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.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 3 Episode 2 Full Report

Last week on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series we only had four fights on the card. For the first time this season we had a five fight card, with a main event between two fighters getting a second chance on the show. Let’s see who got UFC contracts after their performances.

Bout 1: Victor Reyna (10-3) vs. Miguel Baeza (6-0) (Welterweight)

In the first bout, we had Victor Reyna versus Miguel Baeza in a Welterweight bout. Despite the weight class, Reyna came in 7 pounds over the limit. After two minutes of uneventful stand-up, Baeza dropped Reyna with a right hand. The fight went to the ground where Baeza was in top position. Reyna tried getting up, letting Baeza take the back and try for a rear naked choke. They stood up in clinch where Reyna escaped the submission. At the start of the second round Reyna landed a punch which made Baeza fall. He got up shortly after and clinched up with Reyna. While Baeza had tons of dominant strikes throughout the round, at the end he was taken down twice by strikes. The second time he went down due to knees but was saved by the bell, with Reyna wanting the fight to be called. In the third round, Reyna was coming forward with strikes consistently. Reyna was landing shots from top position but got caught in a triangle choke as the fight ran out of time. All three judges gave Miguel Baeza the nod on their scorecards (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Reyna	9	9	10	28
Baeza	10	10	9	29

Bout 2: Miles Johns (8-0) vs. Richie Santiago (7-1) (Bantamweight)

The next bout was a Bantamweight contest. Miles Johns put his undefeated record against Richie Santiago. The first round had explosive fists from both fighters. Johns landed a takedown two minutes into the bout. In the opening moments of the second round, Santiago was knocked down by punches. He went to the ground to try for a hold but eventually brought it back to stand-up. He threw a few more punches and then landed another takedown. In the third round, Johns landed punches and knees that brought Santiago to the floor. Santiago hung on and stopped the roll that Johns was on. After they were on the ground for a little the referee stood them up. Both tired, they traded strikes until the fight came to a close. Miles Johns was given the unanimous decision win (30-27, 30-27, 30-26).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Johns	10	10	10	30
Santiago	9	9	9	27

Bout 3: Michael Lombardo (8-1) vs. Kyle Daukaus (6-0) (Middleweight)

In the first round, another undefeated fighter in Kyle Daukaus fought Michael Lombardo. After both fighters fought in stand-up and clinching up against a cage, Daukaus tried for a guillotine from bottom position. They got back up but went back down shortly after as Daukaus threw Lombardo down. On the ground in the second round Daukaus showed a variety of submission moves on the ground, making him dominant throughout the round. In the final round, Daukaus got a takedown. He tried for submissions for a long time, having Lombardo completely on the defence throughout. He put in a rear naked choke at the end of the third round that Lombardo endured although it was close. Kyle Daukaus won the fight quite decisively (30-25, 30-26 & 29-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Lombardo	9	9	8	26
Daukaus	10	10	10	30

Bout 4: Justin Gonzales (9-0) vs. Zach Zane (12-7) (Featherweight)

Attempting to continue the trend of undefeated fighters winning, Justin Gonzales fought Zach Zane. Right off the bat, Gonzales landed some hard strikes. On the ground, Gonzales stayed on top of Zane for most of the round. In the second round, Gonzales caught a kick and landed punches while holding onto the leg. On the ground, Gonzales tried for a rear naked choke. It never got put on well enough for a bout to end. Seconds into the final round Gonzales landed yet another takedown. They got back to their feet for a while where Gonzales landed a knee and some punches before landing yet another takedown. The fight went all 15 minutes with Justin Gonzales winning unanimously (30-26, 30-26 & 30-26).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Gonzales	10	10	10	30
Zane	9	9	9	27

Bout 5: Alton Cunningham (7-1) vs. Tony Johnson (7-2) (Light Heavyweight)

The final bout of this episode was between people who didn’t have the best outcome in their last DWTNCS bookings. Alton Cunningham lost via stoppage in his first Contender Series fight. Also worth noting that was a Middleweight fight. Tony Johnson was taken off his Contender Series fight after being injured weeks before. On this show, they both had a second chance. Both fighters had hard strikes right off the bat. Johnson seemed to take control with punches and knees. Cunningham landed a takedown which slowed down the fight. There was a huge swelling above Cunningham’s right eye that started to develop in the first round. The second round had a lot of fighting up against the cage. After being up against the cage for a long time the referee separated the fighters. They exchanged punches at the end before the horn went. The decision for this bout was all three judges giving the win to Tony Johnson (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Cunningham	9	10	10	29
Johnson	10	9	9	28

At the end of the night Dana White decided that Miguel Baeza and Miles Johns will sign to the UFC. Baeza gave an emotional interview afterwards talking about how he does everything for his family.

UFC on ESPN+ 12: Moicano vs. Korean Zombie Full Report

On Saturday, UFC made their debut in South Carolina on Saturday with a Featherweight main event. Both coming off losses, “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung and Renato Moicano faced off in the main event. Below them were 10 other fights taking place in a wide array of weight classes. Deron Winn and Eric Spicely kicked off the evening.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Deron Winn (5-0) vs. Eric Spicely (12-4) (Middleweight)

Starting off the evening was a clash of middleweights, between Deron Winn and Eric Spicely. Between these two fighters, the biggest disparity was height. Early in the first round, Winn was able to get close and land hard strikes and then keep the distance afterwards. After a while, it felt like Spicely was purely in a defensive mode. Spicely was able to land a knee to the body many times when in a clinch. Spicely seemed to get more comfortable in the second half of the fight. In the second round, Winn was stringing together combinations. He had Spicely cornered many times, just unloading punches. Winn’s dominant punches continued through to the end of the second round. The final round felt like a turnaround for Spicely, who started to land more strikes and block takedown attempts. Both fighters were tremendously tired in the final minutes. The fight went the distance with all three judges giving it to Deron Winn unanimously (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Winn	10	10	9	29
Spicely	9	8	10	27

Bout 2: Molly McCann (8-2) vs. Ariane Lipski (11-4) (Flyweight)

In a flyweight contest, Molly McCann faced Ariane Lipski in the next bout. McCann seemed to be fired up before the fight while Lipski was calmer. The first round had very close striking between both fighters. McCann landed a hard takedown at the end of the first. McCann did a similar last-minute takedown in the second round. In the final round, a cut became visible on McCann’s head. McCann’s personality was apparent throughout the fight. The fight went the distance with both of them swinging until the bell. The judges gave Molly McCann the unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
McCann	10	10	10	30
Lipski	9	9	9	27

Bout 3: Allen Crowder (10-3) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (7-0) (Heavyweight)

Moving to the biggest weight class of all, Allen Crowder faced Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Not even 10 or five seconds into the bout, Rozenstruik landed a left jab which put down Crowder. He landed a couple more punches before the fight ended.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Crowder
Rozenstruik

Bout 4: Matt Wiman (16-7) vs. Luis Pena (6-1) (Lightweight)

In the next matchup, Matt Wiman made a return after a long absence to face Luis Pena. In the first minute, Pena landed a knee in the clinch that cut open Wiman quite a bit. There was a pause in the fight due to the cut, but it continued. Wiman shot for a takedown but Pena got the best of it, landing strikes from top position. Pena landed, even more, strikes to the head on the ground, making the cut more severe. Before the second round started a doctor looked at Wiman’s cut once again. He was given the green light to continue. Another takedown attempt by Wiman was taken over by Pena. At the start of every round, Pena would apply pressure by immediately walking up to Wiman until he was up against a wall. In the final round, Wiman fell down, which allowed Pena to rain down strikes from above. After enough strikes, Pena won the fight via TKO.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Wiman	8	9
Pena	10	10

Bout 5: Ashley Yoder (6-4) vs. Syuri Kondo (6-2) (Strawweight)

The next preliminary bout saw Syuri Kondo face Ashley Yoder. Yoder landed a takedown in the opening minute. She was dominant on the ground for the whole round, trying for many different submission moves. At the start of the second Yoder failed to land a single leg takedown. When they went on the ground once again, Yoder was back to being her dominant self. At the start of the third round Kondo put in a standing guillotine but couldn’t close out the fight with it. Yoder brought it back to the ground and continued her success until the fight ran out of time. The fight went to Ashley Yoder, with the scorecards being more than favouring to her (30-26, 30-25 & 30-24).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Yoder	10	10	10	30
Kondo	9	9	9	27

Bout 6: Dan Ige (11-2) vs. Kevin Aguilar (17-1) (Featherweight)

Finishing off the prelims was Dan Ige and Kevin Aguilar. Aguilar had a cut open on his face in the first round which made him bleed quite a bit. Ige dropped Aguilar with a left after a few minutes and then got in top position. Ige landed a takedown minute into the second round, but Aguilar got into top position. Aguilar landed what looked like a wrestling move, putting Ige on his back and dropping him. He tried for an armbar afterwards but it didn’t work. From top position, Aguilar landed tons of strikes before the round concluded. The final round had stand-up from both fighters, with Ige’s boxing being showcased. Aguilar was eating tons of punches and knees. Ige landed a single leg takedown with under a minute left, but then stood back up. He survived the full fight but didn’t look sharp at the end. All three judges decided that Dan Ige should get the victory (29-28, 29-28 & 29-27).

Main Card

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Ige	10	9	10	29
Aguilar	9	10	9	28

Bout 7: Alessio Di Chirico (12-2) vs. Kevin Holland (15-4) (Middleweight)

Starting off the main card was Alessia Di Chirico versus Kevin Holland. Shortly in the first round the fighters clinched up against the cage. In the final minute of the first Di Chirico landed an elbow that seemingly shook Holland. Many times in this fight they would have a standing clinch where Holland was the only one landing strikes. While he was the only one, the strikes weren’t that powerful. Holland started to move weir in the second round, almost like he was just running the clock and trying to not engage. When he went to his corner he felt his right shoulder. He told his corner his shoulder popped out. He decided to keep fighting. The final round had close striking between both fighters with not much engagement. The fight went the distance. All three judges gave the fight to Kevin Holland (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Di Chirico	10	10	10	30
Holland	9	9	9	27

Bout 8: Andrea Lee (#10) (10-2) vs. Montana De La Rosa (#11) (10-4) (Flyweight)

In the first fight of the evening with ranked fighters, Andrea Lee faced Montana De La Rosa. The first round had striking for the first couple of minutes. De La Rose landed a takedown, with Lee taking it up to a standing clinch shortly after. De La Rosa landed another takedown, but Lee brought it back up almost immediately. Early in the second round, Lee was able to fully stop a takedown attempt. De La Rosa started bleeding through her nose in the second round. Lee was landing good punches. De La Rosa landed a takedown near the end of the second round and in the opening minutes of the third. On the ground, Lee was trying for a triangle choke but couldn’t get it in fully. From top position, Lee landed punches. The fight ended with Lee on De La Rosa’s back. Andrea Lee was scored the winner unanimously (30-27, 30-27 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Lee	9	10	10	29
De La Rosa	10	9	9	28

Bout 9: Andre Ewell (14-5) vs. Anderson dos Santos (20-7) (Bantamweight)

In the next matchup, Bantamweights Andre Ewell and Anderson dos Santos squared off. The first round had both fighters were throwing hard punches. Ewell was eventually walking down Dos Santos and continuously landing strikes. The second round was not as intense as the first round, but it was still close striking. There was a pause in the round as Dos Santos was poked in the eye. Dos Santos took the fight to the ground and tried for some moves but Ewell eventually got out. Dos Santos shot for a takedown many times in the third round but wasn’t successful. Eventually, the fight got to the ground where Dos Santos took top position. For all of the second half of the round, Dos Santos was stuck to Ewell. The fight went all designated 15 minutes. The fight went to Andre Ewell unanimously (29-28, 29-28 & 29-27)

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Ewell	10	10	9	29
Dos Santos	9	9	10	28

Bout 10: Bryan Barberena (14-6) vs. Randy Brown (10-3) (Welterweight)

In the co-main event slot of the evening, Bryan Barberena faced Randy Brown. This fight in all of its rounds was a close striking battle. In the final round, Brown upped the tempo of punches and started to take over the fight. He had Barberena backtracking and not throwing much. After Brown landed a knee to the head and a few more punches, the fight came to a close.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Barberena	10	9
Brown	9	10

Bout 11: Renato Moicano (#5) (13-2-1) vs. Chan Sung Jung (#12) (14-5) (Featherweight)

The main event of the evening was Renate Moicano facing “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. In the opening seconds of the first round, Sung Jung landed an overhand right which dropped Moicano. Moicano stayed alive on the ground, but not for long as Sung Jung eventually rained down strikes that ended the bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Moicano
Sung Jung

UFC’s weekly series called Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series is currently running it’s third season, with the second episode airing on Tuesday night this week. The next UFC event will be on Saturday next week, where Francis Ngannou will face Junior dos Santos live on ESPN. The next PPV event is on July the 7th, with Jon Jones versus Thiago Santos headlining the two title fight card.

Korean Zombie Pulls Off First Round Victory Over Renato Moicano

Chan Sung Jung, better known as “Korean Zombie” had a quick and dominant performance on Saturday over Renato Moicano. Sung Jung came in as the underdog, being the #12 ranked Featherweight facing the fifth-ranked fighter. Although it was scheduled for five rounds, not more than a minute was needed for Sung Jung to get the victory at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, USA.

The fight only lasted a minute, with Sung Jung taking control of the fight with a strong overhand right which dropped Moicano. On the ground, Sung Jung tried for a rear naked choke on top position and landed strikes after Moicano flattened out on the ground. The referee stopped the contest with just a few seconds left in the first minute.

Sung Jung has now tripled his losses with wins, extending his record to 15-5. Renato Moicano was only given his third career loss from this bout, with the previous one coming from Jose Aldo back in February. The Korean Zombie bounced back from a previous prolific loss to Yiar Rodriguez, where an elbow landed in the final seconds of the fifth round.

Henry Cejudo Becomes Bantamweight Champ and Double Champ In Chicago

Henry Cejudo added his name to the short list of UFC double champions on Saturday after defeating Marlon Moraes for the Bantamweight Championship. After a succession of hammer fist strikes on the ground in the third round the referee stopped the fight, making Cejudo the winner. After his win in Chicago, Illinois at the United Center, Cejudo became the 7th UFC fighter to hold two belts at once.

The first round went more in Moraes’ favour, with his striking being what gave him the edge. In the second round Cejudo landed better strikes, consistently finding success with throwing knees while in a clinch. Cejudo took Moraes to the ground in the third where he tried for a guillotine choke, did elbows from a top position and then did hammerfist punches which lead to the fight’s conclusion.

After the fight he listed Dominick Cruz, Cody Garbrandt and Uriah Faber as who he wants to fight next. He also said he wants to fight at 145 pounds in the future.

Earlier on the card Valentina Shevchenko retained her Flyweight Championship, defeating Jessica Eye with a head kick KO.

All of the website’s coverage of UFC 238 can be found here

UFC 238 Full Report: Henry Cejudo Becomes Double Champ

On Saturday, UFC came back with their PPV event “UFC 238.” The stacked card included two championship bouts, with Valentina Shevchenko battling Jessica Eye and Henry Cejudo chasing his second belt against Marlon Moraes. Before we get to those bouts lets look at the prelims.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Katlyn Chookagian (#2) (11-2) vs. Joanne Calderwood (#6) (13-3) (Flyweight)

The evening started with the first of five women’s fights on the card. Katlyn Chookagian faced Joanne Calderwood. Early on in the bout Calderwood was utilizing her leg kicks quite frequently. Chookagian was more focused on throwing punches and knees. She seemingly was trying for a takedown but never really committed to it. Calderwood landed a takedown in the first minute of the second, with both fighters standing up shortly after. Chookagian started to land strong combos of punches in the second. Calderwood shot for a takedown but was denied by Chookagian. She did land a slam after catching a kick a minute later though. The round ended with Calderwood in a top position while Chookagian was an armbar. A very large hematoma started to form on Chookagian’s forehead as the round concluded. In the third around another kick was caught and turned into a takedown by Calderwood. Once they got back up, Chookagian landed another hard two punch combination. Calderwood taunted Chookagian in the final minute of the fight. The fight went the distance with Katlyn Chookagian winning the fight unanimously (30-27, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Chookagian	9	10	9	28
Calderwood	10	9	10	29

Bout 2: Eddie Wineland (23-13-1) vs. Grigorii Popov (14-2) (Bantamweight)

Despite a close age range between these two fighters, veteran UFC fighter Eddie Wineland fought newcomer Grigorii Popov in the next bout. Wineland was stalking down Popov right off the bat. He started to land good right hands that were shaking Popov. Popov got a cut around his left eye which was bleeding quite a bit. He landed a few good knees to the head in the round, although Wineland’s punches seemed to be more effective. Wineland tried for a takedown at the start of the second round although Popov denied it. Wineland got a takedown with two minutes left but was flipped back up in only seconds. With under a minute in the second round, Wineland dropped Popov with strikes. He tried for a guillotine but eventually gave up. With 30 seconds left in the round Popov was retreating. He took a knee after being dropped by more punches, making the referee step in and end the bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Wineland	10
Popov	9

Bout 3: Bevon Lewis (6-1) vs. Darren Stewart (9-4) (Middleweight)

The third early prelim bout was Bevon Lewis versus Darren Stewart. Early on in the bout Lewis was falling over when getting hit with leg kicks. He clinched up against the cage for a while afterwards. At the end of the first round both fighters landed quite a few punches after the horn. Lewis landed a knee mid-way through the second that looked good. The second round was a more inactive one from both fighters. The fight went the distance,w with the crowd booing them afterwards. The judges gave Darren Stewart the win (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Lewis	9	10	9	28
Stewart	10	9	10	29

Bout 4: Yan Xiaonan (10-1) vs. Angela Hill (9-6) (Strawweight)

The final early prelim fight was Angela Hill facing Yan Xiaonan. In the first round Xiaonan was in top position but got caught in a triangle choke. Xiaonan survived the round, possibly being saved by the bell. The second round had some great striking from both figthers on display. Xiaonan landed a takedown in the finale minute of the round as well. The aggressive striking from both competitors continued through the third round. After the three roubnds, Yan Xiaonan won via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Xionan	9	10	9	28
Hill	10	9	10	29

Bout 5: Ricardo Lamas (#10) (19-7) vs. Calvin Kattar (#15) (19-3) (Featherweight)

The first prelim on ESPN fight was Ricardo Lamas versus Calvin Kattar. Halfway through the first round, Lamas was hurt by a left jab. Before then, they both had some close striking, with not much landing. Kattar landed a two strike combo in the final minute of the first that folded Lamas.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Lamas
Kattar

Bout 6: Karolina Kowalkiewicz (#10) (13-4) vs. Alexa Grasso (#13) (10-2) (Strawweight)

Heading back to the strawweight division, Karolina Kowalkiewicz faced Alexa Grasso in the next bout. Early on it seemed like Grasso’s punches was landing consistently. Not only that, Grasso had a higher amount of punches thrown. At the end of the round Grasso clinched up against the cage. While Kowalkiewicz landed more in the second, Grasso’s success continued. In the final round, Grasso did a good combo of knees to the head while clinching Kowalkiewicz. Both fighters were swinging like crazy in the final seconds. Grasso put in a standing rear naked choke until the round ended. The crowd was very loud for the end of this bout. The judges gave Alexa Grasso the win unanimously (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Kowalkiewicz	9	9
Grasso	10	10

Bout 7: Aljamain Sterling (#3) (17-3) vs. Pedro Munhoz (#4) (18-3) (Bantamweight)

Aljamain Sterling and Pedro Munhoz fought in an eliminator bout to continue the prelims. For most of the round Sterling had the more dominant striking, keeping a distance and coming in when he had something to throw. At the end of the round Munhoz landed a good knee that possibly shook Sterling. The second round was much closer, with Munhoz finding success with leg kicks. In the second half of the round Sterling was dropped by a kick. Munhoz tried for a guillotine from that position but let it go almost right after. Both fighters kept a fast tempo of strikes through to the end of the third round. Sterling was getting fired up at the end, shouting at Munhoz in-between strikes. The fight went the full three rounds with the judges giving it to Aljamain Sterling unanimously (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Sterling	10	9	10	29
Munhoz	9	10	9	28

Bout 8: Tatiana Suarez (#2) (8-0) vs. Nina Ansaroff (#3) (10-5) (Strawweight)

Finishing off the prelims was a top contender bout for the strawweights. Not only 30 seconds into the first round, Suarez shot for a takedown on Ansaroff. She got the takedown, with the fighters standing up against the cage with three minutes left in the round. Suarez brought the fight right back down to the ground. Suarez stayed dominant throughout the first round. There was a pause in the second round as Ansaroff was hit win the groin. Suarez failed a takedown attempt in the third round. The final round was Ansaroff’s wheelhouse as it stayed stand-up the whole time. Ansaroff fired off a great combo of strikes at the end of the round. The judges all gave the fight to Tatiana Suarez (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Suarez	10	10
Ansaroff	9	9

Main Card

Bout 9: Tai Tuivasa #11 (10-1) vs. Blagoy Ivanov (#13) (17-2) (Heavyweight)

Starting off the PPV was a heavyweight clash between Tai Tuivasa and Blagoy Ivanov. Halfway through the first round, Tuivasa was tagged by Ivanov. Ivanov tried for a guillotine standing against the cage but Tuivasa escaped. Tuivasa got shook by some punches in the final seconds of the first round as well. Ivanov was the one retreating in the opening minutes of the second round. Ivanov put in a guillotine at the end of the round. Tuivasa tapped, but it was a second after the bell, whether it was to submit or to just tell him to get off of him. Ivanov tried for the guillotine once again but lost control of it. When he tried for the standing guillotine again, he landed knees to the head while doing so. The fighters were tremendously tired by the final round. The fight went the distance. Blagoy Ivanov was given the victory unanimously (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Tuivasa	9	9	9	27
Ivanov	10	10	10	30

Bout 10: Jimmie Rivera (#7) (22-3) vs. Petr Yan (#9) (12-1) (Bantamweight)

The next bout was Jimmie Rivera versus Petr Yan. In the final seconds of the first round Rivera was dropped be a strike. He survived until the horn went. Rivera was knocked down at the end of the second after a close competition. Yan was dominating the fight. Yan did a great spinning move to escape a single leg takedown attempt in the third. A pause happened in the third round after Yan was eye poked. The fight went all the rounds, with the judges giving Petr Yan the win (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Rivera	9	9
Yan	10	10

Bout 11: Donald Cerrone (36-11) (#4) vs. Tony Ferguson (25-3) (#2) (Lightweight)

In the final fight before title bouts, two people who don’t need an introduction, Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson, fought. Both fighters had their moments in the first round although Cerrone was landing better shots. Cerrone’s nose started to bleed heavily in the second round. Cerrone landed a takedown with two minutes to go in the second. They went back to stand-up right after they went down. In the second round Ferguson landed tons of head strikes, making it a dominant round for him. Ferguson landed a right hand a second after the second round horn went. The crowd booed quite heavily for this. There was a pause before the final round was set to start because Cerrone’s right eye had completely swollen up. The doctors did not allow him to fight, ending the bout in-between rounds. They checked a replay and made sure the shot after the bell to make sure the strike wasn’t what caused the eye swelling. The fight ended due to a doctors stoppage and Tony Ferguson was given the victory. After the fight Ferguson told Joe Rogan to talk to Cerrone.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Cerrone	10	9
Ferguson	9	10

Bout 12: Valentina Shevchenko (Champion) (16-3) vs. Jessica Eye (#1) (14-6) (Flyweight Championship)

In the first of two championship belts of the evening, Valentina Shevchenko fought Jessica Eye for the Flyweight Championship. Shevchenko was landing body kicks early on. She landed a body lock takedown in the first minute of the bout. Shevchenko was dominant on top for the rest of the round, putting Eye in trouble a few times. At the start of the second round, Valentina Shevchenko landed a kick to the head that floored Eye and ended the bout. There was a lot of worry about Eye afterwards as she was on the ground for a long time.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Shevchenko	10
Eye	9

Bout 13: Henry Cejudo (14-2) (C) vs. Marlon Moraes (#1) (22-5-1) (Bantamweight Championship)

In the main event of the show, Henry Cejudo faced Marlon Moraes for the Bantamweight Championship. Moraes had quite striking at the start of the first round. Cejudo shot for a takedown after a minute or so but didn’t secure it. Moraes continued to have dominant striking through the first. Near the end of the second round Cejudo started to land some punches that looked to be damaging Moraes. Cejudo got much more aggressive. In clinch he landed knees to the head. Moraes shot for a takedown which was blocked. Both fighters were teeing off as the horn went. A timeout was called in the third round as Moraes was eye poked. Cejudo continued to see success with knees in a clinch in the third round. Cejudo put Moraes in a guillotine on the ground which looked pretty snug. He leg go of it, and did a knee to the body. Moraes tried for a submission hold that didn’t work either. Cejudo landed elbows from above in increments. He stood up and landed hammer fist strikes which made the referee end the bout. Henry Cejudo became one of the only people who have been a UFC double champion (Flyweight and Bantamweight). After the fight he called out Dominick Cruz, Cody Garbrandt and Uriah Faber, and said he wants to move up to 145 pounds sometime.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Cejudo	9	10
Moraes	10	9

As UFC concluded tonight, Henry Cejudo and Valentina Shevchenko continued to reign supreme. UFC’s next event is on the 22nd, with Renato Moicano facing Chan Sung Jung AKA “Korean Zombie” in Greenville, South Carolina. Two events after that, UFC 239 will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas during International Fight Week.

Full coverage of UFC 238 can be found here

Valentina Shevchenko Retains Flyweight Championship With KO Win

Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko earned her first UFC Flyweight Championship defence on Saturday, defeating Jessica Eye in the second round via head kick. From the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, USA, Shevchenko landed a head kick in just under a minute of the second round, not needing any extra strikes to close out the contest.

The fight was in the co-main event slot of UFC 238, with Henry Cejudo versus Marlon Moraes for the Bantamweight Championship in the main event of the show.

The first round was a dominant one for Shevchenko as well, as she scored a takedown after landing some decent striking, notably body kicks. She stayed in control on the ground until the round ended. The finish of the fight had people worried as Jessica Eye was on the ground for quite some time before getting up.

Valentina Shevchenko earned her championship back in December, defeating Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 231 in Toronto.

For full UFC 238 coverage, head to the website’s MMA frontpage.

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.

UFC 237 Full Report: Andrade Becomes New Strawweight Champion

UFC returned on Saturday with another one of their pay-per-view hallmark events. UFC 237 included a Strawweight Championship bout between defending champ Rose Namajunas and challenger Jessica Andrade. Andrade, like many names on this card, were fighting in the comfort of their passionate home country of Brazil. The card was booked accordingly, with 14 Brazilian fighters on the 12 bout card. Among them were Jose Aldo and Anderson Silva, two big names not only in Brazilian MMA but MMA in general. Let’s go through the whole evening of festivities, starting with the preliminary fights.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Talita Bernardo (#15) (5-3) vs. Viviane Araujo (6-1) (Bantamweight)

Kicking off the evening was a Brazilian versus Brazilian matchup, with Viviane Araujo debuting against Talita Bernardo. Araujo had a successful run in the Japanese promotion Pancrase in recent years. In this fight Araujo was constantly bouncing on her toes, coming in for combos or strikes and then backing out. In the final minute of the first round, Bernardo shot for a takedown which Araujo took control of, taking the top position. Araujo tries for a rear naked choke as the round concluded. Bernardo started to land more strikes at the start of the second. Araujo started to land her overhand right with great power. Another takedown was defended by Araujo. Araujo landed a takedown with roughly a minute left in the second round. Bernardo landed a great combo as the round ended. In the first minute of round three, Araujo dropped Bernardo with a right hand. No extra strikes were needed to conclude the bout. She had previously fought at Strawweight in her career, and said after the bout that she plans to go back to that division.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Bernardo	10	10
Araujo	9	9

Bout 2: Raoni Barcelos (13-1) vs. Carlos Huachin (10-3-2) (Bantamweight)

The next bout was Brazilian Raoni Barcelos versus Carlos Huachin. Both fighters were throwing some heavy hands in the first round. The tempo of strikes thrown in the first was very fast. Barcelos tried for a takedown at the start of the second round but take up unsuccessful. Huachin was dropped by a right jab. Barcelos attempted to finish the fight on the ground, landing tons of punches. Huachin made himself vulnerable to many holds, with Barcelos trying things from many angles. In the final moments of the second round, Barcelos started to land elbows which made the referee step in and end the bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Barcelos	9
Huachin	10

Bout 3: Priscila Cachoeira (8-2) vs. Luana Carolina (5-1) (Flyweight)

The Fight Pass Early Prelims finished with Priscila Cachoeira and Luana Carolina facing each other. Throughout the first round, Carolina was using a thai clinch to slow down offense or land strikes. Cachoeira was the fighter consistently walking down her opponent. Carolina got a cut under her eye. Cachoeira caught a kick at one point and then made Carolina fall by kicking the other leg off balance. Both fighters had great moments in the first round. After Cachoeira was eating strikes for quite some time, she was floored by a kick to the head. Carolina tried for a submission the ground afterwards, putting in an armbar that did not put away the fight. As they were about to go to their feet, Carolina landed a knee to a still grounded Cachoeira. There was a pause in the fight, but a point was not taken away. They went back to the ground for a little of the final minute of the second round. Carolina continued to outstrike a very fatigued Cachoeira in the final round. The judges gave Luana Carolina the win unanimously (30-26, 30-26 & 29-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Cachoeira	9	8	9	26
Carolina	10	10	10	30

Bout 4: Clay Guida (34-18) vs. BJ Penn (16-13-2) (Lightweight)

Kicking off the prelims on ESPN was veterans Clay Guida and BJ Penn facing each other. Guida went into this bout as a -700 favourite. In the first round Penn was much more composed while Guida was doing his usual all around the place fight style. Guida shot for a takedown in the second round but wasn’t successful. Penn was getting hit consistently with punches in the final round. The judges gave Clay Guida a unanimous victory (29-28, 29-28 & 29-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Guida	9	10	10	29
Penn	10	9	9	28

Bout 5: Warlley Alves (12-3) vs. Sergio Moraes (14-4-1) (Welterweight)

Continuing on with the prelims, Warlley Alves fought Sergio Moraes in a Welterweight bout. In the first round, Moraes was landing good combos. Alves threw tons of kicks. There was a pause after Moraes said he got poked in the eyes. The kicks continued to be effective for Alves in the second round. In the final round he started to tee off with punches. After a very dominant performance throughout, Alves finally ended the fight in it’s final scheduled minute. A knee and an uppercut is what put away Moraes.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Alves	10	10
Moraes	9	9

Bout 6: Thiago Moises (11-3) vs. Kurt Holobaugh (17-6) (Lightweight)

It was a battle between two Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series fighters in the next bout. As many people will/have tonight, Holobaugh got boos from the crowd. Both fighters were hot out the gates, with Holobaugh shooting for a takedown up against the cage. He didn’t get it, with Moises keeping it was stand-up. He tried again a minute later but didn’t get a different result. Moises landed a takedown shortly after. He landed elbows while in half guard. At the start of round two, Holobaugh got hit with some hard punches but shook them off. He landed a double leg takedown and stayed on the ground for a short amount of time. Holobaugh started to string together some good combinations in the second half of the round. Holobaugh slipped in the third round after a kick to the leg, letting Moises take top position on the ground. Shortly after they got back up, Moises landed a single leg takedown. Moises put in a rear naked choke but couldn’t finish the bout with it. Holobaugh was on top for a minute or so on the ground. Moises landed a hard slam for a takedown, landing strikes on the ground until the final round ended. The judges all gave Thiago Moises the victory (30-26, 30-26 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Moises	10	10	10	30
Holobaugh	9	9	9	27

Bout 7: Rogerio Nogueira (23-8) vs. Ryan Spann (15-5) (Light Heavyweight)

Finishing off the preliminary card for UFC 237 was Rogerio Nogueira facing Ryan Spann. Spann landed a takedown within the first minute, putting in an arm triangle that Nogueira escaped. Spann tried for another takedown but couldn’t land it. Spann dropped Nogueira with a left uppercut that ended the bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Nogueira
Spann

Main Card

Bout 8: Irene Aldana (#11) (9-4) vs. Bethe Correia (#13) (10-3-1) (Bantamweight)

The main card started with Irene Aldana facing Bethe Correira. Corriera weighed in at 141 for this 135-pound bout, but Aldana agreed to continue on with the bout. She lost 40% of her fight purse due to not making weight in time. The first round was a slow one with Aldana finding success by using her reach advantage. Correira found ways to close the distance in the second round and land more of her own strikes. In the final round, Correira started to string together good combinations, consistently being the one who was advancing in the octagon. When the fight went to the ground with a takedown from Corriera, but Aldana showed good defence and put in an armbar and got a submission victory. Correira was bleeding heavily afterwards.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Aldana	10	9
Correia	9	10

Bout 9: Thiago Alves (23-13) vs. Laureano Staropoli (8-1) (Welterweight)

The next fight on the card was Thiago Alves versus Laureano Staropoli. The fight was mostly a close striking battle. The final round started with very aggressive swinging by both guys. Alves landed a takedown, but Staropoli got up moments later. They both had great pacing, still throwing with speed and power in the third round. Alves tried for a second takedown but was stopped. The fight went the distance with the judges gave Staropoli the win (30-27, 30-27 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Alves	9	9	9	27
Staropoli	10	10	10	30

Bout 10: Jose Aldo (#1) (28-4) vs. Alexander Volkanovski (#4) (19-1) (Featherweight)

Jose Aldo fought in his home country against Alexander Volkanovski in the next matchup. The first round was a striking battle, with both fighters being very methodical. Volkanovski seemingly landed more, but every time Aldo did anything the crowd would become unglued. Aldo was poked in the eye in the second, making a warning get issued to Volkanovski. The final round was the continuation of the dominant performance that Volkanovski was already putting on. All three judges gave Alexander Volkanovski the victory (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Aldo	9	9	9	27
Volkanovski	10	10	10	30

Bout 11: Jared Cannonier (#10) (11-4) vs. Anderson Silva (34-9) (#14) (Middleweight)

In the co-main event slot of the PPV, Anderson Silva fought Jared Cannonier. The first round was somewhat close until Silva was dropped by a leg kick. He fell down and obviously injured his right leg. The fight was ended by referee Herb Dean. Cannonier was getting booed after the fight, and said that he didn’t respect the crowd since they aren’t respecting him.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Cannonier
Silva

In the main event of the evening, “Thug” Rose Namajunas put her Strawweight Championship on the line against Jessica Andrade. In the first round, Namajunas was consistently hitting Andrade with jabs. Very early on Andrade had a cut around an eye. Andrade got ahold of Namajunas and slammed her down, but couldn’t get anything done before Namajunas brought it back to the feet. Namajunas landed a takedown as well, but both of them getting up almost right after. After Namajunas landed a knee, Andrade went to the ground in full defensive mode. The first round ended with Namajunas defending a takedown. Andrade showed more life in the second by throwing combinations. Near the end of the second round, Andrade slammed Namajunas on her head for a takedown, knocking her out and ending the bout. Jessica Andrade is the new UFC Strawweight Champion. Andrade and her corner were all very emotional afterwards.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Namajunas	10
Andrade	9

UFC returns next weekend with “UFC ON ESPN+ 10” in Rochester, New York, with Rafael Dos Anjos and Kevin Lee main eventing. The next pay-per-view that the promotion is running is just under a month away, with Henry Cejudo and Marlon Moraes fighting for the Bantamweight Championship. Also on the card, Valentina Shevchenko will defend her Flyweight Championship against Jessica Eye.

Nate Diaz set to face Anthony Pettis at UFC 241

Nearly two years after his last MMA fight, Nate Diaz will compete against Anthony Pettis at UFC 241. Reported by Ariel Helwani at ESPN, the news of the matchup came Saturday evening. The fight is scheduled to take place on August 17th at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, USA.

“Showtime” Anthony Pettis is coming off a main event victory over Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, getting his second round victory from a superman punch. Before that he lost to Tony Ferguson after a hand injury made his corner call the bout in-between rounds.

Nate Diaz last fought in 2016 against Conor McGregor, with McGregor tying the rivalry between them after a five round decision victory. The bout before that was his first meeting against “Mystic Mac,” getting a second round rear naked choke victory as a +350 underdog. Diaz originally set to make his return back in November at Madison Square Garden facing Dustin Poirier. The fight was cancelled after Poirier pulled out with an injury.

The August show is scheduled to include Daniel Cormier defending his Heavyweight Championship in a rematch against Stipe Miocic. Their first fight was in July of last year, with Cormier getting a KO victory to become champion. Since then he has defended the belt once, defeating Derrick Lewis in the aforementioned November event at Madison Square Garden, UFC 230. Yoel Romero versus Paulo Costa is also currently scheduled to be on the card.