LAS VEGAS – UFC 285 takes place Saturday, and you can join us for live play-by-play and official results.
UFC 285 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.
In the main event, former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) and Ciryl Gane (11-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) meet for the vacant heavyweight title. In the co-feature, dominant women’s flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko (23-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) meets challenger Alexa Grasso (15-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC).
Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET for the early prelims on ESPN+, 8 p.m. for the prelims on ESPNews and 10 p.m. ET for the main card on pay-per-view.
To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC 285 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.
Loik Radzhabov vs. Esteban Ribovics
Round 1 – Oh! Radzhabov blasts Ribovics in the first few seconds. They go to the ground and Radzhabov on top. Robovics finds his way back the feet. Another nasty right hand by Radzhabov. Radzhabov takes the fight to the ground. Ribovics looks to reverse the position with a kimura. Now Robovics briefly takes the back and gets back to his feet. The two exchange, but nothing lands clean. Radzhabov with a takedown. Two minutes left. Radzhabov with good control on top. Radzhabov in complete control here but not much ground-and-pound. Rabovics back to his feet, good work at getting back up. Only 20 seconds left. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Radzhabov.
Round 2 – Ribovics stuns Radzhabov with a quick combination to start the round. Now Radzhabov takes the fight to the ground. Radzhabov threatening with an arm-triangle. And Ribovics explodes out of it. Back to the feet. But not for long. Radzhabov closes the distance and gets a takedown. Ribovics back up but being pressed against the cage. Robovics breaks away and they go back to striking. Good leg kick by Robovics. Nice jab too. Radzhabov with another takedown here. Two minutes left. Nasty body shots by Robovics! And Radzhabov goes down! He’s hurt bad. Radzhabov closes the distance and presses Robovics against the cage. Back to striking range. Another good combo by Robovics. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Radzhabov.
Round 3 – Radzhabov tags Robovics with a nasty right hand! They’re getting wild now. Radzhabov with more nasty shots. What a chin by Robovics. He’s still standing. Robovics with some good kicks here. Radzhabov scores a takedown here. Good top control from guard by Radzhabov. Three minutes left. Robovics threatening with a kimura. It’s close! Radzhabov seems out of trouble, but they’re in a weird position. Robovics almost has the back. And he gets it! Robovics now on mount. Radzhabov scrambles out and they back on the feet. What a wild fight. Robovics tags up Radzhabov bad. Radzhabov is not looking good. Radzhabov closes the distance and presses Robovics against the cage. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Robovics. Overall 29-28, Radzhabov.
Result: Loik Radzhabov def. Esteban Ribovics via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Records: Loik Radzhabov (17-4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Esteban Ribovics (11-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Judging: Adalaide Byrd, Ben Cartlidge, Derek Cleary 29-28.
Farid Basharat vs. Da'Mon Blackshear
Round 1 – These two trade leg kicks early on. Blackshear putting the pressure on Basharat. More leg kicks by both fighters. Good right hand by Basharat. Man, Basharat is lighting up Blackshear with kicks. Blackshear has had good moments, but Basharat’s output and accuracy is much higher so far. Basharat takes the fight to the ground. Two minutes left. Basharat moves to half guard. He’s now on side control. Some ground-and-pound, but mainly control by Basharat. And Blackshear gets back to his feet. Thirty seconds left. The two trade shots, but nothing lands clean. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Basharat.
Round 2 – Good jabs by Basharat. Blackshear turning up the pressure here. Good takedown by Blackshear, but Bashrat immediately gets back to his feet. Good right hand by Blackshear. The two exchanging on the feet, but nothing landing clean. Three minutes left. Good takedown by Blackshear. He almost got the back of Basharat. Basharat scrambles out and they’re back on the feet. Immediately, Basharat shoots for his own takedown and gets it. Basharat working from top guard here. Couple of good shots from Basharat. Nasty couple of elbows by Basharat. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Basharat.
Round 3 – Blackshear turning up the pressure here, as he’s likely down on the scorecards. Good uppercut by Blackshear. A few good shots landing for Blackshear here. Basharat presses him against the cage and gets the takedown. He’s now working from half guard by the cage. Complete control here by Basharat, but little damage. The referee warns Basharat to get active. Blackshear scrambles out and gets back to his feet. Blackshear buckles Basharat with a hard leg kick. Blackshear goes for the takedown, but fails. Basharat gets the takedown now. Good shots from Basharat. Oh! Blackshear locks a takedown. It looks tight. The bell rings. Wow, that was close.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Basharat. Overall 30-27, Basharat.
Result: Farid Basharat def. Da’Mon Blackshear via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Records: Farid Basharat (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Da’Mon Blackshear (12-5-1 MMA, 0-1-1 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Keith Peterson
Judging: Chris Lee, David Lethaby, Ron McCarthy 29-28.
Jessica Penne vs. Tabatha Ricci
Round 1 – Quick start here by Ricci, as he connects with a quick combo and takes the fight to the ground. Ricci gets up, but Penne stays on the ground. Ricci connecting with many leg kicks while Penne is grounded. Penne gets up. Penne clinches Ricci and Ricci takes her down. Again, Ricci gets up and hovers over Penne as she connects with leg kicks. Penne gets back up, but Ricci presses her against the cage. Ricci with a takedown. Good ground-and-pound by Ricci. Ricci gets up and begins lighting up Penne’s legs as she stays on the ground. Ricci dives back on top of Penne. Good ground-and-pound by Ricci. Penne attempting to set up a submission, but doesn’t come close. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Ricci.
Round 2 – Penne enters Round 2 and she’s cut open on her right eyebrow. Good combo here by Ricci. Penny tries to clinch and she gets judo thrown. Ricci working on ground-and-pound. Ricci gets up and begins to kick Penne’s legs, as she stays on her back. The crowd boos. Ricci continuing the leg kicks. She gets back on top of Penne. And Ricci goes for the armbar! She’s got it! What a finish. Beautiful technique by Ricci.
Result: Tabatha Ricci def. Jessica Penne via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 2:14.
Recap: Tabatha Ricci submits Jessica Penne with slick armbar, declares start of ‘Baby Shark’ era
Records: Tabatha Ricci (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Jessica Penne (14-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Jason Herzog
Mana Martinez vs. Cameron Saaiman
Round 1 – Martinez connects with a good left. Good counter by Martinez. Martinez pressuring Saaiman plenty here. Saaiman is already bleeding from his nose. Good leg kick by Saaiman. More lg kicks by Saaiman. It seems Saaiman’s left leg is compromised, as he’s buckled a few times. Oh and a clear low blow lands on Martinez. The fight is paused. After a couple of minutes, the fight resumes. Saaiman back with a leg kick heavy attack. Oh no! Another low blow by Saaiman. Martinez is hurt bad. The fight is paused. Referee Herb Dean takes a point away from Saaiman. The fight resumes. Martinez comes out agressive. One minute left. Good leg kicks by Saaiman. Martinez with a right hook. One, two connects for Martinez. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 9-9.
Round 2 – Saaiman comes out aggressive with the kicks. Saaiman is now backing up and really putting on the pressure on Martinez. Good left hand by Saaiman. Martinez with a good uppercut. Nasty body kick by Saaiman. Oh! Saaiman drops Martinez with a jab. Saaiman now on top in Martinez guard. Two minutes left. Good control here by Martinez. Saaiman with some good elbows from top. Saaiman keeping top control, he’s looking to get past Martinez’s guard but unable to. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Saaiman.
Round 3 – Saaiman connects with a series of left hands. Good straight right by Saaiman. Martinez showing damage on his face. Saaiman with another good body kick. It’s pretty clear who’s in control of the striking at this point. Saaiman getting the better of the exchanges again and again. Saaiman seems to have stunned Martinez. Welp, the fight is stopped again. This time, Saaiman pokes Martinez in the eye. After three minutes, the fight resumes. No point taken. Hard leg kicks by Saaiman. Good left by Martinez and a good bocy kick. Saaiman gets a takedown. Good elbows from top by Saaiman. More nasty elbows from Saaiman. And Martinez is opened up. Martinez gets up in the final seconds and they slug it out until the bell.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Saaiman. Overall 29-27.
Result: Cameron Saaiman def. Mana Martinez via unanimous decision (29-26, 28-27, 28-28).
Records: Cameron Saaiman (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Mana Martinez (10-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Herb Dean.
Judging: Adalaide Byrd 29-26, Sal D’Amato 28-28, Chris Lee 28-27.
Ian Garry vs. Song Kenan
Round 1 – Good jab and leg kick by Garry. Garry doing most of the pressing here. Both guys very tentative so far, not much thrown. A minute in. Another good leg kick by Garry. Kenan lands a leg kick of his own. Kenan’s leg is already bruised. Kenan is very hesitant here, not throwing much. Two minutes left. Very little action here. Good leg kick by Garry. Good jab to the body by Garry. Not much going on there. Kenan lands a leg kick himself. Oh! Hige left by Kenan drops Garry. Kenan all over him now. Garry is hurt. Kenan body locks him now and presses him against the cage. Kenan letting Garry recover by pressing him against the cage. They break away and the bell rings shortly after.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Kenan.
Round 2 – Interesting round. Here we go in the second. Good leg kick by Kenan. Garry keeping the pressure, backing up Kenan Low blow by Garry stops the fight. Kenan seems to recover quickly and the fight resumes. Good jab by Garry. Very slow paced fight. Three minutes left. Good series of leg kicks by Kenan. Garry turns up the pressure for a moment and connects with a good body shot, a couple of other strikes come close to landing. Kenan not really throwing in this second round. Garry doing most of the attacking. A clean one, two lands for Garry. Garry in complete control of this fight. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Garry.
Round 3 – Outside of getting caught in the first, Garry in complete control here of the fight. Let’s see if Kenan can make any adjustments for the third. Garry comes out more aggressive. Hard leg kicks by Garry. Kenan connects with a left hand. Kenan’s face is busted up. Solid jab by Garry. Garry is just slowly picking apart Kenan and Kenan is not doing much about it. He’s just taking it. Good body shots by Garry. Two minutes left. Kenan barely throwing any shots. Kenan is bleeding from his nose, Garry’s jab got him busted up. One minute left. Oh! Garry turns on the pressure! He’s all over Kenan. Shot after shot. Kenan goes down. The fight is over. Impressive finish by Garry.
Result: Ian Garry def. Song Kenan via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 4:22.
Recap: Ian Machado Garry swarms Song Kenan for late finish, celebrates Conor McGregor-style
Records: Ian Garry (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC), Song Kenan (19-7 MMA, 4-3 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Marc Goddard
Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Julian Marquez
Round 1 – Here we go! Fun matchup here. As expected, heavy shots from both right from the start. Big left hook by Marquez and a good jab too. Hard leg kick by Marquez. Marquez getting the better of the exchanges early on. Three minutes left. Good jab by Marquez. Good uppercut by Barriault. Clean one, two by Marquez. Marquez’s jab is on point. Barriault seems to be a little hurt, he’s backing up a lot. Marquez is picking apart Barriault so far. One minute left. Oh, hard left hand by Marquez. He’s looking sharp tonight. Good right by Barriault. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Marquez.
Round 2 – They back into it immediately. Barriault is bleeding from his left cheek bone. Marquez lands a nasty elbow from the clinch. Barriault seems to be wanting to press more and is a bit more active than the first round. Good jabs by Barriault. Barriault is connecting here. Good leg kicks by Marquez. Barriault is fully walking down Marquez. Marquez’s face is a bit busted. Barriault presses Marquez against the cage. They break away. Barriault connects with a good combo. Marquez looks hurt. Barriault putting it on him by the fence. These two are brawling. Oh my. Barriault all over Marquez, doing big time damage. One minute left. Marquez is bleeding all over the place. Barriault is all over him, landing non-stop shots by the cage. They’re adding up. It’s over. The refree has seen enough. What a comeback by Barriault.
Result: Marc-Andre Barriault def. Julian Marquez via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:12.
Recap: Marc-Andre Barriault batters Julian Marquez with dozens of blows before stoppage
Records: Marc-Andre Barriault (15-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC), Julian Marquez (9-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPNews
Referee: Mark Smith
Viviane Araujo vs. Amanda Ribas
Round 1 – Couple of leg kicks connect for Ribas to get things started. Ribas shoots for a takedown and Araujo locks a guillotine. Ribas defends well and slips out. She’s now on top. Ribas passes the guard and gets half guard. Some body shots from top by Ribas. Three minutes left. They’re mostly grappling for position. Not much damage from Ribas. Two minutes left. Ribas uses deep half-guard and gets back to her feet. Good left by Araujo. Araujo putting on the pressure. Good right hand by Ribas. Araujo connects clean with a right hand. Ribas with a clean one, two. Both fighters connecting here. Bell ring.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Ribas.
Round 2 – Oh! Ribas drops Araujo! She’s hurt. She drops again. Ribas launches on top of Araujo now. Crazy start. Ribas on top in half guard. Ribas landing some shots but nothing major. Araujo seems to have recovered. Good control here by Ribas. Three minutes left. Not much going on. Ribas keeping control in half guard. She is landing some shots, but nothing big. Ribas elbowing Araujo’s leg a lot. Two minutes left. Ribas now on top from turtle position. She’s begining to land bigger shots. Now Ribas takes the back. One minute left. Ribas maintains back control all the way to the final bell.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-8, Ribas.
Round 3 – Araujo is pressing Ribas. Although she is connecting, Ribas is getting the better shots. Nice one, two and a leg kick by Ribas. Good right hand by Ribas. Clean straight right by Ribas. Three minutes left. Good leg kicks by Ribas. Araujo is bleeding from her nose. Ribas is connecting constantly with straight punches. Araujo having a tough time finding her range and looks to be slowing down. Good left by Araujo. Ribas takes the fight to the ground, but gets caught in an armbar. Araujo is being crunched. Araujo looking to extend, but Ribas defending well. And Ribas gets out! She’s on top working from guard. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Ribas. Overall 30-26, Ribas.
Result: Amanda Ribas def. Viviane Araujo via unanimous decision (29-27, 30-26, 30-27)
Records: Amanda Ribas (11-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC), Viviane Araujo (11-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Broadcast: ESPNews
Referee: Keith Peterson
Judging: Mike Bell 29-27. Sal D’Amato 30-26. Ron McCarthy 30-27.
Derek Brunson vs. Dricus Du Plessis
Round 1 – Hard leg kick by Du Plessis. Du Plessis throw another kick, but this time it gets caught and gets taken down. Brunson immediately moves to side control. Du Plessis trying to force himself out but unable to. Du Plessis scrambles out, and as he’s getting up Brunson goes for a guillotine. Du Plessis immediately gets out, and now Brunson finds himself on bottom. Good elbows by Du Plessis. Brunson going for a leg lock, They’re in a 50-50 position both going for leg submissions. Brunson slips out and gets the back. Two minutes left. He loses the position and they’re back up. Good right hand by Brunson. Brunson all over Du Plessis. Brunson takes him down. Brunson working from half guard. They get back up and the bell rings shortly after.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Brunson.
Round 2 – Hard leg kick by Du Plessis. Brunson connects with a series of hooks. Both guys swinging hard and leaving their chins exposed. It looks like Du Plessis stunned Brunson with a left. Good leg kick. Again, Du Plessis tags Brunson. He’s hurt. Du Plessis taking his time. Three minutes left. Good left by Du Plessis. He keeps cracking Brunson. Brunson is in trouble. Brunson looks tired and hurt. He’s getting sloppy. Hard leg kick by Du Plessis. And body shot by Du Plessis! Oh! Brunson hurts Du Plessis now. Du Plessis goes for the takedown, but fails. Big right hand by Du Plessis. He can’t stop connecting on Brunson. What a chin by Brunson. Brunson gets dropped. Du Plessis on top landing ground-and-pound. The bell rings. The corner throws the towel in. It’s over.
Result: Dricus Du Plessis def. Derek Brunson via TKO (corner throws in towel) – Round 2, 4:59.
Recap: Derek Brunson’s corner throws in towel after Dricus Du Plessis turns the tides
Records: Dricus Du Plessis (19-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC), Derek Brunson (23-9 MMA, 14-7 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPNews
Referee: Herb Dean
Cody Garbrandt vs. Trevin Jones
Round 1 – Here we go. Final fight of the prelims and a big one for former champion Garbrandt. Good kick to the body by Garbrandt. Another one. Leg kick by Garbrandt. Body kick by Garbrandt. A very kick-heavy attack by Garbrandt. Jones has yet to land anything. Slow pace here. Three minutes left. More leg kicks by Garbrandt. Garbrandt being very patient, picking his shots. Good straight right to the body by Garbrandt. Jones is very gun shy. One minute left. More kicks by Garbrandt. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Garbrandt.
Round 2 – Wow! Beautiful takedown by Garbrandt. Jones immediately gets back up and the fight gets back to striking. A very patient and measured performance so far by Garbrandt. Another takedown by Garbrandt, but he gets caught in a guillotine. Garbrandt gets out and he’s working from guard. Two minutes left. Garbrandt gets the back. Jones gets back to his feet. One minute left. Garbrandt floating side to side. Jones closes the distance and presses Garbrandt against the cage. Garbrandt reverses the position. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Garbrandt.
Round 3 – Jones is definitely down on the scorecard. He needs a finish. Good leg kick by Jones. The broadcast says Jones has only landed eight strikes the entire fight so far. Good body kick by Garbrandt. Jones’ corner keeps yelling, ‘Go! Go!’ Not much going on here. Mainly Jones chasing Garbrandt and not finding him. Two minutes left. The crowd is booing. Good right hand lands clean by Jones. Garbrandt seems to be ok, though. Another left by Jones. Garbrandt clinches him. Jones presses Garbrandt against the cage. Jones gets the takedown. Good right hand by Jones from top. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Jones. Overall 29-28, Garbrandt.
Result: Cody Garbrandt def. Trevin Jones via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Recap: Cody Garbrandt practices patience in unanimous decision win over Trevin Jones
Records: Cody Garbrandt (13-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC), Trevin Jones (13-10 MMA, 1-4 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPNews
Referee: Jason Herzog
Judging: Mike Bell, Derek Clearly, David Lethaby 29-28.
Bo Nickal vs. Jamie Pickett
Round 1 – Nickal goes for a head kick and slips, Pickett rushes in and Nickal clinches him. Nickal now presses him against the cage. Nickal gets a front headlock and spins around and gets the back. Nickal threatening with a rear-naked choke. He transitions to an arm-triangle choke. It looks tight! Three minutes left. Nickal keeps squeezing. Props to Pickett, he’s lasting a good while. And there’s the tap! It’s over!
Result: Bo Nickal def. Jamie Pickett via submission (arm-triangle) – Round 1, 2:54
Recap: Bo Nickal chokes out Jamie Pickett in first round to win debut
Records: Bo Nickal (4-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Jamie Pickett (13-9 MMA, 2-5 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Keith Peterson
Mateusz Gamrot vs. Jalin Turner
Round 1 – Big leg kick by Gamrot. Good straight left by Gamrot. Turner chasing here, Gamrot looking to go in and out. Good leg kick by Turner. Gamrot with a right hand and a takedown. He gets it. Three minutes left. Turner on his butt sitting down against the cage. Gamrot controling from that Khabib-like position. Turner wall-walks back to his feet, but stillbeing controlled against the cage by Gamrot. Two minutes left. Turner breaks away and they’re back striking. Oh! It looks like Turner dropped Gamrot. Turner jumps on him, but over does it and ends on bottom. One minute left. Gamrot on top from half guard. Turner scoots his way to the cage and gets back to his feet. Still being pressed. Turner breaks away and the bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Gamrot.
Round 2 – Turner walking down Gamrot. Gamrot being very careful here. Good low kick by Gamrot. Both exchanging but nothing landing clean. Good leg kick by Gamrot. A right hand connects for Gamrot. Turner stuns Gamrot with a left. Oh! And right hand by Gamrot. Turner with a right hand of his own. Good body kick by Turner. Turner pressing him hard now. Gamrot is bleeding from his left eyebrow. Good right by Gamrot. Two minutes left. Gamrot shoots for a double and gets it. Gamrot with good control here. Good ground-and-pound by Gamrot. Very active on top. The bell rings. Very hard round to score.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Gamrot.
Round 3 – Very close fight here. Good jab by Gamrot. And a big left by Gamrot. Gamrot shoots for a takedown and gets it. Turner scoots against the cage once again. Gamrot controlling in that Khabib-like position. Turner gets back up but being pressed against the cage. Three minutes left. Not much damage, but solid control by Gamrot. Referee Mark Smith resets them, as little action was happening. Back to striking. Oh! A clean one two stuns Gamrot. Turner putting on the pressure. Turner stuffs a takedown. One minute left. Turner chasing Gamrot. Gamrot shoots for a takedown and presses Turner against the cage. Gamrot takes him down and the bell rings. What a close fight.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Gamrot. Overall 30-27, Gamrot.
Result: Mateusz Gamrot def. Jalin Turner via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27).
Recap:
Records: Mateusz Gamrot (22-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC), Jalin Turner (13-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Mark Smith
Judging: Derek Cleary 29-28. David Lethaby 28-29. Ron McCarthy 30-27.
Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
Round 1 – Neal throws a head kick, gets blocked by Rakhmonov, and Rakhmonov pins Neal against the cage. Neal reverses the position and then separates. Good right hand by Neal. Good jab by Rakhmonov. One, two connects for Neal. They clinch. Neal defends a takedown and separates. Good jabs by Neal. Good left by Neal. He’s connectig plenty on Rakhmonov Good body shot by Rakhmonov. Man, what a fight! These two are connecting. Head kick by Rakhmonov! And a knee! Neal is bleeding. Neal presss Rakhmonov against the cage. And a big right hand connects for Rakhmonov. Rakhmonov putting it on Neal. Good jab by Rakhmonov. And Neal stuns Rakhmonov. The bell rings. Great fight!
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Rakhmonov.
Round 2 – Competitive fight here. Good jabs by Rakhmonov. Rakhmonov pressing a lot here. Good kick to the body by Rakhmonov. It seems Rakhmonov is starting to build a lede here after a competitive first round. Rakhmonov going for a takedown, as he presses Neal against the cage. Neal defends well and they separate. Three minutes left. Hard hooks by Neal! Neal with a left. Good uppercuts by Rakhmonov. Rakhmonov now presses Neal against the cage. Good knee to the body by Rakhmonov. Two minutes left. Good hooks by Neal! What a chin by both men. Neal now presses Rakhmonov against the cage. They separate. Both guys connecting back and forth. Great exchanges here from both. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Rakhmonov.
Round 3 – Nice head kick by Rakhmonov. Neal answers with a left. Oh! Neal stuns Rakhmonov. Rakhmonov closes the distance and presses him against the cage. Another left by Neal! Good jabs by Rakhmonov. Rakhmonov seems to have recovered. Rakhmonov presses Neal against the cage, as he looks for a takedown. Three minutes left. Rakhmonov controlling Neal against the cage. Good knees by Rakhmonov. They break away. Oh! Huge shot by Rakhmonov. Neal is badly hurt. Elbows! Knee to the body! Rakhmonov is battering Neal. Neal bleeding from his nose. Rakhmonov goes for the takedown, but unable to get it. Great defense by Neal. Rakhmonov presses Neal against the cage. One minute left. Rakhmonov sinks in a rear-naked choke while standing. It’s tight. And there’s the tap! WOW.
Result: Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Geoff Neal via submission (standing rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:17.
Recap: Shavkat Rakhmonov strangles Geoff Neal standing to end back-and-forth slugfest
Records: Shavkat Rakhmonov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC), Geoff Neal (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Herb Dean
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Alexa Grasso
Round 1 – Here we go! Women’s flyweight championship bout. Leg kick by Shevchenko. Now leg kick by Grasso. Body kick by Shevchenko. Both fighters very tentative, taking their time. They trade leg kicks. Good right hand by Grasso. Three minutes left. A clean one, two connects for Grasso. Huge left hand by Grasso! Shevchenko is stunned. Seems she’s recovered. Good leg kick by Shevchenko. One minute left. Good elbow from Shevchenko as they break from clinch. Good body kick by Shevchenko. Grasso gets a takedown briefly and Shevchenko back up. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Grasso.
Round 2 – Shevchenko’s nose is busted up a bit. Good jabs by Grasso. And Shevchenko gets a takedown. Good shots by Grasso from bottom. Grasso locking up Shevchenko from bottom, neutralizing any attacks. And Shevchenko moves to side control. Shevchenko gets the crucifix. Not much damage from Shevchenko so far. Three minutes left. Back to side control. Grasso scrambles out and gets back to her feet! Grasso now pressing the champion. Two minutes left. Good jabs by Shevchenko. Grasso chasing, Shevchenko backing up. Grasso with a clean combo. Shevchenko gets a takedown. Shevchenko in half guard. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Shevchenko.
Round 3 – Competitive fight here. Good jab by Shevchenko. One, two by Grasso. They both connect in a hard exchange. Hard left hand connects for Grasso. Grasso keeps pressing Shevchenko. Three minutes left. Shevchenko shoots and gets the takedown. Shevchenko working from top guard. Not much damage from Shevchenko while on top. Two minutes left. Grasso doing a good job at neutralizing Shevchenko, but unable to get up. The referee stands them up. One minute left. Shevchenko shoots for a takedown and gets it. Shevchenko has Grasso’s back. Grasso gets out but still on bottom. Grasso locks a guillotine. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Shevchenko.
Round 4 – Good jab by Shevchenko. Shevchenko shoots, but Grasso defends. Back to the feet. Little action here. Leg kick by Grasso. Leg kick by Shevchenko. Good jabs by Shevchenko. Two minutes left. Both fighters very tentative. Grasso shoots for a takedown and presses Shevchenko against the cage. Good control here by the Mexican. They break away. Good jabs by Shevchenko. Again. One minute left. Grasso takes the back after a spinning back kick failed for Shevchenko. Grasso has the rear-naked choke! The tap is there! It’s over! Grasso is champion!
Result: Alexa Grasso def. Valentina Shevchenko via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 4, 4:34 – to win women’s flyweight title
Recap: Alexa Grasso makes Valentina Shevchenko tap out, wins flyweight title in huge upset
Records: Alexa Grasso (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC), Valentina Shevchenko (23-4 MMA, 12-3 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Jason Herzog
Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane
Round 1 – Jones gets hit with a low blow in the first exchange. The fight is paused. Thirty seconds later and it resumes. As expected, Jones chasing and Gane evasive on the outside. Jones takes the fight to the ground after a missed punch from Gane. Jones on top on turtle position. Now Gane has his back against the cage. Jones controls in a Khabib-like position. He locks the guillotine. It’s over. Jones is champion. What a showing! Unreal!
Result: Jon Jones def. Ciryl Gane via submision (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:04 – to win vacant heavyweight title
Recap: Jon Jones makes quick work of Ciryl Gane for heavyweight title after three years away
Records: Jon Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC), Ciryl Gane (11-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Marc Goddard
