- Leon Edwards(170) vs. Belal Muhammad (169)
- Tom Aspinall(251) vs. Curtis Blaydes (256)
- Bobby Green(154.5) vs. Paddy Pimblett (156)
- ChristianLeroy Duncan (185) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (185)
- Arnold Allen(145) vs. Giga Chikadze (146)
- DanielPineda (146) vs. Nathaniel Wood (145)
- Bruna Brasil(116) vs. Molly McCann (115)
- JakeHadley (137: Missed Weight) vs. Caolan Loughran (136)
- Manel Kape(125.5) vs. Muhammad Mokaev (126)
- ObanElliott (170) vs. Preston Parsons (169)
- ModestasBukauskas (204) vs. Marcin Prachnio (205)
- KieferCrosbie (171) vs. Sam Patterson (170)
- LukaszBrzeski (235) vs. Michael Parkin (264)
- AliceArdelean (116) vs. Shauna Bannon (115)
Sherdog's live UFC 304 coverage will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.
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AliceArdelean (116) vs. ShaunaBannon (115)
BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Bannon (-185), Ardelean (+155)
Round 1
For the first time in what seems like ages, the UFC is taking to acity in the United Kingdom other than London. Packing the Co-opLive, a building that recently finished construction with acapacity of over 20,000 seats, the promotion is doing its best tomake sure fans get their money’s worth. Of the marathon 14-fightbilling, all 14 bouts feature at least one fighter out of the U.K.or Ireland, or at the very least fight out of there in the case ofModestas Bukauskas. The first international contest comes in aclassic battle between the Emerald Isle and the Land of Dracula at115 pounds. “Mama B” Bannon (5-1, 0-1 UFC) will try to make themost of her second chance for a first impression, and she welcomesOnlyFans-famous Ardelean (9-5, 0-0 UFC) to the Octagon. The ladieswill be joined in the cage by referee Mike Beltran, and they decidenot to touch ‘em up to commence the curtain jerker. The crowd islathered up, with the local time of 11 p.m., and the ladies arejust as energized. Bannon leads off with a side kick, and the twoladies throw hands wildly at one another. The two come together afew times swinging their hands recklessly, smacking one another inthe chops early and often. A few right hands from the Romanianredden Bannon’s nose, and commentator Daniel Cormier short-circuitsmomentarily on the broadcast as he repeats Ardelean’s name againand again awkwardly. Cormier recovers thanks perhaps due to techsupport, and Ardelean pushes forward to change levels and slowBannon down. Bannon grabs the fence to stop a takedown, andArdelean redoubles her effort to put her on her back as Bannonpulls on the links once again. Beltran shouts warnings at theIrishwoman, who pays him no mind as she tugs her toes on thefencing to improve her position after getting dumped on her back.Bannon shifts to her side to pursue an armbar, and Ardelean shrugsit off and lowers herself into the closed guard of her adversary.Ardelean opens up with ground-and-pound, and Bannon once more usesher digits to pull herself around, and she snags hold of an armbaragain. Ardelean stands up, but Bannon rolls her over and nearlylocks the maneuver down. Ardelean keeps turning all the way throughthe submission to put Bannon flat again, and she breaks out of themove. Bannon uses a high guard to threaten with a triangle choke,and she hacks with elbows from off her back to stay busier than thewoman on top of her. Ardelean keeps heavy pressure until the hornsounds.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bannon
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Ardelean
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Bannon
Round 2
Between rounds, Bannon’s corner, ex-UFC fighter Paddy Holohan,bangs his face into the camera, as the cameraman is hovering veryclose to them. When they resume, Bannon sports a wry grin, and shesprings into action with combinations of punches. As she succeedsin landing, her right hand lumps up Ardelean’s nose, and she timesa knee when Ardelean ducks down right on the forehead. Ardeleansmiles and meanders forward, but she backs off to reset momentarilybefore surging back into action. Bannon slips back and slapsArdelean in the face with the top of her foot, and she marchesforward and grabs hold of her foe to attempt to hip toss her down.Ardelean fights her way out of the grip, and Bannon walks her downand rings her up with four straight punches. As Bannon blitzes asecond time, Ardelean ducks around it to grab the Irishwoman frombehind. Ardelean pushes her foe to the wall, and although shecannot get Bannon down, she grinds her and plants knees on herbelly repeatedly. They continue to dirty box, with Bannon offeringshort right hands around the guard while Ardelean offers lightlefts back at her. Bannon uses a knee shield to try to stop kneesfrom landing on her midsection, and when she looks for a throw,Ardelean counters her and chucks Bannon to the canvas like a sideof beef. Ardelean lands in side control, and she grabs hold of ascarf hold headlock. Bannon uses the position to try to takeArdelean’s back, and the two scramble and end up on their sideswith neither in a good position. Ardelean decides to stand back up,and Bannon follows her with a few punches before the roundends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ardelean
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Ardelean
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Ardelean
Round 3
The ladies rush to the center of the cage to engage, and whenBannon kicks, Ardelean counters with a right hand over the top.Bannon retreats and then sprints forward, landing a few punches butgetting driven back by counters. Bannon kicks the body three timeswith the side of her foot, and she uses the side kick to keepArdelean at bay. When Bannon surges forward, Ardelean stuns herwith a left and a big right, and she grapples Bannon but abandonsthe takedown effort and breaks out of the clinch. Ardelean landsbut gets caught with a right hand and a knee, and she smiles fromear to ear after getting punched in the face. Bannon spins with astrike that misses, and Ardelean bears down on her with a pair ofhooks. Bannon chains a few punches together into a high kick, andArdelean laughs it off quite literally and swings back with badintentions. Bannon comes up short with another head kick, andArdelean sees the timing and waits for her openings to engage.Bannon races forward and connects with a pair of hooks, and shebacks off before eating anything in response. Bannon strafes fromside to side, and she side kicks Ardelean in the ribs a few timesas Ardelean nods at her. Bannon stays at her preferred range untilwading into close proximity, and Ardelean clips her with a one-two.Bannon darts in and out with attacks, catching Ardelean flat-footedand escaping quickly. Ardelean is unable to land first in most ofthe exchanges, but she does manage to connect at least once duringtheir in-and-out flurries. Bannon zooms at her opponent and dingsher with two punches and a kick, and Beltran calls time to cut apiece of tape off of Ardelean’s glove. They get right back to itwhen time is called in, with Bannon kicking Ardelean in the faceand drawing immediate blood. Ardelean is smiling but getting bustedup, and she chases after Bannon but cannot reach her. Bannon spinswith a wheel kick that misses the mark, and Ardelean busts her inthe chops with a left hand that wobbles the Irishwoman’s legs.Bannon decides to attempt one final takedown, and they both wind uplanding on their respective heads before the final bell.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bannon (29-28 Bannon)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Bannon (29-28 Ardelean)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Bannon (29-28 Bannon)
The Official Result
Shauna Bannon def. Alice Ardelean via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28,30-27)
LukaszBrzeski (235) vs. MichaelParkin (264)
BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Parkin (-245), Brzeski (+200)
Round 1
The fights surge on, with 90 minutes to get four in before the UFCturns to ESPN. Heavyweights grace the cage on the early prelims,with the unbeaten Parkin (9-0, 3-0 UFC) looking for a win thatwould catapult him into a top-15 affair. Coming in nearly 30 poundsheavier, he meets Polish striker Brzeski (9-4-1, 1 NC; 1-3 UFC), ina matchup between two men with knockout rates of exactly 56%.Before the punches fly, referee Marc Goddard clocks them in. Thebig men clap hands, and Parkin moves right to the middle of thecage and gets his leg kicked. Brzeski lands another kick on theother side of Parkin’s lead wheel, and he chips away at it as hejabs his way in. Parkin sticks him with a left, and Brzeski tradesand gets caught with a hook. The two hook up with single collarties and blast one another with uppercuts and heavy punches brieflyreminiscent of Frye vs. Takayama, and they split up realizing theydo not want their faces smashed in just yet. Brzeski stays on theoutside, looking for kicks, and Parkin gives him a low kick backand counters a lunging punch with a right hook. Parkin prods withanother light leg kick, using it more as a setup than an isolatedmove. Brzeski loops a right hand over the guard, and they drill oneanother with punches after Parkin fails to check a kick. Parkin hasa right hand bounce off the shoulder, and he pounds the front calfwith a kick. The Polish fighter gives him back a head kick, andParkin completely no-sells it so he can tag Brzeski with a pair ofpowerful punches. Brzeski gets back to chopping with low kicks, andParkin responds in kind while keeping his guard up to defend theworst of the blows. They take turns tagging one another untilParkin clips Brzeski with a right hand in the midst of acombination. Brzeski’s legs slip back as his balance betrays him,and he barely manages to keep himself on his feet as he retreats.“Mick” sees this as the opening he has been searching for, in hopesof getting his first UFC finish, and he charges swinging his mightyfists. Parkin clocks his foe with three looping hooks, snappingBrzeski’s head back with an uppercut and then measuring him with astern right hand. Brzeski leans forward after getting blasted, andParkin connects with one final left hand to separate Brzeski fromhis senses and put him on the ground. As Goddard is rushing in tostop the fight, Parkin racks his man up with three more punctuatingright hands, putting a stamp on the match and settingthe crowd ablaze. This is a huge victory for the Brit as fans gowild, landing his first stoppage in the Octagon and setting himselfup for a big next fight at heavyweight.
The Official Result
Michael Parkin def. Lukasz Brzeski R1 3:23 via KO (Punches)
KieferCrosbie (171) vs. SamPatterson (170)
BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Patterson (-360), Crosbie (+285)
Round 1
With no time to spare, the cage is populated by two welterweights,in a rare fight tonight between two competitors from the BritishIsles. Patterson (11-2-1, 1-1 UFC) hails a few hours south ofManchester, while Crosbie (10-4, 0-1 UFC) needed to traverse theIrish Sea to get to the arena tonight. Both men could use a win,and referee Lukasz Bosacki will know first who that is. They do notbump fists, as Crosbie instead wants to get right down to business.He lands a low kick on the outside, and he leans back as a frontkick buzzes past him. Crosbie goes after another leg kick again,and Patterson intercepts him with a few punches but does notdiscourage the Irishman from chopping at his front leg. Crosbiedoubles up on a jab, and Patterson meets him in the middle to tradehands. Crosbie fires back, knocking Patterson’s head around afterlanding a good left to the body. Crosbie pushes off with a kickthat slides down into the cup, and Patterson takes a few seconds torecover when Bosacki calls time. Crosbie advances, and Pattersontimes him with a clean combination that includes an uppercut thatstings “BDK.” Crosbie tries to tie him up to clear his head, butthis only results in Patterson easily taking him down. “The Future”lands practically in full mount, and he is quick to set up anarm-triangle choke. Patterson jumps to the side to lock thesubmission down, and Crosbie thinks about surrendering but insteadfights the grip to save himself. Patterson leaps back to mount, and then readjusts to slide overmuch further to the side to complete the maneuver. This time, thereis nothing the Irishman can do. After just a couple seconds,Crosbie taps out, and Patterson releases the grip,stands up and bows to his opponent before leaping on the cage tocelebrate with the fans. This was largely one-way traffic for thetall man who has now finished his opponent in 11 of his 12wins.
The Official Result
Sam Patterson def. Kiefer Crosbie R1 2:50 via Submission(Arm-Triangle Choke)
ModestasBukauskas (204) vs. MarcinPrachnio (205)
BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Bukauskas (-155), Prachnio (+130)
Round 1
When the dust settles between these light heavyweights, one of themwill reach the .500 mark on their UFC ledger while the other willfall two wins beneath it. Bukauskas (15-6, 3-4 UFC) is trying tobuild up his resume on his second stint with the promotion, whilePrachnio (17-7, 4-5 UFC) wants to disappoint home fans by beatingthe fighter training in England. With similar finish rates of 73%and 71%, respectively, they might need to involve referee MarcGoddard before the final horn. The 205ers touch ‘em up, andPrachnio introduces himself with a trio of leg kicks. Bukauskasswings back with a looping right hand, but his foe is out of range.Prachnio sweeps the leg, or at least tries to, but his second kicknearly buckles Bukauskas’ knee on the inside. Bukauskas times ahard left hand when Prachnio sells out on a low kick, and he leansback to watch a side kick to the face come up short. Prachniocontinues working the front leg no matter the stance, and he pushesoff to disallow Bukauskas from reaching him with two hooks.Bukauskas sits down on a left hand, getting Prachnio’s attention,and Prachnio gathers himself and keeps on chopping down the tree.Bukauskas loops a left around the guard, and he kicks a duckingPrachnio in the face. They clash together, and Prachnio stumblesbefore recovering. Prachnio tries to land a spinning wheel kickthat ends up bouncing off the guard, and he peppers the front legand thigh with kicks. Prachnio winds up and drills Bukauskas with amassive right hand, and Bukauskas eats it like a bowl of kugelis.Prachnio races forward throwing a kick, and Bukauskas grabs hold ofhim and turns him to the fencing. On the break, the Lithuaniandings Prachnio with a spinning elbow, but Prachnio appearsunconcerned. Bukauskas races forward throwing hands, and a righthand careens off the temple and wobbles Prachnio. Bukauskasunleashes a salvo of vicious punches, but Prachnio is able torebound off the fenced and get his footing. Prachnio chips at thefront leg, and he lumbers forward throwing inaccurate punches.Bukauskas switches stances frequently, and he beans Prachnio with ahuge right hand. Prachnio goes after another spinning wheel kickthat is a long way away, and Bukauskas stays composed until hethrows a bit too hard, and gets caught with a counter on thebell.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bukauskas
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Bukauskas
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Bukauskas
Round 2
The two touch gloves and go right into a brawl, winging power hookswith no concern of defense. They backpedal momentarily, andPrachnio scores a leg kick and connects with an overhand right.Prachnio kicks low a few times before going high, and Bukauskasblocks the head kick but eats a body kick that follows. Prachniogets into range and is met with a pair of hooks, and he takes a fewsteps back to kick the front leg. Prachnio lunges and getscountered, but he ends with a body kick. The low kicks of thePolish fighter are starting to compromise Bukauskas, but Prachniodecides to throw caution to the wind and whiff with a comicalwindmilling right hand that is feet off the mark. Prachnio takes amoment to stop fighting so recklessly, and Bukauskas uses themoment to belt Prachnio with a handful of punches that rockPrachnio. In the ensuing melee, Bukauskas absorbs a flush head kickin close range and gets his bell rung, and he has no choice but toback off as he was in trouble too. Both fighters wobbled and hurt,they end up clinching, with Bukauskas pressing Prachnio against thewire. Bukauskas drops to his knees for a takedown, and Prachniostands him up and knees him in the gut to break. Prachnio doublesup on the knee when he gets in close, and Bukauskas backs off andsmacks him with a left hand. A body lock takedown from Bukauskassucceeds in planting Prachnio on his back, and Prachnio grabs holdof the fence for several seconds and does not let it go as Goddardwatches on without saying anything. Bukauskas moves to half guard,and Prachnio lets go so he can block his face but ultimately takesseveral elbows off the dome. Bukauskas walks right into sidecontrol and threatens briefly with a kimura, but lets it go so hecan knee Prachnio in the side and elbow him as well. Prachniobriefly drags Bukauskas back to his guard, but Bukauskas easilygest back to half guard. Prachnio wall-walks to get back up, andthey dirty box in the clinch until the violent round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Prachnio
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Bukauskas
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Bukauskas
Round 3
Gloves are touched, and fists immediately fly. Prachnio elects togo out swinging, and he pummels the Lithuanian with a flurry offierce punches that knock him back to the fencing. Bukauskas takesadvantage of Prachnio’s momentum and hits a body lock trip toredeposit Prachnio flat on his back. Bukauskas moves to half guardto control his opponent, and he lands short shots to stay busy.Goddard warns Prachnio for punches that wrap around to the back ofthe head, and Bukauskas ignores them while maintaining controllingposture. Goddard asks for more work, and Bukauskas keeps on slowlyworking from above while not attempting many fight-ending strikes.Bukauskas sits up to drive two elbows home before leaning down withan arm-triangle choke position. Bukauskas lowers himself flat tosmother his opponent while clutching the submission grip tight, andhe is on the wrong side but does not seem to care. Bukauskasremains flat and crushes down on his adversary, and even out ofposition he squeezes with all his might. Prachnio cannot hang onany longer, and he taps out. Prachnio thinks aboutstanding up after the fight's conclusion, but he does not have theenergy to do it. Meanwhile, the victorious Lithuanian hits a backflip to show he still has something left in the tank.
The Official Result
Modestas Bukauskas def. Marcin Prachnio R3 3:12 via Submission(Arm-Triangle Choke)
ObanElliott (170) vs. PrestonParsons (169)
BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Parsons (-155), Elliott (+130)
Round 1
Capping off the early prelims is now a welterweight clash betweenWelshman Elliott (10-2, 1-0 UFC) and submission specialist Parsons(11-4, 2-2 UFC). The Floridian will try to become the first man totap out Elliott and spoil his six-fight win streak, while aiming togo on his own run for the first time since 2021. Referee DanMovahedi draws the charge for this stylistic clash, and it kicksoff with a spirited clap of hands. Elliott tries to strike firstwith a spinning wheel kick, and Parsons walks past it slinginghands. “Pressure” pressures his opponent right to the wall, andElliott spins him around and nails him with an elbow. The twojockey for position against the wire, peppering one another withelbows until Parsons decides to disengage and try another way in.As he circles, he lands a low kick, and his head kick that followsgoes wide. Elliott spins with a back kick that lands right abovethe cup, and Parsons shows no concern and goes right at his mankicking the upper thigh twice. As Elliott parries punches, he isforced to deal with a spin kick to the ribs. Elliott gives him astrike back immediately in the form of a spinning wheel kick, andthe two take turns punching one another. Elliott marches forwardbut his leg is kicked out, and Parsons tries to take advantage butis shoved to the fencing. Elliott flirts with a takedown, andParsons meets him low with a guillotine setup to thwart it. Parsonsfights out of the tie-up and walks forward swinging for the fences.Elliott meets him in the middle, gunslinging right back, and heallows Parsons to leap at him with a Superman punch to tag him witha right hand in response. Elliott shuts down a takedown effort fromParsons and squeezes him against the wall until the round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Elliott
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Elliott
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Elliott
Round 2
The two hurry out of their corners so promptly that they forgetthey want to touch gloves and are too close to one another tooffer. They elect to throw hands, and Parsons ducks down to time asingle-leg entry that Elliott successfully and comfortable defends.Elliott manages to turn Parsons around and push him against thecage, and he releases the grip and dodges or parries most of thekicks that fly at him. Parsons gets off an effective calf kick andhas his head snapped back with a jab, and he comes up just short ofa counter left hook. Parsons reaches his man with a left hand,swaying to dodge the counter, and he ducks a trio of punches toshoot on the hips. Elliott perfectly defends the double-legtakedown and sprawls away, managing to circle around and take theback standing in the process. Elliott drags Parsons to a knee for amoment, and he releases his hands clasped around the waist andbacks away to reset. Parsons surges after him swinging with a bigright hand, and Elliott effectively counters him and ducks a punchto try to take Parsons down. Parsons stays on his feet whileElliott’s hands wrap around his waist, and Parsons grabs the fencebut is still taken down. Parsons powers back to his feet and freeshimself from the grip, but Elliott is right there in front of himto box him up. Elliott slips back to avoid the counter and escapes,and Parsons gives chase and connects at the end of a right hand.Elliott steps in with a knee to the body and sticks out a jab, andthe pressure of “Pressure” continues as he doggedly pursues atakedown he cannot find. The Welshman defends flawlessly and uses akimura to roll Parsons over, sweeping his man and jumping back upbefore Parsons can get hold of him to initiate more groundfighting. Elliott pushes his man on the links until the conclusionof Round 2.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Elliott
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Elliott
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Elliott
Round 3
When the round begins, Parsons is the initial aggressor until hewalks face-first into a one-two, and he thinks twice about thisapproach. Elliott beats him to the punch repeatedly, splitting theguard to frustrate Parsons further. Parsons hunts for a takedown inopen cage, and Elliott scrambles quickly to defend it. Parsonsjumps after a submission, and Elliott wrenches his limb out andshuts down Parsons’ subsequent double that does not work. Parsonsstands up labored when Elliott backs off, and he allows Parsons tomeander forward so he can counter him with a solid combination. Aone-two from Elliott gets Parsons’ attention, who loads up onstrikes and gets popped with another one-two before getting bulliedto the wall. Elliott disengages so he can keep working Parsons overfrom boxing range, and he ignores a low kick while fighting behindhis jab. Parsons comes up well short with a head kick and eats ajab, and he overswings but manages to connect with a left hook.Elliott pushes “Pressure” to the wall again and sneaks in a lefthand on the way, stifling a takedown as well. Elliott elbows on thebreak, and he ducks a right hook to flash out a jab. Elliott meetsa diving takedown and gets pushed back to the chain links, andParsons manages to scoop his man up and toss him down but fallsdirectly into an armbar setup. The Welshman holds tight on thesubmission while Parsons holds his knee down on the face, andElliott continues hanging on with the maneuver and has his toesinterlocked in the fence. Parsons shucks it off and turns thecorner, but both men get back to their feet in the clinch. Parsonsworks the body with knees and a few punches, and the fight comes toa conclusion.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Elliott (30-27 Elliott)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Parsons (29-28 Elliott)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Elliott (30-27 Elliott)
The Official Result
Oban Elliott def. Preston Parsons via Unanimous Decision (29-28,30-27, 30-27)
Manel Kape(125.5) vs. MuhammadMokaev (126)
BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Mokaev (-130), Kape (+110)
Round 1
Sparks are soon to fly as the prelims—on ESPNews for the timebeing—will treat fans to a grudge match. Initially booked againstone another a few months ago, Kape (19-6, 4-2 UFC) failed to makeweight and the flyweight scrap against Mokaev (12-0, 1 NC; 6-0 UFC)fell through. Bad blood brewed as the two jawed at one anotherconstantly and may have even come to blows at least once beforesettling it in the cage. They get to handle their business once andfor all, and referee Mike Beltran and added security in the cagemake sure that things do not get out of hand. Unsurprisingly, theflyweights have no interest in touching gloves as the battlebegins. Mokaev sprints at his opponent, and Kape is ready to wing aright hand and stumbles after throwing it so hard. Mokaev nods athim and lets loose with a high kick that skims off the shoulder,and he tosses out a low kick that partially lands. Kape parries afront kick as the crowd releases “ole ole ole” chants, and the paceis surprisingly calm given the intensity of the pre-fight antics.Kape walks his man down but does not commit to any strikes of note,and Mokaev gets away with slapping the lead leg with a kick. Theaudience is quick to grow restless after the fever pitch ofanticipation leading up to it, as the two flyweights do practicallynothing. Mokaev prods with kicks while Kape just stands andmeasures him. When Kape lands a strike, he sends Mokaev staggeringback, and he does not follow him and stays calm. Mokaev splits theguard with a front kick off the abdomen, and Mokaev is warned foroutstretched fingers as he keeps his hand pointed out. Mokaevmisses on two low kicks, and the fans hammer the fighters with booswhile Beltran calls for action. Kape lunges with a straight lefthand, and he slips when stepping back. Mokaev lands a push kick tothe groin, and Kape waves him off and lets Mokaev land another bodykick. Mokaev keeps slapping with low kicks, and he spins with asudden wheel kick that grazes off Kape’s head. Kape darts forwardwith fists outstretched, and Mokaev defends against them. Kapecrowds him again and gets off a left to the body, and he resets andeats a low kick. Kape throws one back, and he gets jabbed andkicked in response. Mokaev kicks up high, and Kape walks through aleft hook and another groin kick before leaping at Kape with aknee. Mokaev drops down and goes for a takedown, and Kape stops itand cracks him with a few punches. Kape opens up with a left handthat hurts Mokaev, who shoots for a takedown that is easilythwarted. The disappointing round ends with Kape bouncing back.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kape
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Round 2
Mokaev does not take a seat between rounds, staring his opponentdown the whole time. The second round begins and the two meet inthe middle, and they pump-fake with hips but do not throw anything.Kape hops around switching stances, and he blocks a jump knee.Mokaev pushes out a front kick to the sternum, and Kape is warnedfor outstretched fingers. Mokaev tags him with a right hand, and heblocks a kick that breaks his toe. Kape goes to adjust his bustedtoe, and Mokaev runs at him attempting a knee but does not get tohim. Kape continues to shake out his right foot, and he is gingeron it. Kape stops a takedown in the open cage, but a scrambleresults in Mokaev on top. Mokaev yanks on Kape’s shorts severaltimes, nearly pulling them off, and Beltran calls time and angrilyshouts at Mokaev for the egregious foul. Beltran takes away theposition—a point should be taken but is not for some reason—andtells Mokaev it is his final warning. Kape appears better, andMokaev reaches out and pokes him in the eye. Kape turns around, andBeltran notes the foul but does not call time, instead telling Kapeto fight on. Kape suddenly turns around and stops a takedown, andhe is irritated but gathers his thoughts and manages to get off ashort left hand. Mokaev gets off a body kick, and Kape adjusts hisshorts a few times. Kape smiles, and he times a counter left handwhen Mokaev overextends. Kape walks through a punch and startstalking the Dagestani fighter down, landing two punches and eatinga knee on the way as well. Mokaev gets enough space to push out afew kicks, and Kape throws a low kick and dips his way in butelects not to strike. Kape jumps at his man with two hooks, and helands at the end of a left hand. Kape powers off another left hand,and Mokaev responds with a body kick. The horn sounds, andscorecards could be all over the map already.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev
Round 3
Before the last round opens, Beltran brings in the doctor toexamine Kape’s toe, and he is cleared to continue although Beltransays he will keep an eye on it. They begin the final frame, andKape stands in the center of the Octagon pawing out jabs. Mokaevslaps him in the face with a high kick, who races at him and misseson punches. Mokaev threatens back with a single, and Kapestonewalls him and leaps forward with a left hook that comes upshort. Kape lets go with three punches, but only one partiallyconnects. Mokaev jabs to intercept the advancing Kape, and he has ahead kick disrupt him as well. Mokaev jumps after a takedown and isstopped in his tracks, and he gets to his feet and hops away fromthe lunging Angolan. Kape plants a one-two on the jaw, and he ismet with a quick head kick that slaps him upside the head. Mokaevreaches with a low kick to the rear leg, and he retreats around theouter edge of the cage to not let Kape land on him. Mokaev beatshis man to the punch, but he eats a left hand as his head isleaning against the wall. Mokaev goes after a single, and Kapedefends with a guillotine choke as soon as he hits his back. Mokaevsignals that he is not concerned, and he tries to yank his head outof danger and eventually succeeds. Kape goes wild from his back,spamming hacking elbows that stun Mokaev. Kape continues elbowinghis man on the top of the head, and Mokaev gets busy with a fewpunches to the body. Kape pushes off the hips and rolls for akneebar, and he lets it go to stand back up and push Mokaev awaywith 40 seconds left. Mokaev points to the floor to signal thatthey brawl, and Kape does not bite and fall victim to a takedown.Kape shoots for a low single, and Mokaev stops it and punches himin the face. Kape dings him back, and he gets dragged to his seatas he complains about an eye poke. Mokaev holds him down, and theaudience boos them heartily. The flyweights immediately bury thehatchet, hugging it out as security watches closely. It’s anyone’sguess how this fight will be scored, but neither man put forth aneffort worthy of a title fight in their next outing.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kape (29-28 Kape)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev (30-27 Mokaev)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Mokaev (30-27 Mokaev)
The Official Result
Muhammad Mokaev def. Manel Kape via Unanimous Decision (29-28,29-28, 30-27)
Jake Hadley(137: Missed Weight) vs. CaolanLoughran (136)
BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Loughran (-195), Hadley (+155)
Round 1
For this next fight, the two combatants celebrate a combined 15finishes in their 19 wins. Former flyweight Hadley (10-3, 2-3 UFC)had a tough time moving up to bantamweight, missing the limit by apound and subsequently donating 20% of his purse to Loughran (9-1,1-1 UFC). Keeping his head on a swivel to watch out for thesehard-charging gentlemen will be referee Lukasz Bosacki, although itbegins with a glove touch. Loughran is the initial aggressor,walking forward, chin tucked. Hadley kicks the front leg and hopsaway from the jabs, going for another kick and sitting down on aleft hand. Loughran fires back but wears it well, and he absorbs afew leg kicks shortly thereafter. Hadley gets in another left hand,and his one-two is dangerously close and already has Loughran’sface marked up. Hadley stays at the end of his own punches, notletting Loughran crowd him, and backing him off with a solid lefthook that cuts the Irishman. Loughran plods forward fearlessly,walking through punches but getting outstruck at the outset.Loughran tosses out a high kick and a right hand that misses, andHadley beats him to the punch with a sharp combination and whips akick to the ribs. Hadley uses his range effectively to not letLoughran get to him, and he dips a counter right aimed at his dome.Hadley lands two and dodges the reply, chipping at the front leg ofthe man standing directly in front of him. Hadley connects withshort combinations and a leg kick, and Loughran cannot reach himquite cleanly. Hadley goes to the body and blocks an overhandright, and Loughran hits air with most of his responses. TheIrishman does gets off a body kick, but Hadley sticks him with afew punches. Loughran lands a right hand and raises his hand in theair to celebrate his handiwork, and he finds it again as he walks“White Kong” down. Hadley lands a few more punches and a kick tosettle the round.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hadley
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Hadley
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Hadley
Round 2
Loughran picks up right where he left off, staying right in frontof Hadley, eating punches. Loughran fakes going after a single, andHadley catches him with a left hand over the top. Loughran getsbeaten to the punch again, and Hadley once more stings him with aleft hook. Loughran shoots for a single, and Hadley stops it in itstracks and knees his man repeatedly before disengaging. Hadleyflicks out fast punches, with Loughran loading up more and largelyusing arcing shots that Hadley can dodge or parry. Loughran opensup with a right hand that gets the former flyweight’s attention,and Hadley’s expression changes. “White Kong” jabs the body andeats a right hand to the ribs right back, and he pokes with severaljabs. Loughran gets him with a right hook, poking with low kicksand staying active and accurate. Loughran stands his man up with apower right hand, and Hadley acknowledges it and drills him rightback with left. Loughran kicks an inside low kick that slams squareinto the cup, and Hadley connects cleanly with a left hand anddoubles over from the foul. Bosacki calls time, and Hadley digsdeep in his shorts to adjust his cup. Hadley grimaces and takesdeep breaths to get his wind back, needing just about 90 seconds toresume. Loughran is so excited to fight again that Bosacki has toback him off, and they restart in a similar fashion to which theyleft off. Hadley is quicker and snappier, and Loughran swingsharder and more reckless. Loughran misses with his wider strikes,and Hadley gets him with a one-two. Loughran digs a right to theribs, and he shoots for a single and walks through an uppercut toget there. Hadley stops the first attempt, and Loughran lifts up aleg to dump Hadley to the canvas on his second effort. Hadley jumpsback up and thanks Loughran for his handiwork by nailing him with aleft hand, and he ducks a big strike to threaten with his owntakedown. Loughran takes advantage of this situation by circlingaround to push Hadley to his knees, and he succeeds in placing“White Kong” flat on his back. Loughran starts working with openleft hands from above, and Hadley controls his wrist until the hornsounds.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hadley
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Hadley
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Hadley
Round 3
The last round commences in a brief exchange of fists, with Hadleylanding, Loughran responding and Hadley getting the better of it atthe end. Hadley chips at him with kicks, and Loughran shoots for atakedown and grabs the fence to pull Hadley to his knees. Hadleyfights off the uncalled foul—there have been far too many ignoredfence grabs tonight—and turns the corner to grab Loughran frombehind. Loughran spins out, and the two reset and get back to thestriking range in which most of the fight has taken place. Hadleyeats a right hand but lands several back, and he takes a groin kickand motions to Bosacki, who tells him to fight on. Hadley digsstrikes to the body and eats a right over the top, and he watchesLoughran duck several times until the Irishman sells out on atakedown. Hadley defends it and leans himself against the fence todefend it, eventually blasting Hadley with an elbow on the break.Hadley lands a low kick and blocks a head kick, and he parries twojabs to come over the top with a left. A foot bounces into the cup,and Bosacki tells them to keep it clean. Loughran winds up andfinds his target with his right fist, and Hadley strafes to theside to avoid any others from catching him flush. Loughran loads upmore heavily than his opponent, missing with practically all ofthem while Hadley cruises from a distance. Loughran catches himwith another right hand, but it is one-and-done as Hadley shiftsout of reach. Hadley puts a straight left hand on the chin, drawingan “oomph” from the Irishman. Loughran shakes his head and lands alow kick, and when Hadley kicks him back, he shrugs at him.Loughran has head kicks bounce off the guard, and Hadley jabs himand keeps his left hand high to protect himself from the inevitablestrok.es Hadley comes over the top with a glancing left, and hesnaps the head back with a left before jogging away as the bellrings.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hadley (30-27 Hadley)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Hadley (30-27 Hadley)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Hadley (30-27 Hadley)
The Official Result
Jake Hadley def. Caolan Loughran via Unanimous Decision (30-27,30-27, 29-28)
BrunaBrasil (116) vs. MollyMcCann (115)
BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: McCann (-310), Brasil (+250)
Round 1
Fan-favorite McCann (14-6, 7-5 UFC) takes center stage to battle anopponent in which she is a significant betting favorite around-350. She draws Brasil (9-4-1, 1-2 UFC), who fights out of thesurging Fighting Nerds team and would love nothing more than toplay spoiler and silence the partisan crowd. The strawweights runat one another without touching gloves as the crowd roars itsexcitement, and referee Dan Movahedi is ready for what comes next.McCann swings for the fences early and often, winging her righthand as Brasil would prefer to work the body and stay on theoutside. Brasil reaches her target with a front kick and sneaks ina right hand, and she prods out a pair of calf kicks that alreadymark up McCann’s lead leg. McCann goes hellbent for leatherthrowing big punches, and Brasil pushes off with a front kick andaccidentally punts McCann in the groin when McCann is kicking atthe same time. While Movahedi calls time, a huge mouse swells overMcCann’s left eye. McCann takes the necessary time to recover, andon the restart, she strides forward and walks square into a knee.McCann absorbs another flush knee to the ribs, and Brasil spinswith a wheel kick that bounces off the Brit’s head. Brasil is ableto keep the rushing “Meatball” at bay with kicks and distantstrikes. Brasil’s strikes have reddened up McCann’s midsection aswell, who appears unfazed and still swings with big punches. Brasilfires off a head kick that is blocked, and she drives a knee to thebody that puts McCann on her seat. McCann rolls to her back inpain, and Brasil decides against chasing her and makes her standback up. Brasil belts her in the busted body with another kick, andMcCann doubles over and takes several gasps for air. Brasil walksher down with a stream of punches and blasts the ribs with kneesthat hurt the Liverpudlian again and again. Brasil lays into McCannwith knees that take the wind out of her foe’s sails, and McCannties her up against the fence and looks to drag the fight down.Brasil allows her to do this so she can spin around and wrenchMcCann to the mat, where she has her glove grabbed and gets herwind back before Brasil lets her back up. Brasil retreats, andMcCann lunges and gets hold of Brasil’s left hand to eventuallytake her to the floor. Brasil scoots her way to the wall to getback up, and she knees the body and puts McCann on her back beforethe one-sided round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Brasil
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Brasil
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Brasil
Round 2
The second round begins with McCann ready to come out swinging, andshe does just that, chasing after Brasil with looping punches.Brasil pushes her back with a single front kick, but McCann is onher with a left hook. Brasil meets her with an elbow, and she landsa second when McCann is in close enough range. McCann wants to keepit close so her body stops taking shots, and she ends up tying theBrazilian up but fails on her initial takedown efforts. Brasilmeets her with a few knees, and McCann grits her teeth and elevatesBrasil to slam her to the mat. Brasil kicks off and easily standsback to her feet, and McCann adjusts her shorts instead ofpouncing. McCann plods forward and gets kicked in the side, and shehops away from a head kick. McCann reaches her foe with a left anda right over the top, and Brasil turns her around and pushes her tothe fencing while tying up one of McCann’s legs. McCann attemptssingles, and Brasil defends them as her toes get stomped. Movahediasks for more action, and Brasil slaps McCann in the forehead andear before she chucks “Meatball” to the floor. McCann ties her foeup and stops her from landing anything of note, even popping herwith an upkick when Brasil stands up to find another way in. Brasilbacks off to allow McCann back up, and McCann spins with a wheelkick and gets blasted with a right hand that sends her crashing tothe floor. The close round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Brasil
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Brasil
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Brasil
Round 3
Sensing she might be down on the scorecards, McCann races out ofher corner loaded for bear. McCann throws hard, and ultimately theBrazilian is able to use that against her and trip her to thefloor. Brasil takes her from behind and establishes top position,where she calmly moves to half guard and flattens “Meatball” into apatty on her back. Brasil is unable to get much ground-and-poundoff from this spot, getting dragged back to the guard and pushedback up with McCann’s butterfly looks. McCann works to her feet andunloads with power punches until she pushes Brasil to the wall.McCann breaks away and spins with an elbow, and she giveseverything she has in a left hand that stings her opponent but doesnot hurt her enough to change the course of the fight. Brasil grabshold of a single and fairly easily puts the local favorite down onthe ground, and she uses a rubber guard to protect herself and makeBrasil stand back up. McCann rolls over, and Brasil follows her andtakes her back to get both hooks in. Brasil stays seated with herback against the cage, and Movahedi has to slap some hands toprevent fingers from grabbing gloves. Brasil stands up, and McCannpounces at the exact right moment to not only slide out but get onBrasil’s back. McCann wrenches on anything she can get hold of, butBrasil tosses her to the mat and silences the briefly re-energizedcrowd. Brasil is warned for grabbing McCann’s hair, and she takesthe back standing until McCann spins her off. McCann lands in anawkward position, and the horn blares. The two women embrace ontheir seat, and barring a miscarriage of justice, local fightersagainst international foes will suffer their first losstonight.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Brasil (30-26 Brasil)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Brasil (30-27 Brasil)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Brasil (30-27 Brasil)
The Official Result
Bruna Brasil def. Molly McCann via Unanimous Decision (30-27,30-27, 29-28)
DanielPineda (146) vs. NathanielWood (145)
BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Wood (-500), Pineda (+380)
Round 1
The long preliminary portion of the event finally comes to an endwith two 145ers with decidedly different approaches to the sport.While England’s own Wood (19-6, 7-3 UFC) has gone to decision sixfights in a row, Pineda (28-15, 3 NC; 5-6, 1 NC UFC) preposterouslyholds a 100% finish rate with 28 wins in a career that began in2007. Whether explosive or nullifying, referee Mike Beltran will beready to keep tabs on the lightweights. They bump fistsrespectfully, and Wood is quick to say hello with two leg kicks anda front kick. Pineda crowds him and pursues a takedown, and theBrit stifles the first attempt and fights off the second, a trip.Wood breaks free and ducks a punch, and he nails the front legbefore stabbing the torso with his toes extended. Pineda throwscalf kicks right back, intercepted only by a single jab. Pinedalets a right hand fly as it skims the temple of his opponent, and ajab and a follow-up left gets his attention. Wood batters the frontleg and makes Pineda stumble, and a front kick from the Britcrumples “The Pit.” Wood decides to crash towards him and advanceto the guard instead of backing off to finish the job, and Pinedais able to get his wind back as he closes the guard and hangs ontight. Pineda lashes out with an elbow off his back, and he staysactive attacking while Wood prefers to control him. Pineda huntsfor a kimura sweep, locking Wood down until he succeeds in flipping“The Prospect” all the way over. Pineda claims top position andgrinds his elbow on Wood’s face before wrapping his head around theneck for some setup that does not materialize. Pineda jams down afew elbows, and any time Wood sits up, he flirts with a guillotine.Wood answers back with a couple elbows, and Pineda drills him witha few shots before the horn sounds.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Wood
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Wood
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Wood
Round 2
There is a quick touch of gloves to get going, and Pinedareintroduces himself courtesy of a looping right hand. Wood spinshim all the way around with a low kick, and he connects with a fewpunches including a left hand that hurts Pineda and makes himstruggle to see. Pineda backs off and leans against the fence whilerubbing his eye, and when Wood tries to finish the job, he is metwith booming shots from “The Pit.” Pineda keeps him honest, evenwhile taking another left to the eye socket that flusters himfurther. Pineda spins with a back kick, and Wood takes advantage ofthe situation by landing left hands to draw a tiny bit of bloodabove the eyebrow. Wood pounds the front calf to stop Pineda fromcoming towards him for a moment, and he jabs out two front kickswhere at least one bumps into the cup and draws a time-out. Beltrancalls time, and he has a replay official check to make sure it wasa groin shot. After one minute, Pineda is ready to rock, and heleads off with a head kick that gets blocked. Pineda slams his shinon the lead calf of his foe, and Wood answers him back and dropsPineda. Wood jabs out with a front kick that hits the cup, and hesnaps out a jab that sends Pineda flying. Pineda recovers and backsoff to block body shots, and he jogs to the side to get his footingback. “The Pit” spins with a back elbow that is labored, and Woodnails his front leg to further compromise it. Wood lands a few legkicks while Pineda is on his back, and Pineda climbs back up andshoots for a double. Wood stops it and spins him around, and hebreaks off and aims another kick at the damaged front wheel. Bothmen load up and miss with big punches, and Pineda checks a kick anddigs a left to the body. Wood blasts his man with a few punches,and when Pineda wobbles, Wood cracks his chin with a left hook thatsends the Texan down to the mat. Wood climbs on top rather thanforcing him up to keep striking, and Pineda wipes at his eye thatis swelling up and hurt badly. Pineda hangs on tight to survive andride out the remainder of the round, with Pineda landing two elbowsbefore it ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Wood
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Wood
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-8 Wood
Round 3
The doctor comes in to check on Pineda’s damaged right eye, whichis swollen but not shut. Pineda passes the test to keep fighting,and the crowd thanks him with cheers. The two clap both hands tobegin, and Pineda throws the first strike with a spinning elbow.Pineda swings for the fences and shoots in low for a double, and hewinds up in guillotine choke danger that allows Wood to turn himover and briefly wind up on top. Pineda fights to his feet andwipes his eye, and he misses on a calf kick. Wood chips at thefront leg and doubles up on his jab, and he strings a few of thosetogether and fights off a Pineda trip. Pineda gets his head snappedback with a jab and he wings a telegraphed right hand, and Wood isthe much faster and more accurate of the two. Pineda attacks for atakedown, and Wood turns around and holds his back, but the Briteats a ferocious back-elbow while hanging on. This allows Pineda toturn the other direction, who steps into half guard as his faceleaks all over. Pineda slides over to the side, isolating Wood’sright arm with a kimura as Wood bucks and kicks. Pineda keeps atwo-on-one wrist lock until Wood is able to wrench it back to hisside, so Pineda switches to half guard with short right hands. “ThePit” briefly claims mount, and he slashes down with an elbow on theforehead. Wood turns to his side, ignores a few more elbows and isstuck on his back. Pineda uses shoulder pressure and a guillotinethreat to stop Wood from turning the wrong direction, but time ishis enemy as 30 seconds remain on the clock and he will almostcertainly need a finish. Pineda misses a big elbow and sits up tosmack his opponent with meaningless strikes, and the fight comes toan end.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pineda (29-27 Wood)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Pineda (29-28 Wood)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pineda (29-27 Wood)
The Official Result
Nathaniel Wood def. Daniel Pineda via Unanimous Decision (29-27,29-27, 29-28)
ArnoldAllen (145) vs. GigaChikadze (146)
BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Allen (-250), Chikadze (+205)
Round 1
A relevant featherweight encounter kicks off the main card of UFC304, with Britain’s Allen (19-3, 10-2 UFC) trying to snap atwo-fight skid at the expense of Georgian striker Chikadze (15-3,8-1 UFC). The fans have picked their side on this one, and it issafe to say they are not rooting for the man who calls himself“Ninja.” Referee Marc Goddard will observe the proceedings for thenext 15 minutes or less, and he sits back as the combatants opt notto touch gloves. Chikadze tests the waters early with a head kick,and he fires it a second time as Allen has his guard up for both ofthem. Chikadze kicks the side and then the front leg, only to go uphigh. Allen catches a body kick and tries to take Chikadze for aride, but Chikadze bounces away and lands a kick on the way out.Allen walks him down, dinging Chikadze with a left hook as Chikadzecontinues to spam kicks to all three targets. Chikadze jabs andsettles down, aiming a second to the chest and staying light on hisfeet. Allen cannot find his way in, hand-fighting and taking a bodykick when trying. Chikadze sits down on a straight right hand whenAllen bears down on him, and Allen takes it like a champ and givesback a high kick that hits the shoulder. Chikadze’s head kicks areall blocked, but the front forearm of his foe is reddening afterabsorbing the quick blows. Allen sticks a jab and ducks down towork the body before Chikadze can get away, and Chikadze gives hima body kick back to think about. A spinning wheel kick fromChikadze goes wide, and his high kick pounds into the glove of hisfoe. Allen responds with a single body kick, and Chikadze splitsthe guard with a straight right hand and follows with two speedybody kicks. Chikadze scores a check left hook and is met with acounter left hand, and Allen walks after him tossing out a kickeasily blocked. Allen walks into a punch and a kick, and Chikadzepecks at him with a front kick as he constantly mixes up hisattacks. Allen connects at the end of a right hand, shakingChikadze up for a moment, but Chikadze does not back himself into acorner and instead reaches with his own right. Allen tries to windup with leaping shots, and Chikadze is evasive and hard to gethands on. Allen ducks right into a knee, and he wobbles to the sideand punts Chikadze in the face with the ball of his foot. As theBrit raises his arms in the air, the round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Chikadze
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Chikadze
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Chikadze
Round 2
Allen rushes out of his corner to attack, landing a right hand outof the gate. Chikadze hand-fights to block anything else aimed hisway, and he slides away from two left hooks. Chikadze zings a highkick that brushes his foe’s hair, and Allen aims a body shot inresponse. Allen scores a solid calf kick and powers out with a lefthand, only to be met with three piston-like jabs. Allen chops atthe front calf, and Chikadze gives him one right back and jabs himto boot. Allen scores two punches, and he just avoids gettingblasted with a step-in knee. Allen rings Chikadze’s bell with astraight left hand, and Chikadze has to take a quick count of histeeth. Chikadze’s speed gives Allen issues, but Allen is ignoringthe strikes he absorbs and coming back with venom. Allen blocks ahigh kick and reaches out with a left to the sternum, and his handsare high to defend against another head kick. Chikadze shakes Allenup with a head kick, and Allen knocks him back with a left hand.Chikadze shakes it off and strafes to the side, constantly movingto not remain a stationary target. Chikadze has an uppercut come upshort, and Allen nearly cuts him off with a one-two. Chikadzelands, Allen gives him one back, and Chikadze is away and spammingkicks. Allen beans “Ninja” with a solid left hand, drawing bloodfrom both nostrils. Allen has his leg kicked out on the way in, buthe still manages to get off a wide left hand. Allen chambers andfires left hands, and Chikadze prods his front leg with a kick andslips the overhand left. Allen catches him with another left, andhe shoves away a leaping Chikadze and kicks high. Chikadze respondswith a body kick, and the back-and-forth round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Allen
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Allen
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Allen
Round 3
The Brit chases Chikadze around the cage as soon as the last roundbegins, and he manages to get his hands on Chikadze with a lefthand or two. Allen walks the Georgian down, and he dodges twopunches and reaches with a single shot that smears blood onChikadze’s forehead. Chikadze comes back firing with a left overthe top, and he has a body kick reach before Allen can get to him.Allen front kicks his man and elbows his way in, and Chikadzeescapes as fast as he can. Allen rips a body shot and Chikadze isstill ready to sling back high kicks, but they have far less stingon them than before. Allen gets off a left, takes two body kicksand continues pressuring his man around the Octagon. Chikadze stepsin with a right hand and responds with a heavy left, and he followshim along with another hard left. Allen’s left hand is againaccurate, and Chikadze springs into action with a body kick and apunch. Allen goes to the body and then kicks on the other side, andhis left hand is hurled at Chikadze’s pectoral. Allen tosses afront kick aside and catches his foe with a left hook, and Chikadzespins but does not release anything. Allen eats a body kick withoutflinching so he can unload punches, and he puts a one-two down thepipe and chases Chikadze with a right. Allen ends the fight with ajump knee, and the two share an embrace and have a conversationafter 15 minutes of striking.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Allen (29-28 Allen)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Allen (29-28 Allen)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Allen (29-28 Allen)
The Official Result
Arnold Allen def. Giga Chikadze via Unanimous Decision (29-28,29-28, 29-28)
ChristianLeroy Duncan (185) vs. GregoryRodrigues (185)
BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Duncan (-130), Rodrigues (+110)
Round 1
The UFC chose violence by putting this 185-pound slobberknockertogether, in a fight previously positioned on the prelims but laterbumped to the main card. Duncan (10-1, 3-1 UFC) will represent thehome nation while sporting a 90% stoppage rate, while Brazilianbruiser Rodrigues (15-5, 6-2 UFC) and his opposing 87% rate willtry to put the hurt on him. Donning his figurative hard hat,referee Dan Movahedi needs to make sure not to get hit by anyflying feet or fists in what could turn into an Andy Capp-stylebrawl. The fighters touch gloves before swinging them, and Duncanis quick to zip in and out with a jab. On his way out, Rodriguesgives him a body kick to think about. Duncan reaches out with aleft hand and a front kick, and he is warned for outstretchedfingers. Rodrigues catches the Brit with a power left hand, andthen a monster left and right knock Duncan’s head around. Duncanappears no worse for wear, and he slides to the side and leaps inthe air to miss with a flying knee. Rodrigues has a right hand skimthe side of the head while Duncan is moving, and he pushes off theface with his fingers only to rush in to thump the Brazilian withan elbow. Duncan rushes out of the way to the side and fires backwith a right hand, only for “Robocop” to snatch up a single and putDuncan down easily and comfortably. Rodrigues steps into half guardand starts doing work with elbows. Duncan pushes his feet off thehips, and Rodrigues stays heavy and elbows him again. As the elbowsland, a mouse develops almost instantly above his left eyebrow, andit turns into a golf ball in a hurry. Rodrigues smothers his manand methodically attacks with elbows, using the lump as a bullseye.Duncan explodes to his knees, and Rodrigues tries a few times totake the back but Duncan keeps himself from surrendering thisposition until he stands back up. Duncan tries to sit down and pushthrough to find a better position, but Rodrigues holds him down.Duncan attempts a single, and the round ends before he can getit.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rodrigues
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Rodrigues
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Rodrigues
Round 2
The middleweights tap hands to get going, with Duncan leading thedance with a low kick. Duncan nearly splits the guard with a frontkick but is just a little out of range, and he gets knocked backhard with a fierce right hand. “Robocop” punches Duncan in the faceseveral times until Duncan has to tie his man up to stop gettingbusted up further. Duncan lands a knee, and Rodrigues responds witha trip attempt that nearly gets the Brit down. Rodrigues jams aknee to the ribcage as Movahedi asks for more activity, andDuncan’s trip comes up short. Rodrigues sets up a Thai clinch, butwhen that falls off, he starts slugging. The two 185ers let loosewith power shots, stinging the other, and Duncan spins with anelbow that Rodrigues eats like a bowl of acai. Duncan grabs thefence to defend a takedown, and Movahedi warns him for it.Rodrigues hangs on from behind in hopes of taking him down, and hetransitions briefly to a single but back to the back. Duncan triesfor his own takedown, and Rodrigues stifles him and turns himaround, and Movahedi gets involved to split them up suddenly.Rodrigues meets him in the middle and lands several uppercuts, andDuncan replies with shoulder strikes, elbows and maybe even aheadbutt. Rodrigues turns around and whips an elbow that slashesDuncan open, and he winds up with three right hands that hurt “CLD”badly. Duncan, cutting the Brazilian on the corner of his left eye,gets taken for a ride when Rodrigues tackles him to the floor. Afew punches including at least one to the back of the head fromRodrigues end the bloody round.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rodrigues
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Rodrigues
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Rodrigues
Round 3
When the third round begins, ESPN suffers technical difficultiesthat break the broadcast. It comes back 40 seconds in the round,with Rodrigues in the driver’s seat chasing Duncan around. Duncanspams two spinning back elbows, and Rodrigues is more composed andbusts him up with uppercuts and short punches. Rodrigues lifts hisman up and throws him down to the floor like a bag of groceries,and when Duncan stands, he turns him towards the fence and smackshim with shoulder strikes. Duncan goes for a desperation flippingkick, and it breezes past Rodrigues as Rodrigues pushes him backtowards the fence in search of a single. Duncan keeps his balanceon the first try, but Rodrigues wrenches him down to a knee andbleeds on him. Rodrigues gets one hook in and imposes his bodyweight on top to slowly lower Duncan down, and Duncan is warned forgrabbing the gloves in furtherance that rules mean nothing ifreferees issue countless warnings and choose not to enforce them.Movahedi calls for more action, while Rodrigues has his foe frombehind while working him with left hands or searching for a one-armrear-naked choke. Blood from the Brazilian streams down on hisopponent’s face, and Rodrigues hunts for a rear-naked choke andbriefly grabs a face crank but releases it to hack down with asingle elbow. Duncan gets to his knees, and Rodrigues maintainscontrolling posture on the back as he slugs Duncan in the chopswith his free left hand. When Duncan stands and lands a back elbow,the fight surprisingly reaches the final bell.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rodrigues (30-27 Rodrigues)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Rodrigues (30-27 Rodrigues)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Rodrigues (30-27Rodrigues)
The Official Result
Gregory Rodrigues def. Christian Leroy Duncan via UnanimousDecision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Bobby Green(154.5) vs. PaddyPimblett (156)
BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Green (-120), Pimblett (+100)
Round 1
While the last two fights are championship affairs with a Britdefending their throne, fans might be here for the people’s mainevent that is the “featured fight of the night.” No matter his newfirst name, for play-by-play purposes this Strikeforce veteran willbe called by his surname, Green (32-15-1, 1 NC; 13-10-1, 1 NC UFC).He will try to take all the wind out of the sails of the raucousManchester crowd, which is going bananas for Pimblett (21-3, 5-0UFC). Referee Lukasz Bosacki can scarcely hear himself think, buthe knows it is time and starts the fight between the belovedlightweights. Even having said earlier this week it is allbusiness, the two choose not to touch gloves before slugging itout. Green’s hands are low as always, and he pokes at the front legwith a kick. Pimblett winds up with a much heavier kick on theinside, and he lands a second with emphasis. Pimblett sticks out ajab and checks a kick, and he sits down on an especially powerfulcalf kick. Green marches forward and starts talking trash, andPimblett catches him with a counter as he backs off. Green brusheshis shoulder when Pimblett lands on him, and the Brit lands a lowkick as well. Green connects with a pair of stomping kicks to theknee, and he reaches a left hand to the midsection. Green kicks thefront leg and is tripped up, and he acknowledges the strike andkicks at him. Green points at his adversary as he walks him down,and he tells Pimblett to hit him. Pimblett elects to kick the calfinstead, and Green kicks him in the ribs in response. Green keepsjabbing with his front leg, and he shoots for a takedown and fallsstraight into a guillotine choke attempt. Green slips out of it,and Pimblett adjusts and locks down a triangle choke. Green rollsto the side but is still dangerously caught in the submission, andPimblett starts celebrating as he leans back. Green struggles andgets rolled to his back, and he wrenches on the arm while crushingon Green’s carotid artery. Life leaves Green’s eyes as thesubmission deprives him completely of his consciousness, andBosacki recognizes this and rescues the snoozing Green from furtherharm. Pimblett immediately lets go and leaps to the top of the cageas the audience explodes to celebrate the stoppage win for theirstar. He jumps out of the Octagon to high-five UFC chief HunterCampbell, and the crowd is absolutely deafening. “The Baddy” passedthe biggest test of his career with flying colors, putting thedangerous Green to sleep and becoming the first fighter to submitGreen since 2009.
The Official Result
Paddy Pimblett def. Bobby Green R1 3:22 via Technical Submission(Triangle Choke)
UFC Heavyweight Interim Title Fight:
TomAspinall (251) vs. CurtisBlaydes (256)
BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Aspinall (-380), Blaydes (+300)
Round 1
Back in 2022, Blaydes (18-4, 1 NC; 13-4, 1 NC UFC) encounteredAspinall (14-3, 7-1 UFC) in the main attraction of their FightNight show in London. Before anything came of the match, Aspinallblew his knee out in 15 seconds, and no one seemed satisfied,including Blaydes. Aspinall went on to win two fights in the firstround and pick up the interim heavyweight strap, while Blaydes losthis next fight and went on to punch out Jailton Almeida in March.For interim gold, referee Marc Goddard has drawn the charge, and hebrings the two together to share a sporting glove touch. It mightnot take long for a winner to be decided. They bounce towards oneanother, and Blaydes lunges out with a one-two and reaches histarget on the second. Blaydes stabs out a jab, and he clipsAspinall with a right hand, forcing Aspinall to rush at him andclinch. Blaydes pushes him off before something comes of it, and hecracks Aspinall with a one-two. “The Honey Badger” don’t give a…andhe fires off a laser-like jab and wings a massive right handskimming the temple that knocks Blaydes senseless. Blaydes hits hisseat, stunned by the concussive blow, and Aspinall sprints at himto finish the job. Jumping on Blaydes’ back, Aspinall lets loosewith powerful left and right hands, flattening Blaydes all the wayout. As punches rain down, Blaydes has no way out, and Goddardwaves the fight off so that Blaydes can live to fight another day.Sweet revenge has been earned by the Greater Manchester native, whoavenges the loss to his opponent as Blaydes sits up to protest thestoppage. It does not matter any longer, as the fight is over—inabout a minute, at that—and Aspinall has defended his interimthrone. Earlier in the week, UFC head Dana White claimed that thewinner of this fight would face the winner of Jon Jones vs. StipeMiocic, if that fight actually happens. Respectfully, Aspinallcalls out Jon Jones, saying that he has nothing against him butbelieves he is simply better than Jones. It is the only fight tomake at the top of heavyweight now.
The Official Result
Tom Aspinall def. Curtis Blaydes R1 1:00 via KO (Punches)
UFC Welterweight Title Fight:
LeonEdwards (170) vs. BelalMuhammad (169)
BETTINGPREVIEW | SCOUTINGREPORT | ODDS: Edwards (-205), Muhammad (+170)
Round 1
After a very long night of combat, the main event is here. Runningback a fight from UFC Fight Night 187, when Edwards (22-3, 1 NC;14-2, 1 NC UFC) poked Muhammad (23-3, 1 NC; 14-3, 1 NC UFC) in theeye to force a no contest, the two will now vie for the undisputedwelterweight crown. The unbeaten streaks of these two men aregargantuan, with “Rocky” not having lost in his last 13 appearanceswhile the challenger has not tasted defeat in 10 straightencounters on his own ledger. Something’s gotta give, and refereeMike Beltran will be sure to keep things as clean as they can be.The two are not fans of one another, and there is no touch ofgloves. Beltran clocks in the main attraction, and away we go.Muhammad moves right to the center of the cage, and Edwards prodsout a few jabs while Muhammad pressures forward. Muhammad shoots infor a double, lifting the champion in the air and slamming him downwith relative ease. Edwards keeps an open guard when he hits hisback, staying tight to Muhammad to prevent him from doing much.Muhammad opens up with a number of short left hands, landingwithout much impact. Edwards fights his way back to his feet, andMuhammad jams him against the wall and knees him once beforegetting spin around. Muhammad drives a few knees to the solarplexus, and Edwards drops to his knees for a takedown beforeabandoning it. Edwards scores an elbow on the break, and Muhammadtosses out a body kick on the way out. Muhammad adjusts and lands abody kick in response, and although he reaches his opponent,Edwards slams his knee in the breadbasket so hard he lifts Muhammadoff the ground. They both trade shots, and Edwards catches thechallenger with a solid uppercut and a body kick. Muhammad giveshim a right hand back to think about, and he presses forwardreaching a left over the guard. Edwards rifles a left down themiddle and lands a knee, and Edwards slides to the side and eats aheavy left hand that stings him. Edwards tries to get away, andMuhammad attacks a double and dumps the champion on the ground.“Remember the Name” makes Edwards remember his ground-and-pound,punctuating the round with one crisp elbow.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad
Round 2
Muhammad immediately puts the pressure on the champ when the roundbegins, walking Edwards down and landing a few punches. Edwardsretaliates with a body kick, and Muhammad beats him to the punchwith a short swarm of punches. Muhammad scores a pair of jabs toback Edwards up, and Edwards gives him a single one back. Edwardsgets an uppercut in, but Muhammad punches his way into a takedowneffort. Muhammad fails to secure a takedown, even when clasping hishands together around the waist, as Edwards keeps his balance.Muhammad doggedly pursues the takedown, tripping Edwards up by theknee and dropping him down to his knees. Muhammad jumps on hisback, hanging on without hooks in and imposing his weight and will.Edwards is warned for a fence grab, and Muhammad scoops him up anddumps him on his head. Edwards appears no worse for wear, andMuhammad takes his back and gets hooks in. Edwards fights the handsand legs, managing to turn out and get back to his feet, but notbefore eating a heavy knee on the chin. Muhammad wrenches the champback to a knee, and Edwards powers back upright only to get chuckedon his face. Muhammad ragdolls the betting favorite, clinging tohis back and making his life miserable. When Edwards stands,Muhammad drags him down, and he completely shuts down any offensefrom the champ. Edwards manages to get upright and turn Muhammadtowards the fencing, and he knees Muhammad in the gut and drags himto the mat in a surprising turn of events. Muhammad works his wayto his seat against the fencing, and he knees Muhammad in the chestfrom this advantageous position. Edwards hangs on from behind untilthe bell.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad
Round 3
Muhammad walks out of his corner to start the fight even beforeBeltran says go, and he pushes the pace like before. Edwards swatsat him with punches, and Muhammad catches him with a right hand anda head kick from up close. Muhammad lifts Edwards in the air anddeposits him ever-so-gingerly to the canvas, but Edwards scramblesquickly to take Muhammad’s back and get a hook in as they leanagainst the cage. Edwards rips Muhammad’s feet out from beneathhim, and both hooks are in as he squeezes his left arm around themouth. Muhammad hand-fights to defend any submission from gettinganywhere close, but Edwards is firmly in control while he sets upthe body triangle. Edwards adjusts the body lock to his other legwhen Muhammad twists, and Muhammad protests about glove grabs.Edwards slips an arm around the jaw again, but there is no secondarm to lock it down. Muhammad grabs the fence to try to turn, andBeltran admonishes him for it. As Muhammad sits up, Edwards followshim and smothers his mouth before briefly gripping a face crank.Muhammad breaks the grip but is otherwise totally nullified,wide-eyed and perhaps surprised that Edwards has bullied the bullythis round. Edwards loops a punch or two around the guard, andMuhammad no-look elbows back at him until the round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Round 4
The championship rounds have arrived, and Muhammad is almost to themiddle of the cage as Beltran claps in the round. The pressure fromMuhammad is constant, and Edwards jabs him back and sneaks a headkick up that crashes into the shoulder. Muhammad throws a fewpunches back, and he eats a big left hand that wobbles him for asecond. Muhammad slips a left over the top, and he jabs behind it.Edwards keeps his guard up to block jabs, and Muhammad sees thisand delivers an uppercut to fluster him. Muhammad reaches his manwith a one-two, and a few right hands find their home shortlythereafter. Muhammad sells out for a double, and Edwards getsripped to a knee while Muhammad slips around to take his back withone hook in. Edwards stays on both knees, and as Muhammad gets theother hook around the back, he elbows the champ on the side of thehead. Muhammad hacks down with an elbow or two until Edwards leansand lowers himself to his back, and now Muhammad has the bodytriangle in place. Muhammad softens Edwards up with short,irritating punches on the side of the head while maintainingcomplete control, and no matter how hard Edwards fights, Muhammadhas him on lock. Edwards sits up and breaks the triangle around hiswaist, but Muhammad drags him back down and resets the leg grip.Beltran tells Muhammad to work as the two lay there in thisposition, and Muhammad stays busy enough to land punches to theside of the head. With 30 seconds left, Edwards bursts into actionand spins Muhammad over. As Muhammad, Edwards follows him to aknee, and the horn sounds.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad
Round 5
Muhammad does not alter his game plan, and Edwards does as theround begins. Edwards starts throwing heavy punches, and Muhammadanswers him right back and quickly blocks a high kick. Edwardsloads up on his shots, and he stuffs a takedown and pushes Muhammadto the side. As Muhammad stands, he greets Edwards with a few sternpunches, and he jabs Edwards back to the fencing. Muhammad lines aright hand down Broadway before chasing a takedown, and Edwardsleans himself against the cage and stops the attempt fromcompleting. Edwards grabs the fence to stop the takedown fromsucceeding, and Beltran yells at him. Muhammad does what he did inthe previous round, getting back control and dragging Edwards downwhile completing the body triangle. The crowd is cooked, booing thechallenger heartily and even leaving the building, expecting thechamp will lose his crown. Muhammad tries to get hold of a neckcrank, and Edwards fights it out but it is a moral victory as he isstill down on the scorecards with little way of coming back. Timeis the worst enemy of “Rocky,” and Muhammad has successfullyembraced the grind for coming up on 20 minutes. It might not be themost thrilling performance, as the fans in the building areborderline silent, but it is effective. With 45 seconds to spare,Edwards does everything he can to spin around and attack. Edwardslashes out with two blistering elbows, slashing Muhammad all theway open on the nose as blood sprays on the canvas. Edwards landsone more vicious elbow, and blood pools on Muhammad’s cheek.Edwards unleashes one final flurry of elbows, but it is likely toolittle, too late. The audience does not like it, but Muhammad didit, putting a performance on Edwards that few others have done.Vengeance is sweet for “Remember the Name,” and he ignores thejeers of the disappointed crowd because he has successfully climbedthe mountain. The welterweight title now goes through Muhammad. Ifthe UFC decides to run that one back, if Muhammad faces a hungrychallenger like Shavkat Rakhmonov or something else happens, wewill be here for it. We hope you are too.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards (48-47 Muhammad)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Edwards (48-47 Muhammad)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Edwards (48-47 Muhammad)
The Official Result
Belal Muhammad def. Leon Edwards via Unanimous Decision (48-47,48-47, 49-46)