UFC Fight Night Results: ‘MacDonald vs. Saffiedine’ Play-by-Play & Updates

Pedro Munhoz vs. Jerrod Sanders

Round 1

Munhoz opens the bout with a sharp leg kick that forces Sanders to stumble to his left. After resetting his feet, Sanders shoots for a double, but his shot is stuffed. Munhoz immediately slaps on a guillotine and pulls guard. The choke is extremely tight and Sanders is in trouble. The American stands up and slams down his opponent, trying to break the grip but fails. Within seconds, Sanders is tapping. Munhoz nabs another impressive win, this one officially coming in just 39 seconds.

The Official Result

Pedro Munhoz Def. Jerrod Sanders Submission (Guillotine) R1 0:39

Matt Dwyer vs. Albert Tumenov

Round 1

After almost a minute of posturing and sizing each other up, Tumenov unloads a vicious right hand, but it just misses. Tumenov is trying to figure out the massive height and reach of Dwyer, looking to get inside. In the blink of an eye, the Russian-American fakes a right hand and floors Dwyer with a left head kick. Dwyer crumbles onto his back, but he’s not out. Dwyer pops up to his feet but while he tries to fend off Tumenov, he ducks to his right and catches another brutal left head kick. This one explodes on impact and Dwyer’s eyes roll back into his head as he falls flat on his back. Tumenov rushes in and tags him with a left hand, but Dan Miragliota is there to stop it. He official time of the highlight reel knockout is 1:03 into the first.

The Official Result

Albert Tumenov Def. Matt Dwyer KO (Head Kick) R1 1:03

Patrick Holohan vs. Chris Kelades

Round 1

Holohan rushes out to the center of the Octagon and lands a few meager leg kicks. Kelades backs up and swats at his foe with a few punches, but nothing lands. Holohan misses with a right hand. The hometown fighter shoots in but Holohan stuffs him, clinching with him along the cage. After almost a minute, the Irishman takes his down and lands in Kelades’ half guard. Holohan finally knee slides out and gets side control but it’s short-lived as Kelades scrambles out and back up to his feet. Kelades rocks Holohan with a kick to the face, but he stays on his feet. Kelades charges in for a possible finish, but Holohan’s head is cleared, clinches and scores another takedown. Holohan stands out of Kelades’ guard and delivers a knee right to the gut. Back on their feet, the flyweights clinch against the fence, but “The Hooligan” takes him down again. Holohan quickly seizes his back and latches on a tight body triangle, looking for the rear naked choke. With a minute left, Kelades is in trouble but he’s relaxed, defending the choke attempt perfectly. Kelades breaks the choke and clears his head, but he can’t get his hips to the canvas. They scramble and Holohan latches on the choke deeply now, but Kelades is tough and punching his foe in the face until the horn sounds to end the round. 10-9 Holohan.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Holohan
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Holohan
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Holohan

Round 2

Kelades charges right out and swings wildly, but Holohan avoids the danger. Kelades is much more aggressive to start the round, throwing punches and kicks from all angles. Holohan grabs the leg and looks for a single leg, but Kelades stuffs him. Kelades spins out and forces Holohan into the cage and delivers a series of decent knees to the body. Finally, Holohan drags him down, but Kelades scrambles on the way down and lands in mount. Holohan looking inverts and looks for a sweep, but then after another scramble, falls into a guillotine. Holohan gives the thumb’s up gesture to the ref, assuring him that he’s not in danger. Holohan is still stuck in the sub attempt, but he has several inches of wiggle room and is calmly waiting to escape. “The Hooligan” finally breaks free and looks to pass, but winds up in Kelades’ half guard. Holohan lands a handful of strikes and elbows, though none of them are damaging. Kelades rolls out and looks for an armbar, but misses. They shoot up but within seconds, Kelades slams Holohan down hard and mounts him. Kelades is landing punches and elbows from on top, doing plenty of damage. Holohan is blocking and looking to buck him off but can’t. With ten seconds left, Kelades rolls off for the armbar but can’t land it by the time the round end.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Kelades
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Kelades
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Kelades

Round 3

Kelades opens the round with a corker of a right hand to the face. Holohan lands a few leg kicks, but neither is crippling. The Irishman digs a vicious left/right to the gut. Kelades misses with a right hand and Holohan ducks under and shoots in. Kelades stuffs him but they clinch against the fence. They separate and Kelades pops his foe with a left hand. Holohan is bleeding from around his right eye and on the bridge of his nose. Kelades shoots in again but misses. Holohan looks to sweep but is taken down. Kelades tries to escape back to his feet, but the lankier Irishman slides to his right and locks in a triangle, though it’s not tight. Kelades wriggles free and eventually stands up out of Holohan’s guard, landing hammer strikes. The Canuck jumps over to side control and lands a few more punches, eliciting a roar from the crowd. The crowd begs for knees and Kelades obliges. Holohan desperately scrambles but can’t escape the pressure and remains stuck in side control. Holohan shifts his hips and gets to half guard, but he can’t sweep. Within moments, Kelades again achieves mount and lands some strikes. Holohan bucks him up and off, getting back to half guard. Holohan again shrimps out looks for a triangle, but can’t get it as the horn ends the excellent fight.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Kelades (29-28 Kelades)
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Kelades (29-28 Kelades)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Kelades (29-28 Kelades)

The Official Result

Chris Kelades Def. Patrick Holohan Decision (Unanimous) [29-28, 29-28, 29-28] R3 5:00

Paul Felder vs. Jason Saggo

Round 1

Felder starts off the bout with a nasty kick to the left leg. Felder looks for the front kick, but Saggo catches his leg and attempts a trip. After he misses it, he drops down for a double leg, but the Philly fighter stuffs him. After they separate, Felder lands a fairly hard knee to the face, but the Canadian takes it very well. Saggo again looks for the double leg but again it’s stuffed. They clinch and that’s where Saggo wants him. He gets the body lock and slams him down, but Felder pulls guard. Saggo is trying to break the guard by posturing and striking. He gets out to half guard and stays tight on his foe. Felder is using a half butterfly to keep him at bay and after a while on his back, the American scrambles out and up to his feet. Saggo stays close and looks for another takedown, but pins him against the fence. Saggo eventually drags him down again but Felder hip escapes up to his feet and briefly seizes his back. Saggo sits on Felder’s hips, defending the rear naked choke attempt. Again, there’s a scramble and Felder ends up standing over Saggo, who is trying to goad him into his guard at the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Felder
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Felder
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Saggo

Round 2

Felder is slowly stalking his opponent, but he’s not letting his hands go. Saggo comes in close, and Felder makes him pay with a fist buried in his stomach. Saggo backs away and switches stance. Saggo is switching from orthodox to southpaw, but Felder is not flustered. Saggo shoots in for a double, but he’s too far out and misses it badly. They clinch against the cage and Felder shoves his forearms into Saggo’s neck and face to break the hold. Again Saggo clinches, looking to drag the American down. Felder reverses position and lands an elbow, but Saggo quickly hip tosses him down. Saggo pulls guard but eats a vicious right elbow. Saggo looks for a quick armbar but misses it, allowing Felder to again deliver another nasty elbow. Saggo looks like he’s starting to tire out as he eats a few moderate punches and elbows. Felder backs up away and stands up, and then leaps back into Saggo’s guard with a strike. Saggo moves to high guard play, but nothing comes from it. Felder unwinds and misses a huge right hand bomb, but follows the whiff up with four shorter, less brutal shots. They scramble and Felder takes his back, sinks in the rear naked choke, but Saggo pries his foe’s hands free and escapes. Back on their feet, Felder has a head kick blocked at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Felder
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Felder
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Felder

Round 3

Saggo misses a wild right hand and immediately shoots in for the single. Felder sprawls but the Canadian eventually gets his man to the mat. Saggo is controlling Felder’s legs, but he absorbs a few borderline elbows to the back of the head. They stand back up and clinch against the cage. Felder scores a sweep and presses Saggo’s back against the cage. Saggo scoots over to his left, looking for a submission, but Felder has none of it. Felder stands back up and then slams a right hand into the face of Saggo. The Canadian scrambles up and reverses position and lands in Felder’s half guard. Felder hip escapes and gets back up to his feet, but Saggo climbs up Felder’s left side, trying to take his back. He can’t get any hooks in and bails, separating to the center of the cage. Looking almost gassed, Saggo dives from way outside for a single leg, allowing Felder to defend it easily. Saggo is relentless and continues to get the takedown. Back on their feet, Felder gets a moderate Thai plumb and crashes two knees to his foe’s face. Saggo shoots again but misses. Felder lands a spinning back kick to the ribs, but when he backs away, he eats a nasty knee to the face. Felder stumbles down onto his knees and Saggo, exhausted, pounces, looking for a last-second finish. Saggo lands a few punches and locks on an armbar but the horn sounds, ending the scrap.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Saggo (29-28 Felder)
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Saggo (29-28 Felder)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Saggo (29-28 Saggo)

The Official Result

Paul Felder Def. Jason Saggo Decision (Split) [29-28, 28-29, 29-28] R3 5:00

Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Jake Lindsey

Round 1

Lindsey is moving back and side-to-side, looking for a spot to strike. Lindsey goes to the leg with a kick. Aubin-Mercier is stalking the American in his judo stance, but he can’t get close enough to clinch. Nice short, right hook by Aubin-Mercier and the area around Lindsey’s left eye is instantly reddened. The Canadian goes upstairs with a kick, but it’s just a glancing blow. Lindsey misses with a right hand and clinches, but eats a left knee for his effort. Aubin-Mercier finally gets the clinch he covets, wraps up his foe and scores an easy takedown into half guard. Aubin-Mercier hovers over Lindsey and lands a few decent punches, but is eventually pulled into full guard. Lindsey opens his hips and tries to scramble to his feet, but Aubin-Mercier is all over him. Back on their feet, Aubin-Mercier looks for another judo throw Lindsey’s defense is superb. Lindsey scores a takedown, but Aubin-Mercier pulls guard and they stay there until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Aubin-Mercier

Round 2

Lindsey moves forward, looking to strike. Lindsey lands a hard right hand to the face, his best punch of the fight. Aubin-Mercier quickly clinches, but can’t land a throw. Nice left hand by the Canadian snaps Lindsey’s head back. Aubin-Mercier digs a shin to Lindsey’s ribs. Aubin-Mercier snaps his head back with a right jab and then lands another kick to the body. Aubin-Mercier goes for another clinch, but Lindey thwarts the takedown attempt from there. Finally, Aubin-Mercier finishes the takedown and lands in Lindsey’s full guard. Aubin-Mercier gets an inverted triangle and then quickly locks on a crucifix-to-kimura. It’s very deep and Lindsey eventually taps out.

The Official Result

Olivier Aubin-Mercier Def. Jake Lindsey Submission (Inverted Triangle Choke and Kimura) R2 3:22

Daron Cruickshank vs. Anthony Njokuani

Round 1

Cruickshank catches a kick and then cracks Njokuani with a leg kick of his own. Both striekrs are sizing each other up for the first minute with little action. Cruickshank continuously switches his stance, throws a right hand and then shoots in for a double. He lands it, but the Vegas fighter quickly springs back up to his feet. They clinch and Cruickshank digs a knee to the belly. Nice right hand by Cruickshank that pops Njokuani square on the jaw, but the lankier striker took it well. Njokuani jabs his way in, but misses with a head kick. Cruickshank delivers a stinging inside leg kick. Njokuani goes upstairs with a kick again but it’s blocked. Cruickshank throws a right hand and then immediately changes levels and shoots in for a single. Njokuani pulls guard, but he eats a few right hands in the process. Njokuani pulls him close, but Cruickshank is able to land a few punches to the body and an elbow to the face.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Cruickshank
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Cruickshank
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Cruickshank

Round 2

Njokuani quickly lands a crackling leg kick to start the round. Cruickshank fakes a shot and then tags his foe with a leg kick of his own. Nice push kick/right hand by Njokuani, but Cruickshank counters nicely with a right hand. Njokuani now switches between stances, but does nothing with it. Cruickshank jumps with a flying knee and it lands, but it’s not clean. Njokuani takes it well, but then takes a right hand. Cruickshank shoots in and scoops up the Vegas fighter and runs across the cage to slam him down. From side control, Cruickshank delivers an illegal knee to the face of Njokuani. Miragliotta stops the bout and warns him. After the replay, it was more of an errant knee to the upper body and a point is not taken. They resume on the feet where Cruickshank lands another right hand. Cruickshank shoots again but Njokuani thwarts it. They separate where Cruickshank busts Njokuani is the face with a spinning back fist. Again, Njokuani takes it well. Cruickshank backs into the cage after Njokuani cracks him with a right uppercut, but Cruickshank returns the favor with a sizzling right hand to the face. Njokuani backs away and looks hurt, allowing Cruickshank to explode with another punch, but the Vegas fighter throws another head kick. Cruickshank is looking for the finish, but Njokuani appears to have cleared his head.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Cruickshank
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Cruickshank
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Cruickshank

Round 3

After trading blocked head kicks, Njokuani snaps Cruickshank’s head back with a left hook. Push kick by Njokuani after “The Detroit Superstar” nails him with a right of his own. The action has slowed quite a bit and now the crowd is growing restless. Cruickshank goes high with the kick again, Njokuani catches it and walks him into the cage, but does nothing with it. Cruickshank rolls out to his right and resets, throwing two punches that are blocked. Cruickshank is backing away to his right and Njokuani is simply following him, not cutting off the cage. Anthony throws a left head kick but it’s mostly blocked. With 90 seconds left in the fight, the crowd is raining boos onto both men. Cruickshank ducks under a lazy left hook and scores a single leg. Njokuani pulls full guard. Njokuani opens his hips and locks on an armbar, but Cruickshank’s elbow is safely off to Njokuani’s thigh. After about 30 seconds of trying to secure the lock, Njokuani lets go and they scramble to their feet where the fight ends.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Cruickshank (30-27 Cruickshank)
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Cruickshank (30-27 Cruickshank)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Cruickshank (30-27 Cruickshank)

The Official Result

Daron Cruickshank Def. Anthony Njokuani Decision (Unanimous) [30-27, 30-27, 30-27] R3 5:00

Mitch Gagnon vs. Roman Salazar

Round 1

Gagnon storms right out of his corner and at the debuting Salazar. After posturing, they briefly clinch. Gagnon tosses a few left jabs and then a left hook, but none of them are hard or clean. They clinch after the Canadian misses a wild left hook and Salazar is trying to get him down. Gagnon sprawls and eventually shifts over and seizes the newcomer’s back. He gets both hooks in and sinks the rear naked choke. It is deep and within moments, Gagnon falls to his back, sinking it in even deeper. Salazar can’t peel the hands free and eventually succumbs to the choke and taps out.

The Official Result

Mitch Gagnon Def. Roman Salazar Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R1 2:06

Jingliang Li vs. Nordine Taleb

Round 1

Jingliang pops him with a right hand after absorbing a leg kick. The action is intense in terms of volume early but nothing noteworthy has landed a minute in. Jingliang eats a right hand just as he delivers a straight right of his own. Hard right/left by Taleb square on the chin, but the Chinese fighter didn’t blink. Nice right hand cracks Taleb, which forces the beak to bleed. Taleb jams a shin into Jingliang’s body and then escapes out the side door. Beautiful left jab from Taleb snaps Jingliang’s head back. “The Leech” shoots in and scores a takedown but as soon as he hits the deck, Taleb is back up on his feet. Jingliang throws a right hand but Taleb counters with short left hook. As Jingliang comes forward, the Canadian cracks him with a leg kick. Jingliang eats a stiff jab but continues to press forward. Hard kick to the thigh from Jingliang and instantly there is redness and swelling on the leg. Jingliang shoots in but he’s stuffed. “The Leech” lands a solid right hand but Taleb shoots in and scores a huge double leg at the horn of a close, entertaining round.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Taleb
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Taleb
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Taleb

Round 2

Jingliang throws a straight left hand and then digs a fierce shin into Taleb’s thigh. Tale ducks under a jab and lands a right hand, though it’s not totally flush. Jingliang paws with the jab several times before going to the leg again. Taleb’s left eye is starting to swell up. Jingliang continues to jab on his way in, but Taleb’s movement and angles are preventing anything hard or clean from landing. Hard right/left by “The Leech,” but Taleb took it well. Hard left hand by Taleb glances off Jingliang’s chin. They exchange punches and Taleb shoots in, scoring his second takedown of the fight. Jingliang opens his guard and thinks about an armbar, but quickly changes his mind. Taleb opens the guard and quickly passes to side control. Jingliang shrimps out and scrambles up to his feet, where they reset in the center of the cage. Jingliang scurries over to the back of his opponent and scoops him up. The Chinese fighter slams him down several times but can’t get anything going on the ground at the end of another close round.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Jingliang
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Jingliang
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Jingliang

Round 3

They trade jabs for the first minute of the round before Jingliang goes back to the leg kicks. Jingliang lands a right cross, but is countered with a left hook. Taleb drops his hands to his sides as he backs away and pays for it with a stiff left jab. Jingliang is throwing a lot of punches, but he’s too far away and almost all of them fall a few inches short of their mark. Several jabs from “The Leech” bust up Taleb’s nose, which is now leaking blood. Jingliang shoots in for a takedown, but Taleb sprawls nicely. They clinch against the fence, where Taleb reverses position. Taleb is now looking for the single along the fence, and blood pours from his nose and mouth. Jingliang looks to sweep, but Taleb is there to reverse it and land the takedown. Jingliang pulls closed guard and hugs him close. With 30 seconds left, Taleb might need a finish here to win the fight. Taleb can’t open the guard and tries to throw some elbows, but they are glancing. The fight ends with Taleb stuck in Jingliang’s guard.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Taleb (29-28 Taleb)
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Jingliang (29-28 Jingliang)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Jingliang (29-28 Jingliang)

The Official Result

Nordine Taleb Def. Jingliang Li Decision (Unanimous) [29-28, 28-29, 29-28] R3 5:00

Bruno Santos vs. Elias Theodorou

Round 1

Santos opens up and lands a sizzling left/right the face 15 seconds in. Theodorou goes for the head kick but it’s mostly blocked. Santos throws another hard right hand, but it’s not clean. Theodorou charges in and clinches Santos against the fence. The Toronto native lands a few decent knees to the legs and two short right hands to the face. Theodorou throws a right uppercut after he quits on the single leg. They clinch again. After quite some time against the cage, Santos scores a swift single leg, but Theodorou scrambles back up to his feet. Theodorou is looking for another single leg, but Santos defends it well. The crowd is growing restless due to the continual clinching from both middleweights. Theodorou throws two head kicks but they are mostly blocked. Again, the clinch against the cage. They separate with 30 seconds left and toss some wild hooks that hit nothing but air. Santos, who is huffing and puffing already, lands a powerful right hand near the horn. Very close round.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Theodorou
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Santos
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Theodorou

Round 2

Santos misses a loopy right and left, and takes a deep breath. Theodorou looks fresh and is jabbing his way in. High kick by Theodorou is blocked. Santos eats a glancing right hand and then unloads with a monstrous right-hand bomb of his own, but he whiffs. Theodorou charges in and clinches, pressing Santos against the cage. After about a minute of clinching, they separate where Theodorou just misses with a massive right hand. After another clinch, Theodorou throws a head kick that is blocked. Santos catches it and forces Theodorou down, where the Canadian scrambles away. Santos takes his back and Theodorou gives him a piggyback ride on his gloves and knees toward the cage. Santos gets both hooks in and is working for the rear naked choke. Theodorou defends the choke well and escapes back to his feet with 15 seconds left. Very close round that could have gone to either man.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Santos
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Santos
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Santos

Round 3

Theodorou rushes out with a left and right and then a high kick. Santos clinches with him and then gets a takedown. Quickly, Santos takes his back with one hook, looking for the rear naked. Within seconds, Theodorou is out and back on his feet. Theodorou grabs the leg, scoops him up and slams him down. Santos looks to wall walk back to his feet and does. Theodorou again digs for the leg and finally gets another takedown from the slam. Santos eventually fights back to his feet, but the TUF Nations winner takes him down right away. Theodorou mounts the exhausted Santos and lands a hard left hand. Santos rolls over and gives up his back. Theodorou has both hooks in with 90 seconds left, looking for the choke. Santos defends it well and scrambles up to his feet, but Theodorou is all over him. Theodorou goes for the right head kick but it’s a glancing blow. Theodorou charges in for the clinch again, pressing his foe into the cage. He crushes a knee into Santos’ belly and then lands a left/right with 10 seconds left.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Theodorou (29-28 Theodorou)
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Theodorou (29-28 Santos)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Theodorou (29-28 Theodorou)

The Official Result

Elias Theodorou Def. Bruno Santos Decision (Unanimous) [30-27, 30-27, 30-27]

Yosdenis Cedeno vs. Chad Laprise

Round 1

The two lightweights trade vicious leg kicks before they clinch. Cedeno lands a short left elbow on the way out from the clinch a minute later. Laprise just misses with a monster of a right hand. Cedeno is momentarily dazed by a short right hand and then the Canadian shoots in for a takedown. He gets it and lands in the Cuban’s guard. After a short while, Laprise scoots over to half guard. The TUF Nations winner eventually gets the full mount. Cedeno rolls over, giving up his back. Laprise latches on a tight body triangle as he looks for the rear naked choke. Cedeno defends the choke with solid wrist control and after about a minute, he rolls over and lands in Laprise’s guard. Laprise opens his guard, looks for a quick armbar but decides against it before scrambling back to his feet.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Laprize
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Laprize
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Laprise

Round 2

Cedeno misses with a wild overhand right and falls onto his face. Within a split second, he springs back up and into the clinch of Laprise. The Canadian switches levels, looks for the single, but can’t land it totally before they reset in the center of the cage. Vicious leg kick from Laprise, forcing Cedeno to alter his stance. The Cuban lands a snapping leg kick before clinching with his foe. Laprise scores a takedown and lands in Cedeno’s full guard two minutes in. Cedeno opens his hips for an escape, but Laprise takes his back, again latching on the body triangle. Laprise is looking for the rear naked choke, but Cedeno is controlling his foe’s wrists well. After about a minute, Cedeno rolls over and into Laprise’s guard. Laprise opens his guard, looking for a sweep but the Cuban stays tight. The crowd is starting to grow restless.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Laprize
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Laprize
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Laprise

Round 3

Cedeno opens the round with an inside leg kick. Cedeno is a bit more aggressive early, but eventually Laprise sees enough and pushes him into the fence. They disengage where Laprise lands a stinging leg kick. Cedeno backs away, looking for a desperation shot. Cedeno launches a high front kick, but it misses. Laprise counters with another sizzling leg kick. Another. Halfway thru the final round, boos echo through the arena. Cedeno is looking for one punch to end it, while Laprise stalks him, taking little risks. Laprise opens fire with another leg kick. Cededno thinks to shoot, but he changes his mind once he clinches. Laprise lands a slick outside trip and lands in Cedeno’s guard with a minute left. Cedeno needs to open his guard and try something with 30 seconds left, but he’s keeping it closed. Laprise forces the guard open and takes his back after a scramble. Nice suplex by Laprise just before the fight ends.

Sherdog Scores

Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Laprize (30-27 Laprize)
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Laprize (30-27 Laprize)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Laprise (30-27 Laprize)

The Official Result

Chad Laprize Def. Yosdenis Cedeno Decision (Unanimous) [30-27, 30-27, 30-27] R3 5:00

Bryan Caraway vs. Raphael Assuncao

Round 1

Caraway lands a glancing right cross after absorbing a leg kick. Assuncao digs another leg kick and then connects with a left hook, though it’s partially blocked. Another leg kick by Assuncao. Right hand by Assuncao swells up caraway’s left eye. Caraway charges in and lands two right uppercuts, but he can’t get the takedown. Caraway keeps ducking his head way down when he comes in. Nice inside leg kick by Assuncao. Caraway swings wildly, misses and eats a hard leg kick. Caraway ducks his head way low coming, and narrowly avoids a would-be fight-ending uppercut. Caraways lands a right but is taken down by Assuncao. Caraway immediately springs back up to his feet. The Las Vegas fighter clinches his foe and forces him into the cage. They separate and again Assuncao dig his shin deep into Caraway’s thigh. Caraway is now bleeding under his left eye. Assuncao scores a late takedown, but he can’t keep him down.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Assuncao
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Caraway
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Assuncao

Round 2

Assuncao immediately goes to the leg kick. They clinch, but it lasts only a few seconds. Caraway lands a loopy left hook, but it’s not hard. They trade left hooks, but neither is clean. Caraway goes for a high kick, but Assuncao shoves him down. Caraway explodes back to his feet and throws a right cross. Assuncao counters it with a right of his own. Caraway fakes a right hand and shoots for the double and lands it. Assuncao gets to half guard but caraway’s pressure is superb. Assuncao scrambles out and back to his feet, landing a vicious leg kick for good measure. Assuncao goes to the head with the kick but Caraway blocks it. Caraway ducks under a punch and scores another takedown, but he can’t keep his foe down at all. Assuncao lands an overhand right after a lazy jab by Caraway. The Vegas fighter shrugs off a beautiful knee on the inside. Caraway throws a head kick but it’s blocked. Spinning heel kick lands flush on the side of Caraway’s head, but he shrugs it off. Caraway presses forward and they swing wildly during a heated exchange at the horn.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Assuncao
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Assuncao
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Assuncao

Round 3

Caraway lands a sharp right/left, but he’s countered by a left hook. Caraway shoots in for a single, but Assuncao thwarts the attempt. Another wicked leg kick by Assuncao echoes through the arena. Left jab/right cross by Assuncao. Assuncao misses with a right uppercut goes for the clinch, but Caraway blocks it. Caraway is looking tired now. Assuncao shoots in, but Caraway sprawls and looks for a guillotine. Assuncao defends it and separates. Halfway through the round, Caraway likely needs a stoppage in order to win. Bryan lands a decent left hook. Assuncao lands a glancing knee during an exchange. Caraway changes levels but Assuncao sinks in a deep anaconda, but the Xtreme Couture fighter defends it. Back on their feet, Caraway’s corner is screaming for him to go for broke. Assuncao seals the fight with a double leg. Back up, an exhausted Caraway presses forward and into a clinch. Left hand drops Caraway, who is ripe to be taken. He’s wobbled and worn out at the horn.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Assuncao (30-27 Assuncao)
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Assuncao (29-28 Assuncao)
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 Assuncao (30-27 Assuncao)

The Official Result

Raphael Assuncao Def. Bryan Caraway Decision (Unanimous) [30-27, 30-27, 30-27] R3 5:00

Rory MacDonald vs. Tarec Saffiedine

Round 1

They posture and size each other up. 30 seconds in, Tarec throws a left hand and then a right. MacDonald blocks it, but doesn’t offer anything in return. MacDonald throws a front high kick but it falls a few inches short. Rory digs a push kick to the sternum. Saffiedine paws with the right jab, feeling out the taller MacDonald. Nice stiff left jab by MacDonald. The Canadian follows that up with a sharp right cross. Rory grabs the leg and goes for a single, by Saffiedine scrambles out and back to his feet. MacDonald continues to paw with the jab. MacDonald lands a right hand and then drops his foe with a shot. In Saffiedine’s guard, MacDonald doesn’t do much and the Belgian fighter quickly scrambles to his feet. A minute left, MacDonald is slowly stalking forward, looking for an opening. Hard low kick by the Canadian, but Saffiedine retaliates with a similar strike. Saffiedine closes the round with a sizzling leg kick.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 MacDonald
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 MacDonald
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 MacDonald

Round 2

The two welters paw with the jab. Nice, slick five-punch combo on this inside, but Saffiedine defends them all. MacDonald delivers a shin to the ribs and then lands a right hand. Saffiedine goes for the inside leg kick. Saffiedine tosses a switch kick to the face but he misses by mere inches. Stiff left jab snaps Saffiedine’s head back and forces him to stumble backward. MacDonald uncorks a sharp overhand right. There is some redness around Saffiedine’s right eye. Midway through the frame, the crowd is already growing restless. MacDonald is tagged by a counter right when he leaves a lazy jab hanging out there. Sizzling leg kick by Saffiedine forces MacDonald to stumble to his right. MacDonald just misses with a vicious right hand and then catches a low kick. Saffiedine continues to back up, looking for spots to counter but MacDonald is too cautious. Finally, MacDonald lands a solid overhand right. Saffiedine is on his bike a bit now and when he comes forward, he devours two stiff jabs.

Sherdog Scores

TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 MacDonald
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Saffiedine
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 MacDonald

Round 3

Saffiedine comes out harder than he had been and lands two sturdy right hands. Inside leg kick by the Belgian fighter. MacDonald thumps his foe with a nice push kick to the gut. MacDonald stalks him slowly. MacDonald unloads a huge left hook that floors Saffiedine. Saffiedine might be out. Rory pounces all over his woozy opponent, who turtles up. MacDonald gets to the side and tees off on the side of Saffiedine’s head and face. After pounding his dome like a drum, Saffiedine is helpless and referee Herb Dean finally steps in to end it.

The Official Result

Rory MacDonald Def. Tarec Saffiedine TKO (Punches) R3 1:28