UFC 302 ‘Makhachev vs. Poirier’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring (2024)

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Andre Lima(130: Missed Weight) vs. MitchRaposo (125)

BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Lima (-218), Raposo (+180)

Round 1

Just a little over a year ago, the promotion turned to an oldfavorite city it used to frequent back in the mid-2010s, putting onan interesting title fight with a non-title five-rounder in theco-headliner spot. The UFC swings back again in relative shortorder, deciding to post up outside of New York City while stilldrawing plenty of eyeballs. As a note, this will be the first eventto feature the newly designed gloves, ones that were touted toreduce eye pokes. A dozen bouts with plenty of ranking’ssignificance from women’s 135 pounds all the way up topound-for-pound consideration will play out, but the first of 12has zero relevance in that metric because it comes at an unplannedcatchweight. Raposo (9-1, 0-0 UFC) and his shiny new contract willcontend with the heavy Lima (8-0, 1-0 UFC), who appears to still bereeling from his “Charlie Bit Me” incident against Igor da Silva inMarch. Referee Herb Dean will make sure no chomping happens thistime around, and the fight begins with a glove touch. Lima moves tothe center of the cage, walking Raposo down, and he sits down on aheavy calf kick that immediately forces a stance switch. Raposofinds a way in and dives forward with two punches, and Lima batsthem away and chops at the calf hard while chants of “USA” raindown against him. Lima goes for another kick low down to the calf,and each time he has struck it, Raposo has changed stances. Raposoreplies with a rapid-fire combination to keep Lima honest, but Limadoes not pay it much mind as he attacks the front leg once more.Raposo lashes out with a pair of punches, and Lima’s composurenever wavers and instead pounds the front leg twice after a stanceswitch from the Massachusetts native. Raposo strides forward tothrow hands, and Lima intercepts him with a crisp knee up themiddle. When Raposo settles down, Lima blasts his front leg, andRaposo shakes his leg out in response. Lima keeps battering eitherlead leg that is presented to him, and Raposo tries to check one byturning his shin in, and the sound of the shins clacking togetherechoes in the cage. Raposo circles his way into punch strings, buthis general lack of offense prompts a clapping of Dean to fightmore. Lima nails the lead when once more, prompting Raposo to letgo with hands to the body. Lima turns his hips into a particularlyharsh leg kick, and Raposo spins all the way around to get hisbearings. Lima pushes off with his fingers outstretched, grazingRaposo’s eye, and Raposo waves Dean off and unloads a right handthat catches the Brazilian standing still. Lima lets loose with twohigh kicks that bounce off the guard, and he is warned for hisfingers pointed towards his foe’s face. Lima keeps working on thefront legs of his opponent, allowing Raposo to change his stance sohe can smack the other. This continues until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lima
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lima
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Lima

Round 2

The fighters clap hands to lead off the second round, and Raposo ismuch more active to get going. A few series of punches come fromthe American, with quick hands largely targeting the body. Limano-sells the punches and continues stalking Raposo down, where hechambers and releases a head kick that slams into the guard. Limaattempts another step-in knee, and he parries the oncoming puncheswhen Raposo tries to close the distance. Lima drills the front calfwith a kick, and Raposo backpedals and considers a stance switchbut would rather present his left leg. Raposo comes up short on ahaymaker, and Lima allows him to fall off-balance so he can workthe leg again. Raposo targets the body with punches, and Limaswitches up to attack the inside of his adversary’s legs withruthless kicks. Lima cuts Raposo off, and Raposo tries to drive himback with a trio of punches that all get blocked. Lima slams hisshin into Raposo’s calf, and he pushes out his finger and swipesRaposo in the eye. Dean calls time and issues Lima a hard warning,and Lima gives an apology. They restart, and Raposo reaches himwith a left hand. Lima comes back at him with low kicks, and Deanonce more admonishes the Brazilian for his fingers pointed out.Lima fakes a kick, and Raposo jumps away with a major reaction.Lima pokes his man in the eye, and Raposo steps back and wipes hiseye. A confused moment for both fighters results in Dean tellingLima to be careful, and they restart again. Raposo shoots for atakedown and hits it, and Lima blatantly grabs the cage to pullhimself back up to his feet. Lima chases Raposo down and kicks hima few more times before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lima
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lima
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Lima

Round 3

The fighters tap hands together to get going, and Raposo giveschase early to throw hands. Raposo swipes out with overhand rights,and Lima calmly backs him off with a straight right hand inresponse. Lima gets off a low kick, and he fires a second one offto the ribs. Lima reaches out with a right hand and a front kick tothe solar plexus, and he springs away from a double jab. TheBrazilian fearlessly stalks forward, setting up a heavy body kickand seemingly unconcerned about anything Raposo gives back. The twomen trade body shots, and Lima follows one with a kick down at thebase of the calf. Lima plants a second kick down low, and Raposo’spunch salvo ricochets off the raised guard. Lima splits the guardwith a left hand, and Raposo walks through it and gives one singleblow back. Lima slaps the front leg with yet another kick, and asecond is checked. Raposo slips in a left hand, but it isone-and-done before he backpedals. Lima measures a straight lefthand, and Raposo stands him up with an uppercut and a left hand.Raposo ducks and connects with a left hand, and Lima frazzles himwith two leg kicks that briefly put him down. Raposo bounces up andaway from a sweeping body kick, and Lima manages to find him with asharp jab. Raposo tries to attempt a takedown, only for Lima totoss him aside and push him to the wall. Lima gets off one kneebefore they split up, and he chases after Raposo until the fightwraps.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lima (30-27 Lima)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lima (30-27 Lima)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Lima (30-27 Lima)

The Official Result

Andre Lima def. Mitch Raposo via Split Decision (30-27, 28-29,30-27)

JoselyneEdwards (136) vs. Ailin Perez(135)

BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Perez (-198), Edwards (+164)

Round 1

One lone women’s bout will play out on the billing tonight, and itcomes now at the 135-pound division between two women that will notlikely go out for a beer after. In the last few years, Argentina’sPerez (9-2, 2-1 UFC) has built a pattern of winning two and losingthe third, and she currently rides a two-fight win streak. Lookingto keep that pattern going will be Edwards (13-5, 4-3 UFC), who hasheard the final bell in all seven of her previous outings in theOctagon. Referee Gasper Oliver may be in it for the long haul, andhe clocks the grudge match in as they have no interest in touchinggloves first—although Perez does offer. Perez backs off and reachesout low kicks, and Edwards checks one and throws a front kick back.Perez punches, and she moves in to grab hold of Edwards and dragsher back to the cage by putting her own back to the wall. This isall part of the plan, even as she eats a solid knee to the body, asshe slings Edwards down to the floor. “La Pantera” fights her wayback up with the fence behind her, so Perez mat returns her backdown with a throw that plants her on her back in the middle of thecage. Perez lands a few punches from on top, and she is warned forpunches to the back of the head. Edwards sweeps her when Pereztries to pass guard, and a wild scramble results in multiplereversals and changes in position. Edwards finds her way on top,and Perez flips her back over, only to get put on her back asEdwards times Perez advancing again. Edwards scoots her way to thecage wall, and as soon as she stands back up, Perez tosses her backdown. “Fiona” settles down and hacks down with elbows, remainingmore composed and less reckless so she can rack up control timewithout getting swept. Edwards hangs on with an arm-triangle offher back, and Perez completely ignores it as she resides in halfguard, grinding out the round and dropping occasional elbows. Pereztries to move to mount, and Edwards remarkably flips her over oncemore. The amusing round ends with Edwards on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Perez

Round 2

Edwards comes out of her corner and takes the center of the cage,only to get driven back by two punches and an attempted high kick.Edwards replies with a single body kick, and she blocks a head kickaimed her direction. Perez defends from a high kick and a haymakerby swiping out with a left hook that stuns Perez momentarily. Perezshoots recklessly for a takedown, and Edwards snatches up aguillotine that is tight in a hurry. The Panamanian uses thesubmission to push Perez on her back, and she lands in half guard.Edwards postures up to land strikes occasionally, and as she lowersherself down, she smashes Perez in the face with her forehead withwhat appears to be an intentional headbutt. Perez clutches hercheek after the illegal blow, and Oliver calls time. Perez appearscompromised from the blow, and Oliver simply asks Edwards to watchher head without issuing a hard warning or taking a point. Oliverclocks them back in, and Perez is still holding onto her cheek.When they do continue, Perez totally shocks her foe with a spinningback fist, knocking Edwards clean off her feet. Edwards appearsstunned, and she somehow comes to her senses as Perez does not givechase. Instead, the two appear confused, and Perez decides totackle Edwards to the mat. Perez falls off the side, and shepursues an armbar, only for Edwards to flip her over. Edwards holdstop position to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Perez

Round 3

Once more, Edwards is the aggressor to lead off the round, butPerez takes advantage of that by kicking her hard in the ribs.Edwards overswings, and Perez attempts to take her down. Edwardsstonewalls her, and Perez tries again to no avail. On this secondeffort, Edwards shuts her down and pushes her towards the fence.Perez kicks off the fence to change her position, and she hunts fora hip toss but cannot get it this time. Edwards stays tightlypressed in the clinch, and the two tie their legs up until Perezchucks her to the mat. Edwards stands back up, and Perez backs offand pulls on the fence to stand back up. Edwards backs her off witha front kick, and she chases after a retreating Perez and kicks herin the front leg as well. A second low kick from Edwards forces abrief change in stances, and the pace wanes significantly. Perezcomes up short on a big left hand, and Edwards spins with a backfist but is blocked. Perez tosses out a half-hearted high kick thateasily gets redirected, and her leg kick comes up short. Edwardsgoes after her with reaching punches, and she misses the mark.Edwards plants a kick on the chest, and they trade leg kicks untilEdwards catches her with a few punches. Perez spins with a backfist, and they both smile and touch gloves in a potential sign thatthe bad blood is dissipating. They keep slamming one another in thefront leg with kicks, and Perez turns her hips to her side todeliver a solid side kick to the body. Edwards throws a fewpunches, and Perez rushes forward to take her down and lands itwith seconds to spare. As Edwards stands, the fight ends, and thetwo women hug it out and appear to apologize to one another foreverything that transpired between them. The teams also shake handswith one another, and the bantamweight share a finalizingembrace.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards (29-28 Perez)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Perez (30-27 Perez)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Perez (30-27 Perez)

The Official Result

Ailin Perez def. Joselyne Edwards via Unanimous Decision (30-27,29-28, 29-28)

BassilHafez (170) vs. Mickey Gall(170)

BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Hafez (-325), Gall (+260)

Round 1

After over two years away, UFC 203 project Gall (7-5, 6-5 UFC)makes his return to the cage trying to shed the weight of atwo-fight skid. Hafez (8-4-1, 0-1 UFC), a Pennsylvanian who madewaves in a nailbiter loss to Jack Della Maddalena last July, willstep up to the challenge in a vastly different level ofcompetition. Fists are sure to fly, but before they do, refereeJason Herzog checks in the New Jersey vs. PA matchup as thewelterweights do not plan on touching gloves. Instead, Hafezpractically sprints at him, and he pulls back before reaching thegrappler. Gall circles away, pawing out his jab, and Hafez reacheshim with an overhand right. Hafez hand-fights and looks to work hisway in, but the longer Gall is still keeping him at bay. Hafezslams a low kick home and lands a right hand, and he grins at Gallas if he knows something Gall does not. Hafez jabs the body andwings an overhand right that gets Gall’s attention, and he walkshim down and marks his nose up with a follow-up left. Gall bouncesoff the fence to recover, and Hafez clubs him with a right hand anda left hook. Hafez connects with ah overhand right, splitting opena cut on the bridge of Gall’s nose, and his high kick that fliesshortly thereafter barely misses. Without fear, Hafez stalks Galldown, unloading strikes and shrugging off anything that comes backhis way. Hafez falls over after throwing a head kick, and Gall doesnot chase him to the mat and instead legs him back up. Hafez beatshim to the punch with a jab and a right hand, and he snaps the headback with a particularly solid left hook. Gall prods out with afront kick and takes a look at the clock, and Hafez winds up withpower shots that bounce off the shoulder. Hafez takes a clean righthand and rushes forward, and he turns his hips into a low kick.Hafez leaps forward with a jump knee, and whiffs on a heavy righthand. Gall sneaks in a right over the top, and he engages in a wildslugfest that results in Hafez getting tagged at the end of anexchange. Hafez wears it well and takes a heavy right hand on theside of the head, and he sticks his tongue out. Gall lets his handsgo, clipping Hafez with a combination, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hafez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Hafez
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Hafez

Round 2

Like the last round, Hafez is the immediate aggressor, and hethreatens with early jabs. Gall prepares intercepting blows, seeingthe telegraphed shots aimed at his head, and he catches Hafezleaping forward. Hafez still manages to hit him hard, and a lefthand flusters Gall’s right eye. The two end up clashing together,and their heads clack together. Hafez pays it no mind and winds upwith power strikes, and he busts Gall’s nose open. Gall strafes tothe side, and Hafez measures him with a clean left hand thatstaggers Gall. Hafez keeps walking him down, and he walks through aright hand so he can unload with heavy blows. Gall spits blood outand keeps moving, and he puts everything into a pair of puncheswhile Hafez does the same. They both sit down on big right hands,and neither man flinches. Gall digs a left to the body, and Hafezpoints at his body to bring it on. This results in a brief flurryof fists on both sides, and Hafez connects with a pair of cleanhooks. Gall shoots in for a takedown, and Hafez lands on his sideand springs back to his feet, where he lines up two punches on hisway up. Gall loads up and manages to reach his man, and a shortelbow gets Hafez’ attention. Gall doubles up on a jab and railsHafez with a right hand, and Hafez slams his face and asks formore. When Gall tries for more, Hafez shoots in for a double-legtakedown, and Gall defends with a guillotine choke but loses itwhen he hits his back. Hafez stands back up and kicks Gall’s legs,and Gall blows a kiss at him. When Gall stands up, the round ends,and both men signal to the crowd.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gall
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Gall
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Hafez

Round 3

For the third time in three rounds, Hafez runs to the middle of thecage, and this time, he plants his feet and swings for the fences.Gall is out of the way before getting caught, and he backs awayfrom a left and takes a glancing right on the side of the head.Hafez throws everything he has into a few strikes, and a right handopens a cut on the corner of Gall’s left eye. Gall does not mindthe blood and loads up on a mighty right hand that stings Hafez.Hafez willingly engages in a slugfest, and Gall times him with aright hand but eats one back. Gall trades with him, and he getsrocked with an uppercut. As Hafez runs at him, Gall plans a perfectright hand on the chin that knocks Hafez to his seat. Hafez laughsand jumps back up, and Gall shoots for a takedown and completes itfor a second. Hafez climbs right back up, and the two trade leatherviolently. Hafez sells out for a takedown, and Gall smartly defendswith a guillotine and has it tight. Hafez wriggles his neck out ofdanger, and he moves into half guard. Gall works his way uprightwith the wall behind him, and the crowd gives it up for him. Theyseparate and get back to striking range, and a Gall right handbusts Hafez’s cheek up and draws swelling. They both unleash powershots, and Hafez gets his bell rung but he throws back with badintentions. Hafez steels himself, takes a deep breath and releasesa head kick. Hafez then shoots in for a takedown, and Gall stops itin its tracks and knees Hafez in the face. Hafez tries for anothertakedown, his hands slowing, and Gall appears to be fresher andmore defensively sound. Gall lines up two right hands, and Hafezlicks his chops and asks for more. Hafez ducks under an elbow andsecures a takedown, placing himself in half guard and flatteningGall out. Rather than grinding the rest of the round out, Hafezbacks off and asks Gall to trade with him. Gall happily obligeshim, and they swing it out until Hafez attacks with one finalflying knee. Gall pushes him aside, and the entertaining 15-minuteaffair comes to a close, with the judges undoubtedly having theirhands full here.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gall (29-28 Gall)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Gall (29-28 Gall)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Gall (29-28 Hafez)

The Official Result

Bassil Hafez def. Mickey Gall via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27,29-28)

JakeMatthews (170) vs. Philip Rowe(171)

BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Matthews (-162), Rowe (+136)

Round 1

Keeping on with welterweight action, hyper-aggressive New YorkerRowe (10-4, 3-2 UFC) will try to win one for local fans as he takeson Australia’s Matthews (19-7, 12-7 UFC). In all 10 of Rowe’s provictories, he has prevailed by stoppage. His foe Matthews is nostranger to finishes, with all of his wins dating back to 2022coming inside the distance. The fighters will collide under thesupervision of referee Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, and they do nottouch gloves when he says it’s time to fight. Rowe shiftsimmediately to the middle of the Octagon, and he measures out hisrange with a low kick to either side of Matthews’ lead leg.Matthews jabs out, aiming one to the body as he finds his distance,and he evades a sweeping kick so he can give one back. Rowe sets upa high kick as Matthews, and commentator Daniel Cormier gushes onRowe’s basketball prowess. As Cormier is talking about a pickupbasketball game, Rowe absorbs a few low kicks, and Matthews thenpunches his way inside and even threatens with a trip. Matthewskeeps jabbing the body, and Rowe stands firm and plants two heavyright hands on the temple. Matthews backs him off with body shots,and Rowe poses and flexes like Super Macho Man. Matthews takes apunch combo and digs a left to the body and right up top, and Roweacknowledges the land with a nod. Rowe connects with a crisp righthand, smashing up Matthews’ nose, but Matthews is ready to bang andhe throws back recklessly. Rowe wades in, and the two welterweightsswing for the bleachers. A thudding right hand from Matthews findsits home on Rowe’s cheek, and swelling immediately develops. Rowehas a front kick split the guard, and he parries an overhand right.Matthews tries to come out firing with three punches, and when Roweblocks it, the New Yorker dances. Rowe intensely strides forward,sticking out a sharp jab and keeping his guard tight. Rowe jumpsforward with a knee, and Matthews lowers his left hand down andsmacks the top of Rowe’s cup in an awkward situation. Rowe drops tohis knees, and Ribeiro calls time. “The Fresh Prince” freshenshimself up after a minute to recover, and they get going with avengeance. Matthews races at him throwing hands, and Roweretaliates and drives several knees to the dome. Rowe wings a headkick and falls to his back, and Matthews leaps after him and holdshim down until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rowe
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Rowe
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Matthews

Round 2

Despite taking some facial damage in the last round, Matthewsappears the more confident of the two, and he surges forward toattack. Matthews swings a left and a right, and he jumps forward toplant an uppercut on the chin. Rowe keeps his guard up to defendthe follow-up blows, only for Matthews to wrap three punches aroundhis shell to ring his bell. Rowe wobbles back, knees weak, armsheavy, but there is nothing on his sweater already. Rowe chambersand fires a right hand, getting Matthews’ attention, but Matthewsquickly gathers himself and stings him with a short right from upclose. Rowe pushes out a jab to calm things down and reassume hisrange, and Matthews pushes through it to aim two punches to thebody and a right over the top that does not get through. Rowe getsoff a leg kick, and he blocks a check left hook. When Rowe crashesthe pocket, his guard is able to protect him from the swarmingpunches aimed at his head. Rowe lands another solid low kick, andhe slides back to let an overhand right glance off his shoulder.Rowe intercepts a punch combination with a knee up the middle, andMatthews jabs the body in response. Matthews tries and fails to letloose with three hooks, only for Rowe to guard each one. Rowechecks a kick, and he gets driven back by a double jab. Matthewsthrows out another double jab to follow a right up top, and he doesa similar combination that is met with a mighty Rowe right hook.Rowe connects with a clean right hand, and Matthews slings a righthook back that bounces off the dome. One last left from Matthewsends the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Matthews
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Matthews
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Matthews

Round 3

The fighters bump fists before engaging, and engage they doimmediately. Rowe springs into action, throwing power shots, andMatthews replies in kind. Rowe tries to push forward and take theAussie down, and Matthews reverses him and plants him on his back.Rowe does not quit moving, sweeping “The Celtic Kid” and puthimself in half guard. Rowe clings from on top, preferring tomaintain position rather than open himself up with strikes.Matthews sits up and pulls Rowe back into his full guard, and heturns his back and gives it up to escape. Rowe slides off the back,and Matthews shifts on top with Rowe on his side. Matthews tries tobreak up the leglock around his own leg so he can pass, and thescramble results in an odd pretzel situation as Rowe uses his armto turn Matthews over. Matthews reasserts his position while Rowestays turned on his side, and he slithers his leg out so he canshift to three-quarter mount. Matthews pursues an arm-trianglechoke, and Rowe turns the proper direction to break it up butremains stuck on his back. Matthews lines up a one-arm guillotinechoke, using the grip perhaps for position rather than submission.Rowe explodes in an effort to get up, but Matthews thwarts him onelast time before the fight concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Matthews (29-28 Matthews)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Matthews (29-28 Matthews)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Matthews (29-28 Matthews)

The Official Result

Jake Matthews def. Philip Rowe via Unanimous Decision (29-28,29-28, 30-27)

GrantDawson (155) vs. Joe Solecki(155)

BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Dawson (-410), Solecki (+320)

Round 1

The prelims roll on with an interesting stylistic clash ofgrapplers in the lightweight category. Coming off his first losssince 2016, it will be interesting to see how Dawson (20-2-1, 8-1-1UFC) rebounds—he smoked Christian Camp in his bounce-back effortafter dropping his first fight. Hailing from about 90 minutessouthwest of the Prudential Center, Solecki (13-4, 5-2 UFC) will behis adversary, and the crowd roars in approval of their home statefighter. Referee Jason Herzog can scarcely hear himself think, buthe starts the fight anyway. Taking a page out of the playbook ofJorge Masvidal, Dawson sprints at Solecki and leaps at him with aflying knee. Solecki plays the matador to let him slide past him,and he drags Dawson down from behind and threatens with aguillotine choke. Dawson resets to break out of the submissionsetup and takes top position, and Solecki readjusts to lock thechoke down and gets a hook around the side. Solecki briefly claimsmount with the choke set, and Dawson continues to shift and moveuntil he breaks out of the choke. Dawson keeps tight chest pressurewhen he resides on top, and Solecki hacks at him from off his backwith elbows. Dawson postures up, and he lowers himself down tosoften the body up. Solecki defends from anything of merit landingfrom above, and he carves Dawson open with an elbow. Dawson mayhold top position, but he is not winning in practically any of theexchanges. Dawson bleeds down on Solecki and tries to open up onground-and-pound, and he manages to get off a few elbows of hisown. Dawson lands a few more hammerfists and punches, and when thehorn sounds, he helps Solecki up.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Solecki
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Solecki
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Solecki

Round 2

Dawson starts off the round aggressively, punching his way intoclosing the distance. Solecki flails back, but he gets pushed backtowards the wall and is forced to defend a takedown. “KGD” easilygrounds Solecki, where he lands in the guard and starts to rack upmore top control time. Dawson grinds his elbow on the forehead, andas he holds Solecki down, the crowd boos his lackluster approach.Dawson winds up with a powerful elbow, slashing down at Solecki,and he sporadically works with strikes. Dawson finds an opening toland three right hands after a Solecki fails, and he smacks Soleckiaround from any angle he can find. Solecki is unable to offer anyoffense of his own, and a submission is nowhere to be found. Dawsoncannot pass guard, but he keeps Solecki down and stays just activeenough to stave off a Herzog standup. Dawson stands up to drop downa few standing-to-ground punches, and the momentum drives him backinto the tie-up. Dawson makes life miserable for the remainder ofthe round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dawson
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Dawson
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Dawson

Round 3

The lightweights clap hands to open up the final round, and Soleckiruns at him and shoots for a single-leg takedown. As Dawson stavesit off, Solecki whips a body kick at him, but it is too low andsmashes straight into Dawson’s cup. Dawson groans and drops to aknee, and Herzog calls time. Dawson does not take long before he isready to go again, and he proceeds to drive Solecki to the wallupon restart. Solecki swings, and Dawson ducks and secures atakedown like a hot knife through butter. Dawson does not care toshift to half guard, and he ignores a guillotine setup so he canline up ground strikes. Solecki is stuck with no options, kept withhis upper back pressed on the wall and trapped in a position thatallows him no offense or escape. Dawson completely nullifies him,but he cannot get any further than the full guard of his foe.Solecki uses a butterfly guard to prevent Dawson from advancingbeyond that posture, but he eats three elbows during one exchange.Dawson stands up in an effort to push through the guard, and herains down punches from on high until leaps into the guard again.“KGD” answers Herzog’s call for action by elbowing and punchingSolecki a few times, and the grind has been firmly embraced.Solecki kicks off and gets to his knees with seconds to go, andDawson nearly knees him illegally in this position. The lacklusterfight ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dawson (29-28 Dawson)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Dawson (29-28 Dawson)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Dawson (29-28 Dawson)

The Official Result

Grant Dawson def. Joe Solecki via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27,30-27)

JailtonAlmeida (241) vs. AlexanderRomanov (265)

BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Almeida (-278), Romanov (+225)

Round 1

Two hefty grapplers will look to ply their trades against oneanother, as wily BJJ player Almeida (20-3, 6-1 UFC) battles massiveMoldovan wrestler Romanov (17-2, 6-2 UFC). With 34 finishes intheir 37 combined fights, referee Vitor Ribeiro may be needed at amoment’s notice while the judges can probably sit this one out. Theheavyweights touch ‘em up before engaging. Romanov tries tohand-fight, and Almeida stabs out with two front kicks. Almeidashoots in for a takedown, and Romanov holds him off in the firstattempt. A second try, a body lock from the Brazilian, results inAlmeida landing flat on top of Romanov. The crowd is not thrilled,given previous matches tonight. Romanov holds on with underhooks onboth of Almeida’s arms, keeping Almeida from attacking withanything. Almeida slithers a hand out, and Romanov turns to hisside and gives his back up to escape. Almeida times this and wrapsa rear-naked choke grip around Romanov’s head, but it is on thejaw, and Romanov does not even fight it. Almeida lets it go ratherthan burn his arms out attempting a submission that is not there.Instead, Almeida slithers his arm beneath the chin, pursuing arear-naked choke instead of a face crank. Romanov stands up, butthe choke is crushingly tight and he is in big trouble. Leaning upagainst the fence, Romanov taps out frantically.Almeida lets go when Ribeiro steps in, and he lets out a scream andfalls to his back for an outpouring of emotion. This is a big winfor Almeida, who bounces back from his first loss in the Octagonwith a quick submission over a powerful wrestler than had neverbeen submitted. It is also the first stoppage of the night, and thecrowd goes wild.

The Official Result

Jailton Almeida def. Alexander Romanov R1 2:27 via Submission(Rear-Naked Choke)

CesarAlmeida (185) vs. RomanKopylov (185)

BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Almeida (-112), Kopylov (-108)

Round 1

A pair of knockout artists grace the cage for the preliminaryheadliner, with Almeida (5-0, 1-0 UFC) and Kopylov (12-3, 4-3 UFC)tallying 15 knockouts opposite zero submissions on their respectiveledgers. Referee Herb Dean steels himself for what’s about to comenext. Before going all-out, the two middleweight strikers bumpfists. Kopylov lands one kick, and Almeida answers with five of hisown. Almeida goes after a head kick, and Kopylov lines up a rightto the body and left to the head. Almeida pays it no mind and looksto set up a step-in knee when Kopylov comes after him. Almeidaslams his shin on the inside and outside of Kopylov’s front leg,and he slips away from a jab. Almeida lands a low kick, and Kopylovcatches the kick and trips the Brazilian up to put him down on theground. Kopylov backs off instead of climbing into top position,and he retreats when a few big kicks fly at him. The threat of thetakedown opens up a massive left hand for the Russian, who hurtsAlmeida badly but does not take advantage of it. Almeida resets,and the two proceed to fire off heavy blows. Almeida scores a bodykick, and Kopylov shoots in for a takedown and plants the kickboxeron his back. Almeida wall-walks his way up, and Kopylov measureshim to blast him with two right hands before Almeida stands backup. Almeida goes to the body, and he wipes his eye after taking astraight left hand. Kopylov takes advantage of body kick by bustingAlmeida in the chops with a straight left, sending Almeida crashingto the canvas. Kopylov backs away to let his man up, and he skirtsaway from two kicks and shoots for a takedown to take Almeida offhis feet. Kopylov lands the double and puts himself in sidecontrol, keeping tight chest pressure to pin “Cesinha” down.Almeida gets the guard back and is warned for punches to the backof the head. Kopylov rides out the rest of the round on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kopylov
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Kopylov
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Kopylov

Round 2

The middleweights double bump fists, and Almeida reintroduceshimself with two body kicks. The second lands, and he leans back tolet a head kick buzz past him. Almeida digs the body with two pushkicks, and he turns his hips into a body kick. Almeida walksKopylov down and kicks his lead leg, only to get countered with apowerful right hook. Almeida ducks a punch to jab the body, and hissubsequent head kick glances off the shoulder. Almeida loops a lefthand around the guard, and two more punches land before Kopylovshoots in for a takedown. Almeida stifles him and digs a left tothe liver, and he connects with a few more punches and retreatswhen Kopylov measures him with a one-two. Kopylov rushes forward totake the fight down, and Almeida leans his back against the walland slides his arm beneath the chin with a guillotine choke. Fromthis position, the Brazilian knees Kopylov in the chest a fewtimes. Almeida escapes, and they jab at one another. Fists fly, andKopylov catches his man with a right hand. Almeida fires off a headkick, and he lands a body shot and chains it into a knee from upclose before pushing Kopylov away. Almeida kicks the ribs, andKopylov sweeps him off his feet and dumps him on the mat. Kopylovretains top control in half guard, keeping Almeida stuck on hisback and pushing him over when Almeida sits up. Almeida kicks theside with his heel from off his back, and Dean asks for Kopylov todo more as Kopylov is just grinding. Kopylov stays tightly pressedon his foe’s chest, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Almeida
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Almeida
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Almeida

Round 3

The fighters shake hands and bow to one another before engaging inthe final frame. Almeida strikes first, with a front kick and abody kick. Kopylov doubles up a jab and lets go with a head kick,but Almeida pushes through it swinging his mighty fists. Kopylovducks into a right hand and he wobbles back, and Almeida takesadvantage of it by planting a knee on the forehead and a right handon the way out. Almeida lines up another right hand, and as herushes forward to throw more, Kopylov tackles him to the floor.Kopylov climbs into the open guard of his foe, and it only takes afew seconds of inaction for Dean to clap for more activity. Deanasks a second time, and Kopylov does not oblige him. Almeida closeshis guard around the waist, and Dean calls for action a third time.Kopylov gets off a left hand over the top, and there have now beenfour claps from Dean to improve his position or do some damage.Almeida hangs on tight, and Kopylov lands two punches after Deanclaps a fifth time while saying “work.” Kopylov does just enough tokeep going, and chants boom in the area to “stand them up.”Commentator Joe Rogan joins them momentarily in those calls.Kopylov stays doing nothing, and Dean finally stands them up with90 seconds to spare as the crowd is thrilled by him. Almeida thankshim with a blitz of fists, and he cracks the Russian with acombination. To take all the wind out of his sails, Kopylov rushesahead and take Almeida down to the ground easy as can be. Almeidakicks him off, forcing Kopylov upright again, and Dean tellsKopylov to do something rather than lord over him slapping withoccasional kicks. Kopylov drops down into side control, and heclings to the Brazilian until the prolonged endeavor draws to aclose.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kopylov (29-28 Kopylov)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Kopylov (29-28 Kopylov)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Kopylov (29-28 Kopylov)

The Official Result

Roman Kopylov def. Cesar Almeida via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29,30-27)

Randy Brown(170) vs. ElizeuZaleski dos Santos (170)

BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Brown (-175), Zaleski dos Santos(+145)

Round 1

Before the main card commences, former president Trump enters thebuilding accompanied by UFC chief Dana White and receives his ownMetallica-themed walkout. A potentially exciting and flashywelterweight contest will kick off the main card, as “Rude Boy”Brown (18-5, 12-5 UFC) plies his trade against wheel kickaficionado Zaleski dos Santos (24-7-1, 10-3-1 UFC). The third manin the cage will be referee Gasper Oliver, and the fight commenceswith the Brazilian offering a glove touch that ends up tapping intoBrown’s elbow. Brown wants to fight, and he does just that,swinging his fists widely. Zaleski dos Santos strafes away andkicks at the long legs of his foe, and Brown reaches him with a fewpunches. Zaleski dos Santos looks to punch his way in, and Brown’srange gives him early issues. Zaleski dos Santos skims a low kickand then lands a second after Brown pushes off with a front kick. Arude political chant swells throughout the New Jersey crowd, andthe fighters ignore it and keep pitter-patter strikes off oneanother. Zaleski dos Santos scores a body kick, and he leans backaway from a double jab. Zaleski dos Santos connects with a frontkick, and Brown pushes him away and jabs a finger in the eye.Oliver does not see it, and although he calls time, he tellsZaleski dos Santos to tell them to resume in a mistake ofofficiating—either he calls time and allows Zaleski dos Santos torecover, or he says it did not happen. Brown pokes him in the eyeagain, and Zaleski dos Santos motions to Oliver, but Oliver shrugshim off and tells him to keep fighting. Zaleski dos Santos’ eye iscompromised, and Brown takes advantage of this by connecting with aheavy combination of punches. Zaleski dos Santos surges intoaction, throwing punches into a kick, and he falls over and pullshimself back up to his feet with the fence. Oliver warns theBrazilian for this foul, and then tells Brown to watch his fingers.Brown peppers his foe with kicks and jabs, and the leg kicks fromZaleski dos Santos are about the only strikes he lands cleanly.Brown snaps out a jab, and Zaleski dos Santos races after him andspins with a wheel kick that goes wide. Brown, backing away, keepsbacking off and drives a knee straight into Zaleski dos Santos’chin. The round ends with Zaleski dos Santos still upset about thepokes, but not rocked from the clean knee.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Brown
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Brown
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Brown

Round 2

Between rounds, referee Jason Herzog speak to Oliver, informing himof the mistakes he made. The second round opens with the fighterstouching gloves, and Zaleski dos Santos is mad. Zaleski dos Santosattacks with a fire and a fury, smashing Brown in the face with aright hand in the midst of a ferocious combination. Zaleski dosSantos aims for a high kick, and he closes in when planting his legdown again and grabs Brown from behind. Zaleski dos Santos dragsBrown to the ground, and Brown quickly fights back to his feet andstaves off a submission setup. Zaleski dos Santos manages to dragBrown down to his knees while up against the wall, and Brown standsand leans over to put his hand on the mat so he does not get kneedin the face. Zaleski dos Santos wrenches “Rude Boy” to the floor,and he gets a hook in and searches for a rear-naked choke. Zaleskidos Santos secures the body lock, and he wraps a rear-naked chokegrip on top of the jaw in a nasty face crank. Brown falls to hisback and grits out the choke, and Zaleski dos Santos changes hisgrip and then lets it go. Zaleski dos Santos maintains the bodytriangle as he fishes for a choke again, and he softens Brown upwith body shots and a few punches to the head. Zaleski dos Santoskeeps punching and slides an arm on top of the jaw, and Brown ishand-fighting to prevent the crank from locking down. Brown freeshis neck and explodes at the right moment to spin around, and as hesurprises Zaleski dos Santos, he takes the Brazilian’s back. Brownsnatches up his own rear-naked choke in a sudden change ofmomentum, and he squeezes tight on what ends up being a face crankas well. Brown lets it go and settles for elbows to the cheek,cutting Zaleski dos Santos before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zaleski dos Santos
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Zaleski dos Santos
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Zaleski dos Santos

Round 3

There is a double glove touch to begin the last round, and Brownkicks it off with a number of jabs. Zaleski dos Santos scurriesinto action with a low kick and a right hand, and Brown checks asecond leg kick that comes shortly after. Brown pushes his hand offthe face, and Oliver calls an eye poke and allows Zaleski dosSantos a few seconds to recover before the Brazilian says go. Browngets back to jabbing, allowing him to disrupt a hard-chargingZaleski dos Santos. Zaleski dos Santos races after him, and Brownslides out of the way and narrowly dodges a front kick aimed at hisface. The Brazilian kicks at the front leg twice and spins with awheel kick that bangs into the side of Brown's noggin, and Browntells him to bring it on. Brown keeps his lead hand low, allowinghim to flick it up with jabs and not let Zaleski dos Santos pick upon their timing. Zaleski dos Santos rushes after a single-legtakedown, and Brown hops out of the way and dodges an overhandright. Brown measures a knee that drills right into the temple,causing blood to flow from a cut above the ear almost immediately.Zaleski dos Santos answers with a level change, pursuing a doubleand changing it into a single. Brown defends both, and he keeps hisback stuck against the cage. Brown manages to get some space with40 seconds to go, and he feints and fakes his way forward. Zaleskidos Santos lands a low kick, and Brown responds with a body shot.Zaleski dos Santos muscles Brown down to the floor, and he takesthe Jamaican’s back and gets one hook in while isolating the neck.Brown punches him several times from behind his own head, and thehorn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Brown (29-28 Brown)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Brown (29-28 Brown)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Brown (29-28 Brown)

The Official Result

Randy Brown def. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos via Unanimous Decision(29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

AlexMorono (170) vs. Niko Price(170)

BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Morono (-238), Price (+195)

Round 1

In 2017, Price (15-7, 2 NC; 7-7, 2 NC UFC) and Morono (24-9, 1 NC;13-6, 1 NC UFC) faced off at UFC Fight Night 104, and Price landeda buzzer-beating right hook that shut Morono’s lights out.Unfortunately for Price, his marijuana metabolite levels were toohigh for the state of Texas, and his crushing victory transformedinto a no contest. With this rematch over seven years in themaking, the two action welterweights have no ill will towards oneanother but will likely be swinging for the fences. Referee KeithPeterson draws the charge for this rematch and makes sure therewill be no nonsense this time around. The bout kicks off as thecombatants share a glove touch, and Morono leads off with a fewjabs and a low kick. Price lunges with his own leg kick that comesup short, and he has a jab parried. The two men throw hands, andMorono avoids a left hand and misses with a right. Price darts in,swinging a punch and getting tagged by a shifting Morono. The Texanlands a body kick and a right hand, and he escapes before Price cancounter. Morono goes after a leg kick, and Price knocks him off hisfeet with a right hand that may have been more off-balance than aknockdown. Price drops down into the guard, and “The Great White”latches on a shoulder lock that turns into an omoplata. Price turnsall the way around, and Morono comes close to hitting an omoplatarear-naked choke, but for Price’s defense. As they scramble, Moronosecures the body triangle around the waist, and Price muscles hisway through to move to top position while Morono is also lookingfor mount. Morono turns around to get up, and he shrugs off a brabochoke and backs away. Price clips him on the way out, and Moronoshakes out the cobwebs and looses a right hand as his coachadmonishes him for getting reckless. Price drives a knee up themiddle, and Morono spins with a wheel kick and clanks him in theside of the head. Price’s chin holds up, and he has a head kickblocked. Morono flicks out several jabs and chains a head kick intoit, and Price kicks him in the ribs as Morono backs away. Moronoslides back, and Price reaches him with a salvo of punches. Priceswings back, and he eats a right hand from up close. Morono spinswith an elbow, and Price sits down on a few punches. Morono lashesout with a pair of long punches, and his front kick does find themark. Morono spins with a back fist that misses, and he doubles upon punches and spins with another that also hits air right beforethe bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Morono
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Morono
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Morono

Round 2

The welterweights touch ‘em up to begin the second round, and theypick up where they left off with striking exchanges from bothsides. Morono tosses out a high kick, and he backpedals and landstwo punches. Morono reaches the target with a long right hand, andhe jabs the body with the ball of his foot. Price lands two lowkicks, and Morono checks a third. Morono takes a right hand on thetemple and drops to his hands, and he leans back up and signals athumbs-up that it just hit him at an angle to bend him over and notbecause he was knocked down. Price sneaks a right hand around theguard, and Morono dips a jab to give him one back. Morono allowsPrice to close in so he can smack him with two uppercuts, and Pricewhiffs on a huge right hand. Morono gets off a body kick, lands aright hand and his head movement keeps him from getting caught onthe way back. Price loads up on pure power, and he staggers theTexan. As Morono tries to counter, Price hits a clean double andputs “The Great White” on his back. Morono considers a guillotinechoke, and then an armbar and potentially a triangle choke, andPrice punches his way through them all. Morono stands back up, onlyfor Price to scoop him up and dump him down. Morono threatens witha guillotine choke from an awkward position, and Price postures upwhen they hit the ground to break it up. “The Hybrid” drops downheavy hammerfists, and Morono rolls for a possible armbar and keepsgoing to stand back up. Morono slithers around to grab Price frombehind, where he takes Price’s back and eats an elbow on the domefor his handiwork. Morono is unable to get Price down, and Priceturns him about and knees him in the side. Morono sets up for aguillotine choke when Price sits him down with a takedown, andPrice easily slides out of it. Price lifts and slams Morono down tobreak up his grip, and he drops down three elbows in rapidsuccession followed by a few more elbows and punches to punctuatethe round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Price
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Price
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Price

Round 3

Price starts off the last round with a jab, and he reaches with ahuge overhand right that hurts Morono. Morono takes a body kick andfires back his own right hook, and he lumbers forward swinging bigshots. Price loops a few punches at him, and Morono bends over tododge one and takes a right when leaning up again. They trade lowkicks, and Price clacks an uppercut off the side of his head. Pricewings a right and gets countered, and he steps through to land abody kick. Morono eats a power punch and gets whacked with ahammerfist, and Morono’s punches have wide arc and are generallyseen from a wide berth. Morono shrugs off a body kick and amblesforward, pushing off a front kick and walking square into anuppercut. Price shoots in for a double, and Morono falls to hisback, possibly due to total fatigue. Price looks to land strikesfrom above, and Morono sits up and attacks a single. Price shuckshim out of the way and shoves him back to the wall. Moronoaccidentally lands an eye poke, and Price waves Peterson off sothey can keep going. Energy levels are practically zero, but thetwo welterweights keep swinging wildly. Morono shakes himself out,and he steps forward with a right hand and gets tagged on the wayout. Price sits on another body kick, and he connects with a righthand. Morono spins with an elbow that glances off the forehead, andhe backs off when a head kick buzzes his hair. Price sits down onan elbow that is just out of range, and he blasts the Texan with apowerful uppercut. Morono gives everything he has with anotherspinning strike, and Price starts shouting at him and celebratingthe sloppy slugfest. The two empty their already zeroed gas tankswith bungalows until the horn sounds, and Price screams right inMorono’s face—not angrily, but because he feels he did enough andthat they threw down for 15 minutes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Price (29-28 Price)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Price (29-28 Price)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Price (29-28 Price)

The Official Result

Niko Price def. Alex Morono via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28,29-28)

KevinHolland (185) vs. MichalOleksiejczuk (185)

BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Holland (-265), Oleksiejczuk (+215)

Round 1

After a while at welterweight, the ultra-active Holland (25-11, 1NC; 12-8, 1 NC UFC) is bouncing back to 185 pounds for a relativelyshort-notice affair. He takes on powerful Polish sluggerOleksiejczuk (19-7, 1 NC; 7-5, 1 NC UFC) in a fight between two menwith finish rates around 80%. Referee Herb Dean has donned his hardhat for what’s about to come, as it could end quickly andviolently. The fighters share a swift fist bump ahead of the melee,and Holland is backed off in a hurry from a heavy right hand fromthe Polish man. Holland slides away from another, and Oleksiejczukis headhunting and loaded for bear. Holland stays on his bike,keeping just out of reach, and he sits down on a kick and pushesOleksiejczuk away. At the same time, Oleksiejczuk unleashes a lefthand, and he knocks Holland to his seat. Holland falls to his back,getting pounded on from hammerfists, and he clears his head andsnatches up an armbar in the blink of an eye. Oleksiejczuk tries tostep over, and in the process, Holland rolls his foe over,wrenching on it with all his might. Oleksiejczuk tries to sit up,and Holland tells Dean that he broke Oleksiejczuk’s arm. Dean looksdown at the damaged limb, and he has immediate flashbacks of TimSylvia against Frank Mir and waves the fight off when seeing theelbow is backwards and something appears to be protruding thatshould not be doing that. Oleksiejczuk protests, but he cannotraise his arm and it is clearly in dire straits. An elated“Trailblazer” climbs up and jumps out of the cage to share wordswith Trump, White, Hunter Campbell and matchmakers Sean Shelby andMick Maynard. Holland proudly declares himself the ultimategatekeeper—his words, not ours—and he says he will fight anyone at170, 185 or higher.

The Official Result

Kevin Holland def. Michal Oleksiejczuk R1 1:34 via TechnicalSubmission (Armbar)

Paulo Costa(185) vs. SeanStrickland (185)

BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Strickland (-245), Costa (+205)

Round 1

Fresh off a close decision loss to surrender his title, Strickland(28-6, 15-6 UFC) is back in for another five-round contest. With nobelt or main event between them, the UFC still decided to schedulethis matchup for 25 minutes. He stands across the cage fromBrazilian marauder Costa (14-3, 6-3 UFC), who celebrates about 80%of his wins via knockout even as he has not landed one since 2018.Referee Jason Herzog will take control of the cage for this co-mainattraction, and possibly due to their back-and-forth on fight week,they do not touch gloves. Costa rushes out of his corner to strikefirst, where he lands two hearty leg kicks early. Strickland jabshim back, and Costa chops at him with another kick. Stricklandraises his leg preemptively to protect against a few others, withdamage showing on it less than one minute in. Strickland walksforward despite the kicks, and he prods out a front kick of his owna few times. Costa catches Strickland walking in with a check lefthook, and he swats away subsequent front kicks so he can jab themidsection of his foe. Costa pushes off the chest with a muchheavier push kick, and Strickland relies on his own front kickagain and again. Even if it does not land, he is making Costa thinkabout it. Costa comes up short on an overhand right, but he doesconnect with a calf kick that is partially checked. They tradejabs, and the Brazilian aims a one-two to the body. Costa clacks akick off the calf, and Strickland raises his leg up and keepswalking forward tossing out constant front kicks. Costa circlesaway and fakes a high kick to draw a reaction, and he kicks low tofollow. A jab from “The Eraser” reddens the former champ’s nose,and he kicks Strickland in the side and jabs him in the chest.Practically every other step, Strickland is pushing out with theball of his foot at Costa’s chest and body. Strickland catches akick and knocks Costa down with a right hand, but Costa hops backupright without batting an eye. Costa spins with a back kick, andStrickland continues pressuring him with these continuous frontkicks. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Strickland
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Strickland
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Strickland

Round 2

Strickland does not sit between rounds, instead standing up andwatching Costa while receiving advance. He wants to keep fighting,even if he has to take a break. As soon as they resume, Stricklandgoes right back to his kick spam, as if he were a young childplaying a fighting game hitting the same button for one specificstrike a hundred times. Costa loads up on power shots to back himoff momentarily, and he sits down on a loud low kick that makesStrickland pause. A second kick hurts Strickland’s front legfurther, and Strickland’s kick-heavy approach wanes momentarily.Costa attacks that lead leg once more, and he lands a left hand butstarts to back off from Strickland’s pressure. Strickland startsprodding his front kicks once more, and Costa stands firm and takesa one-two across the forward bow. Strickland closes distance withthis front kick when he is not throwing it directly, and it keepsCosta busy thinking about it enough to stifle most of his ownoffense. Strickland’s nullifying approach makes the crowd restless,and Costa skips away and hacks down with a low kick that is checkedhard. Strickland pokes with kicks to the body, and he snaps thehead back with a jab while checking a calf kick. A front kick leadsto two punches from the ex-champ, and Costa explodes at himpursuing a takedown, but Strickland tosses him aside. Costadelivers two solid low kicks, and Strickland lifts his leg to shakeit out and keeps a poker face. Costa spins with a wheel kick thatbounces off the guard, and he backs away as Strickland jabs himagain and again. Strickland connects with a stiff jab, and he dropsCosta to a knee as the pressure appears to be wilting theBrazilian. Costa stands and sticks his tongue out, and Stricklanddoes not falter in his gameplan of front kicks, jabs and theoccasional right hand. This plays out to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Strickland
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Strickland
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Strickland

Round 3

It takes all of a few seconds for Strickland to turn the game planback on of front kick after stifling front kick. Even if everyother kick actually lands, they add up, and Costa’s midsection ismarking up fast. Costa digs a pair of left hands to the body, andhe pounds his own kick to the ribs and then goes low. Stricklandchecks the latter, and he leans back to avoid a left hook.Strickland powers forward, loading up on a combination until Costabounces off the cage wall and sticks his tongue out. Costa whips ahigh kick up and it is blocked, and he strikes low and has his kickchecked hard. Costa limps away, and Strickland walks him down whiletouching up him with jabs. Strickland jabs and jabs again, and hepushes Costa away when Costa rushes at him for a level change.Costa thinks about spinning with a strike, but he just twirlsaround without throwing anything. Strickland chips away at him withjabs and front kicks, and he evades a spinning wheel kick that zipspast his nose. Costa lands a pair of low kicks, and the secondmakes him hobble away. Costa jabs to the body, and he gets his gutskicked a few more times. Strickland comes up short on two hooks,but the straight strikes land regularly. Two jabs, a front kick andtwo more come from the former champ, who is cruising while Costa isfading. Costa puts all his power into an overhand right, andStrickland dodges as it glances past him. Strickland strings threeheavier punches together, and Costa skirts away and tosses ahalf-hearted right hand that surprises Strickland. The formerchampion rips an uppercut as Costa ducks, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Strickland
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Strickland
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Strickland

Round 4

The middleweights tap gloves as they enter the championship rounds,and Strickland does not need much time before revving up hisengines to steadily work Costa over. Costa flails with heavystrikes, and he gets a right hand in, but Strickland lands three ofhis own, a body kick and a few more jabs. The Brazilian gets off alow kick, and he reaches Strickland with a number of jabs. Costaswipes out with a left hook, and when he has a leg kick checked, healmost falls over from the impact. Costa sells out for a head kickon the other side, and Strickland keeps walking him down andprotecting himself from the telegraphed heavy blows. Stricklandpresses ever forward, jabbing the body and head with punches andfront kicks. The approach has been steady and effective, if notoverly entertaining. The crowd expresses its restlessness as Costaswings for the fences but hits air, and Strickland does not load upon much while simply outworking his opponent. Costa’s head kicksare blocked, his hooks go wide and his leg kicks are largelychecked. Costa gets off a front kick to the body that has much moreimpact than Strickland’s, and he scores a calf kick that is notchecked. He turns and fakes one type of kick so that he can set upa side kick that lands flush on the midsection. Strickland pusheshim back with jabs and twos, and Costa slams his left hand on theliver and dings the front leg with another powerful kick. Costa’skicks are not being checked like before, and Strickland frowns whenabsorbing them. Costa lands a punch to the body, and he absorbsfour punches from up close before backing away. Strickland wings aright hand that bounces into the ear, and Costa stumbles away asthe horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Costa
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Costa
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Strickland

Round 5

The fifth round has been reached by the middleweights, and theytouch gloves presumably one last time. Costa tosses out two punchesand a low kick, and Strickland lifts his leg up to defend it. Costakicks it again, and Strickland meanders forward with a front kickfrom either leg. Costa plants his shin on the front leg of hisopponent again as Strickland is coming at him, and Strickland rollsto avoid a right hand and checks a low kick to follow. Costa windsup on power punches, and one more leg kick gets checked. Stricklandcatches a body kick and makes Costa pay for it with a pair ofstraight left hands before releasing the leg, and the two throwhands at the same time. A body kick from “The Eraser” backsStrickland off for a moment, but Strickland gets back into hisrhythm of jab to front kick territory. Strickland has his own bodystruck from kicks and punches, and Costa doubles down on bodyshots. Costa kicks the body on the other side, and Strickland jabshim and pushes him away with a teep kick. Strickland’s jab is onpoint, disrupting Costa’s sweeping strikes. Costa goes to the bodywith a stern left hand, and Strickland no-sells it and works thebody with front kick after front kick. Costa just misses on aone-two, and he barrels forward and pushes Strickland back but doesnot change levels. Strickland misses the mark on a pair of punches,and Costa snaps his head back with a power jab and sits down on alow kick. Costa reaches his man with a left hook, and he is drivenaway with a handful of jabs. Costa thinks about pursuing a single,but he gives it up and spins with a back fist as he eats a jab.Costa sits down on a few punches, and Strickland pours it on with abarrage of punches. As Costa bounces off the fence, Stricklandboots him in the raised guard with a head kick with enough impactto still put Costa on his seat. Costa springs back up, andStrickland runs at him with a jumping front kick as the longengagement comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Strickland (49-46 Strickland)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Strickland (49-46 Strickland)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Strickland (50-45Strickland)

The Official Result

Sean Strickland def. Paulo Costa via Split Decision (46-49, 50-45,49-46)

UFC Lightweight Title Fight:
IslamMakhachev (155) vs. DustinPoirier (155)

BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Makhachev (-650), Poirier (+470)

Round 1

At long last, it is time for the main event. Pound-for-pound kingMakhachev (25-1, 14-1 UFC) is searching to tie a longstanding UFCrecord, as he looks for the third defense of his lightweight title.He will also be putting his 13-fight win streak on the line againstformer interim beltholder Poirier (30-8, 1 NC; 22-7, 1 NC UFC), whoearned a title shot thanks to a come-from-behind victory overBenoit St. Denis and some fortuitous timing. While this isscheduled for five rounds, most expect that it will not last thatlong. Ahead of the final battle of the evening, nonsense has beenevicted from the cage courtesy of referee Keith Peterson. Amisunderstanding of profanity behind them, the 155ers do not touchgloves after hearing their final instructions. It’s on with theshow. Poirier begins the championship bout with a calf kick, and hepops out a jab as cheers for “USA” boom in the building. Makhachevmarches forward throwing hands, and he stings Poirier. Poiriersteels himself and throws back with bad intentions, landing a righthand that opens a cut on the corner of Makhachev’s eye. Makhachevinstinctively shoots in for a single, where he elevates Poirier anddeposits him gingerly to his back. Makhachev lands in half guardcomfortably, where he keeps tight pressure and drives his shoulderinto Poirier’s face repeatedly. Makhachev isolates Poirier’s rightarm and grips hold of a kimura, and Poirier rolls all the waythrough it but gives up his back in the process. Makhachev latcheson the body triangle in a hurry, and he hunts for a choke. Poirierpunches him from behind, and he eats a solid right hand on the sideof the head in response. Makhachev grabs Poirier’s face andinadvertently gouges Poirier’s eyes, otherwise covering Poirier’smouth and frustrating him all the while. Makhachev slips an armaround the chin but Poirier hand-fights properly, and Makhachevconsiders twisting to pursue an armbar. Poirier turns at the rightmoment to stop it from materializing. Poirier sits up and turns tohis side, and Makhachev torques his arm back behind his headuncomfortably. Poirier lands a couple punches from behind, and thefirst round closes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Makhachev
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Makhachev
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Makhachev

Round 2

Poirier moves right to the center of the cage, ready to engage. Itdoes not take more than a few seconds, and Makhachev shoots in fora takedown. Poirier manages to wriggle out of harm’s way, where hereturns to his feet. When Poirier is upright, Makhachev scores asolid knee up the middle. Makhachev rushes forward, grabbing holdof a leg and dragging Poirier to a knee, and “The Diamond” stavesoff the attempt and resets. Makhachev connects with a solidone-two, and he slashes with an elbow. Poirier sticks out a jab,and Makhachev responds with a right hand. Makhachev chains a fewpunches together that bounce off the guard, and they trade jabs.Makhachev lines up a few punches, and he hops away from a jab tothe body. Makhachev punches his way into a single, and Poirierbacks his way to the fence to stay upright and split his hips.Poirier stifles this attempt and turns Makhachev around, landing afew body shots in the process. Poirier sneaks in an uppercut, andMakhachev does the same from up close. Makhachev hunts for a trip,and he gets caught with a sharp jab as they split off. Poirierslips a punch and counters with a right hook, and he doubles up ona jab and lands a left. Poirier comes up short with a left hand,and Makhachev pulls him into a Thai clinch. Poirier digs the bodyand comes up to with a right hand, and he ignores a right hand andtags Makhachev. Makhachev hits him back, and Poirier is right inhis face throwing hands. Makhachev presses him to the wall andtrips him up with a single to put Poirier down with seconds tospare. Makhachev rides out the round on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Makhachev
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Makhachev
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Makhachev

Round 3

The lightweights meet in the middle, and as they measure oneanother, they open with a stalemate. Poirier lands first with asingle jab about 20 seconds in, and he darts forward and getscaught with a flush knee to the cheek. Makhachev chains together ajab into a knee, and he shoves the former interim titleholder tothe wall and trips him down to one knee. Makhachev hops on to takePoirier’s back from behind, and Poirier shakes his head infrustration. The man from Dagestan fastens the body triangle andsits down to torque Poirier’s torso. Poirier turns, his nosebloodied from the last exchange on the feet, and he snorts to clearhis airwaves. Makhachev follows him and starts fishing for a choke,maintaining uncontested back control. Makhachev turns over toassume full mount, and he postures up and tries to roll over for anarmbar. Poirier turns through the submission, and he stands up.Makhachev chases him with a single, and Poirier bucks and gets backto his feet and splits up. Poirier walks him down, nodding at a jabhe eats, and he fires one back. Makhachev puts three punches on thechin compared to one straight right hand from Poirier, andMakhachev dips a jab to land two more back. Poirier kicks high asit bounces off the guard, and he chips at the calf. Makhachev landsthree punches as Poirier shakes his head, and Poirier begins totalk to his Russian foe. Poirier wipes his left eye out aftergetting punched, and he leaps forward with a left that is blocked.Poirier keeps rubbing his eye, but he manages to blink it out andstick out a jab. Poirier wings a left hand, and he gets stood upwith two punches. Poirier fires back, and the round ends with thetwo forehead to forehead.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Makhachev
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Makhachev
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Makhachev

Round 4

Poirier remarks between rounds that his nose is broken, perhapsfrom an inadvertent clash of heads in the last round. The champ’scorner spills ice on the ground, and they take a bit of time toclean up after it. Commentator Joe Rogan notices the spill, but hedoes not cry foul about it. When the fighters are clocked in,Poirier darts forward behind his jab. Makhachev gets stuck with asolid jab, and he tosses out a right hand in response but is offbalance. Makhachev rips a right hand to the body , and Poirierconnects with a few punches and his own right hand. Makhachev triesfor a takedown, and Poirier stands him up with a right hand. Theyboth score jabs, and Poirier reaches at the end of a one-two.Poirier springs away from a similar combination, and Makhachevshoots in for a deep double but is stuffed as Poirier shakes hishead at him defiantly. Both fighters largely throw jabs, andMakhachev dips and wings two right hooks that get Poirier’sattention. Makhachev loads up on a left hand, staggering Poirier,and he dives forward for a double. Poirier defends the first try,and he backs his way to the fence as Makhachev transitions to asingle. Makhachev lifts the leg up but is unable to plant Poirieron his back in this attempt, and he scoops Poirier up again andwrenches him down. Poirier calls to his corner that he hurt hisleg, and Makhachev holds on from behind with Poirier on one knee,keeping his body weight pressed heavily. Poirier gets back to hisfeet and leans forward with his hands on the mat, and Makhachevhangs on from behind while trying to trip him out. Poirier tripshim out and spins him around, and he unloads with a ruthlesscombination of punches to the body. Makhachev backs him away with aknee, and they resume on the feet with blood pouring out of a cuton the champ’s forehead. Poirier is excited about this, and heloads up with power shots. Makhachev tags him with a right hand,and Poirier pounds him in the body a few times. Makhachev shoots,and Poirier defends and talks to the commentary team while keepinghimself on his feet. Poirier shrugs his shoulders, and he sets up alast-second front choke that he holds before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Poirier
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Poirier
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Poirier

Round 5

To the surprise of most, the lightweights reach the fifth and finalround. The giant cut on Makhachev’s forehead has not stoppedbleeding between rounds, and Poirier targets it immediately.Poirier jabs and follows with a left hand, and Makhachev bites downon his mouthpiece and slugs him back. Poirier connects with a heftycalf kick, and he lets Makhachev jab at him but is ready to defenda takedown. Poirier pushes the effort aside and counters, andMakhachev walks forward and elbows him from up close. Poirier talksto Makhachev and keeps striking the body, and he pushes away fromclinch attempts and tells Makhachev to stop grabbing his glove.Peterson tells Makhachev to knock it off as well. Poirier jabs, andMakhachev chains three punches into a knee. Poirier rings thechamp’s bell with a left hand, and he looks for another asMakhachev sells out for a single. Poirier hits the mat but bouncesup, and Makhachev grabs him by the ankle and swings him downcreatively. Makhachev drops down for a guillotine choke, and helets it go to transition into a brabo choke. Poirier turns to hisside, but it is tighter than before. The face of “The Diamond”starts to change color due to the crushing choke, and he has nochoice but to surrender. Poirier falls to his back when he comesto, and Makhachev’s corner rushes in to celebrate with him. KhabibNurmagomedov goes to congratulate Poirier for the hard-foughtbattle, and Poirier admits to Makhachev that the submission put himunconscious right after he let it go. There is no bad blood betweenanyone, and hugs and handshakes are for everyone in the cage. Withthe victory, Makhachev ties the UFC record for the most consecutivetitle defenses at lightweight with three. In his post-fightinterview, the victorious Makhachev declares that his dream is tofight for the 170-pound title. If he does, he will have to wait forthe result of Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 2 in a few months. Onthe other side of the equation, Poirier says this might be the endfor him, and he dedicates his fight and career to the women in hislife, thanking them all for their love and support. If he doescompete again, you better believe we will be here for it. We hopeyou are too.

The Official Result

Islam Makhachev def. Dustin Poirier R5 2:42 via Submission (BraboChoke)