UFC on ESPN 3: N’Gannou vs. Dos Santos Full Report

A week before UFC’s next PPV, Minneapolis, Minnesota hosted a heavyweight clash between Francis Ngannou and Junior Dos Santos. Along with the main event was 11 other fights, including six on the prelims. Let’s first look at how the preliminary card went down.

Bout 1: Junior Albini (14-5) vs. Maurice Greene (7-3) (Heavyweight)

Fittingly, the evening started with a heavyweight fight. Junior Albini faced Maurice Greene, who was fighting in his home state. Early in the first round, Greene landed a combination of punches which shook Albini. Halfway into the round, Albini was dropped by punches. When they got back up Albini had Greene retreating with some punches. Albini was taken down by punches once again with a minute and a half left in the round, with Greene landing a few more punches before referee Jason Herzog called an end to the bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Albini
Greene

Bout 2: Amanda Ribas (6-1) vs. Emily Whitmire (4-2) (Strawweight)

In the next bout, we had a fight between two Strawweights who have small MMA records. This was also Ribas’ UFC debut. In the first round, Ribas got on Whitmire’s back while she was standing. She tried for a rear naked choke for over a minute. They eventually went to the ground where Ribas’ control continued. Whitmire was able to turn herself over and take top position on Ribas. After battling up against the cage in the second round Ribas took down Whitmire again. In top position, she landed some punches and then tried for the rear naked choke again. Whitmire tapped out shortly after. She gave a very grateful in the interview afterwards.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Ribas	10
Whitmire	9

Bout 3: Dequan Townsend (21-8) vs. Dalcha Lungiambula (9-1) (Light Heavyweight)

Continuing with the prelims, Dequan Townsend fought Dalcha Lungiambula in a light heavyweight contest. There was a clear height difference between the fighters with Townsend having the advantage. Both fighters showcased their fast and powerful punches early on. They clinched up against the cage after an exchange of punches. Lumbiambula tried to throw Townsend on the ground but they got back up shortly. They stayed on the ground for longer when Lungiambula tripped Townsend. He landed another takedown when they got back up. Lunbiambula landed another takedown within the first minute of the second round. The fight stayed on the ground until the final 10 seconds of the round when the referee stood them up. In the first 30 seconds of the final round, Lungiambula dropped Townsend with punches. He landed a few more on the ground before it was ended.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Townsend	9	9
Lunbiambula	10	10

Bout 4: Dan Moret (13-5) vs. Jared Gordon (14-3) (Lightweight)

In the next bout Dan Moret battled Jared Gordon. In the second minute of the fight Gordon landed a takedown on Moret after taking a head kick. Moret fought his way back to his feet eventually. He landed knees in a clinch which woke up the crowd. Moret started to string together punches on the feet. Moret got a takedown but they stood back up against the cage right after. Gordon tried for a takedown early in the second, but Moret reversed it into a leg sweep which gave him a takedown instead. Moret tried for a rear naked choke and an armbar. Gordon landed some strikes by standing up and punching Moret who was on the ground. Moret put in a rear naked choke early in the third round after Gordon slipped from a kick. Gordon got out of it and went back to hitting Moret from top position. Moret escaped being smothered by Gordon with a minute and a half left in the round. Gordon shot for a takedown but Moret turned it into a scenario where he could take his back. Gordon was on his back but was just able to turn around and take top position yet again. The fight became the first one of the night to go the distance, with the judges giving it to Jared Gordon (30-27, 30-27 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Moret	10	9	9	28
Gordon	9	10	10	29

Bout 5: Vinicius Moreira (9-2) vs. Eryk Anders (11-4) (Light Heavyweight)

In the next fight we had Vinicius Moriera and Eryk Anders squared off. In the opening seconds of the fight Moreira tried to land a takedown but instead found himself on bottom position. They stood back up quickly, with Moreira trying for a single leg takedown. Anders got out of the predicament and caught Moreira in an awkward position, being able to land punches on him. Anders landed tons of strikes until the referee ended the fight. Afterwards the commentators were scrutinizing the referee for stopping the fight so late.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Moreira
Anders

Bout 6: Journey Newson (9-1) vs. Ricardo Ramos (12-2) (Bantamweight)

Finishing off the preliminary portion of the card was Journey Newson and Ricardo Ramos. The reach and height differential significantly benefitted Ramos. The first round had evenly matched striking until Newson tried for a takedown but he found Ramos on his back. Ramos tried for a rear naked choke but Newson escaped. Newson tried for a guillotine but wasn’t successful either. They went back to stand-up as the round wound down. The second round was purely stand-up with neither fighter having a shining moment. In the final round Ramos landed a takedown but was immediately put in a guillotine. Ramos escaped and slammed down Newson when they were standing up against the cage. With a minute left in the final round, Ramos landed a spinning elbow which dropped Newson. Newson got back on his feet quickly and endured the rest of the round. The two fighters went the three scheduled rounds. All three judges had Ricardo Ramos winning all of the rounds (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Newson	9	10	9	28
Ramos	10	9	10	29

Bout 7: Paul Craig (11-3) vs. Alonzo Menifield (8-0) (Light Heavyweight)

Starting off the main card was yet another light heavyweight bout, with Alonzo Menifield putting his undefeated record on the line against Paul Craig. After Craig was up against the cage for a minute or so, he failed to land a takedown. Craig kept trying to take the fight to the ground but couldn’t. Menifield wasn’t landing anything hard on stand-up but was consistently walking down Craig. After Craig failed to do a spinning kick, Menifield caught Craig with punches which dropped him and ended the fight.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Craig
Menifield

Bout 8: Polo Reyes (8-6) vs. Drew Dober (20-9) (Lightweight)

In the next bout, Polo Reyes fought Drew Dober in a lightweight bout. Early on Dober was landing good strikes. Reyes was dropped but recovered and got back to his feet. When Reyes was knocked down a second time, referee Jason Herzog stepped in to end the bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Reyes
Dober

Bout 9: Vinc Pichel (11-2) vs. Roosevelt Roberts (8-0) (Lightweight)

Making it two lightweight bouts in a row, Vinc Pichel fought Roosevelt Roberts. Roberts looked to be the second person on this card to extend their undefeated record. The first round had some pretty close striking between both fighters. Roberts slammed Pichel on his head in the final minute of the first. The second round had more close striking. On the ground Pichel took top position as the round came to a close. Pichel landed a takedown a minute into the final round. Pichel put in a standing guillotine but eventually let it go. When the fight went back to the ground, Pichel was dominant on the ground. He took Roberts’ back, and then went into top position when Roberts rolled over. The fight went all three rounds with the fighters being respectful towards each other afterwards. All three judges gave the fight to Vinc Pichel (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Pichel	9	10	10	29
Roberts	10	9	9	28

Bout 10: Anthony Rocco Martin (16-4) vs. Demain Maia (26-9) (#12) (Welterweight)

In the next fight, we saw a Minnesota fighter in Anthony Rocco Martin versus veteran fighter Demian Maia. Maia went after a takedown in the first round and landed it. He was dominant on the ground for the majority of the round. In the second round Maia failed for a takedown early. He landed it upon second attempt. With the final 30 seconds left in the round, the referee stood them up. The final round had Martin showcase his successful stand-up. The fight came to a close while Martin was hitting a grounded Maia. The judges gave the fight to Demain Maia (29-28, 29-28 & 28-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Martin	9	9	10	28
Maia	10	10	9	29

Bout 11: Joseph Benavidez (27-5) (#2) vs. Jussier Formiga (23-5) (#1) (Flyweight)

In the co-main event of the show, the top two ranked Flyweights in Joseph Benavidez and Jussier Formiga faced each other. The first round had some back and forth striking. Benavidez got a cut near his left eye in the first round. Formiga landed a good takedown in the second round. As the second round was coming to a close, Benavidez started to string together punches that made Formiga fall. The referee intervened, ending the bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Benavidez	10
Formiga	9

Bout 12: Junior Dos Santos (21-5) (#3) vs. Francis Ngannou (13-3) (#2) (Heavyweight)

In the main event of the evening, #2 ranked heavyweight Francis Ngannou fought #3 ranked Junior Dos Santos. Early on, Dos Santos made Ngannou slip with a leg kick. Ngannou threw a right hook which landed well. Dos Santos turned his back to Ngannou after throwing a hook, which allowed Ngannou to punch him many times. He got dropped and was hit a few more times before Herb Dean stepped in to end it. In just over a minute, Francis Ngannou got the victory. After the fight he said he wants to face the winner between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Ngannou
Dos Santos

As previously mentio ned, UFC will be holding a PPV event next weekend. In the main event of UFC 239, Jon Jones will attempt to defend his light heavyweight championship against Thiago Santos. In the co-main, Amanda Nunes will defend the bantamweight championship against Holly Holm.

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.