UFC on ESPN 42 takes place Saturday, and you can join us for live play-by-play and official results/
UFC on ESPN 42 takes place at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
In the main event, two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson (16-6-1 MMA, 11-6-1 UFC) takes on Kevin Holland (23-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC). In the co-feature, Bryan Barberena (18-8 MMA, 9-6 UFC) meets former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos (31-14 MMA, 20-12 UFC) at 170 pounds.
Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 7 p.m. ET for the prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ and 10 p.m. ET for the main card on ESPN/ESPN+.
To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC on ESPN 42 discussion thread.
Enjoy the fights, everyone.
Yazmin Jauregui vs. Istela Nunes
Round 1 – Jauregui pressuring Nunes here. Nothing landing clean for either fighter. And Jauregui gets dropped! She jumps right back up and closes the distance. It looks like she’s recovered. Good right hand followed by a leg kick by Jauregui. Jauregui backs Nunes with power shots. Nunes connects a clean left. Two minutes left. Jauregui shoots for a takedown, gets it, but Nunes gets immediately back up. Jauregui is turning down the pressure, far less aggressive. And Jauregui turns it back up and stuns Nunes with a big right. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Nunes.
Round 2 – Good leg kicks by Jauregui to get things started. Big right hand by Jauregui! Now Jauregui drops Nunes! Nunes closes the distance and looks to survive. Jauregui now pressing Nunes against the cage. Nasty elbows from Jauregui as they break away from the clinch. Jauregui drops Nunes with a big right hand. She’s now on top landing ground-and-pound. Nasty elbow by Jauregui. Jauregui with big hammer fists. Nunes taking a beating here. Referee Keith Peterson stops the fight, he’s seen enough. Big win for Jauregui.
Result: Yazmin Jauregui def. Istela Nunes via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:06
Recap: Yazmin Jauregui blows up Istela Nunes with TKO
Photos: Yazmin Jauregui def. Istela Nunes at UFC on ESPN 42: Best photos
Records: Yazmin Jauregui (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Istela Nunes (6-4 MMA, 0-3 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee:Keith Peterson
Francis Marshall vs. Marcelo Rojo
Round 1 – Big leg kick by Rojo. Another one. Rojo now with a one, two combo. Marshall has yet to get going. Another leg kick by Rojo. Again. Rojo really focusing on the leg attacks. And Marshall rushes in and catches Rojo. He was briefly wobbled. Marshall now pressing Rojo against the cage. And he gets the takedown. Two minutes left. Marshall now advances to side control. Not a ton of damage from Marshall, but he’s completely controlling Rojo here. Nice elbow from the bottom by Rojo. And three more! The round comes to an end.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Marshall.
Round 2 – Rojo comes out aggressive! A hard combination connects clean. Rojo again working the leg kicks. Oh, and a low blow stops halts the action. Marshall takes his time and the fight resumes shortly after. Both fighters now in the pocket. They’re trading hard. And boom! Marshall connects clean and knocks out Rojo. It’s over.
Result: Francis Marshall def. Marcelo Rojo via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 1:14
Recap: Francis Marshall scores brutal KO of Marcelo Rojo to stay unbeaten
Photos: Francis Marshall def. Marcelo Rojo at UFC on ESPN 42: Best photos
Records: Francis Marshall (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Marcelo Rojo (16-10 MMA, 0-3 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Larry Folsom
Natan Levy vs. Genaro Valdez
Round 1 – These boys are swinging hard. Not a very high-paced fight, but both are striking with power. Levy has connected a few body kicks on Valdez. And Valdez with a clean right hand. Valdez is doing most of the pressuring here. Oh! Levy drops Valdez. Valdez is right back up but hurt. He gets dropped again. Levy with a nasty spinning kick to the body. Valdez is in trouble. A low blow lands by Levy. The fight is stopped briefly and it resumes right as the bell rings. Big round for Levy.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Levy.
Round 2 – Levy is lighting up Valdez with leg kicks. Valdez is moving fowars and is still a threat, but Levy is so far the better striker. Oh! Big left hook lands by Valdez. Levy is now backing up. Valdez is starting to connect clean here. Three minutes left. And Levy gets stunned! Valdez is all over him. The action slows down a bit, but Valdez is now getting the better of the shots. Big body kick by Levy. Levy shoots for a takedown, fails, but presses Valdez against the cage. Two minutes left. Levy gets the takedown. Levy controlling Valdez by the cage Khabib-style. Not much damage here. The crowd boos. Levy maintains control until the bell.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Valdez.
Round 3 – Close fight here. Valdez back to pressuing, while Levy backs up. Oh! Big shots by Valdez. He keeps finding his mark. Valdez takes a second low blow. The fight is paused. Valdez is clearly hurting. He takes off a minute and the fight resumes. Again, Valdez walking down Levy here. Levy with a couple of takedown attempts, but no luck. The fight is starting to slow down. Levy shoots and this time gets the takedown. Two minutes left. Valdez keeps working to get back on his feet. He gets close on multiple times, but Levy drags him back down. One minute left. Levy continues to control the action all the way to the bell.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Levy.
Result: Natan Levy def. Genaro Valdez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Photos: Natan Levy def. Genaro Valdez at UFC on ESPN 42: Best photos
Records: Natan Levy (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Genaro Valdez (10-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Andrew Glenn
Judging: Eric Colon, Troy Wincapaw 29-28. Chris Lee 30-27.
Darren Elkins vs. Jonathan Pearce
Round 1 – Pearce lands two front kicks to the face in the first 10 seconds of the fight. And just seconds later, Elkins shoots and gets a takedown. They scramble and Pearce finds his way back up. Pearce is marching down Elkins, landing often. Big right-hand wobbles Elkins. Pearce looks very comfortable in there. Good right by Elkins. Two minutes left. Elkins’ face is already battered. Pearce is picking him apart. Pearce shoots for the takedown and gets it. Good ground-and-pound by Pearce. The bell rings. Good first round by Pearce.
MMA Junkie scores it 10-9, Pearce.
Round 2 – Same dynamic here. Pearce is having his way on the feet. Good jabs by Elkins. And a right hand connects for Elkins. Elkins is having some good moments here on the feet. Pearce is still up but Elkins is stating to close the gab in the striking. Nasty calf kick by Pearce. Elkins takes down Pearce, but it gets quickly reversed. Nasty, relentless ground-and-pound by Pearce. Two minutes left. Big elbow by Pearce. Elkins is getting battered here. Pearce keeps control and ground-and-pound until the bell.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Pearce.
Round 3 – Elkins clearly needs a finish here. Clean left hook by Pearce. Credit to Elkins, he keeps fighting and marching forward, but he’s getting outclassed by Pearce. And Elkins gets cut bad. He’s bleeding all over. The referee stops the fight to get the doctor to check on him. The doctor says he’s good, and the fight continues. Elkins is marching forward, putting the pressure on Pearce. Man, Elkins is a bloody mess. The fight has slowed down significantly. Pearce’s output dropped significantly, but he’s still in control and winning. These two going toe to toe now. Elkins with some good shots. Peace gets a takedown, as the bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Pearce. Overall 30-27, Pearce.
Result: Jonathan Pearce def. Darren Elkins via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Recap: Jonathan Pearce damages Darren Elkins for bloody decision
Photos: Jonathan Pearce def. Darren Elkins at UFC on ESPN 42: Best photos
Records: Jonathan Pearce (14-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC), Darren Elkins (28-11 MMA, 17-10 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Dan Miragliotta
Judging: Eric Colon, Daniel Torres 30-27. Derek Cleary 30-26.
Marc Diakiese vs. Michael Johnson
Round 1 – Diakiese comes out aggressive. He lands a couple of leg kicks and then shoots for a takedown. Johnson stuffs it. More leg kicks by Diakiese. Johsnon is pressuring, while Diakiese back pedals and picks his shots. Although Johnson is walking forward, he’s not throwing much. Again, more leg kicks by Diakiese. Two minutes left. Johnson puts together combos, but nothing lands clean. Diakiese with a leg kick, but gets caught and taken down. He gets back up almost immediately.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Diakiese.
Round 2 – Same dynamic here, but Diakiese is starting to let his hands go a bit more. The leg kicks are present, but Diakiese is landing clean with a few punches. Johnson seems very trigger shy. Good left by Johnson. Two minutes left. Good body shot by Johnson. Stiff jab by Johnson. And a big left-hand lands for Johnson. He’s turning it up. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Johnson.
Round 3 – Close fight here, but the tide seems to be turning in favor of Johnson. Diakiese basically completely abandoned the leg kicks at this point. Good body shots by Johnson. Diakiese goes for a takedown, but stuffed. Again, Diakiese looks for the takedown, but no success. Nice jabs by Johnson. And Johnson appears to stun Diakiese with a right hand. Big jab by Johnson. He’s looking sharp. Johnson gets a late takedown right before the bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Johnson. Overall 29-28, Johnson.
Result: Michael Johnson def. Marc Diakiese via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Photos: Michael Johnson def. Marc Diakiese at UFC on ESPN 42: Best photos
Records: Michael Johnson (22-18 MMA, 13-14 UFC), Marc Diakiese (16-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Keith Peterson
Judging: Chris Lee, Sal D’Amato 29-28. Troy Wincapaw 30-27.
Clay Guida vs. Scott Holtzman
Round 1 – Holtzman pressuring the veteran here. Guida content with staying on the outside.Good right hand by Holtzman. Guida attempts a couple of takedowns, but no success. Good jabs by Guida. Nasty body kick by Holtzman. Pretty even fight so far. Holtzman does seem to have the more impactful shots. Failed takedown attempt by Holtzman. Oh! Big right-hand stuns Holtzman to end the round.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Holtzman.
Round 2 – Guida immediately shoots for a takedown and gets it. Holtzman right back up and the fight resumes on the feet. Good jabs by Guida. He now shoots and gets a takedown. But again, Holtzman right back up. Guida now pressing Holtzman against the cage. Guida picks up Holtzman and slams him on the canvas! The crowd goes wild and starts chanting, “Guida, Guida, Guida.” Good ground-and-pound by Guida. Holtzman gets back up. Two minutes left. Holtzman keeps pressuring here. He stuffs a takedown. Hard leg kick by Guida. Guida closes the distance and presses Holtzman against the cage. Guida relentless with the takedown attempt. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Guida.
Round 3 – Close fight here. Guida comes out with a ton of energy and immediately presses Holtzman against the cage. Holtzman breaks free and resumes the standup fight. Holtzman with a couple of good shots that get the attention from Guida. Holtzman pressing. Guida with a clean uppercut. Guida takes Holtzman back to the cage. Good pressure here. And Guida raises Holtzman and slams him on the canvas. He moves to side control. Holtzman back up. And that doesn’t last long, as Guida gets him back down. One minute left. Good control by Guida. Guida controls the action until the end.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Guida. Overall 29-28, Guida.
Result: Clay Guida def. Scott Holtzman via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Recap: Clay Guida spoils Scott Holtzman’s retirement by wrestling to split decision
Photos: Clay Guida def. Scott Holtzman at UFC on ESPN 42: Best photos
Records: Clay Guida (38-19 MMA, 18-16 UFC), Scott Holtzman (14-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Larry Folsom
Judging: Eric Colon, Michael Tate 29-28. David Tirelli 28-29.
Emily Ducote vs. Angela Hill
Round 1 -A battle of two former Invicta FC champions. Not the most high paced fight, but both are keeping a constant attack. For the most part, Hill is pressing Ducote. Hill being the much busier fighter, and she’s also connecting more. Ducote not throwing much here. Hill is tagging up Ducote now. Hill has connected with a few hard leg kicks. Again, Ducote with almost no offense. Hill is cruising now, winning the fight comfortably on the feet. Clear round for Hill.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Hill.
Round 2 – Very much of the same here. Hill is walking down Ducote and landing shots, while Ducote mainly defends. She’s not really attacking. Nice knees from the clinch by Hill. She’s completely having her way so far. This dynamic plays throout the entire round. Ducote showing already signs of damage on her face.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Hill.
Round 3 – Ducote is starting to open up a bit more this round. But still, Hill is out landing her, as she just has more volume. Good body shot by Ducote. Man, Hill is just marching forward here and getting her way. Ducote with a good leg kick. Hill now just tearing apart Ducote with knees and elbows in the clinch. They break away. Back in the clinch, Hill putting on damage on Ducote. What performance by Hill. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Hill. Overall 20-27, Hill.
Result: Angela Hill def. Emily Ducote via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Photos: Angela Hill def. Emily Ducote at UFC on ESPN 42: Best photos
Records: Angela Hill (15-12 MMA, 10-12 UFC), Emily Ducote (12-7 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Andrew Glenn
Judging: Derek Cleary, David Tirelli, Daniel Torres 30-27.
Niko Price vs. Phil Rowe
Round 1 – And the main card is on. Price immediately setting the tempo by pressuring Rowe and backing him up with strikes. Price is the one with the stronger offense so far. And nice jab followed by a one, two from Rowe. Price teeing off on Rowe by the cage. Two minutes left. Even fight. Rowe has landed the cleaner shots, but Price has the bigger output. Rowe briefly stuns Price with a right hand. Fun exchanges here. And Rowe woth another big right hand. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Rowe.
Round 2 – Price comes out aggressive. Good leg kick by Price and a follow-up combination. Rowe still with a low output here. And Rowe shoots for a takedown and gets it. Price gets back up almost immediately. Big right by Rowe. Price pushes back Rowe with a nice combination and shoots for a takedown, pressing Rowe against the cage. Rowe attempts a front choke, Price spins out of it, but ends with Rowe on top. Rowe gets Price’s back and controls from there. He attempts a rear naked choke, but unsuccessful. Price gets out, they exchange a few seconds and the bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Rowe.
Round 3 – Price comes out aggressive again. Oh! Price stuns Rowe with a right hand. He’s wobbled bad. Price all over him. He gets caught again! Rowe drops to the canvas and Price follows through. Price with solid ground-and-pound, but it seems Rowe has recovered. Rowe finds his way back to his feet. We’re halfway through the round. Price is keeping the pressure, but both fighters look tired. Now Rowe wobbles Price! Price is hurt, Rowe is swinging hard. Price not intelligently defending himself and Marc Goddard steps in. The fight is over.
Result: Phil Rowe def. Niko Price via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 3:26
Recap: Phil Rowe finishes Niko Price with brutal flurry in wild final round
Photos: Phil Rowe def. Niko Price at UFC on ESPN 42: Best photos
Records: Phil Rowe (10-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Niko Price (15-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Marc Goddard
Eryk Anders vs. Kyle Daukaus
Round 1 – Both guys trading heavy. Daukaus with a couple of heavy kicks. Fast one, two lands for Daukaus. Nice jab by Daukaus. He’s looking good so far. Anders catches a kick from Daukaus and throws him on the ground. He hovers over him, landing leg kicks. The crowd boos and Daukaus gets back up. Big right-hand lands for Anders in a wild exchange, Daukaus falls to the ground. Anders hovering over him again, but the referee stands them up after a few seconds. Anders is pressuring Daukaus, looking for that knockout. Nice body shot by Anders. And a clash of heads drops Daukaus to the canvas. The referee pauses the fight. Daukaus takes a few seconds and the fight resumes. Daukaus gets dropped by Anders and shotrly after the bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Anders.
Round 2 – Anders comes out aggressive. He smalls blood. After a few exchanges, Daukaus closes the distance and tries to take down Anders. He presses him against the cage. Anders defends well and breaks off. In a scramble, Daukaus ends on the bottom. Anders lands some shots while hovering over Daukaus. Daukaus gets up, but gets dropped by a left hand. Anders rushes in and lands nasty ground-and-pound to get the win. Solid showing by Anders.
Result: Eryk Anders def. Kyle Daukaus via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 2:45
Recap: Eryk Anders smashes Kyle Daukaus for second-round stoppage
Photos: Eryk Anders def. Kyle Daukaus at UFC on ESPN 42: Best photos
Records: Eryk Anders (15-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC), Kyle Daukaus (11-4 MMA, 2-4 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Keith Peterson
Roman Dolidze vs. Jack Hermansson
Round 1 – Hermansson takes the outside of the cage and looks to stay mobile. Dolidze walking forward. Good left kicks by Hermansson. Hermansson now landing several good leg kicks. Hermansson shoots for a takedown and gets it. Dolidze threatend with a guillotine, but not for long. Dolidze with a sweep! They scramble, and the fight ends back on the feet. More leg kicks by Hermansson. Solid body kick too. Dolidze not very active here. It’s all Hermansson. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Hermansson.
Round 2 – Hermansson again, sating on the outside and using long-range attacks. Dolidze really having a tough time getting in range and putting combos together. Good left by Hermansson. The leg kicks are adding up for Hermansson. And there’s the takedown for Hermansson. Dolidze threatens with an armbar, but unsuccessful. Now he threatens with a triangle, but Hermansson escapes. Dolidze gets a calf slicer and gets the back! He lands ground-and-pound. Unable to escape, the referee forced to stop the fight. Solid win by Dolidze.
Result: Roman Dolidze def. Jack Hermansson via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:06
Recap: Roman Dolidze TKOs Jack Hermansson, calls out Khamzat Chimaev
Photos: Roman Dolidze def. Jack Hermansson at UFC on ESPN 42: Best photos
Records: Roman Dolidze (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), Jack Hermansson (23-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Marc Goddard
Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tai Tuivasa
Round 1 – Here we go! Heavyweights! Oh, Pavlovich bringing the heat! Tuivasa gets dropped! He gets back up, but Pavlovich is all over him, swinging big. Tuivasa wobbled again! And he goes down. Pavlovich continues the attack. It’s over. The referee intervenes and stops the fight.
Result: Sergei Pavlovich def. Tai Tuivasa via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:54
Recap: Sergei Pavlovich blitzes through Tai Tuivasa in under a minute
Photos: Sergei Pavlovich def. Tai Tuivasa at UFC on ESPN 42: Best photos
Records: Sergei Pavlovich (17-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), Tai Tuivasa (15-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Dan Miragliotta
Matheus Nicolau vs. Matt Schnell
Round 1 – Schnell chasing down Nicolau here. Not a ton of action going on, and the crowd is getting a bit restless. The crowd boos. And out of nowhere, Nicolau rushes in and drops Schnell with a left. Schnell gets back up and teh fight resumes on the feet. Good leg kick by Nicolau. Schnell appears ok from the shot and is chasing Nicolau. Not much going on here. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Nicolau.
Round 2 – Schnell comes out aggressive and immediately begins to chase Nicolau. Schnell unable to close the distance. Nicolau rushes in, lands a shot and wobbles Schnell. He then takes him down. Nicolau landing ground-and-pound from guard. They get back up. Nicolau wobbles Schnell again, but Schnell stays composed and keeps chasing. It’s over! Schnell rushed in and got caught by a right hand. He dropped to the canvas and Nicolau overwhelmed him with ground-and-pound to get the finish. Impressive.
Result: Matheus Nicolau def. Matt Schnell via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 1:44
Photos: Matheus Nicolau def. Matt Schnell at UFC on ESPN 42: Best photos
Records: Matheus Nicolau (19-3-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC), Matt Schnell (16-7 MMA, 6-6 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Keith Peterson
Bryan Barberena vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Round 1 – They trade heavy shots from the very start, but nothing landing clean so far. Dos Anjos shoots for a takedown and presses Barberena against the cage. And there’s the takedown. Oh! Dos Anjos locks in an arm-triangle! It looks tight! He stops squeezing, but still mantains the lock. And Barberena gets out. Two minutes left. Dos Anjos gets mouunt now. Complete control by dos Anjos here, but not much damage, though. And the bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, dos Anjos.
Round 2 – Barberena rushes in and connects a couple good shots. He now presses dos Anjos against the cage. They break off, but immediately dos Anjos shoots for a takedown and gets it. Barberena gets up, but he’s being pressed and controlled against the cage. And dos Anjos gets the takedown. Dos Anjos gets the back mount! He sinks in the rear-naked choke! It looks tight. It’s over. Barberena taps.
Result: Rafael dos Anjos def. Bryan Barberena via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:20
Recap: Rafael dos Anjos gets submission win, tells Conor McGregor to ‘clean his body’ for July showdown
Photos: Rafael dos Anjos def. Bryan Barberena at UFC on ESPN 42: Best photos
Records: Rafael dos Anjos (32-14 MMA, 21-12 UFC), Bryan Barberena (19-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Marc Goddard
Stephen Thompson vs. Kevin Holland
Round 1 – And they touch gloves. Holland wastes no time and presses Thompson. Both fighters trade leg kicks. Oh! Thompson cracks Holland with a left. Holland has tried to control Thompson against the cage twice, but unable to. Big knee for Holland! This fight is heating up. Thompson is bleeding from his left eyebrow. Holland wobbles Thompson with a big right hand. Holland is putting it on him. Good elbows from Holland in the clinch. Good left by Thompson. Another good left by Thompson. Holland with some good leg kicks. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Holland.
Round 2 – Thompson connects with a big left head kick! Holland eats it well. Good leg kick by Holland. Thompson connects multiple left hands. They’re going back and forth. What a fight! Thompson is pressing the action here. He lands another left hand. Holland adding up leg kicks. Another straight left by Thompson. And another one. He can’t miss with the left. One minute left. This is a wild fight. Both guys are going back and forth. And Thompson stuns Holland, but Holland fires back. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Thompson.
Round 3 – Holland working the legs here. Thompson almost lands a head kick. Good job by Thompson. More leg kicks from Holland. Head kick lands from Thompson. What a chin by Holland. Thompson cracks Holland with a left. Now Thompson marches forward and pours it on Holland. Holland is firing back as well, but Thompson is far more accurate. This is a war. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Thompson.
Round 4 – Holland eats a kick to the face to start the round. Insane chin by Holland. Thompson is now getting pressed against the cage. He breaks feee. Nasty liver kick by Thompson. Holland shoots for a takedown. Doesn’t get it. Holland is hurt. Thompson now presses Holland against the cage. A low blow from Thompson halts the action. Holland takes a minute to recover and the fight resumes. Holland looks battered. Thompson lands a nasty wheel kick to the head. Oh man. Thompson is picking apart Holland here. Holland is just taking a beating, not firing as much now. Two minutes left. Thompson is just having his way here. Holland’s body us hurting. And Thompson drops Holland. He’s on top landing ground-and-pound. The bell rings. Holland tells his corner his hand is injured. The corner throws in the towel. The fight is over. Thompson wins.
Result: Stephen Thompson def. Kevin Holland via TKO (corner stoppage) – Round 4, 5:00
Recap: Stephen Thompson wins TKO over Kevin Holland in electric showdown
Photos: Stephen Thompson def. Kevin Holland at UFC on ESPN 42: Best photos
Records: Stephen Thompson (17-6-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC), Kevin Holland (23-9 MMA, 10-6 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Dan Miragliotta
