LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was on scene and reporting live from Saturday’s UFC 282 event, and provided live play-by-play and official results.
UFC 282 took place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on ESPN+.
In the main event, former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz (29-9-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) took on Magomed Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) for the title vacated by Jiri Prochazka.
The co-main event was a lightweight fight between rising star Paddy Pimblett (20-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and Jared Gordon (19-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC). In addition, Alex Morono (22-8 MMA, 11-5 UFC) took on Santiago Ponzinibbio (29-6 MMA, 11-5 UFC) on less than a week’s notice, and Dricus Du Plessis (18-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) met Darren Till (18-5 MMA, 6-5-1 UFC) at middleweight.
To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC 282 discussion thread. You can also get behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes from on-site reporters Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) and Ken Hathaway (@kenshathaway) on Twitter.
Enjoy the fights, everyone.
Steven Koslow vs. Cameron Saaiman
Round 1 – After a touch of gloves, Saaiman opens with a low outside leg kick. Koslow fires back with a head kick. They both throw kicks at the same time. Saaiman goes for a hard left hand but Koslow dips under to clinch, and gets a takedown. Saaiman looks to throw up a triangle, but Koslow gets away from the danger and passes to half guard, then to full mount. Saaiman quickly reverses position, and now Koslow threatens a triangle. Saaiman stacks him and gets back to full guard. Koslow throws up another attempt, doesn’t get it, and then looks for a kneebar. That isn’t there either, and Saaiman scrambles to take his back, but he slides off the top and Koslow takes full mount. After landing a couple of strikes, Koslow gets reversed again and the round ends with Saaiman on top in full guard. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Koslow.
Round 2 – They touch gloves again to start this round, and trade kicks. Koslow closes the distance and shoots for a single leg. After a clinch against the cage, Koslow gets the takedown and jumps on a guillotine attempt. It appeared deep for a moment, but Saaiman escaped and got back to his feet. Koslow stuck with him though and kept the clinch. Saaiman managed to create some distance and snuck in a pair of hard knees. Koslow dropped down to get the takedown, and the battle for position on the mat continued. Saaiman scrambled to the back of Koslow, and began looking for a rear-naked choke. It wasn’t there, so Saaiman tried to switch to full mount, but Koslow turned and gave up his back again. Koslow scrambled again, and pushed Saaiman into the fence while still on both knees looking for a double leg. Saaiman lands a hard knee to the head on the grounded Koslow, prompting a pause in the fight for the illegal blow. Referee Chris Tognoni took a point from Saaiman for the strike. After a few minutes of recovery, the fight continued.
Punches and kicks are exchanged in the center of the cage before Koslow looks for another takedown. A cut is opened on Saaiman, who was able to keep the fight standing. A spinning kick from Saaiman misses in the closing seconds. MMA Junkie scores the round for Saaiman, but the point deduction makes it a 9-9 round.
Round 3 – Saaiman opened with a series of kicks, but Koslow was quick to get in on his hips and once again bring the fight to the mat. Koslow finds the back, but Saaiman slips out and ends up on top in half guard. Saaiman lands a couple of short elbows before Koslow gives up his back as he tries to stand. They scramble for position again and Koslow ends up on top in half guard this time. A few seconds later, Saaiman sweeps and takes half guard. Koslow rolls and Saaiman takes his back again. Saaiman starts to unload big punches as Koslow appears tired. Koslow covers up and Saaiman disengages on the ground to continue to let the strikes fly. Hard punches are landed and the referee steps in closer. Sensing the finish is possible, Saaiman continues the onslaught and gets the TKO stoppage to remain undefeated.
Result: Cameron Saaiman def. Steven Koslow via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 4:13
Photos: Cameron Saaiman def. Steven Koslow at UFC 282: Best photos
Records: Steven Koslow (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), Cameron Saaiman (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Judging: Tony Weeks, Derek Cleary, Junichiro Kamijo
TJ Brown vs. Erik Silva
Round 1 – Brown darts across the cage and lands a huge right hand to wobble Silva. He then changes levels looking for the takedown, but Silva grabs a guillotine to counter. Brown switches from a single to a double leg and gets the fight to the ground, while also getting out of the guillotine attempt. Silva gets back to a grounded position against the fence with Brown on his back with one hook in. Brown looks for a submission, but gets too high on the back, and a scramble for position ensues. They get back to the feet momentarily, but Silva trips Brown and takes top position on the mat. Brown works his way back up to the feet, but they remain clinched against the cage. Brown lands a nice knee to the body, followed by an elbow. Another knee and elbow land, prompting Silva to scramble out of the position. They separate and trade punches, but Silva quickly goes back in for a takedown. Brown gets back to his feet and they exchange once more before the horn. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 Brown.
Round 2 – Brown opens the round with hard punches, but Silva lands nicely in return. A spinning kick from Silva just misses. Brown comes back in with a pair of punches. Silva fires back and they’re just trading hard strikes now. Silva then changes levels and gets a takedown, landing in guard. Silva lands a hard right elbow. Silva gets a little too high trying to transition and Brown reverses position. Brown works toward the back and lands a few punches. Silva doesn’t show much urgency to improve his position as Brown lands a few more punches and attempts a rear-naked choke. It’s not really there, and Silva gives the thumbs up. Brown adjusts and looks for another choke. It’s not there either, and the fighters return to their corners at the horn. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Brown.
Round 3 – Brown lands a hard right hand a big knee to open the final round, prompting Silva to change levels. Brown reverses the attempt and ends up on top. From half guard, Brown looks for a kimura, but Silva defends. Brown then tries for an arm triangle, but it’s not there either. Back in guard, Brown begins to land a few punches and short elbows, opening a cut on Silva. Brown looks for another arm triangle, this one a little better than the first, but Silva still escapes. Brown gets to full mount and goes for a third arm triangle. This time it’s really deep as he gets off to the side. Silva tries to defend, but he can’t. It’s locked in, and Silva taps.
Result: TJ Brown def. Erik Silva via submission (arm triangle) – Round 3, 3:41
Photos: TJ Brown def. Erik Silva at UFC 282: Best photos
Records: TJ Brown (17-9 MMA, 3-3 UFC), Erik Silva (9-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Judging: Mike Bell, Doug Crosby, Sal D’Amato
Alexander Hernandez vs. Billy Quarantillo
Round 1 – After a touch of gloves, they get right into it by trading kicks. Quarantillo looks for a hard overhand right and Hernandez responds with a punch of his own. They continue to trade punches and kicks. Quarantillo catches a body kick, but lets it go as Hernandez kept his balance. The pace stay high as they continue to exchange punches. Hernandez trips after a let kick is checked, but bounces right back up. A moment later, Hernandez changes levels and gets a takedown. As Quarantillo works back to his feet, Hernandez lands hard strikes along the fence before going back to the clinch. They separate and exchange strikes. A big takedown from Hernandez now, and he lands some hard elbows from top position, busting open Quarantillo. Hernandez continues to strike while trying to transition. The bloodied Quarantillo eventually gets the fight standing for a final exchange before the horn. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Hernandez.
Round 2 – Quarantillo comes out firing, but Hernandez grabs one of his kicks for a takedown. Quarantillo quickly gets back up and they continue to trade punches in the center. Hernandez changes levels for another takedown, resulting in a clinch against the cage. Quarantillo lands a couple of nice knees to the body, but Hernandez continues to look for the takedown. Another knee gets through for Quarantillo, and they separate. Quarantillo sweeps Hernandez off his feet with a nice leg kick and follows him to the mat. Hernandez gets back up quickly and they trade more punches before looking for another takedown. Quarantillo keeps it standing and they get back to trading hard punches. Quarantillo lands flush right hands, pushing Hernandez backward. The crowd livens up as Hernandez looks to be fading. Quarantillo gets a takedown and rains down a few hard punches. Hernandez is in trouble now and covers up. More punches from Quarantillo get through and the referee steps in closer. A big knee to the body lands for Quarantillo. More punches find the target. Hernandez looks done and the referee steps in for the TKO stoppage. What a strong comeback finish by Quarantillo after a tough first round.
Result: Billy Quarantillo def. Alexander Hernandez via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:30
Recap: UFC 282 video: Billy Quarantillo overwhelms Alexander Hernandez for comeback TKO
Photos: Billy Quarantillo def. Alexander Hernandez at UFC 282: Best photos
Records: Alexander Hernandez (13-6 MMA, 5-5 UFC), Billy Quarantillo (17-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Judging: Derek Cleary, Anthony Maness, Ron McCarthy
Joaquin Buckley vs. Chris Curtis
Round 1 – No glove touch here. Buckley opens up with a leg kick and Curtis answers with one of his own. A big head kick from Buckley misses, but lands a left hand a moment after. Curtis fires a sharp right down the middle. Buckley puts together a combination of punches, and Curtis answers back. A slapping leg kick lands for Buckley. A hard left hand lands for Curtis, and Buckley charges forward trying to get it back. Punches and kicks from Buckley miss as Curtis circles away. A low kick from Curtis finds the cup and the action is paused briefly. Buckley gets back to offering kicks and punches, but Curtis rolls and defends well before popping out the right jab. A nice exchange of punches follows, with Buckley mixing it up to the body. Buckley turns up the volume with punches as he circles around Curtis. A nice flurry of punches find the mark for Buckley before the end of the round. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Buckley.
Round 2 – Buckley continues his high output early with punches and kicks, but Curtis stalks forward. Buckley continues to go first with punches, keeping Curtis on the defensive. Curtis peppers the right hand and a leg kick. Buckley responds with a combination. Beautiful punches to the body land for Buckley as they move about the cage. Curtis goes high with a kick and connects, but Buckley keeps firing back. Buckley goes for a left head kick, but Curtis times a beautiful left hand counter. Buckley crashes to the mat and Curtis swarms with big follow-up punches. Buckley tried to grab a hold of him to stop the attack, but was unable, and nearly goes completely out as the referee stops the fight. What an impressive finish for Curtis.
Result: Chris Curtis def. Joaquin Buckley via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 2:49
Recap: UFC 282 video: Chris Curtis catches kick, floors Joaquin Buckley for brutal knockout
Photos: Chris Curtis def. Joaquin Buckley at UFC 282: Best photos
Records: Joaquin Buckley (15-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC), Chris Curtis (30-9 MMA, 4-1 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPN2/ESPN+
Referee: Jason Herzog
Judging: Mike Bell, Doug Crosby, Sal D’Amato
Dalcha Lungiambula vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
Round 1 – The middleweights meet in the center and begin sizing each other up. Shahbazyan opens up with a nice left jab. Lungiambula misses with a kick in return. A nice kick to the body finds the mark for Shahbazyan. A moment later, he lands a solid right hand. Lungiambula puts a lot of power into a body kick that is partially blocked. They trade body blows before going to leg kicks. Shahbazyan throws a hard kick to the body, followed by a left high kick a few seconds later. Another hard kick to the body for Lungiambula. Shahbazyan answers with a kick of his own, and then Lungiambula changes levels and darts in for a takedown. The attempt is defended well and they clinch against the cage. Fans grow restless as the position stalls, but the fighters separate on their own and get back to trading hard kicks. Shahbazyan lands a hard right to spark one last exchange before the horn. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 Shahbazyan.
Round 2 – Lungiambula starts off the round with a powerful kick to the body. A counter left from Lungiambula finds the mark as Shahbazyan moves forward with a punch. A body kick and an overhand left land for Lungiambula. A moment later the action is paused for a low left hand that initially connected upstairs for Lungiambula, but the follow through landed south. The fight continues and the hard exchanges continue. Both fighters focus on landing strikes to the body as Shahbazyan circles on the outside. Shahbazyan lands a hard jumping knee up the middle and swarms Lungiambula with hard punches. Lungiambula covers up to weather the storm, but Shahbazyan is relentless as he tries to get the finish before the round ends. More punches land and Lungiambula looks for the takedown, but the attempt is sprawled perfectly. Shahbazyan lands a few more punches and gets what he was looking for as the referee stops the fight.
Result: Edmen Shahbazyan def. Dalcha Lungiambula via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:41
Recap: UFC 282 video: Edmen Shahbazyan snaps losing skid with TKO finish of Dalcha Lungiambula
Photos: Edmen Shahbazyan def. Dalcha Lungiambula at UFC 282: Best photos
Records: Dalcha Lungiambula (11-6 MMA, 2-5 UFC), Edmen Shahbazyan (12-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPN2/ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Judging: Chris Lee, Anthony Maness, Ron McCarthy
Chris Daukaus vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Round 1 – After a touch of gloves, Daukaus lands a very nice punch to start the action. Rozenstruik gathers himself and answers back with a sharp left jab that rocks Daukaus. The swarm is on. Rozenstruik unloads with hard punches as Daukaus retreats. Rozenstruik chases Daukaus and lunges forward with more punches as he empties the tank. One last punch finds the mark and Daukaus crashes to the ground, and this one is over in mere seconds. Wow!
Result: Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Chris Daukaus via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:23
Recap: UFC 282 video: Jairzinho Rozenstruik swarms Chris Daukaus for 23-second knockout win
Photos: Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Chris Daukaus at UFC 282: Best photos
Records: Chris Daukaus (12-6 MMA, 4-3 UFC), Jairzinho Rozenstruik (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN2/ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Judging: Tony Weeks, Mike Bell, Chris Lee
Jay Perrin vs. Raul Rosas Jr.
Round 1 – Rosas Jr. finds the range with an outside leg kick to start. Perrin looks for a couple of punches upstairs as Rosas Jr. moves forward. Rosas Jr. changes levels and lifts Perrin up for a takedown. Perrin initially keeps his feet under him, but Rosas Jr. adjusts and gets it to the ground, where he quickly takes the back. Rosas Jr. gets both hooks in and hunts for the rear-naked choke. Perrin defends it well and uses the cage to help get back to his feet. Rosas Jr. is still on his back with a body triangle locked in. Perrin drops back down to a knee and Rosas Jr. sinches up the choke. Perrin looks to be in real trouble now, and there’s the tap! The 18-year-old wins his debut in the first round.
Result: Raul Rosas Jr. def. Jay Perrin via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:44
Recap: UFC 282 results: Raul Rosas Jr., 18, becomes youngest UFC winner after submitting Jay Perrin
Photos: Raul Rosas Jr. def. Jay Perrin at UFC 282: Best photos
Records: Jay Perrin (10-7 MMA, 0-3 UFC), Raul Rosas Jr. (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN2/ESPN+
Referee: Herb Dean
Judging: Junichiro Kamijo, Sal D’Amato, Anthony Maness
Bryce Mitchell vs. Ilia Topuria
Round 1 – Mitchell starts things off with a front kick up the middle, followed by a pair of side kicks to keep Topuria away. A nice combination of punches find the mark for Topuria, and a moment later a hard leg kick takes Mitchell off his feet for a second. A crisp left jab pops Mitchell’s head back. A moment later a clean right hand lands for Topuria. As more punches land for Topuria, Mitchell attempts a takedown but is easily stuffed. Mitchell has a cut over his left eye now. Topuria stops another takedown from Mitchell, and then gets back to landing hard punches. Topuria puts big power into his punches and is swinging for the fences, but doesn’t connect with the home run shot. Mitchell finds an entry and gets Topuria on his back. A nice elbow lands for Mitchell, but that’s all he can muster before the round ends. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Topuria.
Round 2 – A crisp combination from Topuria connects to start the second round. After another right lands, Mitchell shoots for a takedown and gets stuffed. Topuria continues to look for hard punches while Mitchell marches forward, looking to find another entry fro a takedown. Mitchell sneaks in some solid punches and a head kick. A moment later Topuria drops Mitchell with a hard uppercut. Topuria follows him to the mat and takes side control. He then takes the back and starts landing hard punches. Mitchell stands up to get away from the damage, but Topuria sticks with him and drags him back to the ground. More big punches are landed, and then Topuria finds the opening for an arm triangle. He takes the chance, locks it up, and it’s deep. Mitchell can’t escape and taps out. What a performance by Topuria to hand Mitchell his first loss.
Result: Ilia Topuria def. Bryce Mitchell via submission (arm triangle) – Round 2, 3:10
Recap: UFC 282 results: Ilia Topuria dominates Bryce Mitchell, wins by submission to stay undefeated
Photos: Ilia Topuria def. Bryce Mitchell at UFC 282: Best photos
Records: Bryce Mitchell (15-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), Ilia Topuria (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Marc Goddard
Judging: Mike Bell, Derek Cleary, Ron McCarthy
Dricus Du Plessis vs. Darren Till
Round 1 – After a quick touch of gloves, Du Plessis slaps with a leg kick. Till pressures forward with feints, and lets a left hand go. Du Plessis covers up and changes levels for a takedown, bringing the fight to the ground quickly. As Till attempts to get back up, Du Plessis takes the back and unloads hard punches to the head. The referee steps in and warns Till to fight back as Du Plessis continues to unload hard punches. Du Plessis secures his positioning and continues to unload punches. The referee warns Till again, but he says he’s OK. Du Plessis attempts to prove that wrong by landing even more unanswered punches. Till nearly gets away, but Du Plessis dumps him back to the ground and gets back to landing punches. Du Plessis switches up to a rear-naked choke. Till defends it, but Du Plessis locks in a body triangle and continues to hunt for the finish. Till escapes and immediately stands up, looking for big punches. A front headlock is there, and Till jumps on it. Du Plessis escapes, and Till gets back to punching. Du Plessis then gets another takedown before the horn. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-8 for Du Plessis.
Round 2 – They exchange kicks to start. Till presses ahead with punches as Du Plessis covers up against the cage. The fatigue is apparent for Du Plessis as Till keeps the forward pressure high. An accidental eye poke from Till stops the action for a few seconds, but they quickly get back to trading strikes. Till lands a sharp combination. A nice knee follows, and Du Plessis shoots for a takedown. Du Plessis is unable to keep Till down for long, and they return to the feet with Till continuing to lead the action. Till lands a crushing elbow counter as Du Plessis looks for a leg kick. A front kick land for Till, and Du Plessis misses with a Superman punch. A sharp two-punch combo gets in on Du Plessis. A moment later, Du Plessis gets a takedown begins working from half guard. After landing a few punches, Du Plessis looks for a footlock before the horn. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Till.
Round 3 – Till establishes his forward pressure again, landing crisp strikes. Du Plessis still breathing hard, fires back as Till looks to land punches. Till peppers with punches, but Du Plessis appears to have more energy to answer now than in the second round. Du Plessis changes levels just as Till attempts a left elbow, and gets a clean takedown. He quickly finds the back and slaps on a rear-naked choke. It’s a deep one, and Till taps!
Result: Dricus Du Plessis def. Darren Till via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 2:43
Recap: UFC 282 results: Dricus Du Plessis submits Darren Till in Round 3 after back-and-forth battle
Photos: Dricus Du Plessis def. Darren Till at UFC 282: Best photos
Records: Dricus Du Plessis (18-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC), Darren Till (18-5 MMA, 6-5-1 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Mark Smith
Judging: Tony Weeks, Sal D’Amato, Ron McCarthy
Alex Morono vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
Round 1 – They touch gloves and begin looking for the range. Ponzinibbio looks for the left jab, as does Morono. A solid outside leg kick lands for Ponzinibbio. Morono lands a nice punch a moment later. The body becomes a target for Ponzinibbio. Morono lands a solid punch and then looks for a spinning backfist, but it doesn’t connect. They continue to trade, with Morono just missing on a big overhand right. Morono goes first in the next few exchanges as Ponzinibbio looks for an opening to counter. Blood begins to trickle from a cut over the left eye of Ponzinibbio after an accidental clash of heads. Morono lands a front kick to the body, and Ponzinibbio answers with a punch to the stomach. A big right hand drops Ponzinibbio, and Morono rushes in to capitalize. Short on time, Morono tries for the finish, but is unable to get Ponzinibbio out before the horn sounds. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Morono.
Round 2 – Ponzinibbio fires to the body with a punch. A moment later, Morono misses with another spinning backfist. They exchange punches, but the crowd spoiled with finishes seems restless with the action. Regardless, they stick with the same pace, and Morono lands another hard strike that drops Ponzinibbio. This time Morono doesn’t follow him to the ground and Ponzinibbio pops back up. More punches at a steady pace are exchanged. Morono goes for a wheel kick, but Ponzinibbio evades. A moment later, Ponzinibbio lands a solid right hand and then begins to turn up the pressure. Morono spins again but doesn’t land fully. A solid exchange of punches soon follows and they return to their corners. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Morono.
Round 3 – One last touch of gloves and they get back to trading punches and kicks in the center of the cage. Ponzinibbio lands a low leg kick and Morono looks to counter with another spinning backfist. A big overhand right from Ponzinibbio partially lands and then goes to the body with a punch. A Ponzinibbio leg kick is checked. A moment later, Morono tags Ponzinibbio with a hard punch and draws a delayed reaction. Ponzinibbio is wobbled and rapidly circles away from Morono who tries to land a big follow-up punch. It doesn’t come and Ponzinibbio appears to have recovered as he begins to fire off shots. Ponzinibbio throws a laser of a right hand and it staggers Morono. A second right hand drops him, and Ponzinibbio rushes in for another shot, but the referee is there to stop the fight. An incredible comeback win for Ponzinibbio.
Result: Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Alex Morono via knockout (punches) – Round 3, 2:29
Recap: UFC 282 results: Santiago Ponzinibbio rallies to floor Alex Morono with late TKO
Photos: Dricus Du Plessis def. Darren Till at UFC 282: Best photos
Records: Alex Morono (22-8 MMA, 11-5 UFC), Santiago Ponzinibbio (29-6 MMA, 11-5 UFC)
Division: 180-pound contract weight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Jason Herzog
Judging: Junichiro Kamijo, Mike Bell, Derek Cleary
Jared Gordon vs. Paddy Pimblett
Round 1 – They touch gloves and Pimblett takes control of the center. Pimblett looks for a head kick, but Gordon blocks it. Pimblett lets off a two-punch combo. Gordon answers back with a solid left hand. Gordon cracks Pimblett again with a hard left. Pimblett backs away to reset, then fires off a pair of kicks. Gordon lands a pair of kicks too. A moment later the left hand finds the mark again for Gordon. Pimblett wears it and fires back punches of his own. This time it’s the right hand that cracks for Gordon. Pimblett sneaks in a nice uppercut in a combination. Gordon fires back a nice combination. Legs clash as they both go for a leg kick. A jumping switch kick lands for Pimblett and Gordon answers with a roundhouse to the body. They continue to exchange punches at a high clip. Gordon grabs a single leg to switch things up but gives up on it quickly. After another exchange, Pimblett looks for the takedown, but Gordon winds up on top in guard. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Gordon.
Round 2 – Pimblett opens with a kick but Gordon checks it. Pimblett then fires off a few punches before going back to the leg kick. Gordon then lands a pair of kicks. A left high kick lands for Pimblett, but Gordon partially blocked it. They stay in close range with Gordon stalking forward. They trade punches and kicks, with Pimblett landing a nice hook to the body and Gordon a hard left upstairs. Gordon changes levels, and Pimblett slaps on a choke from an awkward front-side position. Gordon works his way out and they return to the clinch on the feet. Close strikes are exchanged, but Gordon cracks with a hard punch on the exit. Pimblett gets right back into range and throws hard combinations. Gordon defends, then answers back with punches of his own before pressing Pimblett into the cage in a clinch. Pimblett lands a nice knee to the body on the exit and then lets his hands go. An accidental eye poke pauses the fight for a moment and referee Herb Dean issues a hard warning to Pimblett. The fight resumes and Pimblett unloads with combinations until the horn. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Pimblett.
Round 3 – Gordon comes out looking for the takedown and dumps Pimblett to the mat briefly. Pimblett gets back to his feet, but keeps his hands on the canvas to prevent knees to the head. Gordon tries to kick out the legs, but Pimblett keeps his balance. Gordon keeps with the clinch, changing levels to find the leverage. Eventually, they separate as the crowd boos the action. Gordon doesn’t let Pimblett mount any offense before clinching again, though. It’s a wrestling grind now, and Gordon eventually finds the takedown. However, Pimblett scrambles to the back, but nothing comes of it before the round and the fight ends. MMA Junkie scores the final round 10-9 for Gordon, giving him the fight 29-28 in the first decision of the night.
Result: Paddy Pimblett def. Jared Gordon via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Recap: UFC 282 results: Paddy Pimblett edges Jared Gordon by decision in tightly contested affair
Photos: Paddy Pimblett def. Jared Gordon at UFC 282: Best photos
Records: Jared Gordon (19-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC), Paddy Pimblett (20-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Herb Dean
Judging: Doug Crosby (29-28), Chris Lee (29-28), Ron McCarthy (29-28)
Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev
Round 1 – The light heavyweight championship is underway with a glove touch. Ankalaev paws out a right jab and Blachowicz slaps with an inside leg kick. Blachowicz then goes to an outside leg kick. Ankalaev looks for a left hand, but Blachowicz lands another leg kick. A sharp counter right hand finds the mark for Ankalaev as Blachowicz looks for a punch. They trade leg kicks, and then Blachowicz punches to the body. Ankalaev lands a snappy jab. Blachowicz slaps with another inside leg kick. An overhand right from Blachowicz is countered with a short right from Ankalaev. Blachowicz lands a solid punch a moment later. Blachowicz then goes to the body with a left and Ankalaev answers with a left head kick. Ankalaev lands a nice counter left and a pair of sharp front kicks. Ankalaev lands a body kick, a leg kick, and then another front kick. Blachowicz responds with a leg kick of his own as they exchange a with few seconds remaining in the round. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Ankalaev.
Round 2 – They come out fast trading punches, but Ankalaev ends the opening exchange with a head kick that is partially blocked. Nice answer from Blachowicz with a punch upstairs. Ankalaev puts a lot into another left high kick but misses. Ankalaev connects with a pair of front kicks to the body, and then an inside leg kick. Blachowicz has an inside kick checked, and then charges forward with a combo a moment later. Ankalaev lands another front kick to the body, followed by a few punches. Blachowicz lands a hard inside leg kick that gets a big reaction from Ankalaev. Another one lands to the right leg a moment later and Ankalaev stumbles to the mat. As Blachowicz closed in, Ankalaev popped up and clinched. They separate after a few seconds and Blachowicz continued to target the legs with kicks. Ankalaev changed levels, but the round ends with a clinch against the cage. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Blachowicz.
Round 3 – Ankalaev darts across the cage, but Blachowicz lands a punch and another hard kick to get another unfavorable reaction. Ankalaev bounces around on the outside before throwing a front kick to the body. Blachowicz lands another inside leg kick. Ankalaev lands a hard overhand right. The action is starting to intensify as they trade punches. Blachowicz goes high with a kick, but it’s blocked. Ankalaev charges forward with a combination, but Blachowicz evades. The front kick from Ankalev is there, and a nice counter combo a moment later. A pair of hard leg kicks land from Blachowicz and Ankalaev starts to hop on one leg. Blachowicz doesn’t capitalize, and Ankalaev charges in for a clinch a moment later. Blachowicz keeps it standing and they separate. Another hard leg kick from Blachowicz connects, but Ankalaev attempts to check it. Ankalaev clinches again and a knee goes south, pausing the action for a moment. They get back to it and Blachowicz looks for another kick. Ankalaev avoids it and clinches again. He lifts a single leg and gets the takedown, but only a few seconds are left on the clock. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Blachowicz.
Round 4 – Ankalaev closes the distance quickly, and looks to connect with punches. Blachowicz lands a counter, but then finds himself pressed against the cage again in another clinch. Ankalaev gets off a couple of short punches and knees to the body before separating. However, they weren’t apart for long because Ankalaev immediately shot back in for a takedown, this time putting Blachowicz on his back. Ankalaev found the back of Blachowicz against the cage a moment later. Blachowicz did well to prevent punches from landing, and got back to half guard against the fence. Ankalaev landed a nice short elbow before posturing up and landing a pair of hard punches. Ankalaev then stands up, but Blachowicz stays down until the round ends. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Ankalaev.
Round 5 – They embrace with a quick hug to start the final round. Ankalaev then blitzes forward and Blachowicz trips. Ankalaev takes advantage of the mishap and takes top position in full guard. The crowd begins to boo as the time ticks away, but Ankalaev keeps working to advance his position. Ankalaev gets to half guard, but the fight for position continues. Ankalaev finally gets his left arm free and begins to land hard punches to the head of Blachowicz. With his back pinned against the fence, Blachowicz offers backward elbows, but Ankalaev seems unbothered and continues to land hard left hands. Blachowicz grunts as he tries to turn back into guard. The referee warns the fighters to stay busy. Ankalaev obliges by landing short elbows. Blachowicz can only try to hold on to stop the damage, but the round and the fight ends with Ankalaev turning in a dominant round. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-8 for Ankalaev, giving him the fight 48-46.
Result: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Jan Blachowicz declared a split draw (48-47, 46-48, 47-47)
Recap: UFC 282 results: Jan Blachowicz, Magomed Ankalaev fight to surprising split draw
Photos: Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 282: Best photos
Records: Jan Blachowicz (29-9-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC), Magomed Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Marc Goddard
Judging: Mike Bell (48-47 Blachowicz), Derek Cleary (48-46 Ankalaev), Sal D’Amato (47-47)
