UFC on ESPN 5: Covington vs. Lawler Full Report

Colby Covington was en route to a UFC Welterweight Championship last year, but due to injury had his shot taken away. In the main event of this fight night, Covington faced Robbie Lawler in a five round fight. With a win, he could put himself next in line for a title shot. Same goes for Lawler, who, while lower on the rankings than Covington, would be making a statement with the victory. Before that fight was 11 other bouts, so let’s look at how the prelims went down first.

Bout 1: Hannah Goldy (5-0) vs. Miranda Granger (6-0) (Flyweight)

Starting off the card we had two undefeated fighters put up their undefeated streaks. While small streaks, one fighter was expected to take their first pro loss. Goldy circled the outside of the octagon during the start of the bout. Both fighters would come in and exchange a few punches each and then distance themselves again. The second round was similar, with Goldy staying in the fight no doubt but getting hit with the harder shots. Granger kept coming forward with strikes until the bout ended. When going to the scorecards, all three judges favoured Miranda Granger (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Goldy	9	9	9	27
Granger	10	10	10	30

Bout 2: Cole Williams (11-1) vs. Claudio Silva (13-1) (Welterweight)

In the second bout, we had a welterweight battle between Cole Williams and Claudio Silva. Williams weighed in six pounds over the limit on the day before. Silva went to wrestling in the second minute of the fight. He took the back of Williams. After throwing some punches, Silva put in a rear naked choke which made Williams tap out.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Williams
Silva

Bout 3: Mara Romero Borella (12-5 2 NC) (#12) vs. Lauren Murphy (10-4) (#10) (Flyweight)

It’s seemingly a regular occurrence that ranked flyweights compete on the prelims of a card. This time around, it’s #12 ranked Mara Romero Borella and #10 ranked Lauren Murphy who competed. In the first round Murphy felt like the fighter landing the more meaningful punches. Borella scored the first takedown of the fight in the second round. She stood up and tried to crank a guillotine on Murphy. The hold was let go of eventually, with both fighters battling up against the cage for the rest of the round. In the final round, Murphy stopped a takedown and then started to land her punches. An uppercut had Borella backtracked. Another takedown was stopped, with Murphy grabbing her and landing a knee to the head which dropped her. The referee stopped the fight right after that.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Borella	9	9
Murphy	10	10

Bout 4: Matt Schnell (13-4) (#13) vs. Jordan Espinosa (14-5 1 NC) (#9) (Flyweight)

In another ranked flyweight bout; a men’s one this times, Matt Schnell fought Jordan Espinosa. Both of these guys seem tall and lanky for flyweights. Both fighters ate clean punches in the first few seconds. Espinosa shot for a takedown, with Schnell putting in an arm triangle which made Espinosa tap out.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Schnell
Espinosa

Bout 5: Lucie Pudilova (8-4) vs. Antonina Shevchenko (7-1) (Flyweight)

The sister of Valentina Shevchenko, Antonina, fought Lucie Pudilova in a flyweight bout next. Pudilova went into a clinch immediately, with Shevchenko landing knees in the clinch. Continuing with the knees, Shevchenko put Pudilova against the cage. The referee separated them and brought them back to normal stand-up after Shevchenko did an accidental groin strike, although the fight went right back to that position. Finally, Pudilova made something of the clinch, landing elbows which made Shevchenko leave the clinch and pack up. Shevhcenko got a pretty bad cut from the elbow. Pudilova scored a takedown. On the ground, Shevchenko seemingly pully slipped in an armbar, but Pudilova got out. They got back up and went into clinch as the round ended. In the second, Pudilova got a single leg takedown, but quickly gave up her back and found herself in a rear naked choke. This time, she was not able to endure, with the referee ending the fight.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Pudilova	9
Shevchenko	10

Bout 6: Salim Touahri (10-3) vs. Mickey Gall (5-2) (Welterweight)

Going back up to welterweight, the next bout was Salim Touahri facing Mickey Gall. The crowd was cheering on Gall early on. Gall landed a good jab which shook Touahri in the opening minutes of the first. He tried for a takedown but Touahri stopped it. Standing up against the cage, Gall hopped on Touahri’s back. Gall landed knees, though there was a close call where the referee warned Gall not to knee the head (Touahri was grounded). Touahri shot for a takedown but it was Gall who got the best of it, taking his back. Gall threw some punches but couldn’t get anything done before the round ended. Touahri connected well with a hook in the second round. Gall tried for a single leg takedown but landed on his back. Touahri stood up and threw some punches. Gall stood up and threw some elbows in a clinch. In the final round, both fighters teed off with stand-up. As the round progressed, Gall started to out-trade Touahri. Gall tried to take the fight to the ground a few times. He scored a takedown in the final few seconds of the fight. The fight went the distance. All three judges saw it the same, giving the win to Mickey Gall (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Touahri	9	10	9	28
Gall	10	9	10	29

Bout 7: Kennedy Nzechukwu (6-1) vs. Darko Stosic (13-2) (Light Heavyweight)

In the heaviest fight of the evening, Kennedy Nzechukwu fought Darko Stosic in a light heavyweight contest. Stosic shot for a takedown in the first 90 seconds of the bout, but couldn’t get it. Stosic came forward with a flurry of punches in the final moments of round 1. It felt like that was the only notable part of the round. There was a clean kick to Nzechukwu’s groin at the start of the second round. Halfway through the second round, Stosic went after a double leg takedown which didn’t work. Nzechukwu was kicked in the groin yet again. This time, Stosic had a point taken away. Yet again in the third round, Stosic kicked Nzechukwu in the groin. A doctor was called in while the referee talked to the commission about either taking another point or disqualifying Stosic. Nzechukwu was willing to continue. Stosic was given another point deduction. When they resumed, Nzechukwu was advancing and landing good punches. Stosic landed three takedowns in the round. Another one was attempted but Nzechukwu was able to block it. The crowd voiced their displeasure as the fight ended. Going to the scorecards, Kennedy Nzechukwu won via unanimous decision (29-26. 28-27 & 28-27). Stosics performance minus the penalties likely would have gotten him a win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Nzechukwu	9	9	9	27
Stosic	10	9	9	28

Bout 8: Dong Hyun Ma (16-9-3) vs. Scott Holtzman (12-3) (Lightweight)

Kicking off the main card of the show was Scott Holtzman versus Dong Hyun Ma. Ma missed weight by two pounds for this bout. Holtzman knocked down Ma in the first round with a punch. Ma got a bruise below his left eye. He stayed in top position until the last few seconds of the round. Both fighters traded shots before Ma scored a takedown. They stood up in a clinch against the cage. When they took turns with punches again, Holtzman was dropped by a shot. Holtzman got a takedown in the final minute of the second round. Ma’s left eye was swollen fully shut at this point. Doctors came in to check on him and decided to call off the bout. While disappointing, the stoppage was completely justified.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Ma	9	9
Holtzman	10	10

Bout 9: Gerald Meerschaert (28-11) vs. Trevin Giles (11-1) (Middleweight)

The next bout was Gerald Meerschaert versus Trevin Giles. In the first minute, Giles got a takedown. Meerschaert flipped over into top position after trying for an arm triangle. Giles took top position again after a minute or so. Meerschaert tried for a takedown in the second round. They went to the ground, but Giles was the one on top. Meerschaert took top position but didn’t do much. Both fighters traded leg kicks in the third round. After an unsuccessful takedown attempt, Meerschart landed a trip takedown. Meerschaert put in a guillotine which made Giles tap out, but referee Herb Dean did not see it. The fight ended when Giles was out cold.

My Scorecard:

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

Bout 10: Nasrat Haqparast (10-2) vs. Joaquim Silva (11-2) (Lightweight)

After a battle where the fighters had quite different records, a bout in Nasrat Haqparast and Joaquim Silva, who have nearly identical records, was next. While the first round was mostly a feeling out process, Haqparast started to heat up near the end with punches. In the second round, Haqparast landed a left hook which dropped Silva. Only a few strikes later, the referee ended the bout. Haqparast had a methodical start and a powerful finish.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Haqparast	10
Silva	9

Bout 11: Clay Guida (35-18) vs. Jim Miller (30-13) (Lightweight)

In the co-main event of the fight night, Clay Guida fought New Jersey’s Jim Miller. In an uneventful first few moments, Guida and Miller both landed good punches. Miller put Guida in a guillotine after he rocked him with a punch. Referee Herb Dean eventually stopped the bout after he realized the hold put out Guida.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Guida
Miller

Bout 12: Colby Covington (14-1) (#2) vs. Robbie Lawler (28-13) (#11) (Welterweight)

The main event in New Jersey was Colby Covington versus Robbie Lawler. This fight was the only one which included ranked fighters, it was also five rounds. When given the opportunity to touch gloves, the two fighters, of course, did not. The fight was fast right from the start. Covington came in and tried for takedowns and punches. Covington scored a takedown after pursuing it for a minute. When they stood back up against the cage, Lawler landed an elbow to the head and tried for a kimura. Covington took Lawler back to the ground and got on his back. He tried for a rear naked choke for a minute or so, but Lawler escaped and got up with a minute left in the first. Covington got a trip takedown and went back to the rear naked choke position. Covington stood up and threw some punches before the round ended. Covington got another takedown after a combo of hooks in the second round. They went back to stand-up, but not for long as another takedown came in Covington’s favour. They spent the final two minutes of the round in stand-up, where Covington continued to out-class him. In the third round, Covington kept his pace in the third round, making it another decisive one for him. Lawler was still in the fight come the fourth, but was much more fatigued than Covington. The fight went the five round distance, with all three judges giving the fight to Colby Covington (50-44, 50-45 & 50-45). After the fight he called out Kamura Usman, who was present at the venue.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Covington	10	10	10	10	10	50
Lawler	9	9	9	9	9	45

On a finish-heavy show, scorecards were only needed four times. The UFC is currently on a nine week stretch of one show a week, with next week being the 8th event. Next week, UFC will head to the Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay for a Fight Night, headlined by Valentino Shevchenko and Liz Carmouche. In a rematch fight, Shevchenko will attempt to defend her belt. The week after that, UFC 241 will take place, with Daniel Cormier facing Stipe Miocic in a heavyweight championship rematch.

UFC on ESPN 5: Covington vs. Lawler Preview

UFC will ditch their usual start time on Saturday when UFC Newark takes place. With prelims starting at Noon Eastern Time and the main card three hours after, the sun will not go down before all winning arms are raised in the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, USA. Along with 11 other fighters, ranked Welterweights Colby Covington and Robbie Lawler will face off in the main event of the card which will air on ESPN. Let’s look at the card from start to finish.

Bout 1: Hannah Goldy (5-0) vs. Miranda Granger (6-0) (Flyweight)

The night will kick off with a bout with high stakes involved. Both in their UFC debut, Hannah Goldy and Miranda Granger will put up their undefeated streaks. Goldy fought three times before being scouted on the ongoing season of the Tuesday Night Contender Series, earning her contract. Granger didn’t come through UFC’s star-finding show but recently fought in CFFC, a promotion which broadcasts on UFC Fight Pass. In her professional career, Granger has never gone into the final round, with numerous submission victories.

Bout 2: Claudio Silva (13-1) vs. Cole Williams (11-1) (Welterweight)

Heading into his fifth UFC fight, Claudio Silva has seen success so far, racking up four straight wins. As a matter of fact, if it wasn’t for his slip up in his pro debut, Silva would still be an undefeated fighter. But, most people eventually lose the big O on their record. He will be stacked up against Cole Williams, who similarily, has only taken one pro loss early in his campaign. Williams established himself in Iowa, fighting frequently in the Pinnacle Combat promotion. It was reported a few weeks back that Williams would replace Ramazan Emeev on this card after visa issues stopped the original pairing. On Friday, Williams failed to make weight, weighing 176 pounds over the 170 limit.

Bout 3: Mara Romero Borella (12-5) vs. Lauren Murphy (10-4) (Flyweight)

In the second flyweight matchup of the afternoon, Mara Romero Borella and Lauren Murphy will battle each other. Borella holds a 2-1 record within the UFC, while Murphy has had a less lucky 2-4 record (with an exhibition loss against Nicco Montano on The Ultimate Fighter). Murphy was pulled out of a fight against Ashlee Evans-Smith earlier in 2018 after she suffered an injury. Nearly six months later, Murphy will see her first matchup in 14 months.

Bout 4: Matt Schnell (13-4) vs. Jordan Espinosa (14-5) (Flyweight)

In another flyweight bout, two fighters on a hot-streak will collide. Matt Schnell, who is on a three-fight winning streak in the UFC, will face Jordan Espinosa, who has won five times in a row including one UFC victory. Schnell turned around his unsuccessful UFC career, not winning The Ultimate Fighter Season 24, and taking two pro losses. Since then, he has gotten three wins over Marco Antonio Beltran, Naoki Inoue and Louis Smolka. Espinosa is on a longer win streak, however, most of them have come outside of the UFC. Winning twice in 2017 and in 2018, Espinosa came in hot in his UFC debut, getting a decision victory over Eric Shelton. Someone’s momentum may come to a halt on Saturday.

Bout 5: Antonina Shevchenko (7-1) vs. Lucie Pudilova (8-4) (Flyweight)

In the Shevchenko family, it’s “Bullet” Valentina Shevchenko who is more well known. While this is the case, nowadays chances are that people might be talking about Antonina Shevchenko as well. Debuting in the UFC in late 2018, Shevchenko has defeated Ji Yeon Kim and lost to Roxanne Modafferi, handing “The Panther” her first pro loss. She will face Lucie Pudilova on Saturday, who is on a two-fight losing streak, albeit against formidable opponents in Irene Aldana (bantamweight bout) and Liz Carmouche. Pudilova has had a longer stint within the UFC, debuting in 2017 and having an overall 2-3 record.

Bout 6: Mickey Gall (5-2) vs. Salim Touahri (10-3) (Welterweight)

While young in his career, Mickey Gall is a name that most MMA fans will remember. His decisive win over former WWE wrestler CM Punk back in 2016 put many eyes on the then 24-year-old MMA fighter with a 2-0 record prior to the competition. He has since fought four more times, overall having a 4-2 record within the promotion. His recent loss came against UFC veteran Diego Sanchez, who got his first stoppage win in over a decade. In his next fight, Gall will be replacing Zelim Imadaev due to injury. Like some of his recent fights, Gall will be facing a more experienced fighter in Salim Touahri on Saturday. Touahri will attempt to snap his two-fight losing streak, which has been in place since his UFC debut.

Bout 7: Darko Stosic (13-2) vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (6-1) (Light Heavyweight)

Starting off the main card, the show will have it’s heaviest bout on the card. Darko Stosic and Kennedy Nzechukwu will compete in a Light Heavyweight bout, as the broadcast flips to ESPN at 3 PM Eastern Time. Stosic and Nzechukwu haven’t started their UFC career in the way they necessarily wanted, with Stosic having a 1-1 record and Nzechukwu holding a 0-1 record. Although, one will likely see success on Saturday, turning the tide for their career.

Bout 8: Scott Holtzman (12-3) vs. Dong Hyun Ma (16-9-3) (Lightweight)

In the first of three lightweight bouts of the afternoon, two experienced UFC fighters in Scott Holtzman and “Maestro” Dong Hyun Ma will compete. Holtzman has fought eight times before in the UFC, currently with a 5-3 record in the promotion. Hyun Ma has fought six times, with an even record of 3-3. They have both lost recently, breaking their three-fight win streaks before. If Hyun Ma were to win on Saturday, it would be a real indictment for the UFC to not book him on the UFC Fight Night in Busan, South Korea set for December 21, 2019. Dong Hyun Ma weighed in at 158, going three pounds above the lightweight limit.

Bout 9: Gerald Meerschaert (29-11) vs. Trevin Giles (11-1) (Middleweight)

Gerald Meerschaert and Trevin Giles will compete in the next bout. The experience differential is large, with Giles having the same number of wins as Meerschaert has losses. Giles took his first pro loss in May, losing to Zak Cummings in his third UFC bout. Meerschaert is on a two-fight losing streak, making his current record in the UFC 4-3.

Bout 10: Joaquim Silva (11-1) vs. Nasrat Haqparast (10-2) (Lightweight)

Joaquim Silva and Nasrat Haqparast have the same amount of MMA bouts each, but a win for Haqparast on Saturday will make their wins and losses equal. Heading into his fourth UFC bout, Haqparast is 2-1 in the UFC, coming back after an eight-month layoff, defeating Thibault Gouti in a 2018 bout. Joaquim Silva is also coming back after a similar time of absence, beating Jared Gordon in December. Silva currently has a 4-1 record in the UFC.

Bout 11: Clay Guida (35-18) vs. Jim Miller (30-13) (Lightweight)

In the co-main event will be a battle between two very experienced UFC fighters. Clay Guida and Jim Miller have fought in the UFC since 2006 and 2008 respectively, making them some of the longest standing active UFC fighters. Both fighters have won already in 2019. Miller had a quick first-round rear naked choke win over Jason Gonzalez in April. Guida fought fellow veteran BJ Penn for three rounds in May, taking all three scorecards to get his victory.

Bout 12: Colby Covington (14-1) vs. Robbie Lawler (28-13) (Welterweight)

Back in June of 2018, Colby Covington seemingly sealed his fate as the next in line for a UFC Welterweight title shot, defeating Rafael dos Anjos and becoming the interim champion. That was the plan at least, until a nasal injury sidelined him from a bout, and also took away his expected title shot. He now finds himself scheduled to face fellow ranked fighter Robbie Lawler in a main event, but no belts are involved.

Robbie Lawler attempted to spoil Ben Askren’s UFC debut in March, but lost in a controversial stoppage due to a bulldog choke. Before then, he lost to Rafael dos Anjos in a decision. Before he beat Donald Cerrone in 2017, his last win, he lost in just over two minutes to Tyron Woodley, former Welterweight Champion. Whilst a much more experienced UFC fighter than Covington, he’s lost to people Covington has beat, and more importantly, has been losing much more lately.

Colby Covington’s personality, specifically online, has made him a polarizing figure. Through his Instagram videos and sponsored content, he often flaunts his lifestyle and mocks his viewers with terms like “snowflakes” and “nerds.” Despite his stripping of the interim belt, Covington has continued to carry a championship in his photos and videos.

Covington has also never been afraid to share his political values, being a vocal endorser of current President of The United States Donald Trump. He often wears Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hats in posts and visited the White House shortly after his Interim Championship victory. It was announced earlier in the week that two sons of the President, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. would be present for the main event on Saturday.

All antics will be put aside on Saturday when Colby Covington and Robbie Lawler face off in the main event. Covington currently sits in #2 in the Welterweight rankings, with Lawler at #11. A win for Covington could mean a now long-awaited title shot, with Lawler also being put in the conversation if he comes out victorious.

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

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

Preliminary Card

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

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

My Scorecard:

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

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

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

My Scorecard:

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

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

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

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Herman
Cummins

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

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

My Scorecard:

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

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

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

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Perreira
Roberts

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

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

My Scorecard:

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

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

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

My Scorecard:

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

Main Card

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

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

My Scorecard:

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

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

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

My Scorecard:

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

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

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

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Krantz
Luque

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

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

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Spencer
Anderson

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

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

My Scorecard:

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

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

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

My Scorecard:

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

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