo of the second round was much quicker than the first. Perry was showing the damage much more at the end of the second round. Heading into the final round, Perry’s corner told him he was up 2-0. Luque landed a good knee and then tried for a rear naked choke on the ground with 90 seconds left. Perry was bleeding profusely on the ground. After fighting for a while he finally escaped the hold. They stayed on the ground as the fight ended. Perry’s nose was all sorts of messed up by the time the fight was over. Hard to even describe it really. In a split decision, Vicente Luque walked away with the win from this fight (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Perry	9	10	9	28
Luque	10	9	10	29

Bout 13: Liz Carmouche (13-6) (#3) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (17-3) (C) (UFC Flyweight Championship)

In the main event of the evening, Valentina Shevchenko attempted to defend her Flyweight Championship against #3 ranked Liz Carmouche. The first round didn’t have much action from either fighter. In the third round, Shevchenko dropped Carmouche after a combination, with Carmouche standing up shortly after. With over a minute left in the third round, Shevchenko landed a trip takedown. Shevchenko took advantage of a takedown attempt by Carmouche in the fourth round, getting top position. The referee eventually stood them up as not much was happening on the ground. Shevchenko blocked another takedown before the fourth round ended. The final round had Shevchenko in top position for most of the round. The crowd had a pretty lukewarm reaction to the final horn sounding. All three judges were in agreement for the fight, with Valentina Shevchenko getting a clean sweep (50-45, 50-45 & 50-45). This became Shevchenko’s second defence of the belt.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Carmouche	9	9	9	9	9	45
Shevchenko	10	10	10	10	10	50

UFC returns next week with a PPV featuring Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic in the main event. The fight will be a rematch, as Cormier won the championship from Miocic a year ago with a first round KO. Also on the card is the return of Nate Diaz. A preview of the full card will be put on the site later this week.

UFC on ESPN+ 14: Shevchenko vs. Carmouche 2 Preview

It’s not often that we get a Championship bout on a UFC Fight Night show. As a matter of fact, it has only happened once before in 2019, that being Henry Cejudo versus TJ Dillashaw for the UFC Flyweight Championship, and that was UFC’s debut on the ESPN+ platform. A championship fight on TV will happen for the second time in 2019 and the ESPN era on Saturday, when Valentina Shevchenko attempts to retain her Flyweight Championship against Liz Carmouche. It will main event a 13 fight card from Montevideo, Uruguay, with the show kicking off at 5 PM Eastern Time. Let’s look at the whole card, starting with the prelims.

Bout 1: Polyana Viana (10-3) vs. Veronica Macedo (5-3-1) (Flyweight)

Long before the Flyweight Championship will be on the line, the evening will kick off with another flyweight fight. Polyana Viana and Veronica Macedo both haven’t won in a while. Vaina hasn’t seen a win in over a year, losing her last two fights. It’s much worse for Macedo, as she hasn’t won in over three years, with a record of 0-3-1 since then. While both not long into their careers, a loss for either fighter could call an end to their UFC stint. It’s a potential do or die fight to start off the show on Saturday. Worth noting that Viana took the fight on short notice, as the original opponent for Macedo, Rachel Ostovich, pulled out due to injury.

Bout 2: Alex da Silva (20-2) vs. Rodrigo Vargas (11-2) (Lightweight)

The third fight of the evening will be between two fighters who haven’t seen success in the UFC yet. Alex da Silva came into the UFC with a 20-1 record, and took a loss to Alexander Yakolev three months ago ago in his debut. He will look to turn around his tough first impression in the UFC when he faes Rodrigo Vargas, who has yet to make an impression within the promotion. He fought a few times in the Hispanic MMA promotion Combate Americas prior to his fight on Saturday.

Bout 3: Geraldo de Freitas (12-4) vs. Chris Gutierrez (13-3-1) (Bantamweight)

In the fourth fight of the show, two similar fighters in Geraldo de Freitas and Chris Gutierrez will compete. Both have similar amounts of fights and are still getting used to being in the UFC. Six months ago, de Freitas lost his promotional debut against undefeated Felipe Colares. Gutierrez is 1-1 in the UFC, with his stint in the promotion beginning under a year ago.

Bout 4: Raulian Paiva (18-2) vs. Rogerio Bontorin (15-1) (Flyweight)

In an all Brazilian matchup, rookie UFC flyweights Raulian Paiva and Rogerio Bontorin will face off. Both coming from the Brazilian spinoff of Dana White’s Contender Series, each fighter has fought once in the UFC before this meeting. Both going to decision, Paiva won his fight while Bontorin lost his. With finishes coming frequently from both fighters in the past, they’ll try to do so for the first time in the UFC on Saturday.

Bout 5: Tecia Torres (10-4) vs. Marina Rodriguez (11-0-1) (Strawweight)

Tecia Torres has had a rough year and a half. Losing three times in a row, all via decision, Torres will look to snap her losing streak against undefeated Marina Rodriguez. The Brazilian earned her stay in the UFC via the Contender Series, and has since picked up a win and a rare draw. While experience in the promotion weighs in favour of Torres, Rodriguez has yet to be bested by an opponent.

Bout 6: Ciryl Gane (3-0) vs. Raphael Pessoa (9-0) (Heavyweight)

In the next bout of the evening, it will be a classic “two O’s, one’s got to go” situation. Undefeated heavyweights in Ciryl Gane and Raphael Pessoa will face off, putting their flawless records on the line. Gane will be making his UFC debut, with his three pro wins coming from the French-Canadian MMA promotion TKO. Pessoa has never had loyalties to a promotion, but he has definitely been dominant everywhere he’s went, whether it’s LFA, Shooto Brazil or other places.

Bout 7: Gilbert Burns (15-3) vs. Alexey Kunchenko (20-0) (Welterweight)

Alexey Kunchenko has gotten big tests in his UFC run so far, yet he has stayed undefeated. In what should be yet another test for the Russian fighter, Kunchenko will face Gilbert Burns. The original bout for Kunchenko was against Laureano Staropoli, who has a less experienced record of 9-1 compared to Burns.

Bout 8: Enrique Barzola (15-4-1) vs. Bobby Moffett (14-4) (Featherweight)

Starting off the main card will be a featherweight clash between Enrique Barzola and Bobby Moffett. Training out of American Top Team, Barzola has had an extensive career in the UFC, despite holding a similar record to Moffett, who will be entering his third UFC fight. In his seventh UFC fight back in March, Barzola suffered his loss since his 2015 entrance into the promotion. Bobby Moffett was scouted through the Contender Series, and has since had a 1-1 record in the UFC. Back in March, he lost to Kevin Aguilar via decision. On Saturday, one fighter will come back from a loss, while the other will likely continue to struggle.

Bout 9: Oskar Piechota (11-1-1) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (5-0) (Middleweight)

One of the many undefeated fighters on the card is Rodolfo Vieira, who will make his UFC debut with a record of 5-0. A few of those fights were in the Russian MMA promotion ACB. His recent win was a first round rear naked choke, which ended the undefeated 10-0 pro run of Vitaliy Nemchinov. “The Black Belt Hunter” will see a challenge in his matchup with Oskar Piechota, who has a 2-1 record in the UFC. Piechota’s wins come from both striking and submissions, which differs himself from the BJJ focused Vieira. His first career loss came to Gerald Meerschaert in his last bout.

Bout 10: Volkan Oezdemir (15-4) (#7) vs. Ilir Latifi (14-6) (#9) (Light Heavyweight)

With three fights left on the card, names that are familiar to most UFC fans start to appear. The next bout is Volkan Oezdemir versus Ilir Latifi. Oezdemir came into the UFC with three straight wins, two of those via first round, sorry, first minute punches. But since then, the Swiss fighter has found himself in a losing streak, dropping to big names in Dominick Reyes, Anthony Smith and Daniel Cormier. He will try to turn around his misfortunes on Saturday, facing Ilir Latifi, who has had a consistent amount of wins with intermittent losses. He took a decision loss on the last 2018 show for UFC, losing to Corey Anderson. A win for either individual will advance them up the light heavyweight rankings, which they have already established themselves in.

Bout 11: Humberto Bandenay (14-6) vs. Luiz Eduardo Garagorri (12-0) (Featherweight)

Luiz Eduardo Garagorri will attempt to extend his undefeated record to 13-0 on Saturday when he faces Humberto Bandenay. Being the only fighter on the card from Uruguay, Garagorri will have the crowd behind him when he makes his UFC debut. His opponent, Humberto Bandenay is on a two fight losing streak. He won in his UFC debut against Martin Bravo with a head kick, but since then he has lost twice.

Bout 12: Vicente Luque (16-6-1) vs. Mike Perry (13-4) (Welterweight)

In the co-main event of the show, Vicente Luque will face fellow welterweight Mike Perry. Despite being on a five-fight winning streak, with all of those wins coming via stoppage, Luque is an unranked welterweight. On the absolute edge of the rankings, another victory could put him into the list. “Platinum” Mike Perry hasn’t had as flawless of a record as of late (8-4 since Luque started his winning streak, 6-4 in the UFC), his personality and fighting style has made him a fan favourite. His face-off with Luque earlier in the week included his significant other who is referred to as the “Platinum Princess” in the crowd taunting Luque with comments like “He lookin’ nervous” and “He not ready” And, like many Perry incidents before, he let out a loud shriek to express intensity before he left the stage. His radiating energy as a person, and his explosive style as a fighter is what has put him so high on cards as of late, despite being 2-3 in his last five. Similar to Luque, if he wins this bout, chances are he will crash the welterweight rankings.

Bout 13: Valentina Shevchenko (17-3) © vs. Liz Carmouche (13-6) (#3) (UFC Flyweight Championship)

The main event of the card is Valentina Shevchenko attempting to defend her UFC Flyweight Championship against #3 ranked flyweight Liz Carmouche. Both fighters have faced off before, with that fight taking place back in 2010 before either fighter stepped foot in the UFC. Carmouche came out of the fight as the winner, breaking Shevchenko’s 10-0 undefeated record at the time. A lot of things have changed since then. Carmouche went through Strikeforce and Invicta, and made her UFC debut in a title fight against Ronda Rousey, where Rousey came out as the victor in one of her biggest fights of her career. Shevchenko entered the UFC in 2015, going undefeated besides her two losses to Amanda Nunes, who currently holds the bantamweight and featherweight championships.

“Bullet” Valentina Shevchenko won her belt back in December at UFC 231, defeating Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the co-main event of the evening. Just two months ago she made her first defense of the title, stopping Jessica Eye in the second round with a head kick. Carmouche’s last two wins have come against Jennifer Maia and Lucie Pudilova, both via decision. A win for Shevchenko would let her overtake Nicco Montano for longest time to hold the flyweight belt. Montano had it for 280 days in total, with Shevchenko marking the 245th day tomorrow.

Next week, UFC will hold UFC 241, including another rematch in the main event slot. Heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier will face Stipe Miocic after defeating him via KO back in July of last year. Miocic will aim to reclaim his heavyweight belt, which he defended three times prior to losing. The co-main will see the long awaited return of Nate Diaz, as he faces Anthony Pettis.

Gilbert Burns To Take Short Notice Bout Against Alexey Kunchenko At UFC Montevideo

Yesterday, news broke that Alexey Kunchenko wouldn’t see Laureano Staropoli at UFC Montevideo due to a broken nose. In a days time, Kunchenko has gotten a replacement in Gilbert Burns.

Gilbert Burns is taking the fight on short notice, as the event takes place on August 10th. Normally a lightweight fighter, Burns will be making the move up to welterweight for this bout. He is currently on a two-fight winning streak, recently defeating Mike Davis on an April Fight Night card. Kunchenko will be the first undefeated opponent that Burns has faced since his UFC debut against Andreas Stahl in 2014.

Alexey Kunchenko will have his trilogy fight in the UFC on the 10th, picking up wins against Yushin Okami and Thiago Alves back in 2018. Prior to joining the promotion, he saw success in the Russian MMA promotions M-1.

While 13 fights are currently scheduled for UFC Montevideo, a replacement opponent for Ariane Carnelossi is yet to be seen. The card is headlined by Valentina Shevchenko and Liz Carmouche, with Shevchenko attempting to defend her UFC Flyweight Championship in a rematch. Here’s the current status of the card:

Valentina Shevchenko (17-3) vs. Liz Carmouche (13-6) (UFC Flyweight Championship)
Volkan Oezdemir (15-4) vs. Ilir Latifi (14-6) (Light Heavyweight)
Vicente Luque (16-6-1) vs. Mike Perry (13-4) (Welterweight)
Humberto Bandenay (14-6) vs. Luiz Eduardo Garagorri (12-0) (Featherweight)
Oskar Piechota (11-1-1) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (5-0) (Middleweight)
Cyril Gane (3-0) vs. Raphael Pessoa (9-0) (Heavyweight)
Enrique Barzola (15-4-1) vs. Bobby Moffett (14-4) (Featherweight)
Tecia Torres (10-4) vs. Marina Rodriguez (11-0-1) (Strawweight)
Raulian Paiva (18-2) vs. Rogerio Bontorin (15-1) (Flyweight)
Alex da Silva (20-2) vs. Rodrigo Vargas (11-2) (Lightweight)
Gilbert Burns (15-3) vs. Alexey Kunchenko (20-0) (Welterweight)
Polyana Viana (10-3) vs. Veronica Macedo (5-3-1) (Flyweight)
Geraldo de Freitas (12-4) vs. Chris Gutierrez (13-3-1) (Bantamweight)

UFC on ESPN+ 8: Jacare vs. Hermansson Full Report

Last Saturday, Jacare Souza faced Jack Hermansson in a Middleweight clash in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Along with that matchup was 12 other bouts. Here’s a recap of what went down that evening at the BB&T Center last week.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Court McGee (19-7) vs. Dhiego Lima (13-7) (Welterweight)

Kicking off the evening was Court McGee versus Dhiego Lima. In the first round, Lima was circling the outside, trading blows with McGee. McGee would be the one advancing but would get hit when he would come too close. A takedown attempt was blocked by Lima with under two minutes left. Another takedown attempt by McGee was reversed by Lima. McGee did a judo throw, but Lima got back up, putting them both back against the cage. Lima continued out-striking in the second round, landing a good overhand right at one point. Lima was dominant for most of the final round as well. There was a moment with less than ten seconds left, where Lima actually got dropped by a shot but might have been saved by the bell. The judges gave Lima a split decision victory (30-27 Lima, 29-28 McGee & 29-28 Lima).

My Scorecard:

Fighters	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Lima	10	10	10	30
McGee	9	9	9	27

Bout 2: Angela Hill (8-6) vs. Jodie Esquibel (6-4) (Strawweight)

Angela Hill took a short notice fight against Jodie Esquibel in the second bout. Hill had a big height and reach advantage over Esquibel. The first round had Hill showcasing her striking throughout. Hill had a good trip after catching Esquibel’s leg after a kick. Hills successful kickboxing continued in the second round. She finished strong at the end of the round. Early in the final round, Esquibel dropped Hill with a right. The fight had some exciting closing minutes, including a knee to the head that landed perfectly by Hill. The judges gave Hill a Unanimous decision victory (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighters	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Esquibel	9	9	9	27
Hill	10	10	10	30

Bout 3: Jim Miller (29-13) vs. Jason Gonzalez (11-4) (Lightweight)

Jim Miller had his children at octagon-side for this bout. Miller landed a good left jab early on. Miller landed a takedown after a minute of competition. Miller put in a rear naked choke shortly after, which made Gonzalez tap out.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Gonzalez
Miller

Bout 4: Gilbert Burns (14-3) vs. Mike Davis (7-1) (Lightweight)

The preliminary section of the show started with Gilbert Burns and Mike Davis in a Lightweight matchup. Burns was utilizing his strong kicks in the first round. Davis did a good job blocking a takedown attempt. Upon the second attempt, Burns landed a takedown. Davis landed a good strike after getting back up that made Burns back up. Burns landed a second takedown in the final minute. Very early in the second round, Burns landed yet another takedown. He did lots of strikes and elbows while in top mount. Among some of the many strikes that Burns landed on the ground was palm strikes. With under a minute left in the second round, Burns locked in a rear naked choke that ended the contest. He was trying for the move for a while and was able to do so for good after some grinding.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Davis	9
Burns	10

Bout 5: Carla Esparza (13-6) vs. Vima Jandiroba (14-0) (Strawweight)

In the next bout, Carla Esparza faced UFC newcomer Vina Jandiroba. Esparza landed a takedown very early in the first round. They stood up a minute and some change later, but Esparza landed another successful takedown shortly after. They had a good battle during this exchange. Jandiroba landed a takedown in round two. Esparza did a good job at escaping the bottom position and moving back to stand-up. Esparza landed a takedown but found herself in a guillotine. Jandiroba let the move go eventually. Esparza got another takedown at the start of the third round. In the second half of the final round, Esparza connected with a kick to the head after a failed takedown attempt. The fight went all 15 minutes. This contest was a great grappling battle where both fighters had their moments. The judges gave Carla Esparza the Unanimous victory (30-27, 39-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Esparza	10	9	10	29
Jandiroba	9	10	9	28

Bout 6: Andrei Arlovski (#15) (27-18) vs. Augusto Sakai (12-1-1) (Heavyweight)

In a Heavyweight clash, Andrei Arlovski fought Augusto Sakai. Arlovski got a decent reaction from the crowd when he was introduced by Bruce Buffer. The first round had both guys fight very conservatively in stand-up only. The second round was very much the same. There was a pause in the final minute of the second round as Sakai took a groin kick. The fight went the full distance and never made it’s way to the ground. The judges gave Sakai the win via Split Decision (29-28 Sakai, 29-28 Arlovski & 29-28 Sakai).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Arlovski	9	10	10	29
Sakai	10	9	9	28

Bout 7: Ben Saunders (22-11-2) vs. Takashi Sato (14-2) (Welterweight)

Ben Saunders challenged former Pancrase fighter Takashi Sato in the next bout. Sato found himself backtracking after he was hit with a right hook in the first. It was clear that both fighters were interested in keeping this fight in stand-up. After a minute of the second round, Sato dropped Saunders with a left jab. He landed elbows on the ground that made the referee stop the bout. Saunders looked ugly with a cut on his head afterwards.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Saunders	10
Sato	9

Main Card

Bout 8: Roosevelt Roberts (7-0) vs. Thomas Gifford (17-7) (Lightweight)

The main card kicked off with Roosevelt Roberts facing Thomas Gifford. After a few minutes of stand-up, Roberts scored a takedown. Gifford tried a guillotine from the bottom position. When in top position, Roberts landed a few elbows. Roberts put together a good combo of punches at the start of round two. While Gifford was up against the cage he put in a guillotine but Roberts escaped. The two fighters found themselves in an interesting north-south position whilst being up against the cage. Roberts landed a good combo in the third and then went into a clinch, which ended benefitting Gifford as he got a takedown from it. Gifford was in a top position for a while, but they did eventually get back to stand-up. Roberts got a takedown and stayed in a top position for the rest of the final round. All judges gave Roosevelt Roberts the win (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Roberts	10	10	10	30
Gifford	9	9	9	27

Bout 9: John Lineker (#8) (31-8) vs. Cory Sandhagen (10-1) (Bantamweight)

#8 ranked Bantamweight John Lineker fought Cory Sandhagen in the next bout. Sandhagen had a clear size advantage over Lineker. Lineker was landing very powerful punches in the first round. Both guys were doing some good trading, staying completely stand-up in the first round. Sandhagen landed a takedown halfway through the second but couldn’t get any work done on the ground. The second round included more close stand-up. It felt like in the final round these guys heated up even more than before. After Lineker hit Sandhagen with a great combo, Sandhagen went for a desperation takedown. Lineker put in a guillotine and held onto it until the round ended. This was a great performance from both fighters, with Sandhagen getting the split decision win (29-28 Sandhagen, 29-28 Lineker & 29-28 Sandhagen). The crowd booed after hearing this.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Lineker	10	9	10	29
Sandhagen	9	10	9	28

Bout 10: Glover Teixeira (28-7) vs. Ion Cutelaba (14-3) (Light Heavyweight)

The next main card contest was Glover Teixeira versus Ion Cutelaba. Cutelaba got in Teixeira’s face during the introductions. Cutelaba landed a good head kick early on. Even though Cutelaba did most of the work in the first round, he was given a cut beside his right eye. Cutelaba did a spinning back fist which dropped Teixeira. While he was hit with more strikes, Teixeira recovered and then tried for a standing guillotine. There were a couple of times in the fight where Cutelaba almost connected with an illegal kick. Teixeira’s strikes started to heat up more in the second round. He failed to land takedowns during the round but got Cutelaba down by shoving him. Teixeira put in a rear naked choke on the ground after a great sequence on the ground.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Teixeira	9
Cutelaba	10

Bout 11: Mike Perry (12-4) vs. Alex Oliveira (20-6-1) (Welterweight)

The next bout was Mike Perry versus Alex Oliveira. Both fighters showed off their dance moves during the walkouts. At the start of the first round, Oliveira was trying many types of kicks. He tried his spinning back kick many times. Oliveira landed some heavy fists and then went into a clinch against the cage. Perry landed a good combo in the final seconds of the first round which had Oliveira shelling up. Oliveira found himself on the ground after a minute of the second round, whether that was due to a strike or a shove isn’t clear. Perry slammed Oliveira, but he got up right after. Perry landed some good strikes on the ground as the second round had a minute left. Oliveira dislocated a toe at the end of the second round but got it “popped back in” in-between rounds, per Joe Anik. After a slow first half of the final round, Perry started to tg Oliveira with strikes. Perry started to pepper on right hooks as Oliveira was shelled up against the cage. The fight went the distance, with the judges giving Mike Perry the unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Perry	9	10
Oliveira	10	9

Bout 12: Greg Hardy (3-1) vs. Dmitry Smoliakov (9-2) (Heavyweight)

In the co-main event slot, Greg Hardy faced Dmitry Smoliakov, someone who’s been sent into the promotion to obviously take the fall. Hardy dropped Smoliakov with over three minutes left in the first. He landed a few more strikes before the referee stepped in to end the fight.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Hardy
Smoliakov

Bout 13: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (#4) (26-6) vs. Jack Hermansson (#10) (19-4) (Middleweight)

The main event of the card was Jacare Souza versus Jack Hermansson. Hermansson took the fight on short notice. The first couple of minutes in this fight was a feeling out process. Hermansson landed a combo of strikes that dropped Jacare, and then he tried for a guillotine on the ground. Jacare did a good job at escaping the submission move and then got back to his feet. After a minute if striking in the second round, Hermansson scored a takedown. From top position, Hermansson landed strikes frequently. The crowd started to lose their patience with the groundwork. At the start of round three, Hermansson tried for a takedown but was unsuccessful. Souza started to land more strikes in this round. Souza blocked a couple more takedowns in this round. Souza blocked yet another takedown attempt as round four started. Hermansson strung together some good punch combos at the start of this round. Souza showed some good head movement when he wasn’t getting hit. In the final round, Hermansson was aggressive from the start, landing a takedown after some strikes. Both guys started to connect with strikes in the final minute of the fight. Hermansson landed a takedown as the fight came to a close. The judges unanimously gave Jack Hermansson a victory (49-46, 48-47 & 48-47).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Souza	9	9	10	9	9	46
Hermansson	10	10	9	10	10	49

UFC on ESPN+ 8: Jacare vs. Hermansson Preview

Two weeks before UFC holds it’s next PPV event in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, they are set to hold a smaller event in Sunrise, Florida. Live from the BB&T Center, the 13 fight card is main evented by Jacare Souza and Jack Hermansson. The main event underwent numerous changes, and now finds itself in a situation of a younger fighter facing a gatekeeper of the Middleweight division. But before we get more into that, let’s break down the preliminary card.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Court McGee (19-7) vs. Dhiego Lima (13-7) (Welterweight)

Kicking off the show will be Court McGee versus Dhiego Lima. Since he won season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2010, McGee hasn’t had an easy run in the promotion. Although this is true, he is heading into this fight after a decision win against Alex Garcia from October. Lima was a part of a season of The Ultimate Fighter as well, but found himself on the losing end of the finale on two occasions. His last fight was his most significant one in the promotion thus far, defeating Chad Laprise in one round at UFC 231. He still has room to prove himself after his entrance, exit and the return to the UFC.

Bout 2: Angela Hill (8-6) vs. Jodie Esquibel (6-4) (Strawweight)

After he round one armbar loss in March, Angela Hill took a short notice fight against Jodie Esquibel for this card. The spot which was originally being held by Jessica Penne was vacated after she suffered an injury. Both fighters will be looking to recover from recent losses. Penne has lost to notable fighters in her last few bouts, those being Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Jessica Aguilar. Hill is also on a losing streak, but to smaller names like Randa Markos and Cortney Casey.

Bout 3: Jim Miller (29-13) vs. Jason Gonzalez (11-4) (Lightweight)

Jim Miller has been with the UFC since 2008, but a recent series of losses has booted him to a low spot on the prelims for this show. He has lost to the likes of Dustin Poirier, Anthony Pettis, Dan Hooker and Charles Oliveria in recent fight. He’ll be facing Jason Gonzalez, a fighter who has had a much shorter career within the promotion. Gonzalez has been absent from MMA since 2017, with his last loss being against Gregor Gillespie.

Bout 4: Gilbert Burns (14-3) vs. Mike Davis (7-1) (Lightweight)

Mike Davis won’t have an easy entrance into the UFC, as his first bout will be against Gilbert Burns. He competed in Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series in mid-2018, but has since fought twice more in the Island Fights promotion. He’s never won a fight via decision, which might make it a quick bout against Burns, who has gotten 12 of his 14 wins via stoppage. Like many people on this card, Burns had a different opponent originally, that being Eric Wisely.

Bout 5: Carla Esparza (13-6) vs. Vima Jandiroba (14-0) (Strawweight)

Now long-time UFC Strawweight fighter Carla Esparza will be welcoming newcomer Vima Jandiroba on Saturday, having the potential to take away her undefeated streak. Jandiroba got her most recent wins from the Missouri based promotion Invicta FC, fighting twice in 2018. Esparza has recently lost to Claudia Gadelha and Tatiana Suarez, two notable fighters in the division. Her original opponent for this weekend was Livia Renata Souza, but she pulled out due to injury.

Bout 6: Andrei Arlovski (27-18) vs. Augusto Sakai (12-1-1) (Heavyweight)

All of Andrei Arlovski’s recent bouts have followed a specific trend. They were against young talent, they went to decision, and they were all losses. He’ll be fighting young talent again on Saturday when he faces Augusto Sakai, but the finish and the winner is still to be found out. Sakai has fought for Bellator in the past, and had a win on the Contender Series which gave him a contract. He looks to continue his winning streak against a veteran Heavyweight.

Bout 7: Ben Saunders (22-11-2) vs. Takashi Sato (14-2) (Welterweight)

Finishing off the prelims will be Ben Saunders and Takashi Sato fighting in the Welterweight division. Sato is making his UFC debut in this fight. He came from Pancrase, getting a 14-2 record with his last fight being the main event of Pancrase 300. Saunders will be attempting to bounce back from a slump he’s been in, losing four of his last five bouts.

Main Card

Bout 8: Roosevelt Roberts (7-0) vs. Thomas Gifford (17-7) (Lightweight)

Starting off the main card portion of the show will be Roosevelt Roberts versus Thomas Gifford. Roberts will be putting his undefeated 7-0 record on the line in his second appearance after being scouted from Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. Thomas Gifford will be making his UFC debut. His last six fights include five wins and one no-contest bout.

Bout 9: John Lineker (31-8) vs. Cory Sandhagen (10-1) (Bantamweight)

Cory Sandhagen’s 16-month career in the UFC has been nothing short of successful, racking up three stoppage wins since his debut. He has never entered the third round whilst on the big stage. What could be his hardest fight is when he faces veteran John Lineker. Out of Lineker’s 15 UFC fights he’s only lost three. Lineker will try to prevent a fourth loss on Saturday.

Bout 10: Glover Teixeira (28-7) vs. Ion Cutelaba (14-3) (Light Heavyweight)

Since 2014, Glover Teixeira has been losing nearly just as much as he’s been winning. After his win against Karl Roberson in January, Teixeira hopes to break his multi-year pattern when he faces Ion Cutelaba. This was a matchup that was originally planned for January, but due to Cutebala being injured was thrown out. Cutebala, A.K.A “The Hulk” has won both of his last two fights via first-round stoppage.

Bout 11: Mike Perry (12-4) vs. Alex Oliveira (20-6-1) (Welterweight)

Both coming off a loss, Mike Perry and Alex Oliveira will have a main card clash in the Welterweight divison. With four career losses, Perry had received three of those losses in his last four fights. Oliveira, who was originally supposed to face Jingliang Li, is coming off a late 2018 loss to Gunnar Nelson, having a 2-2 record in his last four fights. Win or loss, Oliveria hasn’t seen a decision finish since 2016. Perry was originally scheduled to face

Bout 12: Greg Hardy (3-1) vs. Dmitrii Smolyakov (9-2) (Heavyweight)

Greg Hardy has been a fighter that the UFC has backed from the start. A former NFL player, Hardy made his pro debut on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. After two first round wins and one regional fight, Hardy made his official UFC debut in January versus Allen Crowder. His dominant performance was lost due to an illegal knee strike in the second round. This didn’t do any favours for his already controversial past, being involved in a domestic violence case in 2014, with charges being dropped when the victim didn’t attend an appealing of the court ruling. He will face Dmitrii Smolyakov, who will be making his UFC debut.

Bout 13: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (26-6) vs. Jack Hermansson (19-4) (Middleweight)

In the main event, Jack Hermansson will get the biggest challenge of his career so far when he faces Middleweight gatekeeper Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. He’s currently on a three-fight winning streak, with his last wins all coming via stoppage. His last win came just under a month ago when he choked out David Branch in under a minute. While Souza is coming off a win against Chris Weidman in November, he’s been 50/50 in his last four fights. Besides experience, another distinct difference between these two is a nine-year age gap.

The 39-year-old fighter Souza would have actually been the younger fighter if his original opponent, 41-year-old Yoel Romero didn’t pull out due to illness. The initial matchup would have been a rematch between the two Strikeforce alumni, with Romero getting the nod via decision in their first meeting. The main event underwent numerous changes, with the originally planned matchup between Romero and Paulo Costa falling through. Romero then fell ill when Souza stepped up, allowing Hermansson to step up.