LAS VEGAS – UFC Fight Night 223 took place Saturday, and MMA Junkie provided live play-by-play throughout the event.
UFC Fight Night 223 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card streamed on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
In the main event, Song Yadong (20-7-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) took on Ricky Simon (20-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) in a key bantamweight bout. In the co-feature, Caio Borralho (14-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) met Michal Oleksiejczuk (18-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) at middleweight.
To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC Fight Night 223 discussion thread. You can also get behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes from on-site reporter Ken Hathaway (@kenshathaway ) on Twitter.
Enjoy the fights, everyone.
Hailey Cowan vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth
Round 1 – A quick touch of gloves starts things off and the fighters begin looking for openings. Cowan paws out the right hand, Horth slaps with an inside leg kick. A moment later, Horth gets a solid roundhouse in to the body. Cowan responds with a quick 1-2 combo. A straight left from Cowan follows. Horth goes to the hard body kick again. They trade punches and bounce around the cage, but that body kick scores again for Horth. Cowan throws a nice combo ending in a spinning kick. A clinch follows, with Horth pressing Cowan against the fence. The wrestle for position, Cowan reverses, and short elbows and knees are traded before they separate. A big head kick lands for Horth, prompting Cowan to charge forward for a takedown. With less than a minute to go, the wrestling game against the cage continues. Blood is flowing over the left eye of Cowan, as they return to the center. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Horth.
Round 2 – Cowan immediately gets across the cage and clinches. Horth separates and fires off a sharp two-punch combo. A nice right hand follows a moment later. Horth’s body kick lands again, but this time Cowan catches it and uses it for the takedown. Cowan lands an elbow from top, but Horth gets up fairly quickly. They continue to trade strikes on the feet. Cowan attempts a jumping switch kick. They exchange side kicks to the body, and then punches upstairs. Cowan charges forward with punches, including a nice right uppercut before capping off the sequence with a clinch against the cage. Horth separates and fires a punch. She then tries the body kick again, but Cowan catches it and pushes her to the mat before the horn. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Cowan.
Round 3 – The final round starts with a quick embrace before they get back to letting the strikes fly. Cowan gets underhooks in the clinch against the fence. Cowan nearly gets a takedown but a big fence grab by Horth prevents it. The referee warns and the action continues. Short strikes land from both, and Cowan gets the takedown, but Horth quickly reverses before they settle on the mat, and gets back to the clinch game on the feet. They break free, and it’s back to the striking game. Fatigue is setting in now, but they’re still active. Horth lands a nice head kick, followed by a punching combo. A left punch followed by a right kick from Cowan. Horth lands another pair of kicks and Cowan responds with a left hand. A big kick from Horth lands, but Cowan catches it and gets the takedown. Cowan looks for strikes on top, but Horth defends well until time expires. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Horth, scoring the close fight in her favor 29-28 overall.
Result: Jamey-Lyn Horth def. Hailey Cowan via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Photos: UFC Fight Night 223: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Hailey Cowan (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC), Jamey-Lyn Horth (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN2/ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Judging: Junichiro Kamijo (29-28), Anthony Maness (29-28), Ron McCarthy (29-28)
Marcus McGhee vs. Journey Newson
Round 1 – The action begins with both fighters looking to land single kicks. McGhee makes some contact with a head kick, but it’s mostly blocked by Newson. They continue to take turns throwing single shots, with each missing the target. Newson catches a kick and thinks about the takedown, but McGhee prevents it. McGhee lands a solid punch. Newson goes to an inside leg kick, followed by a head kick. A solid left from McGhee gets through. A nice knee soon followed, and Newson looks for the takedown. McGhee keeps things standing and turns up the forward pressure with punches. Newson is able to avoid big damage, and gets in on his legs for a takedown. McGhee rolls through, but Newson sticks with him in the clinch. They separate and return to the center, but it doesn’t take long for McGhee to get back to the forward pressure with strikes. Newson charges forward with a combo to close out the round. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for McGhee.
Round 2 – Newson opens with a head kick that McGhee evades. Newson looked for a trip and McGhee was wise to it, but still created an awkward moment where both fighters fell briefly. Newson gets in for the takedown, but a whizzer by McGhee prevents the completion. Back on the feet, McGhee lands a hard left hand to drop Newson. McGhee rushes in takes the back. The rear-naked choke is there, and McGhee squeezes hard. The tap soon follows, and McGhee wins his UFC debut by submission.
Result: Marcus McGhee def. Journey Newson via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:03
Photos: UFC Fight Night 223: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Marcus McGhee (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Journey Newson (10-5 MMA, 1-4 UFC)
Division: 140-pound contract weight
Broadcast: ESPN2/ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Judging: Mike Bell, Adalaide Byrd, Sal D’Amato
Irina Alekseeva vs. Stephanie Egger
Round 1 – The bantamweights touch gloves and Alekseeva immediately gets to offering a number of kicks. Egger fires back, but Alekseeva keeps heavy forward pressure with punches along the fence. The reset to the center and continue trading strikes. Egger lands a nice leg kick. Alekseeva just misses with a big punch at the end of a combo. Egger fires off a few punches of her own. Alekseeva unleashes more punches, and it’s starting to look like a brawl now. Egger clinches and takes the back, but Alekseeva rolls through for a kneebar. Egger is in trouble, and Alekseeva keeps adjusting. She finds the right angle and cranks on it. Egger has no choice but to tap to prevent a serious injury.
Result: Irina Alekseeva def. Stephanie Egger via submission (kneebar) – Round 1, 2:11
Recap: UFC Fight Night 223 video: ‘Russian Ronda’ Irina Alekseeva debuts with kneebar finish
Photos: UFC Fight Night 223: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Irina Alekseeva (5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Stephanie Egger (8-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC)
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN2/ESPN+
Referee: Jason Herzog
Judging: Chris Lee, Ron McCarthy, Tony Weeks
Cody Durden vs. Charles Johnson
Round 1 – Johnson rushes across with strikes as soon as the referee signaled for the fight to begin. Durden looked to clinch to slow things, and Johnson dropped for an ankle lock. Johnson bailed on it and tried to get back to his feet, but Durden stuck with him, looking to wrestle. Durden hops on Johnson’s back and begins looking for the standing rear-naked choke. The body triangle is in for Durden as well. Johnson stays calm and fights the hands. Durden lets go of the body triangle, and looks to drag Johnson to the ground. Johnson does well to prevent being taken all the way to the mat, but settles for a moment with one knee on the ground. Durden looks to hop on the back again, and this time Johnson is able to explode out of the position. They’re back in space, and Johnson fires off kicks. Durden pressures forward and lands a nice punch. Johnson responds with a solid left. Durden goes to an inside leg kick. A moment later, he gets a hold of Johnson’s leg and hunts for the takedown. Durden dumps him to the mat, but gets locked in a reverse triangle. The horn sounds seconds later. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Durden.
Round 2 – After an initial striking exchange, Durden gets in on a takedown attempt, finding Johnson’s back. Durden does his best to maintain the position while Johnson tries to scramble out of the bad position. Johnson eventually gets to his feet, but Durden is still on his back. Back down to one knee, Durden adds a couple of knees to the thigh before taking the back again. Now they’re completely on the mat, with Durden looking for the choke. Johnson is able to get his feet on the fence and push off, resulting in the fight returning to the center. They exchange punches, but it’s apparent fatigue is setting in. Johson shakes off a clinch attempt, and lands a nice body kick. Johnson fires off punches until the horn. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Durden.
Round 3 – Johnson comes forward with strikes. Punches and kicks to the body find the target, and Durden looks for the takedown. Johnson shakes him off and keeps working behind his jabs. Durden starts to land his share of punches too. He looks for the clinch again, but Johnson shakes it off. Durden lands a nice right hand, and points at Johnson. Durden is back in on the single leg, but Johnson defends it well. They return to the center for a moment, and Durden shoots in for another takedown attempt. This time he’s able to scramble to Johnson’s back as he stands up, locking in the body triangle again. With a minute to work, Johnson tries shaking Durden off, but is unsuccessful. Durden adjusts and maintains the position until the fight ends. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Durden, giving him the fight 30-27.
Result: Cody Durden def. Charles Johnson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Photos: UFC Fight Night 223: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Cody Durden (15-4-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC), Charles Johnson (13-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN2/ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Judging: Mike Bell (30-27), Adalaide Byrd (30-27), Sal D’Amato (30-27)
Martin Buday vs. Jake Collier
Round 1 – No glove touch here, and the heavyweights get straight to trading punches. Collier presses forward behind a hard left hand, landing nicely. Buday fires back a hard right hand in return, prompting Collier to back away for a moment. Collier then gets right back in the fire with punches, but Buday continues to counter well. Buday appears to hurt Collier with a nice punch, and they clinch for a moment. After separating, Collier gets back to controlling the center and working behind his left hand. Collier darts in with a left hook that misses, leading to a clinch. They break free and Collier gets back to leading the action with heavy punches. A kick from Collier causes Buday to go to the mat, and Collier follows him down, ending up on his back, landing punches. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Collier.
Round 2 – Collier picks up right where he left off, leading the action behind the left jab. Buday accepts looking to land counters in exchanges, and gets a nice uppercut through, but doesn’t stop Collier from moving forward. Collier looks for the Thai clinch, and a few short strikes are exchanged. They get back to the center briefly and go right back into the clinch against the cage. Short punches are traded as they lean on each other. A nice knee to the body in the clinch from Buday that hurts Collier. A moment later, another one lands for Buday. Collier appears exhausted and attempts to change levels, but Buday easily keeps things standing in the clinch. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Buday.
Round 3 – Punches are offered from both in the opening exchange. Collier paws out the left hand, but Buday’s counters are sharper here. Collier looks to clinch and begins to press Buday against the cage. Buday accidentally pokes Collier in the eye and the fight is paused. The cageside doctor is brought in to check out the eye, and the fight resumes after a couple of minutes. Buday lands a nice punch followed by a kick. They exchange jabs at the same time. Buday gets the better of the following exchange, adding punches to the body. A moment later, the fight goes back to the clinch against the cage. Knees to the body are traded. Collier changes levels for the takedown, but Buday reverses and takes top position. He lands a couple of punches and then looks for the arm triangle. It’s not there, so Buday goes back to punching from the top. Buday backs off and stands up, but doesn’t let Collier back to his feet as he lands a few more heavy punches while Collier is still on the mat. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Buday, giving him the fight 29-28.
Result: Martin Buday def. Jake Collier via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Photos: UFC Fight Night 223: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Martin Buday (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), Jake Collier (13-9 MMA, 5-8 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN2/ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Judging: Sal D’Amato (29-28), Junichiro Kamijo (29-28), Anthony Maness (29-28)
Josh Quinlan vs. Trey Waters
Round 1 – Waters takes the center, and Quinlan offers an outside kick. Waters throws an inside kick at the same time, knocking Quilan off his feet. Quinlan scrambles for a clinch, and they fight for position against the fence. A moment later, they return to the center of the cage, where Waters uses his reach advantage, working behind long punches. Quinlan’s leg kicks are checked, and his punches are evaded. Waters is sharp with his timing on counter punches. Quinlan misses a head kick. Waters lands a left and Quinlan responds with an outside leg kick. Another pull counter for Waters scores. Quinlan charges for a takedown, gets it, but there’s only a few seconds remaining in the round. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Waters.
Round 2 – Quinlan charges forward with a hook that stuns Waters in the opening exchange. Waters fires back as Quinlan looks for follow-up punches. Quinlan backs away to reset, and Waters begins to take control of the center. A sharp combo from Waters lands. A pair of left jabs touch Quinlan. Outside leg kick for Quinlan lands, but the hook after it misses. Waters easily stuffs a takedown attempt. Waters goes first in the next exchange, picking punches well. Quinlan goes to the leg kick. Another combo from Waters finds the mark. Quinlan’s punches miss, but Waters counters well. A moment later, a nice leg kick from Quinlan scores. A nice right hand lands from Waters. Quinlan looks for the last-second takedown, but gets reversed, and the round ends right as Waters lands on top of his opponent on the ground. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Waters.
Round 3 – Quinlan comes out aggressively, looking to land punches upstairs and kicks to the legs. Waters evades damage well, and eventually finds the counter combination to get Quinlan to back off. A sharp jab from Waters stings Quinlan, who then goes back to the calf kick again. Quinlan charges ahead with punches, but can’t find the target. He shoots in for a takedown, but Waters shucks him off. Waters lands a hard right hand, backing Quinlan off again. Waters doesn’t capitalize on it, even though Quinlan appeared hurt. Quinlan looks for a combo of punches, but Waters evades and lands a counter. Waters shoots a nice right hand down the pipe. Quinlan is getting tagged, but keeps moving forward. Swtiching things up, Waters gets a takedown, capping off a solid showing. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Waters, giving him the fight 30-27.
Result: Trey Waters def. Josh Quinlan via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Photos: UFC Fight Night 223: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Josh Quinlan (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Trey Waters (8-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Jason Herzog
Judging: Eric Colon (30-27), Chris Lee (30-27), Tony Weeks (30-27)
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Marcos Rogerio
Round 1 – Cortes-Acosta opens things up with a kick, prompting Rogerio to fire off a series of his own. Heavy punches were not fare behind to get get Cortes-Acosta’s attention. Rogerio presses forward, and lands another series of heavy right leg kicks. He then clinches and gets the trip takedown, landing in side control. Cortes-Acosta turns and gives up his back, but keeps a firm hold on Rogerio’s hand to prevent any strikes. He eventually gets back to his feet without taking much damage on the ground. Rogerio goes back to the leg kick. Cortes-Acosta offers a few punches and then looks for a takedown of his own. The result is a clinch against the cage, jockeying for position. They separate, and Rogerio lands another pair of hard leg kicks. Cortes-Acosta returns one of his own, but Rogerio sends in another in response. They clinch again and the round ends. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Rogerio.
Round 2 – Rogerio’s tool of choice, the leg kick, lands to start the second. Another trio not far behind it, and Cortes-Acosta doesn’t like it. Rogerio fires off a combo of punches, and Cortes-Acosta answers with two punches of his own. Another leg kick from Rogerio. It’s clear that Cortes-Acosta’s leg is compromised. Rogerio shoots for a takedown, lifts, and dumps Cortes-Acosta to the ground. Working from half guard, Rogerio begins to look for the arm triangle choke. Cortes-Acosta gets a hold of a kimura and uses it to create space get back to a standing position. Rogerio doesn’t give up on the clinch, though, and they’re back to the ground again. Rogerio is on the back and looks for a rear-naked choke, but Cortes-Acosta slips out. They’re back on the feet now and Cortes-Acosta lands solid punches, and checks a leg kick. Rogerio shoots for another takedown, but can’t get it. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Rogerio.
Round 3 – Cortes-Acosta comes out firing punches while Rogerio circles. The action is at a slower pace now, but Rogerio gets another leg kick in. Cortes-Acosta lands a nice jab. Rogerio charges with a left hook. Cortes-Acosta answers with a nice combination. The leg kick is there again for Rogerio. Cortes-Acosta finds a home for nice combination. Rogerio kicks to the leg again, and adds a teep up the middle. Cortes-Acosta keeps picking jabs. Rogerio shoots for a takedown with under a minute to go. In the clinch against the cage, the referee calls for action, and they separate. Cortes-Acosta pops out a combination, but the leg kick from Rogerio gets a big reaction. They trade punches until the horn. MMA Junkie scores the third round 10-9 for Cortes-Acosta, but the fight goes to Rogerio, 29-28.
Result: Marcos Rogerio de Lima def. Waldo Cortes-Acosta via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Photos: UFC Fight Night 223: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Waldo Cortes-Acosta (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Marcos Rogerio (21-8-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Herb Dean
Judging: Mike Bell (29-28), Eric Colon (29-28), Anthony Maness (29-28)
Julian Erosa vs. Fernando Padilla
Round 1 – Erosa opens up with a sharp leg kick. Padilla offers a front kick to the body. A left hand from Erosa lands, prompting Padilla to fire a leg kick. A nice exchange soon follows. They reset and circle around the cage, and Padilla unleashes a hard left jab that stings Erosa. Padilla keeps with it and puts a hard combo of punches behind it. Erosa is hurt and falling back. Padilla chases him and looks for the finish with more punches. Erosa gets dropped and the referee rushes in to stop the fight, but Erosa gets back to his feet! Erosa protests the stoppage, but the referee already made the call to stop the fight.
Result: Fernando Padilla def. Julian Erosa via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:41
Recap: UFC Fight Night 223 video: Fernando Padilla drops Julian Erosa twice for brutal – and contested – stoppage
Photos: UFC Fight Night 223: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Julian Erosa (28-11 MMA, 6-7 UFC), Fernando Padilla (15-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Judging: Adalaide Byrd, Sal D’Amato, Ron McCarthy
Cody Brundage vs. Rodolfo Vieira
Round 1 – The middleweights touch gloves, and Brundage opens the action with a leg kick. Brundage keeps the offense going, and unleashes a series of powerful punches to cause Vieira to retreat. The swarm is still on for Brundage, but Vieira is able to grab a hold to slow things down. Vieira starts working for a takedown along the cage. Blood is flowing over the left eye of Vieira. While adjusting in the clinch, Vieira throws a knee to the body, but it’s low, causing the action to pause for a minute. The fight resumes and just a few seconds later, Brundage lands a huge right hand that drops Vieira. Brundage has the swarm on again, raining down punches from top position. Referee calls for Vieira to fight back, and he gives just enough response to keep the fight going. Vieira is able to get to guard and works his way back up to the feet, but stays with the clinch. Vieira gets Brundage to the ground and takes his back, landing a few solid punches from the position until the horn. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Brundage.
Round 2 – Vieira closes the distance and shoots for a takedown. Brundage is nearly down against the fence, and decides to go for the guillotine choke. It appeared tight for a moment, but Vieira worked free and almost immediately began attacking an arm triangle choke. Brundage slipped free and turned to give up his back. A second later, Brundage turned back into Vieira, who then sinched up the arm triangle again. This time it’s really locked in. Brundage can’t get out and has to tap.
Result: Rodolfo Vieira def. Cody Brundage via submission (arm triangle) – Round 2, 1:28
Photos: UFC Fight Night 223: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Cody Brundage (8-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC), Rodolfo Vieira (9-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Judging: Eric Colon, Chris Lee, Tony Weeks
Caio Borralho vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Round 1 – Oleksiejczuk lands a nice left to start. Borralho circles on the outside, evading the forward pressure from his opponent. Borralho jumps with a knee, but Oleksiejczuk was ready for it. Oleksiejczuk keeps moving forward with punches, keeping Borralho on his toes. They exchange more punches as they move around the cage. Borralho changes levels for the takedown, but can’t complete it. They reset and move about the cage looking for openings. A big punch from Borralho just misses the mark. Oleksiejczuk gets into the clinch and a knee to the body goes low, pausing the action. The fight resumes, and Oleksiejczuk continues his forward pressure. Another takedown from Borralho is stuffed. Oleksiejczuk charges ahead with a combination. A moment later, Borralho punches to set up a takedown, and this time is successful. He controls Oleksiejczuk from the back and lands a couple of knees to the body before the horn. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Oleksiejczuk.
Round 2 – Oleksiejczuk resumes pressing forward in the opening exchange. Borralho adds in leg kicks to his counters. Borralho blitzes forward for a blast double and gets the fight to the ground. Oleksiejczuk gets to his feet momentarily, but Borralho keeps his hands locked and takes out his legs to go back to the ground. From the top side, Borralho grabs the far wrist of Oleksiejczuk, and punches with his free hand. Oleksiejczuk gives up his back and Borralho locks up a body triangle. The rear-naked choke is there and he sinks it in. The squeeze is tight, and Oleksiejczuk decides to tap before taking a nap, and the celebration for Borralho is on.
Result: Caio Borralho def. Michal Oleksiejczuk via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:49
Recap: UFC Fight Night 223 video: Caio Borralho submits Michal Oleksiejczuk, calls out Derek Brunson
Photos: UFC Fight Night 223: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Caio Borralho (14-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC), Michal Oleksiejczuk (18-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Jason Herzog
Judging: Mike Bell, Junichiro Kamijo, Ron McCarthy
Ricky Simon vs. Song Yadong
Round 1 – Simon takes the center and offers a pair of kicks to find the range. A head kick attempt is blocked by Song. Simon begins circling on the outside. The feel-out process continues, and Song throws his first strikes of the fight. Simon circles around again, charges forward to threaten a takedown, but doesn’t commit. Song cracks with a hard body kick. Simon lands a three-punch combination. Song looks for a punch, but Simon changed levels and clinched. They wrestle for position for a moment, but Song shakes free and returns to the middle. Simon lands a nice leg kick. Song charges with a combination, but Simon dips under and circles away. Simon lands a right, and Song answers with a leg kick. A head kick followed by a spinning kick miss for Song seconds before the round ends. A very close round to start. MMA Junkie scores it 10-9 for Simon.
Round 2 – Song takes control of the center and begins stalking forward. After trading initial strikes, a clash of heads as Song charged forward with punches caused Simon to drop, and Song swarmed with punches. Simon is able to grab a hold of Song and get a takedown to stop the momentum, but they don’t stay on the ground long. Back on the feet, Song continues to lead the action with forward pressure. Song is patient and finds an opening for a left hand. A crispy two-punch combination followed. Simon continues to circle on the outside, and begins to return fire with single punches. Song evades well, and keeps pushing forward. Song lands a right, but Simon timed a takedown well and gets the fight to the mat. Simon rains down hammerfists until the round ends. MMA junkie scores the round 10-9 for Song.
Round 3 – Song presses ahead with punches early, but Simon gets a takedown. He can’t keep the fight on the mat though, and they return to the feet quickly. They exchange strikes, but the action is paused after Song lands a hard punch below the belt. After a brief stoppage, they get back to it, with Song stalking forward. Song rips a left hook to the body. In the next exchange, Song lands a hard right hand. A moment later, another punch from Song hurts Simon. Song charges forward with a combination, but Simon does well to escape. Song keeps leading the action until the horn sounds. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Song.
Round 4 – A hard outside leg kick scores for Song. Simon answers with a left jab, followed by a kick a second later. A flying knee from Simon misses, and Song nearly catches his leg on the way down. A nice counter right hand from Song lands as Simon moves forward. Simon shoots for the takedown, but Song fights it off to keep the fight on the feet. Song fires off a combination as Simon circles. A few moments later, another nice combination that included a hard punch to the body scores for Song. The action slows as they circle around the cage. Simon lands a nice right counter as Song started an exchange. A spinning back kick misses from Song. Simon looks to land a punch but gets sat down by a hard left counter. Song looks at the referee before rushing in to take top position, but the horn sounds. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Song.
Round 5 – Song keeps the pressure high to start the final round. Simon looks to land a left but gets clipped by a punch. Simon gathers himself and circles. Simon looks for a combination, but Song evades and throws a perfect left counter to drop Simon. This time, Song swarms and empties the tank, forcing the referee to pull him off for the TKO stoppage. What a finish.
Result: Song Yadong def. Ricky Simon via TKO (punches) – Round 5, 1:10
Recap: UFC Fight Night 223 results: Song Yadong punishes Ricky Simon with brutal onslaught for late TKO stoppage
Photos: UFC Fight Night 223: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Ricky Simon (20-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC), Song Yadong (20-7-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Herb Dean
Judging: Mike Bell, Sal D’Amato, Chris Lee
