Live Now! UFC Vegas 99 ‘Hernandez vs. Pereira’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Despaigne (-440), Lane (+340)

Round 1

While the Professional Fighters League vies for a share of the
attention of fight fans today, the UFC counterprograms its main
card with prelims of very little rankings significance. It remains
to be seen who will win the battle of the eyeballs, but the UFC’s
show starts off where PFL’s will end: with heavyweights. Big men
combining for over 515 pounds of meat—not counting referee Mark
Smith—will grace the cage to open the day. With 16 knockouts in
their 17 combined wins, Lane (12-5, 1 NC; 0-2, 1 NC UFC) will go on
a collision course with Despaigne (5-1, 1-1 UFC), and smelling
salts may be needed in the near future. The power sluggers do not
bump their mighty fists together, and it’s time for some combat.
Despaigne comes out of his corner slowly but deliberately, hands by
his waist, and he creeps towards Lane. Lane tries to sweep the leg
from afar, but Despaigne is out of range. Despaigne kicks at the
same time as his opponent, and Lane tackles him over to the mat and
lands in half guard. Despaigne is already flat on his back like a
tortoise, his belly baking under the hot lights of the Apex,
beating his legs trying to turn himself over, but he can’t. Not
without Smith or Lane’s help, but they’re not helping. Despaigne
holds on to Lane’s right arm to stop Lane from landing on him, and
he is dragged to full guard and decides to smother rather than
attack. Despaigne works to his fence and gets to a knee, and he
works himself up to his feet. Lane is immediately attacking for a
single, and Despaigne leans his back on the wire while sprawling
his hips to keep his balance. Despaigne wraps his left arm beneath
Lane’s neck but there is no submission whatsoever, as Lane squeezes
the Cuban against the wall. Lane dives back down for a single-leg
takedown entry, and Despaigne gets pushed from one side of the cage
to the other, and he grabs the fence to stay upright. Smith warns
him loudly for the infraction, and Lane scoops “The Bad Boy” off
his feet and dumps him to the mat. Lane lowers himself down in half
guard while fastening an arm-triangle choke from above, and he uses
it to try to pass to full mount. Despaigne wriggles his neck out
but is otherwise stuck, landing one single elbow to the back of the
head to elicit another warning. Lane grinds out the rest of the
round, which surprisingly has reached the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lane
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lane
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Lane

Round 2

The second round opens with Despaigne a bit more aggressive than
before, as he attempts to strike early. Lane responds with a few
looping hooks, and a particularly solid right hand makes Despaigne
wipe his eye out of concern of some damage. The fighters are warned
for outstretched fingers, and Lane lets fly a low kick and is
countered over the top with a right. Despaigne chops down the front
leg twice with nasty kicks, and a high kick is soon to follow and
is blocked in time. Lane scoops a left hook around the top, and he
aims a follow-up right to the midsection. Despaigne plods forward
slowly, hands still by his waist, but his volume is practically
nonexistent. Smith calls for the heavyweights to fight, as they are
staring at one another with little else. Lane flicks out a few
jabs, and Despaigne’s counter is out of range. Despaigne wings a
right hand over the top, and Lane shakes his head and blitzes
forward to disguise a single. Despaigne staves off the attempt with
the wall at his back, and he breaks free to get into his preferred
range. Both men snap the other’s head back with a jab, and Lane
resets first to fire one to the ribs. They trade low kicks, and
Lane tries to throw another naked leg kick and gets nailed with an
overhand right. Lane smiles, knowing he was just tagged cleanly,
and he skirts away on the outside. Despaigne gets off a low kick,
and Lane darts under a right hand to change levels. Lane lifts
Despaigne up with a single, and he throws the Cuban to the floor
like a sack of cane sugar and lands firmly in full mount. Lane gets
off some short ground-and-pound before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Despaigne
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Despaigne
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Despaigne

Round 3

The final round commences with Despaigne coming out like the first
two rounds, hands held by his waist as he inches his way forward.
Despaigne fires off a body kick to reintroduce himself, and Lane
responds by hacking at his front leg with a kick. Despaigne
responds in kind, and then he bites on a feint and tosses out a
high kick that does not land cleanly. Lane shoots his way in with a
single, and Despaigne stonewalls him with the chain links at his
back. Despaigne slams down elbows on the side of the head to make
Lane think twice about the takedown, but instead of slowing down,
Lane lifts his man up and deposits him gingerly to the mat.
Despaigne looks to strike from his back, but the blows have little
on them and Lane is about as active from on top. Despaigne’s ground
game off his back is about as effective as Greg Hardy’s, and time
peels off the clock as he shows no ability or apparent interest in
standing up. Lane happily chews up time as he grounds and pounds
his opponent, doing enough damage to bloody Despaigne’s mouth up.
Lane is perfectly fine residing in the Cuban’s guard, but with 20
seconds to go, he turns it up a notch by relocating himself to
mount. Lane sits up to land a few strikes, and Despaigne clings to
him to try to pull him down or otherwise defend himself until time
expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lane (29-28 Lane)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lane (29-28 Lane)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Lane (29-28 Lane)

The Official Result

Austen Lane def. Robelis Despaigne via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Martinez (-135), Ardelean (+114)

Round 1

From the heaviest weight class to the lightest we go, as two
strawweights looking to make their most of their second chance at a
first impression. Martinez (7-1, 0-1 UFC), out of Combate
Americas-turned-Combate Global, will take on European Instagram
influencer Ardelean (9-6, 0-1 UFC). The two with fairly high finish
rates come together with referee Keith Peterson making sure there
is no nonsense to deal with. There is no glove touch, with the two
women instead ready to get down to business. Ardelean takes to the
center of the cage and chases Martinez around, landing a low kick
and avoiding a right hand. The Romanian walks into clean left, and
she charges winging punches that largely miss the mark. Martinez
slips a right over the top and dodges the counter, staying out the
outside with her guard up. Ardelean absorbs a left hand as she
keeps pacing forward, and her counter is not there. Leg kicks are
traded, and Ardelean motions that she was poked in the eye but
Peterson does not say anything. Martinez strafes from side to side,
not allowing Ardelean to determine a pattern, which results in a
lot of chasing and little action for lengthy stretches. Ardelean
swarms her way forward with three right hands, and all three hit
air. Martinez potshots her from afar, not letting Ardelean sit down
on her punches or hit her flush. Ardelean pokes out a jab, and
Martinez pushes her back with a front kick to the chest. Martinez
puts two punches on the chin, drawing a grin from Ardelean.
Martinez is constantly a moving target, dodging and weaving but not
before she nails Ardelean with a left hook. Ardelean pays her back
with a right hook, but it is not a full connect. They go after leg
kicks, and Ardelean runs forward only to swing her way into
nothing. Martinez clips Ardelean coming in, and Ardelean tries and
fails to tie her up. Martinez strings a few punches together into a
front kick, and she nicks an advancing Ardelean with a left at the
bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Martinez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Martinez
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Martinez

Round 2

Ardelean is a bit more aggressive than the first round, swinging
her way forward rather than leading with her face. Martinez
counters her effectively, even getting off an axe kick when
Ardelean stands in front of her. Ardelean looks to get up close and
personal, only to get kicked in the face again. Ardelean tries to
use the foot in her grill to push Martinez against the wire, but
Martinez skirts away to get her footing. Ardelean is consistently
chasing her but not cutting her off entirely, although she has
landed more cleanly in this round than practically anything she
connected with in the previous frame. Martinez throws low kicks
from both sides, and Ardelean responds with one and smiles. The
Romanian marches forward, with a right hand that smacks into
Martinez’ cheek. Ardelean sits down on a punch, only to get met
with a right hand on the button. Ardelean is still all smiles, even
when Martinez tags her with another left and a right. Martinez
whiffs on a one-two, and Ardelean rushes after her with fists
flying and a low kick that connects. Martinez kicks her in the
ribs, and she is out of the way before more than a quick right gets
to her. Martinez winds up two left hands, and Ardelean is in her
face with power punches back her direction. Martinez steps in with
a solid left hand, and she dodges a spinning attempt from her
opponent. Martinez connects with a left that makes Ardelean
consider changing levels, and Martinez pushes her away and kicks
her in the leg and body. Ardelean reaches out with a few punches,
and a right does get off before Martinez slides away. As Ardelean
comes after her, Martinez turns her back and runs to get a bit of
space. Martinez smacks her in the face with a head kick, and as
Ardelean charges, Martinez drills her with an axe kick, narrowly
misses a second and pushes off with a high side kick. As Martinez
is kicking away, the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Martinez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Martinez
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Ardelean

Round 3

To start off the last round, Ardelean is amped up and ready to let
her hands fly. Ardelean strings together multiple combinations, and
Martinez breaks them up with counters or consistent footwork and
movement. Martinez pushes out with a teep kick and then turns her
kicks to throw one to the body, and Ardelean shrugs them all off to
keep rushing forward. Ardelean connects with a low kick, only for
Martinez to counter with a solid left hook. Ardelean keeps after
her opponent, and Martinez dances out of harm’s way without
absorbing anything harsher than a body shot. Ardelean uses the
momentum to grab hold of Martinez, throwing punches on her way
forward to wrap her arms around her adversary. When Ardelean pushes
Martinez against the fence, Martinez slashes her with a few short
elbows that open up Ardelean’s right eyebrow. Martinez breaks away
in the clinch, and she kicks Ardelean in the ribs while taking a
right hand over the top. Martinez slips to the side, stabs her toes
out to the liver, and Ardelean bends over and is in big trouble.
Martinez rushes after her to finish the job, and Peterson calls
time to review the strike to determine if it was low. The replays
show it was a clean blow, and Peterson starts them up against
instead of waving the fight off—due to the rules, he could not call
it a TKO as it was initially considered a foul, but it could have
gone to a technical decision. Ardelean has gathered herself enough
to continue, and they start spamming kicks. Martinez uses an axe
kick and a few side kicks to keep Ardelean from getting to her, but
Ardelean still wants to clinch up. Martinez keeps moving on the
outside, whipping high-risk kicks at her opponent until the match
concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Martinez (30-27 Martinez)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Martinez (30-26 Martinez)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Martinez (29-28 Martinez)

The Official Result

Melissa Martinez def. Alice Ardelean via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Reed (-175), Penne (+145)

Round 1

Strawweights remain in the cage for the next matchup, with longtime
veteran and former Invicta atomweight champion Penne (14-7, 3-5
UFC) wanting to go out on a win. She comes to blows with fellow
struggling fighter Reed (7-4, 3-4 UFC), with both women on the
wrong side of a .500 UFC record. Referee Chris Tognoni draws the
charge for this pairing, and the two rush towards one another
without a plan of touching gloves. The former title challenger
races out with long punches outstretched, and she reaches Reed
early. Reed strafes away, but Penne chases after her with accurate
combinations. Penne gets into a clinch, and when she is turned
around, she scores a few knees before Reed bails out of the tie-up.
Penne comes right after her, ignoring a low kick to strike her way
into closer range. Reed looks for a counter left hook as Penne
advances, and Penne chops a kick low and rushes in to grab hold of
her opponent. Penne lifts Reed up momentarily, but Reed does not go
down, and they dirty box until Penne sells out for the body lock
takedown. Penne looks to take the back, gets shoved away, kicked,
and tries to take the fight down again. This time, Reed is slung to
the mat for a moment, but she springs back up with the wall behind
her. Penne uses short knees to the thigh to stay busy while Reed
boxes her ears and slaps her in the side of the head. Penne’s body
lock and trip does not go anywhere, and she maintains control while
her corner cheers like a muay thai match for every knee she lands.
Tognoni asks for more activity, and Reed continues to fight off
trip attempts while otherwise stuck on the wall. As they do little
else, Tognoni breaks them up with 30 seconds left in the round.
They both land reaching right hands, and Penne dips down to connect
with a second. Penne kicks off as Reed advances, and she plants a
kick on the ribs and dings the New Jersey native with a right hand
at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Penne
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Reed
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Penne

Round 2

Reed leads the dance early in the round, scoring an early
combination before getting driven back with a kick and a few
punches. Reed kicks twice from her rear leg, and Penne lunges at
her and punches her in the face. Penne kicks low and gets countered
up top, and Reed does the same and gets swarmed with a few punches.
Reed snaps out a jab, and as she overswings, Penne clinches her up
to pursue a takedown. Penne whips her opponent around, but the
throw is not successful. Reed gets shoved back to the fencing, and
they trade knees. Reed breaks out of the clinch and clips Penne
with a left hand, dropping Penne to a knee as Penne bounces up and
shakes her head. Reed backs off and slams a calf kick home, and
Penne gets her foe’s attention with a one-two and a big right over
the top. They trade low kicks, and Penne’s face is starting to turn
red from absorbed blows. Penne lands with more of a thud than a
slap with a kick, and Reed lets her hands go and strings three
punches behind a sharp jab. Reed slides away to spin with a back
kick, bouncing her foot off Penne’s raised guard. Reed checks a
kick, ignores a front kick and slaps her foot upside Penne’s head.
Penne crowds her but is rebuffed for her effort, and Reed returns
to kickboxing range where she snaps out a few jabs. Reed splits the
guard with a few jabs, and she lets Penne charge at her like a bull
so she can slide to the side like a deft matador. When Reed pushes
her opponent out of the way, she checks her chin with a right hand.
Penne’s eyes go wide, and she sells out on a desperate takedown she
does not land. Reed manages to break out of her grip, and she
deposits multiple kicks on Penne’s front leg. Reed springs into
action with seconds to spare, bloodying up Penne’s nose in a salvo
of strikes and resulting in her chucking Penne to the floor like a
sack of pasta. The horn sounds as Penne hits the deck.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Reed
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Reed
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Reed

Round 3

Reed claims the middle of the Octagon to commence the final frame,
where she fights behind a jab and a front kick. The kick stuns
Penne for a second, and Penne gathers her thoughts and darts
forward. Reed meets her with a few strong right hands, and she
slaps the front leg with a kick and rolled with a right hand. Reed
frowns and draws a little blood from Penne’s nose with her
increasingly effective jab, and her head movement and footwork
allow her to make Penne look sloppy. Reed’s sharp strikes continue
to mount, and when she takes a good right hand on the chin, it
slows her briefly. Penne sees the success of the strike and goes
after two more, and a wild third walks her into a counter. Penne
changes levels for a takedown, and Reed easily stops it in its
tracks and scores a few punches before breaking out of the clinch.
Reed misses on a low kick and chambers to fire off a side kick in
the belly. Penne takes it like a champ and meanders ever forward,
eating the right hands from the Jersey-based fighter. Reed eats one
to throw one back harder, and she pushes away from a takedown to
lay into Penne’s defenseless mug. Reed sticks and moves, pecking at
a slowing Penne who is growingly more reliant on low-percentage
takedown shots. Reed pushes her to the wall to frame off and get
out of a tie-up, and she flicks out several jabs and comes up short
with a right to follow. Reed digs two side kicks to the liver in
rapid succession, and when Penne tries to kick her back, Reed jabs
her face off. Penne’s face begins to swell as it is taking damage,
but she continues to push forward for takedowns. Reed marches her
foe down, and at the 15-second mark, she decides to turn on the
jets and let Penne have it. Penne fires back as best she can, but
Reed’s volume and intensity bash Penne in the face time and time
again until the fight comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Reed (29-28 Reed)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Reed (30-27 Reed)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Reed (29-28 Reed)

The Official Result

Elise Reed def. Jessica Penna via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28,
29-28)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Edwards (-258), Vidal (+210)

Round 1

For the third time in her UFC career, Edwards (13-6, 4-4 UFC) comes
into a matchup after missing weight. She surrenders a significant
portion of her purse to Brazil’s Vidal (7-3, 1-2 UFC), who would
like to make her pay even more for that perceived disrespect.
Referee Herb Dean will be in there to keep things clean, and
perhaps due to the weight miss—Edwards was three pounds heavy for
their bantamweight tilt—there is no glove touch. Both women stand
in the pocket and trade reaching strikes, with jabs that transition
into leg kicks on both sides. Edwards whips a right hand over the
top that misses, although her jab and front kick split the guard.
Edwards works the body, and Vidal crashes the pocket, ignores a few
strikes and pushes her foe to the wall. Edwards flips her over to
deflate a takedown effort, and Vidal climbs back to her feet to
push Edwards against the fence. Vidal goes low for an unorthodox
single on the other side, and Edwards turns her around and tries to
mash her up against the fencing. When they break free. Edwards
kicks the body on one side and a low kick on the other. Edwards
chops at the front leg and jabs, and Vidal is drawn out into
spamming big overhand rights. Edwards points at the floor to
initiate a brawl, and brawl they do. The ladies wind up on huge
power shots, with Vidal getting off multiple overhand rights while
Edwards smacks her upside the head with a spinning back fist.
Edwards chops at the front leg a few times, spins with another back
fist and is grabbed and forced into a clinch. Vidal knees her in
the head repeatedly until Edwards can break free, and Edwards
scores another back fist. Vidal’s low kick gets checked, and
Edwards jabs her in the belly to respond. “La Pantera” tries one
more spinning back fist, and Vidal sees it coming and swarms her
opponent with punches. Edwards kicks her in the liver, and Vidal
waves her on for more. Edwards takes a moment to gather her wind,
and Vidal uses this moment to pounce. Vidal lands, Edwards fires
back, and Vidal keeps on throwing. When Vidal overswings, Edwards
grabs hold of her and throws her down to the floor with emphasis.
As soon as Edwards takes her opponent’s back, the violent round
ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Edwards

Round 2

The kicks come early and often from the ladies, with Edwards
throwing them high and low until Vidal closes in briefly. Edwards
slides back and kicks Vidal in the gut, and she dances away from an
overhand right to drill the Brazilian with a spinning back fist.
Vidal’s chin is made of sterner stuff, and these women are throwing
with everything they have. Vidal rushes forward to tie the longer
woman up, getting hold of a body lock on the side while pushing
Edwards to the wall. Vidal ducks under to take the Panamanian’s
back standing, and she gets a hook in. Edwards hacks at the thigh
with several elbows before whipping one behind her head, making
Vidal blink it out. Vidal is warned for grabbing the inside of the
gloves, and Edwards complains as Dean is on top of it. Vidal
remains tight against her adversary, kneeing her in the back of the
thigh like a mean-spirited body suit. Vidal breaks away to kick
Edwards upside the head, and Edwards shakes it off, rushes after
her and bowls Vidal over with a solid body lock takedown. Edwards
lands in half guard and maintains top position, fighting off an
effort for Vidal to scramble so she can stay in control. Edwards
softens Vidal up with short ground-and-pound, more to stay busy
than to inflict damage. Vidal hits a sweep with seconds to go, and
Edwards tackles her back down to conclude the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Edwards

Round 3

Edwards comes out of her corner with purpose, walking Vidal down
and jabbing her way into a number of front kicks. Vidal slips away,
and she gets kicked in the ribs and swings her way into a clinch.
They both knee one another before splitting, and Edwards tries for
a back fist on the break and is blocked. Edwards jabs the body and
has her front leg kicked hard twice. Edwards counters with an
overhand right and pitches a front kick, and Vidal is after her
loaded for bear. Edwards allows her to get up close and personal so
she can deliver several solid uppercuts, and she frames off to nail
Vidal with a back fist. When Vidal attempts her own spin, Edwards
tackles her to the floor, and Vidal appears frustrated with herself
as her opponent is in half guard. Edwards postures up and starts
battering Vidal with elbows, and Vidal keeps her hands up and
threatens with a leglock as Edwards attempts to advance position.
This results in Edwards falling to her back, keeping her left leg
safe from getting cranked or torqued the wrong direction. Vidal
looks to her corner for ideas, and Edwards times this moment of
awkwardness with an explosion and a number of fierce right hands.
Vidal turns over, and Edwards happily takes her back to wrap up a
rear-naked choke. The Brazilian turns her head to the side, and she
hand-fights to try to get out of the move.
Edwards has her forearm fastened on the jaw and not beneath it, and
she squeezes with all her might. The crushing grip gives Vidal
issues, who quickly realizes she is not in a good place and there
is no more hand to fight. Even as it does not become a choke and
remains a crank, it is more than enough to force Vidal to
surrender. Arguably the best performance of Edwards’
career is marred by an egregious weight miss, but it might save her
place on the roster.

The Official Result

Joselyne Edwards def. Tamires Vidal R3 4:33 via Submission (Face
Crank)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Matsumoto (-265), Katona (+215)

Round 1

Moving things along on the prelims, Katona (14-3, 4-3 UFC) has a
new lease on life in his second stint with the organization. It
will be up to him to try to defuse surging Brazilian Matsumoto
(15-0, 1-0 UFC), who comes in with a full head of steam having
throttled Dan Argueta a few months ago in his successful
promotional debut. What could be a high-paced affair will be
officiated by referee Mark Smith, who checks the bantamweights in
as they opt not to share a glove touch. Katona wants to start out
guns blazing, and he strings off several quick three-strike
combinations to get going. Katona lunges in, lands two punches and
a kick before darting away, and he gets out of the way of any
notable counters. Matsumoto looks for a short left hook, but Katona
slides to the side and dings him with an overhand right. Katona
connects with two heavy punches and gets cracked with a right hand,
and Matsumoto finds another right hand and staggers veteran of “The
Ultimate Fighter.” Matsumoto’s right hand continues to connect when
Katona throws low kicks, and he chases after the Canadian and clips
him with a left hand. Katona ties him up and knees him once, and
Matsumoto gets shoved to the wall. Katona grabs the fence to remain
in place, receiving a warning, and he tries to change levels but is
stonewalled. Katona strikes on the break, and Matsumoto walks him
down fearlessly. Matsumoto flashes out two punches and a thumping
leg kick, and he walks directly into a vicious standing elbow.
Katona nails him with an overhand right, further doing some damage,
and Matsumoto bites down on his mouthpiece and starts trading. They
sit down on massive hooks, and Katona checks a kick that follows.
Matsumoto slows things down on his own decision to clinch Katona,
leaning all the way down to snatch the Canadian’s ankle. Katona
defends with elbows to the side of the noggin, and he gets dragged
to his knees. Matsumoto eats a few more elbows before standing, and
he bangs the back of his head on Katona’s chin. Katona frowns, and
the two fighters break apart with Matsumoto giving chase. Matsumoto
strikes with a kick first and then a few punches, and he considers
a takedown but is easily stuffed. Matsumoto tries to scoop Katona
up, and the SBG Ireland fighter is well-schooled and stops the
effort in its tracks. Katona stands Matsumoto up with a hacking
elbow, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Matsumoto
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Matsumoto
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Matsumoto

Round 2

The fighters pick up where they left off, blasting one another with
power strikes. Neither man is willing to take a backward step while
they sling it out, and Matsumoto appears to land the cleaner of the
two even as he has a slight cut on the right eyebrow developing.
Matsumoto takes one punch to throw two back, and Katona gets his
bell rung even when he fires heavy punches. Katona’s chin holds up
well from the power strikes of the Brazilian, and he gets backed to
the fence where he knees up the middle before getting pushed to the
wire. Blood leaks from the cut on Matsumoto’s eye, and Katona
targets it with two more elbows before breaking off. They meet in
the middle of the cage and throw bombs, with the kind of sheer
power and intensity not often seen at 135 pounds. Katona checks a
few kicks when they trade leather, and Matsumoto lands as often as
he gets hit. They throw caution to the wind slinging wild shots,
and Matsumoto blocks a high kick to knock Katona back. Katona
recovers and punches his way into a takedown effort, and the
Brazilian turns him about and shoves him to the fence. As they
continue battering one another, Katona’s eyebrow gets ripped open
from oncoming fire. Matsumoto further bloodies his opponent up as
both men are showing damage above their right eye, and it has not
slowed the momentum or ferocity one iota. Matsumoto dives after an
opportunistic takedown, and Katona manages to stuff it and strike
back with a few knees. Katona groans as one might have landed on
the groin, and Matsumoto jumps guard with a guillotine choke. The
wild round ends before Katona can do anything with it.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Matsumoto
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Matsumoto
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Matsumoto

Round 3

It takes a matter of seconds for the bantamweights to stand and
bang. Matsumoto absorbs a few kicks to split the guard with a right
hand that sends Katona staggering back. Katona gathers a full head
of steam, absorbs a few punches and kicks the side. Matsumoto sits
down on a pounding body kick, and he walks Katona down and is met
with a diving double. Matsumoto backs himself up against the wall
to stay upright, and Katona transitions to a single that also comes
up short. Matsumoto grabs the fence to stay on his feet, and his
hand is slapped away but he otherwise gets away with it. Katona is
wise to a guillotine choke setup and shifts to a body lock before
the unbeaten fighter pushes him away. Katona races at him for a
double, and Matsumoto advertises the price of admission by blasting
a bloody Katona in the face with a number of punches. Katona slips
away from a high kick and throws one to the body, and Matsumoto
belts the legs with kicks and follows those kicks with straight,
piston-like punches. Katona snaps the head back successfully during
an exchange, but he eats shots right back as Matsumoto does not
back down. Katona shoots, and Matsumoto bounces him off and lands
cleanly until Katona pursues another level change. Matsumoto
wrestles Katona to a knee as they trade short but clean strikes on
the inside, and Matsumoto lifts up a knee and sells out for a
single. Katona hits his seat for no more than a second before
exploding up, and he succeeds in turning the corner to drag
Matsumoto down. Matsumoto eats a few strikes before bursting up to
his feet to attempt a final takedown, and the final bell rings to
wrap up what is an easy “Fight of the Night” candidate. The scores
could range anywhere from 3-0 Matsumoto to 2-1 Katona, so the
judges will have their hands full.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Matsumoto (30-27 Matsumoto)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Katona (29-28 Matsumoto)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Katona (29-28 Matsumoto)

The Official Result

Jean Matsumoto def. Brad Katona via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Almabaev (-175), Nicolau (+145)

Round 1

A ranked flyweight encounter will wrap up the prelims, as Nicolau
(19-4-1, 7-3 UFC) wishes to save his place among the top 10 while
on a skid. To do so, he will have to break the 16-fight win streak
for the aggressive Kazakhstan native Almabaev (20-2, 3-0 UFC).
Referee Keith Peterson will have hands full to keep up with these
speedy competitors, although they show plenty of respect for
another and not a lick of nonsense as they clap hands before
engaging. Almabaev moves to the center of the cage, pawing out his
jab, while Nicolau is more jittery on the outside feinting and
faking. It takes 30 seconds for the first strike to land, a low
kick from Almabaev. When Almabaev tries a second, Nicolau whizzes a
right hand over the top just past Almabaev’s head. Almabaev kicks
low and then chains another to the body, and Nicolau cannot make
him pay for the blows. Almabaev darts in, missing the mark with a
booming uppercut. Almabaev jabs the body, and Nicolau is singularly
focused on counters. Almabaev spins with a wheel kick that buzzes
the Brazilian’s noggin, and Nicolau is still stuck without any
ideas. When Nicolau lashes out, Almabaev is there to catch him with
a check left hook. Almabaev lands a spinning back kick to the ribs,
and Nicolau backs off and eventually aims a left up top and a jab
to the body. Almabaev lands another jab to the ribs and gets off a
low kick before having to block a counter. Almabaev slams his shin
in the midsection of his opponent, and he attempts a Superman punch
that is just shy of the mark. Nicolau jabs out with a front kick,
misses with a high kick and the tepid round draws to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Almabaev
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Almabaev
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Almabaev

Round 2

There is a clap of hands to get things going, and Almabaev is quick
to crowd his opponent with a right hook and a head kick on the
other side. Nicolau delivers a clean calf kick, but it is
one-and-done. Almabaev steps in with a knee to the body, and
Nicolau catches it and thinks of taking the fight down. They land
in 50-50 position and get out of it to reset, where Almabaev scores
a spinning back kick to the sternum. Almabaev overswings and gets
countered, and he prods out a front kick that brushes past the
cheek of his adversary. They time short hooks at the same time,
neither man willing to give much grown or commit to a great deal of
offense. Nicolau watches an overhand right soar past him, pushing
Almabaev away without landing his own. Almabaev shoots in for a
single, and Nicolau hops back to the wall, grabs the fence and is
dragged to a knee briefly. Nicolau pulls out of the attempt and
catches Almabaev with a left hand, and when Almabaev dives after a
single, Nicolau hammers him with elbows to the side of the head.
Almabaev drags him down, and Nicolau pops up and threatens with a
guillotine choke. Almabaev lifts his opponent’s leg up, and Nicolau
snatches hold of a guillotine choke and has it locked down. Nicolau
rolls to the side and nearly into mount, and Almabaev toughs it out
and turns enough to survive. Nicolau gets to his feet, and Almabaev
stands too, his shorts nearly down by his waist. Nicolau allows his
opponent to pull his shorts back up before engaging, and he surges
into action with a few lunging strikes. The round ends with
Almabaev tossing out a left hand and a high kick.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nicolau
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Nicolau
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Nicolau

Round 3

The last round kicks off with a glove touch, and Almabaev wants to
get things going by tossing out a number of low kicks. Nicolau
hand-fights and parries punches from up top, and Almabaev sits down
on an uppercut that splits the guard at the same time as Nicolau
fires. Nicolau stumbles, and Almabaev tackles him over and claims
full mount. Under fire, the Brazilian takes further punishment as
Almabaev tries to drum him out, and Nicolau pushes his feet off the
fence and grabs hold of a leglock. Almabaev turns through what
becomes a heel hook to reestablish himself on top, and he sits down
heavily in half guard. Nicolau attempts another leglock, and once
more Almabaev easily spins through it to never find himself in
danger. Nicolau scrambles, turning to his knees, and Almabaev bowls
him over to his back again. Almabaev in half guard smothers the
Brazilian, nullifying his offense other than the occasional
submission setup. Nicolau uses butterfly hooks on the hips to push
Almabaev off of him, and he hacks at the Kazakhstani fighter with
elbows from his back but is taking heavier strikes from the man on
top of him. Nicolau scoots his way towards the fence but Almabaev
turns him the right direction to stifle him from wall-walking.
Almabaev remains busy while on top, landing punches and elbows
without fear of reprisal. Nicolau gets up with seconds to spare,
frustrated at himself for being shut down and likely on the losing
end of a decision. Time expires, and Nicolau punches the cage
wall.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Almabaev (29-28 Almabaev)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Almabaev (29-28 Almabaev)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Almabaev (29-28 Almabaev)

The Official Result

Asu Almabaev def. Matheus Nicolau via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Pineda (-118), Elkins (-102)

Round 1

To open the main card, two grizzled featherweight veterans who have
seen and been through it all lock horns with bragging rights on the
line. “The Damage” Elkins (28-11, 18-10 UFC) has alternated wins
and losses in his last five, while Pineda (28-16, 3 NC; 5-7, 1 NC
UFC) still celebrates a 100% finish rate. Many expect mayhem in
this matchup, and referee Herb Dean better be ready for it. Fists
are bumped before they are traded, and it takes 10 seconds before a
strike is thrown. Elkins whiffs on an overhand right, and he tries
to establish a jab a few times only to get met with a back kick to
the face when bent over. Elkins, who has assumed almost as much
punishment as any fighter this side of Roy Nelson or Max Holloway
in the cage, is not concerned. Elkins punches his way into takedown
shot, and Pineda latches onto a guillotine choke and claims mount
with it. While Elkins scrambles, Pineda follows him and holds onto
the submission until Elkins explodes out of it. In the ensuing
exchange, Elkins opens a cut on the corner of Pineda’s right
eyebrow. Elkins rips punches up top, shredding Pineda’s left eye in
the process. Pineda explodes his way to his feet and jumps after a
guillotine choke again, and the Team Alpha Male product is wise to
defend guillotines and survives the submission to wind up on his
back. Elkins pushes off of his foe’s hips and forces him upright,
and Pineda leaps back down to attack. Elkins threatens with a
leglock, and turns the corner somehow to slide around and take
Pineda’s back. Pineda stands and is wrenched to the ground, only to
climb into mount position as they furiously grapple. Pineda hammers
down elbows on the forehead of “The Damage,” slamming them down
until time runs out.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pineda
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pineda
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pineda

Round 2

Between rounds, swelling develops around Pineda’s right eye. He
pays it no mind as the second round commences, ready and willing to
throw anything and everything he can muster. When overswinging on
his fists, Pineda gathers himself and sweeps the leg to make Elkins
hit the floor. Elkins picks his shots more carefully when standing,
until walking into a right hand. This prompts Elkins to come in
close while swinging hard, and Pineda busts him open in an
exchange. Elkins connects with a clean left hook, and he loads up
with a right hand and ducks a back fist to shoot in for a takedown.
Pineda hits the mat and threatens with a guillotine choke, and
Elkins allows him to do this so he can pass over to the other side
and wriggle out of the sub. Pineda sits up while leaning on the
cage, and Elkins tries to take his back but slides off as the two
get back to their feet. Pineda stalks “The Damage” down swinging
with everything he has, and a left to the sternum forces Elkins to
groan involuntarily. They meet in the middle throwing hooks, and
Elkins has a greater head of steam and shoots for a takedown.
Pineda stifles the attempt and gets to a more advantageous position
to jump guard for a guillotine, and Elkins yanks himself out of it
and is forced immediately to defend a triangle choke and an
omoplata setup. Elkins shrugs them all off to assert control in
guard, and he begins to work Pineda over with punches and elbows
from there. Elkins keeps Pineda flat on his back while blasting him
with elbows, and blood flows heavily as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Elkins
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Elkins
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Elkins

Round 3

Dean calls in the physician to review Pineda’s cuts and swelling
between rounds, and he is cleared to continue without issue. After
they measure one another, Elkins starts the round with a successful
takedown shot. Pineda climbs to his feet and walks face-first into
a one-two. Elkins charges in again for a takedown, forcing Pineda
to a 50-50 position where he ends up sliding off and falling to his
back. Pineda briefly slithers around to take the back, and Elkins
fights it off and spins around to pursue his own single. They both
work their way to their feet, and Elkins takes a kick and loads up
with a right hand. Elkins goes all-in for a takedown, and Pineda
stuffs it as the two clinch up. Elkins works Pineda to the body
with power strikes before backing off, and Pineda marches him down
and beans him in the face with a right hand. Elkins swings back
wildly, and a kick from the Texan sweeps Elkins off his feet.
Elkins climbs back up and works a right hand over the top, and he
gives it all he has to grab hold of a single. Pineda thwarts the
effort and is shoved back to the fence, absorbing knees to the body
until he can turn Elkins around. Elkins gets out of the clinch when
this happens, both men quite fatigued but more than willing to
trade leather. Elkins lands, eats a right hand and responds with
his own overhand right. Pineda hammers the front leg with a kick,
knocking Elkins to his seat, and he knows Elkins is about to shoot
in on his hips. Pineda defends the expected shot with a guillotine,
and the well-trained Elkins lets him do this so he can slip out of
the choke and wind up in top position. Pineda’s transforms to a
crimson mask as Elkins beats on him, and he starts talking to
Elkins while seated against the fencing. Elkins clings to the spent
Pineda until its conclusion, and he walks off and has to lean
against the cage out of exhaustion. Meanwhile, Pineda removes his
gloves, signaling that he is planning on calling it a career.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Elkins (29-28 Elkins)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Elkins (29-28 Elkins)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Elkins (29-28 Elkins)

The Official Result

Darren Elkins def. Daniel Pineda via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Smotherman (+350), Hadley (-450)

Round 1

On short notice, Hadley (11-3, 3-3 UFC) goes from taking on Brady
Hiestand to welcoming Fury FC staple Smotherman (11-4, 0-0 UFC) to
the Octagon. When the dust settles, one of these two bantamweights
will celebrate a record in the UFC above .500. The other will fall
below the even line. Referee Chris Tognoni will be the third man in
the cage for this one, and he observes a glove touch as they get
started. Hadley strikes first with a low kick, using it to disrupt
the forward movement of his opponent. Hadley lands it again as
Smotherman comes towards him, and he keeps chipping away at a safe
range. Smotherman lands a jab to the body and reaches with a right
hand over the top, forcing Hadley to bounce off the fencing.
Smotherman connects with a right to the body and checks a kick to
unload a right hand around the guard. Hadley stays composed working
on the front leg of his foe, and Smotherman is measuring his right
hand for it. Smotherman digs a right to the solar plexus, and he
walks Hadley down throwing hands. Hadley tries to catch him first,
but Smotherman’s right hand is loaded for bear. Hadley lands a kick
to the ribs, and Smotherman gives him a right hand to the side to
think about. Smotherman keeps attacking the body, stalking Hadley
down but not getting reckless, and he just misses with a massive
left hand. Smotherman opens up head shots with rights to the
midsection, and Hadley keeps moving so as to not get cornered.
Smotherman is devoted to body shots, and he slips a left hand over
the top. Smotherman kicks his way into a punch combo, and Hadley
chomps down on his gumshield and lets go with a big left.
Smotherman slips a few punches, mostly targeting the body with his
responses, and he scores a solid body kick while Hadley escapes.
Smotherman clips Hadley with one big right hand before the
bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Smotherman
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Smotherman
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Smotherman

Round 2

The round begins with Hadley leading with a few punches, and he
kicks low and bangs his instep into the newcomer’s cup. Tognoni
calls time as Smotherman grimaces, and Hadley apologizes profusely
for the inadvertent groin kick. Smotherman asks to get going after
a little under a minute, and they resume fighting by trading jabs.
The two box one another, setting their big punches up in
combination. Smotherman lands, Hadley hits him back and Smotherman
gives him one more to think about. Smotherman knocks his man back
with a short left, and Hadley steps in to drill the debutant with a
sharp left hook. Smotherman blinks it out, jabs the body and comes
in with a short flurry. Hadley is away before most of the strikes
find their target, constantly circling to his left which is in the
direction of Smotherman’s power right hand. Jabs fly out from both
sides, and Smotherman is the one to successfully chain one into
four more punches including a pair of body shots. Smotherman digs
two more under the guard, and he puts a right hand straight on the
sternum. Hadley swings back with a right hand off the temple, and
Smotherman is in front of him ready to pay him back with a hooking
left. They trade body shots at the same time, a rare occurrence,
and when trading hands, Hadley jams his fingers into both eye
sockets like Moe from “The Three Stooges.” Smotherman turns away,
not thrilled by the foul one bit, and Tognoni calls in the doctor
to check on him before long. Smotherman informs the physician that
some Vaseline slid into his eye, causing him issues seeing. Tognoni
tells Smotherman he needs to take all the time he should to
recover, and not hurry back. Smotherman wipes his eye a few times
with a piece of gauze, before asking for a towel to help clear his
vision better. Smotherman keeps checking to see how much time he
has, and he is still having a hard time seeing even after a few
minutes. Smotherman informs both Tognoni and the doctor that he is
still fighting, and that he is good to go after four minutes.
Tognoni takes one point for the eye poke, and Hadley protests but
his complaint falls in deaf ears. When they resume, Smotherman is
amped up, swinging wildly until Hadley threatens with a takedown.
While Hadley gets him down, Smotherman climbs back to his feet
before long. Hadley presses his man against the wire, and
Smotherman gets free at the sound of the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Smotherman
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Smotherman
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-8 Smotherman

Round 3

There is a double clap of hands to get started, and Smotherman is
as aggressive as ever, swinging his way into close range. Hadley
throws back but gets backed to the wall, and he is forced to shoot
in for a double. Smotherman defends against it while being pinned
to the fence, and Tognoni asks for more work as Hadley is largely
stalling. Smotherman bursts out of the tie-up to walk Hadley down,
eating a left hand so he can let his hands go. Hadley retreats and
fails to counter effectively, with a leg kick his best weapon while
Smotherman marches him down. Smotherman kicks him in the side, and
he throws another kick to the same spot but absorbs a flush one-two
in response. Smotherman digs a left to the liver and looks for a
right to the head, and Hadley has a head kick waiting for him.
Smotherman loads up a bit too much on his power strikes, and Hadley
beats him to the punch when evading. Smotherman pounds on the ribs
from both sides, landing cleanly and stepping in to knee “White
Kong” in the guts. Smotherman goes body to head and then chains a
knee after one, flowing with punches and knees while Hadley’s back
is up against the fence. Hadley surprises the Texan with a left
hand, and Smotherman’s legs wobble briefly as he gathers himself.
Hadley measures out another big left, and Smotherman wears it well
this time and lets off a front kick that bounces into Hadley’s cup.
Tognoni is on top of it, giving Hadley time to recover as it is now
Smotherman who has to apologize. Hadley is ready after about 40
seconds, and Smotherman walks him down as soon as they resume.
Smotherman shoves an uppercut through the guard, and Hadley is
warned for outstretched fingers as he tries to fence off.
Smotherman strings several punches together, only for Hadley to
blast him in the face with heavy blows and a head kick that further
makes his knees quake. Hadley swings wildly, Smotherman defends
from a body kick and gives his man one final overhand right to
think about before the third round comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hadley (29-27 Smotherman)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Hadley (29-27 Smotherman)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Smotherman (30-26
Smotherman)

The Official Result

Cameron Smotherman def. Jake Hadley via Unanimous Decision (30-26,
29-27, 29-27)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Johnson (-225), Mudaerji (+185)

Round 1

Once with his back firmly against the wall, Johnson (16-6, 5-4 UFC)
has given himself plenty of breathing room with a three-fight win
streak. While he has plenty of momentum on his side, the
matchmaking results him in facing Mudaerji (16-6, 3-3 UFC), who has
lost his last two. Whether fortune continues to smile on “InnerG”
or the Chinese fighter gets back in the win column, referee Mark
Smith will be there for it every step of the way. Fists are bumped,
and Johnson walks through a leg kick to immediately swarm Mudaerji
with a flurry of fists. Johnson pressures Mudaerji up to and
against the wall, kneeing him when they tie up. Johnson lifts knees
to the gut while “The Tibetan Eagle” is pinned against it, and
Mudaerji tries to get away and ultimately wrenches his way out and
raps a right hand on the side of Johnson’s dome. Johnson shakes it
off and plods forward, absorbing a few punches and a flush calf
kick so he can charge in with his own offense. Johnson misses his
strikes, dodges a low kick and keeps marching forward. Mudaerji
sticks his man with a calf kick and jabs him to mix things up, and
Johnson preemptively picks his leg up after these kicks start to
add up. Mudaerji goes on the inside with two kicks, and Johnson
sits down on a right hook to drive Mudaerji back. Mudaerji steps in
with an elbow, and he flicks out a few jabs and splits the guard
with a left. Mudaerji batters the front leg with a kick, and
Johnson eats a jab and drops his hands to reset. Johnson checks a
kick when crashing the pocket, and he loads up on power punches to
the body. Johnson ties him up, and he knees his man in the chest
and thighs while Mudaerji is warned for grabbing inside the glove.
Mudaerji lashes out with an elbow to break, and he keeps his volume
high by picking jabs and low kicks from his preferred range.
Johnson crowds his man and unleashes a big right hand, only to get
pulled into a Thai clinch and a sharp knee on the chin. Johnson
frantically chases after his opponent, loading on up big strikes
and forcing Mudaerji to ricochet off the fencing. Mudaerji dodges
and weaves the worst of the attacks coming his way, and Johnson
backs him against the wall and loads up on him. Johnson lets him
have it until the bell sounds mid-exchange.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mudaerji
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Mudaerji
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Mudaerji

Round 2

The fighters touch ‘em up to get going in the second stanza, and
Johnson dashes out of his corner to engage. Mudaerji is prepared to
defend the initial blitz, succeeding in staving off the most
threatening of the strikes. Mudaerji keeps shifting and moving
actively, occasionally getting backed to the wall but never truly
cornered. Mudaerji catches Johnson coming in with a right hand, and
he scores two low kicks before Johnson can get to him. Johnson goes
high with a kick that bounces off the guard, and he stomps the knee
with his foot twice. Mudaerji shifts to the left to tag Johnson
with a straight strike, and he flicks out a front-leg side kick and
a number of punches to follow. Mudaerji wings big right hands that
land behind the head, and he stumbles Johnson coming forward thanks
to a low kick. Johnson finds his range with a left hook, but it is
one-and-done as Mudaerji keeps moving and did not take the brunt of
it. Mudaerji lines up a left hook around the guard, and Johnson
barely blocks it in time. Mudaerji intercepts Johnson coming in
once more, with Johnson leaving his hands low after throwing big.
Johnson runs forward, hands by his side, and he jacks Mudaerji in
the jaw with a vicious right hand. Mudaerji tries to escape, but
Johnson is a dog with a bone chasing after him. Johnson backs
Mudaerji to the fence and uppercuts him so hard, Mudaerji’s head
snaps back like a Pez dispenser. Johnson lays into his opponent
with a long barrage of punches, hurting Mudaerji badly and putting
him down. Johnson tries to finish the job, swinging his way into
the guard, where Mudaerji manages to survive and circle around to
threaten with a triangle that transitions into an armbar. Johnson
fights through it, gets put on his back, fights back up and somehow
puts Mudaerji on the mat. Mudaerji sweeps him as soon as his seat
hits the floor, and a mad exchange of grappling magic ensues until
the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Johnson
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Johnson
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Johnson

Round 3

The third round kicks off with Mudaerji tough as nails ready and
willing to trade. Mudaerji sticks out two front kicks, spins with a
wheel kick and smashes it on the side of Johnson’s dome. The
forward pressure of Mudaerji allows him to trip Johnson up, and he
slams the American to the mat. Johnson jumps back up and meanders
forward, checking kicks but otherwise breathing hard and not
striking. Mudaerji splits the guard with a left hand, potshotting
Johnson coming forward while Johnson’s offense is practically
nonexistent. Johnson grits his teeth after taking a few jabs to
plow forward with telegraphed hooks, and the Chinese fighter sees
them coming from a mile away. Johnson slings a right to open up a
straight left, and the latter catches Mudaerji on the chin.
Mudaerji chops his front leg back a few times, and he turns his
hips into a body kick and then resets to land one more to the inner
calf of “InnerG.” Johnson stalks Mudaerji down, walking through
strikes but taking more than he is landing back. Johnson’s pressure
results in a brief clinch, and Mudaerji fights his way out of it
and just misses with a head kick. Mudaerji times a level change
when Johnson wings a right hand, and Johnson reverses him with a
throw to put “The Tibetan Eagle” on his back. Mudaerji scrambles
wildly to get to his feet, and he breaks away from a clinch with an
overhand right. Mudaerji puts three punches on the chin as Johnson
shoots for a takedown, and he sets up a brabo choke to hurl Johnson
to his knees. Johnson fights the hands to break up the submission,
and he drops to one knee so he does not absorb a knee from the
Chinese fighter. Johnson and Mudaerji swing it out right to the
final bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mudaerji (29-28 Mudaerji)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Mudaerji (29-28 Mudaerji)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Mudaerji (29-28 Mudaerji)

The Official Result

Charles Johnson def. Su Mudaerji via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Phillips (-425), Font (+330)

Round 1

Sitting in the co-main event slot is a bantamweight contest that
will reestablish or coin a new contender in the talent-rich
division. Having lost four of his last five, Font’s (20-8, 10-7
UFC) back is about as against the wall as it gets. As much as Font
has largely struggled, Phillips (12-2, 6-1 UFC) has flourished,
winner of his last three—albeit with one win in 2022, one in 2023
and the latest in March. This potential passing of the torch
encounter will be officiated by referee Keith Peterson, and the
135ers touch ‘em up without a shred of nonsense between them. Font
jabs his way directly into action, landing a few punches and
setting up more. As Font presses forward, Phillips shoots in and
easily hits a takedown, landing in side control and laughing off a
guillotine choke defense from the New Englander. Phillips steps
over from one side to the other, shifting to half guard as he sets
up an arm-triangle choke. When Phillips abandons the choke, he
secures side control almost effortlessly. Font turns to the other
direction, but he stops doing so when realizing this will give his
back up. Phillips controls from on top without unleashing much
offense, posturing to the other side to drop down a single elbow.
Any time Font tries to scramble, Phillips easily sees it coming and
lays into Font with powerful elbows. Font turns over after fighting
off a submission setup to explode back to his feet, and Phillips
greets him with a spinning wheel kick. Font keeps his guard up and
plods forward, scoring an uppercut and swinging a second before
shooting in for a double. Font takes Phillips’ back standing, and
Phillips breaks out of the position without much concern. Phillips
scores a one-two, Font throws back, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Phillips

Round 2

Font stalks out of his corner to engage in the second round,
no-selling a leg kick so he can chamber and loose a few hard right
hands. Font busts Phillips in the chops with a particularly strong
right, and “The Matrix” responds with a shot that plants Font on
his back. Font fights much more aggressively to get to his feet,
walking up the wall and pressuring Phillips as much as he can. Font
trails after Phillips, keeping his guard high and using tight
boxing combinations to keep Phillips honest. Font winds up with a
right hand that misses the mark, and he lets Phillips throw first
so he can counter and tie him up. Font decides to disengage, taking
a body kick to the side and chasing after Phillips to make Phillips
turn tail and run. Phillips resets and kicks Font in the ribs, and
he leans back after a leg kick to get popped with an overhand
right. Font digs a body shot, and Phillips escapes and is eating
powerful blows while his hands are low and his chin is high in the
air. Font stabs his foe in the sternum with his foot, and he
ignores a lazy high kick aimed his direction so he can blast
Phillips in the face with a right hand. Fond chomps down on his
mouthpiece and nails Phillips again, and swelling quickly develops
around the Arizonan’s left eye. Phillips keeps on his bike, and
Font is a Terminator walking through anything aimed at him so he
can tag Phillips with power. A Phillips spin strike fails, as Font
keeps his hands high and works the body to open up the head.
Phillips tries to tie him up, and he pushes off to fire off a
one-two and a spinning back fist. Phillips clinches, and Font
wrenches himself away so he can keep the suffocating pace. Phillips
gets backed off courtesy of several jabs, and Font utilizes the
clinch to wear further on Phillips. Right before the bell, Phillips
hits a foot sweep and puts Font on his seat.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Font
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Font
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Font

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

The Official Result

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Hernandez (-135), Pereira (+114)

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 4

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 5

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round:
Ben Duffy scores the round:
Scottie Smith scores the round:

The Official Result