UFC on ESPN 50 took place Saturday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
In the main event, Cory Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) took on Rob Font (20-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) in a key bantamweight fight. In the co-feature, former women’s strawweight champion Jessica Andrade (24-12 MMA, 15-10 UFC) meets unbeaten contender Tatiana Suarez (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC).
Check out round-by-round updates below.
Enjoy the fights, everyone.
Assu Almabayev vs. Ode Osbourne
Round 1 – All right, after a little delay, we’re underway. There’s a great crowd in Nashville already. People are so hungry to see live fights. You love to see it. Wasting no time, Almabayev and Osbourne show off their speed with some technical striking. Almabayev shoots for a single leg and gets Osbourne down. In guard, Almabayev lands a hard punch. Osbourne threatens a triangle. Almabayev shuts that attempt down. Almabayev is landing short little shots. Osbourne shoots again for a triangle. Almabayev tosses Osbourne’s legs to the side and moves to side control. Osbourne lands a punch from the bottom and Almabayev is leaking everywhere. Almabayev pulls for a Peruvian necktie! (Those are always appreciated around these parts, for what it’s worth) But the horn sounds. 10-9 Almabayev.
Round 2 – Here’s something you don’t see often. Osbourne’s corner applied an ankle sleeve to their fighter in between rounds. That’s something to watch. Almabayev tries a wheel kick, then shoots for a takedown. He gets it near the fence. After a few seconds, referee Gary Copeland gives an inactivity warning. Osbourne tries to get up but Almabayev takes the back. He’s working for a rear-naked choke. He might have it. Osbourne is hand-fighting. Almabayev lets go of the grip and hits Osbourne with some punches. Almabayev snatches Osbourne’s neck again. This looks tight. Osbourne is straining. There’s the tap! The arm was over the jaw but that looked painful. Fantastic debut for Almabayev. Kazakhstan continues to roll in the UFC!
Result: Assu Almabayev def. Ode Osbourne via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:11
Recap: Assu Almabayev puts flyweights on notice, taps Ode Osbourne at UFC on ESPN 50
Photos: Assu Almabayev def. Ode Osbourne
Records: Assu Almabayev (18-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Ode Osbourne (12-6 MMA, 4-4 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Gary Copeland
Dennis Buzukja vs. Sean Woodson
Round 1 – Woodson vs. Buzukja is underway. Both guys are probably relieved to just have a fight start. Woodson had four different opponents for this date. Buzukja was the final in that string, finally getting a UFC opportunity after being on the brink for a couple years. Reminder: Buzukja did miss weight ever so slightly (by half a pound). Woodson is so long, but if you’ve seen him fight before, you probably already know that. Buzukja is fighting smart thus far, trying to close the distance. He lands a combination and clinches Woodson. They break. Buzukja is chucking bombs. Now Woodson is using his length well. Buzukja lands a kick. They clinch again. Woodson shoves Buzukja against the fence. Buzukja spins him around and tries a double leg. They trade. Woodson lands. Buzukja shoots. The round ends. 10-9 Woodson.
Round 2 – Woodson starts strong with a combination. Man, as if Buzukja didn’t have enough to worry about for his short notice UFC debut. Fighting a guy built like Jack Skellington provides all sorts of issues. They clinch. Woodson breaks and lands a long combination on Buzukja, who drops for a single leg. Woodson sprawls on him. That was desperation from Buzukja, who now is in a vulnerable position. Woodson is flipping between chokes. Buzukja is doing just enough to avoid. UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is barking instructions from the corner of Buzukja. Woodson rotates to the back, but that was a mistake. Buzukja lands on top and starts firing away hard ground-and-pound. Wow what a turn of events. Woodson scrambles to his feet and eats a punch. The crowd is ignited. Woodson resets and raises his hands. The round ends. 20-18 Woodson.
Round 3 – Buzukja tries to get Woodson down against the fence. Woodson does well defending. Buzukja loses his grip and falls. Woodson lands on top of him. Buzukja stands up. Woodson clinches him into the fence. Buzukja breaks Woodson’s grip and whiffs on an elbow. Woodson jabs. Buzukja’s face is busted. Buzukja shoots again – and again Woodson lands on top of him. Buzukja gets up but is dragged down again. Woodson is in a fully extended sprawl on Buzukja. Woodson looking for a choke again. Buzukja gets up but eats a knee. Woodson lands a punch. Back at distance, Buzukja presses forward. Buzukja ducks and eats a huge Woodson knee. My goodness, I don’t know how he didn’t drop. Both fighters get wild with a combination right before the horn sounds. Great fight, but pretty one-sided. MMA Junkie scores it 30-27 Woodson.
Result: Sean Woodson def. Dennis Buzukja via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Photos: Sean Woodson def. Dennis Buzukja
Records: Dennis Buzukja (11-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC), Sean Woodson (10-1-1 MMA, 4-1-1 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Justin Brown
Judging: Mike Bell, Derek Cleary, Kerri Rowland
Cody Durden vs. Jake Hadley
Round 1 – “USA” chants here early for this one. Durden took this on short notice and is in a rare “double-booked” situation, also scheduled to fight Bruno Silva on Sept. 23. Durden gets aggressive with a flurry of punches. Durden lands an elbow and Hadley is leaking. Durden pushes Hadley off balance and moves down into half guard. Durden tries to work for a better position but never obtains it. Back on the feet, Durden shoots and Hadley pulls for a guillotine. It’s hard to tell how tight this is – and we’ll never know because the round just ended. 10-9 Durden.
Round 2 – After a few exchanges, Durden shoots and Hadley threatens a guillotine choke. Durden pops out and lands in half guard. This fight has been a lot of fun. Durden lands a nice elbow and shoots for a takedown. Durden pushes Hadley into the fence. Hadley reverses position and they separate. Hadley shoots. Durden grabs hold of an anaconda choke. Hadley is squirting blood everywhere. Hadley rolls and rolls and grabs Durden’s back. Wow what a turnaround. Hadley is too high for a rear-naked choke. But he’s trying a triangle. Durden is in no man’s land. Hadley hammering him with punches. Hadley switches to an ambar with one leg over Durden’s head. He may not have the proper torque – a very unusual position. Durden winces and gives a thumbs up to the referee. Now Hadley is back to a triangle – and now a triangle armbar. Oh my goodness, this is wild. Durden reverses and lands on top. This fight is nuts. 19-19.
Round 3 – Durden lands a nice inside leg kick. They trade. Hadley shoots for a takedown and Durden sprawls. After a lengthy amount of time in the sprawl position, Durden shoves Hadley back. His back on the canvas as Durden stands, Hadley looks up at his opponent. Hadley gets up and shoots. Durden defends and lands in Hadley’s guard. There is a lot of blood from Hadley’s head that has leaked onto each man. Hadley grabs for a single leg and Durden pounds away and pumps up the crowd. The fight ends. Durden gives the double middle finger to Hadley and does the Degeneration crotch chop. The crowd is fired it. MMA Junkie scores it 29-28 Durden.
Result: Cody Durden def. Jake Hadley via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Photos: Cody Durden def. Jake Hadley
Records: Cody Durden (16-4-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC), Jake Hadley (10-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Jimmy Nelson
Judging: Sal D’Amato, Anthony Maness, Kerri Rowland
Damon Jackson vs. Billy Quarantillo
Round 1 – This should be fun. Two fan-friendly fighting styles collide. Jackson is coming out aggressively in the striking combination. He lands a few good combinations on Quarantillo, who just ate a big uppercut. Jackson grabs hold of Quarantillo in the clinch. Jackson breaks, lands a kick and moves forward. He’s tagging Quarantillo over and over. Jackson again grabs hold of Jackson and takes him down. Quarantillo threatens a gogoplata. That looks pretty solid… but Jackson escapes. Jackson transitions to the back. They are sitting, propped up against the fence with about a minute to go. Jackson tries for a neck crank/rear-naked choke hybrid. Quarantillo goes face down and Jackson lands ground-and-pound. Quarantillo rolls and gets up to his feet, but he eats a body kick on the way up. The round ends. 10-9 Jackson.
Round 2 – Quarantillo clinches. Jackson reverses and lands a big knee to the body. Quarantillo reverses again. They separate and Quarantillo lands a punch. Jackson shoots and Quarntillo reverses him. Quarantillo punches the body of Jackson, as they spin round and round. Jackson lands a knee to the head. Jackson tries another takedown. Quarantillo fends it off with a guillotine choke threat. They break. Jackson takes a big breath. Quarantillo lands to the body and follows up with a big flurry. The momentum is shifting. Jackson grabs for the clinch but Quarantillo pushes him away. Quarantillo throws a soft leg kick and Jackson takes him down. Quarantillo gets up but Jackson is stuck to him like glue. He has Quarantillo in a rear-naked choke but with no hooks in. Quarantillo squirms away and grabs hold of Jackson for a D’Arce choke attempt. Jackson gets up. Quarantillo tags him as the round ends. 19-19.
Round 3 – Jackson shoots again along the fence. Quarantillo defends and they spin round and round again. Quarantillo goes to the body and lands a hard combination on the break. Quarantillo lands a combination. They tie up and separate again. Quarantillo is definitely the fresher fighter and is pushing the action. Quarantillo tags Jackson, who shoots again. Quarantillo rotates to the back. Jackson reverses and shoots. Quarantillo drops down for a triangle, then gets up. They swing away. Jackson is bleeding as Quarantillo feeds him some hard punches. The horn sounds and the crowd goes crazy. These fights have been quite good. MMA Junkie scores it 29-28 Quarantillo.
Result: Billy Quarantillo def. Damon Jackson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Photos: Billy Quarantillo def. Damon Jackson
Records: Damon Jackson (22-6-1 MMA, 5-4-1 UFC), Billy Quarantillo (18-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Kevin MacDonald
Judging: Mike Bell, Derek Cleary, Rick Winter (29-28, scoring Round 1 for Jackson)
Carlston Harris vs. Jeremiah Wells
Round 1 – Harris explodes in. Both fighters miss in a wild exchange and Wells grabs hold. Wells lands on top in half guard. Wells is working for a ninja choke. Harris flops around. They roll and roll. Wells is on top in side control. The choke appears to still be tight. Harris is elevating his hips off the ground. They roll again and again. This has gone on for a while. I wonder how gassed Wells’ arms are going to be if this doesn’t work. Harris is out. He runs to his feet. Wells stays close and shoves Harris into the fence. Wells gets Harris down again. The round ends. 10-9 Wells.
Round 2 – Wells lands a combination. They throw wildly and Wells takes Harris down against the fence. Wells is staying heavy on top, controlling Harris’ legs. Harris tries to scoot back to the fence but Wells continues to stop that from happening. The crowd isn’t thrilled with this one. I can’t blame them for two reasons. For one, the last few fights have been really entertaining. Secondly, this fight is the complete opposite of that. Wells rides out the rest of the round on top of Harris, who is unable to do anything about it. 20-18 Wells.
Round 3 – Harris throws a wicked combination. It misses. Wells tries one of his own that is equally as wild and accurate. Wells shoves Harris against the fence. Harris threatens an anaconda. The fight hits the canvas and this looks tight. Harris is torquing. Wells appears to be in trouble. WOW. Harris just lets go and Wells is out. He stopped the choke before the referee even touched him. What a comeback – and a way to wake this crowd up.
Result: Carlston Harris def. Jeremiah Wells via technical submission (anaconda choke) – Round 3, 1:50
Recap: Carlston Harris stuns Jeremiah Wells with anaconda choke
Photos: Carlston Harris def. Jeremiah Wells
Records: Carlston Harris (19-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC), Jeremiah Wells (12-3-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Jason Herzog
Raoni Barcelos vs. Kyler Phillips
Round 1 – Phillips kicks things off (literally) as he pelts Barcelos’ leg with his own. This is Phillips’ first fight in 17 months, a delay due to a failed drug test for ostarine, a drug that is currently a hot topic due to its sudden detection at low levels, often due to contaminated supplements. Barcelos shoots on Phillips. They hit the canvas and then pop back up after Phillips pushes off the fence with his feet. Phillips cracks Barcelos with a head kick. Barcelos eats it mid-takedown attempt and moves forward. Phillips defends the attempt and throws a wild combination that whiffs. Phillips explodes with a right hand that drops Barcelos. Phillips rushes in and tries for a guillotine but Barcelos avoids. Back up to the feet, Barcelos lands a combination. They reset and Phillips misses on a flashy kick. They trade, particularly in the final 10 seconds. Things get a little wild as the crowd murmur gets louder. The horn sounds. 10-9 Phillips.
Round 2 – Less than 10 seconds into the round, Phillips drags Barcelos to the mat. Barcelos is super active off his back. He threatens all sorts of submissions, but Phillips brings the fight back to the feet. Another hard right hand clunks Barcelos off the dome. Phillips tries a head kick but it misses. Barcelos grabs hold and drives Phillips into the fence. Phillips briefly drops to a knee before he pops up. Barcelos sends him airborne with a slam. Phillips rolls for a kneebar and uses it to get up. They trade punches before the round ends. 20-18 Phillips.
Round 3 – Phillips lands a leg kick. Barcelos tries a high kick but it misses. Phillips does a 360-degree spin without even throwing a strike. Flash. Phillips revolves around the Barcelos axis. Barcelos throws a knee. Now, Barcelos is pushing the action. He lands a right hand. Phillips’ volume has decreased fairly noticeably. He’s moving away from Barcelos, but there’s not much offense. Barcelos lands a leg kick, then catches a Phillips body kick. Phillips pops back up. Barcelos lands a hard body shot. Perhaps knowing he needs a finish, Barcelos is going for it. Phillips throws a knee, but it’s slow. He’s tired. Hands are down. Barcelos misses on a hard combination and Phillips hits him with a hard counterpunch. Barcelos shoots for a takedown and drags Phillips down. Phillips pops up and throws a wild kick on the break. The round, and the fight, ends. MMA Junkie scores it 29-28 Phillips.
Result: Kyler Phillips def. Raoni Barcelos via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Photos: Kyler Phillips def. Raoni Barcelos
Records: Raoni Barcelos (17-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC), Kyler Phillips (11-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Kevin MacDonald
Judging: Mike Bell, Sal D’Amato (29-29, scoring Round 3 for Barcelos); Kerri Rowland (30-27)
Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Ludovit Klein
Round 1 – There’s a big height difference in this one, but Klein immediately works to get inside of Bahamondes’ range in the striking department. After a few feeling-out exchanges, Klein finds his mark. He rocks Bahamondes, who doesn’t immediately go down but is wobbled. Klein pounces and Bahamondes drops down. Klein lands on top in guard and works for ground-and-pound. Bahamondes shoots for a triangle. Klein pounds away at Bahamondes, who is continuing the theme of painting the UFC Nashville canvas red. Bahamondes rolls upward against the fence and fires a two-punch combination. Bahamondes tries a crazy flying knee but it misses. The round ends. 10-9 Klein.
Round 2 – The two fighters exchange. Bahamondes is pushing the action. Klein ducks and throws a head kick. He appears to be fighting a bit more comfortably from distance, but Bahamondes drills him with knees in the clinch. Klein gets a beautiful takedown. Bahamondes flips onto all fours and gets up to his feet. They separate. Klein circles around Bahamodes, then shoots again. Bahamondes’ legs go flying upward as Klein plants him on the canvas. Klein rides the remaining seconds out on top in Bahamondes’ guard. 20-18 Klein.
Round 3 – They clinch and separate. Klein is remaining calm. His gas tank still appears to be in tact. Bahamondes is bouncing around, but there seems to be a fair amount of wasted movement – granted, perhaps his unorthodox methodology is what makes him so dangerous. Bahamondes briefly shoots and Klein easily defends. Bahamondes misses on a wheel kick. Again, Klein drives Bahamondes to the canvas. Klein works for an arm-triangle choke. Bahamondes escapes and the fighters raise up. Klein celebrates as Bahamondes tries a kneebar. Time expires. MMA Junkie scores it 30-27 Klein.
Result: Ludovit Klein def. Ignacio Bahamondes via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Photos: Ludovit Klein def. Ignacio Bahamondes
Records: Ignacio Bahamondes (14-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC), Ludovit Klein (20-4-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Jason Herzog
Judging: Derek Cleary, Anthony Maness (29-28, scoring Round 2 for Bahamondes); Rick Winter (30-27)
Tanner Boser vs. Aleksa Camur
Round 1 – Big boys on deck. Boser lands a thudding leg kick. He’s light on his feet, rotating around Camur. Bombs away. Both men throw. Camur clinches Boser against the fence. This is Camur’s first fight since June 2021. Boser reverses him against the fence and shoves away. They clinch again and Camur lands a hard combination on the break. Boser lands a leg kick. Boser jabs and Camur kicks the leg. Camur is throwing huge punches, but they’re missing. Boser rushes in and blasts Camur in the midsection with a knee. Camur jabs and it puts Boser on his back foot. Camur ties up Boser against the fence. Boser gets away and kicks the leg again. Boser whiffs on a big combination. Camur lands a sneaky little hook and clinches Boser. They separate, then clinch again. 10-9 Boser.
Result: Boser clinches Camur early. They separate and Boser stuns Camur with a combination. Camur was slowed by that flurry but he fired a big one back. Boser has to be careful. It appears Camur has recovered. He lands a big leg kick on Boser, who fires back with a punching bomb. Boser grabs hold of Camur’s neck and fires an elbow in the clinch. Boser walks Camur to the fence. Boser looks for a takedown. They break. Boser explodes forward with a big combination and all of a sudden Camur once again has his back against the fence. Boser is leaning on him. Camur defends the takedown but eats a big elbow on the break. They trade and clinch. Camur drills Boser’s body with a knee. Boser pushes him into the fence. Both men trade in a phone booth in a brief separation period before Boser returns to pushing Camur in to the fence. On the 10-second clackers, they separate. Both miss on big punches. 20-18 Boser.
Round 3 – Boser clinches Camur early, much to the dismay of those in attendance, who boo and boo and boo. Boser separates, though not out of necessity to appeal them. Boser lands a hard combination that stuns Camur, but returns to the clinch shortly thereafter. Camur sweeps Boser’s leg and knocks Boser off balance. Camur blasts Boser with a punch that visibly hurt. They clinch and separate – and, you guessed it – clinch again. Boser tries a high-crotch. No dice. Back at distance, a bloody Camur connects on a left hook. Boser returns with a ridiculous dozen-plus punch combination. Camur stays upright and drills Boser in return. Boser moves forward and clinches. The crowd boos again. The fight ends and the fighters embrace. MMA Junkie scores it 30-27 Boser.
Result: Tanner Boser def. Aleksa Camur via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Photos: Tanner Boser def. Aleksa Camur
Records: Tanner Boser (21-10-1 MMA, 5-5 UFC), Aleksa Camur (6-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Justin Brown
Judging: Sal D’Amato, Anthony Maness, Rick Winter
Diego Lopes vs. Gavin Tucker
Round 1 – Let’s see how Lopes looks here. He impressed in a short-notice UFC debut in May when he took it to ranked UFC featherweight Movsar Evloev. In the opening seconds, Lopes gets drilled in the balls. After a short recovery time, the action resumes. Tucker moves in and Lopes jumps up for a flying triangle. He might have this locked. Lopes adjusts his feet and rolls Tucker. The roll causes Tucker’s arm to overextend Now on top, Lopes gets the submission. He just walks off before the referee even dives in. What a damn performance!!
Result: Diego Lopes def. Gavin Tucker via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 1:38
Recap: Diego Lopes shines with rare finish of Gavin Tucker
Photos:
Records: Diego Lopes (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Gavin Tucker (13-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Jimmy Neely
Dustin Jacoby vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
Round 1 – More big boys. Both guys have a lot of power, and Nzechukwu enters with a lot of momentum. After a couple of exchanges, Jacoby drills Nzechukwu with a beautiful right counterpunch. Nzechukwu hits the deck and covers up. Jacoby is pounding away. That’s it! Jacoby with a sub-one-minute TKO!
Result: Dustin Jacoby def. Kennedy Nzechukwu via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:22
Recap: Dustin Jacoby blasts through Kennedy Nzechukwu in 82 seconds
Photos:
Records: Dustin Jacoby (19-7-1 MMA, 7-4-1 UFC), Kennedy Nzechukwu (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Gary Copeland
Jessica Andrade vs. Tatiana Suarez
Round 1 – Big fight here at 115. Suarez circling on the outside. Andrade holding the center as she moves toward Suarez. Andrade tries a hook. Suarez ducks under and gets a very, very low single. That almost looked impossible with how early she hit the mat, but she got it. Suarez shifts to side control. Andrade gets up but Suarez still has a headlock against the fence. They separate. Back at distance, Suarez snaps a body kick. Suarez runs in and nearly directly into an Andrade hook. Andrade avoids a few clinch attempts from Suarez, who drills a body kick. Andrade is bleeding from near one of her eyes. The round ends. 10-9 Suarez.
Round 2 – Suarez shoots early and she gets it. Again, Suarez goes right into side control. Andrade gets up, only to be tossed over by Suarez again. Suarez is working for a guillotine choke. Andrade looks like she’s thinking about it. And she taps! Wow. The Suarez train keeps rolling.
Result: Tatiana Suarez def. Jessica Andrade via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 1:31
Recap:
Photos:
Records: Jessica Andrade (24-12 MMA, 15-10 UFC), Tatiana Suarez (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Kevin MacDonald
Cory Sandhagen vs. Rob Font
Round 1 – Touch of gloves and we’re off. Remember: this is a 140-pound contract weight since Font took this on a couple weeks’ notice. Sandhagen shoots immediately and gets the takedown. Sitting up, Font threatening a guillotine choke from half guard. Sandhagen breaks the grip. Font threatens a kimura and he uses it to sweep and get back to his feet. Sandhagen lands a hard punch, then a leg kick. Font lands two jabs. That’s his bread and butter. Sandhagen shoots again. He gets Font down. Font tries to sweep again but Sandhagen dives in and punches Font in the head. Font has a single leg attempt going, but Sandhagen spins and tries to take the back. Font prevents the back-take but Sandhagen ends up in half guard. Font once again sweeps Sandhagen and surprises him with a short punch on the way up. Font catches a Sandhagen body kick and Font drives him to the canvas. Font grabs hold of Sandhagen’s back. The round ends. 10-9 Sandhagen.
Round 2 – Sandhagen immediately goes back to the takedown. He gets it and is in half guard. Sandhagen nearly moves to mount but Font defends. Font has repeatedly swept Sandhagen, so it seems Sandhagen is a bit more cautious with his moves. Sandhagen postures up from half guard but Font prevents any ground-and-pound. Not much going on here. We’ve kind of hit a stalemate. The crowd is booing. I’m surprised referee Jason Herzog hasn’t given any warnings. Sandhagen still coasting. Font unable to sweep like Round 1. Well, that was a round. 20-18 Sandhagen.
Round 3 – Sandhagen tries a flying knee that whiffs. Moments later, he drags the fight back down. We’re back to where we were in Round 2. Sandhagen is in half guard. Font nearly sweeps him, but Sandhagen maintains position. The fans are booing. Sandhagen postures up and throws a few punches. Font works his way up. Sandhagen throws another flying knee that hits Font in the torso. Font moves forward and lands a right hand. The round ends and the crowd boos. After a fun first round, this has turned into a well-attended blanketing. 30-27 Sandhagen.
Round 4 – New England Cartel coach Tyson Chartier tells Font he needs to wake up. But within an instant, Sandhagen has Font down again. Font threatens a butterfly guard. Sandhagen tries a big punch but Font controls the wrist. The fans are booing, again, and are now chanting, “Stand them up.” No response from referee Jason Herzog. Font scoots back toward the cage, gets up, and is immediately dumped back to the canvas by Sandhagen. More boos. This time, Herzog warns Sandhagen. The round ends. 40-36 Sandhagen.
Round 5 – Chartier tells Font he is down four rounds to nothing. We’re all in agreement, then. Chartier also instructed Font he needs to do “something,” anything at all. Well, Font just shot for a takedown, which is not what I think his corner had in mind. Font drives Sandhagen into the fence. He is reversed and Sandhagen takes him down. More boos. Sandhagen works for a choke. Font rotates out of it. Sandhagen is back in Font’s guard. Herzog gives another warning. Sandhagen moves to half guard. Font threatens a triangle. Sandhagen avoids and the buzzer sounds. The crowd boos. Well, not the best main event in UFC history. MMA Junkie scores it 50-45 Sandhagen.
Result: Cory Sandhagen def. Rob Font via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
Recap:
Photos:
Records: Cory Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC), Rob Font (20-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Jason Herzog
Judging:
