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+ 9: Iaquinta vs. Cowboy Full Report

On Saturday, UFC headed to Ottawa for a card crammed full of Canadians. Besides the home country fighters competing, the show also featured a ranked Lightweight clash between “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone and “Ragin’” Al Iaquinta. Let’s look through the whole evening of fights.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Mitch Gagnon (12-4) vs. Cole Smith (6-0) (Bantamweight)

Ottawa’s evening of fights started with Mitch Gagnon facing Cole Smith in a Canadian versus Canadian matchup. Early in the first round, Gagnon found himself threatened by a standing kimura attempt. Smith landed a takedown after they were against the cage for a couple of minutes. They got back up moments later and went back against the cage. When they returned to striking, Smith was trying for kicks frequently. Smith was able to bring the fight to the ground in the second and try for a rear naked choke. Gagnon stayed defensive for the rest of the round but didn’t get finished by submission. Gagnon opened the third round very aggressively, advancing on Smith quite a bit. Smith was dropped by some strikes, giving Gagnon an opening. Gagnon tried for an armbar but it didn’t work. They stood back up and then went back down when Gagnon put in a guillotine. Smith got out of the move and took back mount. Smith put in a rear naked choke in the final minute. Gagnon’s mouthpiece also came out during this. The fight went the distance, relying on the judges to choose the fate of the fighters. The judges gave Cole Smith the win unanimously (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Gagnon	9	9	10	28
Smith	10	10	9	29

Bout 2: Arjan Bhullar (8-1) vs. Juan Adams (5-0) (Heavyweight)

Two up-and-coming Heavyweights in Arjan Bhullar and Juan Adams faced each other in the next bout. The first round was purely stand-up, with Adams throwing way more punches. Adams came out very aggressively in the second round. Bhullar landed a single leg takedown after a minute. Adam’s had his mouthpiece knocked out, which Bhullar’s corner noticed and repeatedly told him about. They got up shortly after, with not much happening on the ground. Bhullar landed a takedown late in the final round. Both fighters slowed their pace significantly in the third round. The judges all gave Arjan Bhullar the victory (29-28 29-28 & 30-27). Bhullar called out Andrei Arlovski after the fight.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Bhullar	9	9	10	28
Adams	10	10	9	29

Bout 3: Kyle Nelson (12-2) vs. Matt Sayles (7-2) (Featherweight)

The next prelim bout was Kyle Nelson versus Matt Sayles. The first round opened with an aggressive stand-up battle between the two. Nelson was shoved down at one point and was given numerous hammer fist and normal strikes on the ground. Nelson survived the large volume of strikes, and then put Sayles in position for a leg lock. Sayles escaped the move and got into top mount where he landed even more strikes. Nelson was denied a takedown attempt early in the second. Later on however he landed more takedowns. Nelson tried for a rear naked choke for a while, and even had it in at one point but lost control. Nelson shot for tons of takedowns in the final round, not having much success. He did land one takedown but fell into a trap where Sayles took control and put in a head and arm choke to win the bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Nelson	9	10
Sayles	10	9

Bout 4: Nordine Taleb (14-6) vs. Kyle Prepolec (12-5) (Welterweight)

In the next fight, Nordine Taleb fought UFC newcomer Kyle Prepolec. The first round had very cautious striking from both fighters. The second round was similar but had Taleb landing some harder hitting combos. Prepolec was seemingly hurt by a kick in the final seconds of round three, as he sort of stopped and grabbed his leg. The fight went the distance with the judges giving Nordine Taleb the unanimous victory (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Taleb	10	10	10	30
Prepolec	9	9	9	27

Bout 5: Vince Morales (8-3) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (7-1) (Bantamweight)

Aiemann Zahabi, a brother of Firas Zahabi fought Vince Morales next. The first round was a slow one with Morales being the aggressor. The second was much of the same, although Zahabi did land a takedown in the final two minutes. The two fighters went all fifteen moments, not having many defining moments. The scorecards read a unanimous decision for Vince Morales (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Morales	10	9	10	29
Zahabi	9	10	9	28

Bout 6: Sarah Moras (5-4) vs. Macy Chiasson (#14) (4-0) (Bantamweight)

Finishing off the preliminary part of the card was Sarah Moras and Macy Chiasson. In the fist five seconds of the bout, Moras scored a takedown. Chiasson got into a top position and started to land strikes. Moras tried for a takedown at the start of the second, but Chiasson was able to gain control on the ground. Chiasson landed a flurry of strikes from above, making referee Yves Lavigne stop the bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Moras	9
Chiasson	10

Main Card

Bout 7: Andrew Sanchez (10-4) vs. Marc-Andre Barriault (11-1) (Middleweight)

Starting the main card was Andrew Sanchez and Marc-Andre Barriault. A story was told on commentary before the fight, explaining how these two fighters sparred the day before they were offered a fight against each other. Funny coincidence. Sanchez is a Tristar Fighter but got boos when being introduced. Sanchez landed a takedown in the first minute of the bout. They traded strikes while on the ground. In the final minute of the round Sanchez landed another takedown but Barriault got up immediately. Barrialt had dominant striking in the second round, making Sanchez clinch up. Sanchez kept getting it hard but never got dropped. Barriault defended a takedown for a while but eventually got tripped and went down. Sanchez had control on the ground for a good chunk of the round. The fight went all three rounds. The judges gave Sanchez the win via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28). The crowd did not approve of this.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Sanchez	10	8	10	28
Barriault	9	10	9	28

Bout 8: Walt Harris (12-7) vs. Sergey Spivak (9-0) (Heavyweight)

We saw a Heavyweight battle in the next bout on the card. Walt Harris fought Sergey Spivak. Early on, Harris was landing strong punches and knees. Spivak completely covered up and fell, getting hit more and more until the referee intervened.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Harris
Spivak

Bout 9: Brad Katona (8-0) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (8-4) (Bantamweight)

Undefeated Brad Katona fought Merab Dvalishvili in the next bout. After a close striking battle for the first couple of minutes, Dvalishvili scored a takedown. They both stood back up shortly after. Katona tried for a takedown too but found himself in a clinch that ended with Dvalishvili landing a trip and getting a takedown himself. At the start of the second round, Dvalishvili got another takedown. Dvalishvili was dominant throughout the round, landing a good trip takedown at the end as well. In the final round, Dvalishvili out-wrestled Katona. The scorecards were all in agreement, giving Dvalishvili the win (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Katona	9	9	9	27
Dvalishvili	10	10	10	30

Bout 10: Cub Swanson (#10) (25-10) vs. Shane Burgos (11-1) (Featherweight)

UFC veteran Cub Swanson faced younger fighter Shane Burgos in the next fight. The first round was kickboxing only from both fighters. The second round was very much the same. Swanson came out much more aggressively in the third round. Swanson tried for a takedown, but didn’t fully get it, being stuck against the cage for a while. Burgos had his moments in the second half of the round. The judges were split on the decision, but the majority selected Burgos as the winner (30-27 Swanson, 30-27 Burgos & 29-28 Burgos).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Swanson	9	10	9	28
Burgos	10	9	10	29

Bout 11: Derek Brunson (#9) (18-7) vs. Elias Theodorou (#13) (16-2) (Middleweight)

In the co-main event slot was a battle between ranked Middleweight fighters Derek Brunson and Elias Theodorou. Brunson scored a takedown within the first minute of the fight. He took the back and put in a rear naked choke, but Theodorou escaped. Brunson kept trying for it but stopped being able to once Theodorou stood up. Both fighters, but especially Theodorou were throwing lots of kicks. While neither fighter had an amazing second round, and the crowd voiced their opinion on this, Theodorou out-struck Brunson. Brunson had an amazing takedown in the third, picking up and carrying Theodorou, then slamming him on is back. The final round ended with the crowd booing the two fighters. Derek Brunson won the fight unanimously (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Brunson	10	9	10	29
Theodorou	9	10	9	28

Bout 12: Al Iaquinta (#4) (14-4-1) vs. Donald Cerrone (#8) (35-11) (Lightweight)

Finally, it was time for the main event. In the main event, Al Iaquinta faced Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. The first round was a feeling out process, with Cerrone landing a solid knee when Iaquinta tried for a takedown at one point. The second round was similar, with both fighters landing some good strikes periodically. In the third round Iaquinta started to bleed from his nose quite a bit. They started to really open up with strikes at the end of the third round. Iaquinta was dropped with a punch in the final seconds of the third. Cerrone landed strikes on the ground until the round ended. Iaquinta was dropped yet again in the fourth with a front kick. He got up shortly after. Cerrone strung together a good combination of punches in the final minute of the fourth. Iaquinta had a takedown blocked in the final seconds of the round. The fight went all 25 minutes with the final round being another methodical striking battle between the two. The fight was stand-up with periodic moments of fighting on the ground due to a knockdown. The judges gave “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone the win Unanimously (49-45, 49-45 & 49-46). Cerrone celebrated with his son.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Iaquinta	9	10	9	9	9	46
Cerrone	10	9	10	10	10	49

UFC returns next week with the PPV event UFC 237. In the main event, Rose Namajunas will attempt to defend her Strawweight Championship against Jessica Andrade. The show will take place in Brazil, and feature home country talent like Anderson Silva and Jose Aldo on the main card.

UFC on ESPN+ 9: Iaquinta vs. Cowboy Preview

UFC’s last appearance in Canada was back in December when Toronto played host to UFC 231: Holloway vs. Ortega. This time around it’s Ottawa holding the event, with the event being much smaller scale than the pay-per-view event before. The card had an obvious Canada versus The World theme to it, with eight bouts being a Canadian versus someone from a different country. In the main event, Al Iaquinta is set to face Donald Cerrone. It’s an interesting matchup because, while it’s a high profile fight, the line for Lightweight contenders is long already. While the future of the winner of this bout is hard to call, an easier bet is that it will be a fun fight to watch. Cerrone and Iaquinta both have a past of putting on “fan friendly” fights, no matter win or loss. Before we go further into that bout, let’s go through the whole card.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Mitch Gagnon (12-4) vs. Cole Smith (6-0) (Bantamweight)

The opening fight of the show will pit one Canadian against another, as Mitch Gagnon will face Cole Smith. Gagnon has a 4-3 UFC record dating back to 2012 and hasn’t fought since 2016 when he lost to Matthew Lopez. Cole Smith will be making his UFC debut, currently holding an undefeated 6-0 record. He has mainly fought in the Canadian promotion BFL, being the promotion’s Bantamweight Champion for some time.

Bout 2: Arjan Bhullar (8-1) vs. Juan Adams (5-0) (Heavyweight)

In the first of two Heavyweight clashes in the evening, Arjan Bhullar will face Juan Adams. Bhullar is a Canadian fighter who currently has a 2-1 record in the UFC. Bhullar was the first Indo-Canadian to sign with the promotion. He fought in Alberta and British Columbia before making it to the big leagues. His only career win is to Adam Wieczorek, who caught him with an omoplata. Juan Adams will be putting his undefeated streak on the line in his second appearance in the UFC. He earned a contract through Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series and got a win in December against Chris De La Rocha as well.

Bout 3: Kyle Nelson (12-2) vs. Matt Sayles (7-2) (Featherweight)

Kyle Nelson faces Matt Sayles in the next bout. Nelson, like many Canadians on this card, fought at UFC 231 in Toronto back in December. He came out of the event unsuccessful, losing to Diego Ferreira. Sayles is also coming off a loss, falling to Sheymon Moraes at the UFC 227 prelims.

Bout 4: Nordine Taleb (14-6) vs. Kyle Prepolec (12-5) (Welterweight)

Canadian fighter Kyle Prepolec will make his UFC debut against French fighter Nordine Taleb, who fights out of Tristar in Quebec. Taleb lost recently to Sean Strickland in the second round. He is currently on a two-fight losing streak. Prepolec is the flipside, as his last two fights were wins in the regional promotion “BTC.”

Bout 5: Vince Morales (8-3) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (7-1) (Bantamweight)

IN another Canada versus The World matchup, Canadian Aiemann Zahabi will face Vince Morales. Aiemann is the younger brother of Firas Zahabi, a well-known trainer from Tristar Gym. He is coming off an 18-month break from competition, losing to Ricardo Ramos at UFC 217 (which also featured fellow Tristar talent Georges St-Pierres. Morales lost his UFC debut in November but plans to bounce back from the loss.

Bout 6: Sarah Moras (5-4) vs. Macy Chiasson (4-0) (Bantamweight)

Ending off the prelims for the show will be Sarah Moras and Macy Chiasson. Moras, a Canadian, has been in the UFC since 2014 but has had a shaky record of 2-3 since then. She will face Macy Chiasson, who won The Ultimate Fighter Season 28 in late 2018. She fought back in March as well, getting a first-round stoppage over Gina Mazany.

Main Card

Bout 7: Andrew Sanchez (10-4) vs. Marc-Andre Barriault (11-1) (Middleweight)

Starting the ESPN+ main card will be Canadian Marc-Andre Barriault and Andrew Sanchez. Barriault will be making his UFC debut, coming from the Canadian promotion TKO. His record shows that he has powerful striking, picking up many early stoppage wins. Sanchez won season 23 of The Ultimate Fighter, defeating Khalil Rountree. He has won and lost twice since then, recently getting the nod over Markus Perez.

Bout 8: Walt Harris (12-7) vs. Sergey Spivak (9-0) (Heavyweight)

“The Big Ticket” Walt Harris will be Sergey Spivak’s first challenge under the bright lights of the UFC. Spivak currently has a 9-0 record, fighting most of them in WWFC, a Ukranian promotion. He has numerous recorded first-round finishes. His first UFC bout won’t be an easy one as his opponent, Harris, recently beat veteran Andrei Arlovski in December.

Bout 9: Brad Katona (8-0) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (8-4) (Bantamweight)

Brad Katona has had a great past 12 months. Back in July, he defeated Jay Cucciniello to win season 27 of The Ultimate Fighter. After that, he beat Matthew Lopez at UFC 231. Attempting to keep his undefeated streak intact, he will compete against Merab Dvalishvili. Dvalishvili had a rough start to his UFC career with two losses but defeated Terrion Ware in September via decision. It will be a clash between an untouchable fighter and a more experience one on the main card.

Bout 10: Cub Swanson (25-10) vs. Shane Burgos (11-1) (Featherweight)

Cub Swanson is an experienced UFC fighter but has gotten into a three-fight slump recently. Hoping to bounce back from the losses, he is scheduled to face Shane Burgos. Burgos will be competing in his sixth UFC bout, currently having 11 pro wins with only one blemish on his record.

Bout 11: Derek Brunson (18-7) vs. Elias Theodorou (16-2) (Middleweight)

Ontario’s own Elias Theodorou will face Derek Brunson in the co-main event of the show. Theodorou’s last performance was a decision victory over Eryk Anders at UFC 231. On a three-fight win streak, his last seven fights have ended via decision. Brunson is coming off a late 2018 loss to now-interim Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya. The fight didn’t leave the first round, with Adesanya getting a stoppage victory.

Bout 12: Al Iaquinta (14-4-1) vs. Donald Cerrone (35-11) (Lightweight)

“Cowboy” Donald Cerrone will face Al Iaquinta in the main event of Fight Night Ottawa. Cerrone, who is nothing short of a UFC veteran will be trying to improve off of his two-fight win streak. He recently defeated Mike Perry and Alex Hernandez. His win over Hernandez came after extensive trash talk from the 26-year-old fighter. Iaquinta is coming off a dominant five-round performance against Kevin Lee. It was his first fight since going to a five round decision loss against current Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Next week, UFC will head to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for UFC 237. The show will be headlined by Rose Namajunas, who will be defending her Strawweight Championship against Jessica Andrade. The show will also feature well known Brazilian talent Anderson Silva and Jose Aldo.