UFC Fight Night 235 ‘Dolidze vs. Imavov’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Thomas Petersen (261.5) vs. Jamal Pogues (265.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Petersen (-170), Pogues (+140)

Round 1

The evening’s festivities kick off with the lone heavyweight matchup on the card, as Petersen and Pogues go to work under the watchful eye of referee Eric McMahon. Petersen is southpaw, Pogues orthodox, and they immediately begin handfighting on the lead side. Petersen shoves Pogues to the fence and digs short knee strikes to the thigh of the taller man. Pogues uses an overhook to control the position, frames out and shoves Petersen off. They come together in the center of the Octagon again and Pogues catches the oncoming wrestler with a stiff right hand. Pogues sticks Petersen with a one-two that has him backing off, blinking and shaking his head. Petersen comes in, feints a level change and cracks Pogues with an overhand. Pogues lands a left and gets pushed to the fence, but shoves Petersen off again. Pogues catches Petersen again with a left hand as Petersen advances. Petersen steps into the pocket and lands a right hand to the midsection, then runs Pogues to the fence, where he throws a knee that strays low. Pogues takes a moment to recover as referee McMahon cautions Petersen. When they return to action, there is a minute to go in the round. Petersen grabs a single-leg, changes to a high-crotch and dumps Pogues to the canvas. Petersen grabs an ankle to flatten Pogues and is throwing punches from behind as the round expires.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pogues
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pogues
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pogues

Round 2

Petersen wades forward and connects with a right hook, then clinches and pushes Pogues to the fence. Pogues does not stay put there, shucking Petersen off and regrouping in the center of the cage. Petersen wades in again and pushes Pogues back, but Pogues is diligent in not conceding the clinch against the cage. Petersen walks through a pair of punches and takes a snatch single, but Pogues hops on one foot and stays upright, forcing Petersen to give up. Petersen closes the distance and runs right into a pair of level elbows on the inside. Pogues is punishing Petersen’s attempts to get inside so far, giving him few chances to get the fight to the ground. Petersen lands a lead left hook. Pogues is breathing with his mouth wide open. Petersen comes inside again and takes a sharp right elbow to the head. Under a minute left to go and the pace has slowed a bit. Petersen steps forward with a good left to the gut right before the 10-second clapper. Petersen lands another left before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pogues
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pogues
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pogues

Round 3

Petersen is the fresher man to open Round 3, but that is a very relative term here. He marches forward again, throwing single punches to the belly of Pogues. Pogues sticks Petersen with a front kick up the middle. Petersen lands a right cross to the face of Pogues, but eats a one-two coming back at him. Petersen lands another left hand to the body. Petersen wades into the pocket and eats a right hand. Petersen tries for a single-leg, but Pogues steps back and Petersen can’t get hold of anything. Petersen marches Pogues down, but Pogues again moves laterally and refuses to be pushed to the cage. Just over a minute left and Petersen goes for a single-leg. Pogues sprawls and Petersen catches him with a thumb to the eye on the way back up. Pogues drops to all fours, punching the canvas in pain and frustration. McMahon calls time and shows Petersen to a neutral corner as Pogues tries to recover. A moment later the cageside doctor comes in to rinse the eye out, and they go back to work with 53 seconds to go. Petersen is the aggressor, bouncing forward, backing Pogues to the cage and popping him with a left hand. Pogues is reaching out with both hands to keep the distance, denying Petersen entry to clinch range. He keeps it that way until the final horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Petersen (29-28 Pogues)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Petersen (29-28 Pogues)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Petersen (29-28 Pogues)

The Official Result

Jamal Pogues def. Thomas Petersen via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Marquel Mederos (155.5) vs. Landon Quinones (155.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Mederos (-148), Quinones (+124)

Round 1

Quinones and Mederos enter the Octagon both seeking their first official UFC win, and referee Kerry Hatley will be in charge of keeping things nice and clean. Quinones is southpaw, Mederos orthodox but switching stances constantly, and Mederos walks right onto a left hook that stumbles him. Quinones is very aggressive in the early going, keeping the pressure on the newcomer, and thus far Mederos looks uncomfortable with it. Ninety seconds in, they clinch and Quinones runs his man to the cage. He uses an overhook to trip Mederos to the ground, but Mederos pops right back up. Quinones switches to a body lock and Mederos reverses the position, turning Quinones’ back to the fence. They move off the fence and Quinones lands a shoulder strike on the break. Quinones steps in, clinches and it’s Mederos driving him to the fence. Quinones switches the position and Mederos uses an overhook to stay upright. Quinones uses a lateral drop to haul him down, but Mederos gets right back up. Mederos shoves Quinones to the fence and draws a caution from Hatley for grabbing the fence. With 30 seconds left, they are jockeying for position against the fence, constantly reversing position. The horn sounds on a close round.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Quinones
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Quinones
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Quinones

Round 2

Quinones is the man coming forward again, but Mederos stands his ground, catching him with a one-two on one entry, a front kick up the middle on the next. Mederos pushes Quinones to the cage and tries to lock his hands behind him. Quinones has an overhook and underhook. Mederos throws a couple of knees to the thigh. They disengage and return to the center of the cage. Quinones lands a left hook, Mederos answers with one of his own. Mederos is marching Quinones down, but Quinones slides laterally and looks for counters. Quinones scores with a one-two. Mederos backs Quinones up to the fence and lands a couple of body shots before Quinones slides out the side. Quinones steps forward and takes a front kick to the midsection. The 10-second clapper sounds, and shortly thereafter the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Mederos
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Mederos
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Mederos

Round 3

Quinones scores with a left. Mederos counters with a one-two. Mederos changes levels, drives Quinones to the fence and locks his hands for a takedown attempt. Quinones counters, breaking the grip and getting a kimura on the left arm of Mederos. Mederos has a rear waistlock near the fence, but Quinones spins into him. They disengage and when they come back into range, Quinones lands a front kick to the cup. Mederos takes a moment to recover, and then they go right back to work. Mederos catches Quinones cleanly with a left that makes him stumble, off-balance. Mederos drops levels for a single-leg, but when they reach the fence, Quinones stands him up. Quinones reverses position, then Mederos reverses him back. They grapple against the fence, and some short-range blow or another from Maderos strays low. On replay it appears to be a knee. Hatley warns Mederos and they’re back to work with a minute to go. Mederos steps forward and Quinones catches him with a pair of punches. Mederos fires right back. Both men swing freely in the closing seconds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Mederos (29-28 Mederos)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Mederos (29-28 Mederos)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Mederos (29-28 Mederos)

The Official Result

Marquel Mederos def. Landon Quinones via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Luana Carolina (129: Missed Weight) vs. Julija Stoliarenko (126)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Stoliarenko (-135), Carolina (+114)

Round 1

Stoliarenko and Carolina go to work at the word of referee Eric McMahon. Stoliarenko crashes forward with big swings, forcing the Brazilian to give ground. Stoliarenko shoves Carolina to the fence and looks for a takedown, using a body lock as Carolina defends with overhooks. Carolina reverses her, disengages and catches her with a left hand on the break. They meet in the center of the cage again and Carolina is minding the distance, throwing long kicks and jabs from southpaw as Stoliarenko marches forward in orthodox. Stoliarenko takes advantage of an ill-advised spinning attack to shoot a double-leg. She drives Carolina to her seat at the base of the fence, but Carolina uses the fence to stand back up and manages to break the resulting clinch. There’s a minute to go in the round and Stoliarenko uses a clinch and sacrifice throw to haul Carolina on top of her in guard. Stoliarenko immediately throws her hips up for an armbar and it’s deep, but time is short and Carolina survives to hear the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Stoliarenko
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Stoliarenko
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Stoliarenko

Round 2

Stoliarenko is on the offensive again, and Carolina gives ground and scores with a leg kick. Carolina fires off a body kick, then a high kick, then another body kick. All land on the guard of Stoliarenko, but they have plenty of impact nonetheless and keep Stoliarenko on the outside. Stoliarenko wades into the pocket and Carolina meets her with a knee up the middle. Stoliarenko lands a glancing left on Carolina, who evades by leaning straight back. Carolina catches Stoliarenko with a knee to the ribs. Stoliarenko clinches and drives Carolina to the fence. Carolina has a single overhook, but Stoliarenko is working to take her back standing. Carolina turns in towards her, reverses position against the fence and punishes Stoliarenko with three knees to the midsection. Stoliarenko pulls guard with under a minute to go, but Carolina postures up and lands a couple of hammerfists. Thirty seconds left in the round and Carolina is in Stoliarenko’s full guard. Stoliarenko is controlling the posture rather than attack from the bottom, and the round ends in that position.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Carolina
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Carolina
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Carolina

Round 3

Stoliarenko marches forward, swinging big but awkward punches with both hands. She steps inside a head kick attempt and shoves Carolina to the fence. Carolina uses an overhook, then grabs a plum clinch and knees Stoliarenko to the body. Stoliarenko is looking for a body lock, but Carolina reverses her against the fence, throwing knees to the thighs of the Lithuanian. Stoliarenko is stuck on the inside, defending as Carolina punishes her with knees. Carolina drives Stoliarenko to the canvas and lands in top position. Stoliarenko immediately looks for an armbar, but the position is not good and she switches to a triangle choke. They are crammed at the base of the fence, and that is the only thing saving Carolina at the moment. They twist away from the fence and Stoliarenko switches to the armbar, then back to the triangle. Carolina is calm, but in pure defense mode. Stoliarenko loses the position and Carolina squirms out, then nails Stoliarenko with a huge right hand as she gets back up. Stoliarenko is exhausted and hurt, and she shoots a desperation takedown. Carolina pounces, landing in side control. Carolina traps one of Stoliarenko’s arms and punches away with the other. Stoliarenko is stuck, eating punches as the clock runs out, but McMahon steps in for the TKO stoppage, halting the beating just seconds short of the final horn. Great comeback by Luana Carolina.

The Official Result

Luana Carolina def. Julija Stoliarenko R3 4:52 via TKO (Punches)

Blake Bilder (144.5) vs. Jeong Yeong Lee (146)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Lee (-148), Bilder (+124)

Round 1

Lee and Bilder are up next, with veteran referee Mark Smith drawing his first refereeing assignment of the night. Both men are in orthodox stance, and Lee reaches out with long jabs, looking to take advantage of his obvious advantages in reach and height. Bilder is active early, throwing punches with both hands, but Lee is a sniper, catching him with counters to the body. Lee kicks to the body, then does it again. Bilder does not like what’s coming his way, and shoots a takedown from outside. Lee sprawls beautifully, but Bilder drives him to the cage. Lee gets an overhook and proceeds to punish Bilder with elbows to the head and punches to the body. Ninety seconds to go and Bilder is still shoving Lee into the fence, trying to get on his hips, but Lee is doing plenty of damage as he defends. Lee smashes Bilder with a huge knee as they separate. Bilder stumbles away and Lee gives chase, swarming with punches. Bilder recovers and makes it to the end of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lee
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lee
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lee

Round 2

Bilder comes forward swinging. Lee gives ground and lands his jab. Bilder feints up top and scores with a low kick. Bilder shoots for a takedown and pushes Lee to the fence. Lee gets an arm and shoulder between them and stays upright. Bilder tries for a single-leg from there, but Lee stands him back up and hit him with a knee up the middle. They spin away from the fence and Lee gets a takedown, tripping Bilder to the ground with ease. Lee takes top position in Bilder’s half guard, and Bilder scoots to the fence, looking to get back up. Bilder is seated against the cage, but Lee cracks him with a hard right hand. Bilder is hurt, and Lee throws a flurry of punches with both hands, forcing Bilder to turn away. Bilder manages to stand back up, driving Lee into the fence. Lee disengages, tagging Bilder with a punch on the break. The horn sounds with the two featherweights standing.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lee
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lee
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lee

Round 3

Lee stalks his man, throwing his jab from waist-high hands as he comes forward. Bilder backs away, but lands a low kick as he does. Lee doubles up the jab with a nice one-one-two. Bilder shoots for a takedown and Lee counters with a front headlock. They make their way to the fence and the familiar position of the upright Lee punishing Bilder as he looks to bring the fight to the canvas. Bilder takes a front headlock of his own as Lee spins him into the fence. Lee works to counter the choke, Bilder knees him up the middle, and Lee drags him down, popping his head out as they do. Lee frames up a possible arm-triangle choke as he works from half guard. Bilder shrimps and tries to sit up, but Lee flattens him back down, drops an elbow to the face and goes back to work for the choke. Under a minute to go and Lee is still on top, heavy as he switches between the choke setup and dropping elbows and forearms. Lee postures up, then stands, dropping a strike on his way back down. The final horn sounds on three fairly one-sided rounds of work by the streaking Korean.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lee (30-27 Lee)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lee (30-27 Lee)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lee (30-27 Lee)

The Official Result

Jeong Yeong Lee def. Blake Bilder via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Themba Gorimbo (170.5) vs. Pete Rodriguez (170.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Gorimbo (-245), Rodriguez (+200)

Round 1

Gorimbo and Rodriguez set it off, with Herb Dean the third man in the Octagon. Both welterweights are in orthodox stance. Rodriguez bounces in and out of range, trying to navigate the huge reach disparity. Gorimbo catches him on one of the “in” bounces with a massive right hand that catches him right on the point of the chin and makes a loud CLACK in the Apex. Rodriguez crumples to the canvas and Gorimbo follows, landing in side control and throwing a stream of unblocked punches until Dean interposes himself for the mercy stoppage. Nasty work by Themba Gorimbo.

The Official Result

Themba Gorimbo def. Pete Rodriguez R1 0:32 via TKO (Punches)

Charles Johnson (125.5) vs. Azat Maksum (126)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Maksum (-198), Johnson (+164)

Round 1

Johnson will look to spoil the undefeated record of Kazakh phenom Maksum, with Eric McMahon on referee duty. Johnson lands a leg kick and eats a lefty counter. Maksum catches the oncoming Johnson with a two-punch combination that stumbles him. Maksum pounces and grabs a front headlock, locking up a brabo choke. He gator rolls Johnson as they hit the canvas. Johnson survives several dicey positions as they roll through, but manages to extricate his neck and return to his feet. Johnson switches stances and paws with jabs from both sides, but Maksum ignores the flash and nails him with a long left. Maksum catches him with the right hand, mid-stance switch, and it knocks him off balance. Johnson bounces right back up and Maksum is right on top of him. Maksum’s left scores again, and it’s having a big effect. Another left takes Johnson off his feet. Again, Johnson pops back up. Maksum shoots a single-leg and it’s deep, but Johnson defends well and Maksum is forced to bail out. Thirty seconds left and Maksum is stalking, switching to southpaw himself. He grabs another single-leg as the 10-second clapper sounds, and gets the takedown right at the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Maksum
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Maksum
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Maksum

Round 2

Johnson comes forward, reaching with his jab from orthodox. Maksum scores with a nice left. Maksum takes a low kick from Johnson. Johnson tries a one-two but Maksum backs up and they fall short. Johnson ducks under a punch and comes inside, taking Maksum’s back standing. They go to the canvas and Johnson is all over his man, sinking the hooks and looking for a choke. Maksum shrugs him out to the side, then escapes and gets to Johnson’s back. Johnson hits a Granby roll and pops back to his feet. They reset and get back to kickboxing. Maksum’s left jab snaps Johnson’s head back. Johnson scores with a good left calf kick. Under a minute to go, and Johnson goes high with a left kick that glances off the shoulder. Maksum pushes forward, clinching against the fence and Johnson shucks him off with ease. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Johnson
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Johnson
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Johnson

Round 3

Johnson throws a right body kick at the same time Maksum fires off a right hand, and both land simultaneously. Maksum bounces forward, looking to land his right hand, and Johnson catches him on the way in with his own right hand. Maksum shoots for a takedown, drags Johnson down, but Johnson keeps an overhook and uses it to spring back up. Two minutes down and Johnson is marching forward. Maksum catches him with an intercepting knee to the body. Maksum lands a right hand upstairs. Johnson tries a left high kick but Maksum parries it harmlessly. Johnson tags Maksum with a one-two. Maksum drives forward and Johnson catches him in a guillotine choke. He cranks it and modifies the grip and it looks tight. Maksum defends and Johnson lets it go. Johnson gets a double-leg takedown, snares the neck of Maksum and is working for a choke at the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Johnson (29-28 Johnson)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Johnson (29-28 Johnson)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Johnson (29-28 Johnson)

The Official Result

Charles Johnson def. Azat Maksum via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Diana Belbita (116) vs. Molly McCann (116)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: McCann (-285), Belbita (+230)

Round 1

The final prelim of “UFC Vegas 85” ends with a rematch—down a weight class—between former flyweights McCann and Belbita. Kerry Hatley is on referee duty. They slap hands, and McCann is the first to connect with a pair of overhand rights. Belbita is the visibly taller, rangier woman, but McCann is all forward motion, staying toe to toe and throwing short punches inside. Belbita begins working her left jab, catching the oncoming Brit, but without enough force to dissuade her from continuing to come forward. McCann steps in, grabs a double-leg, hoists Belbita by the waist and dumps her on the canvas in the middle of the cage. They pop right back up. Belbita lands a glancing high kick. McCann drives forward, shoving Belbita to the cage. She disengages and catches the taller woman with a spinning back elbow like the ones with which she scored back-to-back highlight-reel KOs two years ago. Belbita is hurt and McCann pours it on. She catches Belbita with a series of punches, some of them blocked, as the Romanian backs off, trying to recover. McCann shoots a single-leg, switches to a high-crotch and slams Belbita down, landing in half-guard and passing immediately to mount. McCann pours it on, peeling off for an armbar. She goes belly-down and Belbita taps almost instantly. Hatley jumps in for the stoppage just seconds before the horn and McCann jumps up to celebrate as Belbita remains on the canvas, holding her damaged arm. Dominant work by strawweight newcomer “Meatball Molly.”

The Official Result

Molly McCann def. Diana Belbita R1 4:59 via Submission (Armbar)

Charlie Radtke (170.5) vs. Gilbert Urbina (171)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Urbina (-198), Radtke (+164)

Round 1

Welterweights Urbina and Radtke kick off the main card, with Mark Smith set to oversee the proceedings. Both men are in orthodox stance. Urbina gives ground as Radtke stalks forward. Urbina scores with a sharp low kick. Radtke’s left hand is cocked, looking for his lead hook. Urbina chips away with more low kicks, then moves laterally as Radtke tries to maneuver him into the fence. Radtke’s jab scores, then lands again. Urbina comes forward with a takedown attempt, shoving Radtke all the way across the cage, but gives up on it. Radtke lands a glancing left, then a hard short right. Urbina switches stances, lands a low kick and switches back. Urbina eats a solid left hook. Radtke throws a left kick that lands low. Urbina takes a moment to recover. When they resume, Radtke goes right back with the same kick and lands to the leg as intended. Radtke catches Urbina with a clean left that drops him in place. Urbina recovers, popping back up, but when they converge Radtke blasts him with another left hand. Urbina goes down again and this time, Smith jumps in to save the Texan. Big power on display from “Chuck Buffalo.”

The Official Result

Charles Radtke def. Gilbert Urbina R1 4:47 via TKO (Punches)

Aliaskhab Khizriev (186) vs. Makhmud Muradov (185.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Khizriev (-180), Muradov (+150)

Round 1

The middleweight up-and-comers go to work, with Herb Dean tasked with enforcing the rules. Dean is put on the spot immediately, as Khizriev pokes Muradov’s left eye within seconds. Muradov sinks to the canvas in obvious pain, and when the cageside physician comes in to examine the injury, he has trouble even opening the eye. There is a tense four-man conference between the fighter, referee, doctor and translator, but its likely end result is obvious from Muradov’s body language. Sure enough, Dean waves off the fight and it is a no contest.

The Official Result

Aliaskhab Khizriev vs. Makhmud Muradov ends in a No Contest (Inadvertent Eye Poke) at 0:11 of Round 1

Viviane Araujo (126) vs. Natalia Silva (125.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Silva (-345), Araujo (+275)

Round 1

The flyweights spring into action, with Mark Smith in charge of the violence. Both women are in orthodox stance, bouncing on the balls of their feet and feinting. Araujo works to corral Silva into the fence, and when she gets her close, she collapses the distance, grabbing a body lock and hauling Silva down. Silva pops back up, but Araujo takes her back she does. Araujo with the rear waistlock, the younger woman fighting the grip. Araujo tries to get in one hook standing. She does, moving out to the side, trying to pull Silva back down. Silva turns back into the fence, peeling Araujo off the side. Araujo remains on Silva’s back, throwing short knees to the thighs and rear. The action reaches a lull, if not an outright stalemate, and Smith urges the women to work. Silva bursts away from the fence and turns toward Araujo, but Araujo stays stuck to her. They break with under 30 seconds left, Silva flurries with punches, but neither woman lands much of consequence before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Araujo
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Araujo
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Silva

Round 2

Araujo marches forward. Both women reach out with the jab. Silva throws up a snappy head kick that lands clean, but Araujo shrugs it off. Araujo barrels forward and straight into a trio of strikes from Silva. Araujo is hurt, and Silva pursues, but in very measured fashion. Silva has gone southpaw, and flicks up a right kick this time, which clips Araujo on the head. Araujo is still coming forward, still trying to cut off the cage, but Silva seems quicker and fresher, and her kicks are getting through every time. Silva lands a crisp jab. Araujo charges in behind a right overhand, ducks a pair of counters from Silva and grabs a body lock against the cage. Silva has two loose overhooks as Araujo tries to get under her center of gravity and elevate. Araujo throws a couple of knees to the thighs. Referee Smith cautions the fighters to work, then does so again seconds later. With under 40 seconds left, he breaks them up and Silva throws a spinning back kick right away, then a jumping switch kick. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Silva
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Silva
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Silva

Round 3

Silva seems brimming with confidence going into Round 3, giving ground to the advancing Araujo but flicking out fast kicks to all levels. Araujo stalks forward with a high, boxing-style guard and lands a hard right hand, though she had to eat two punches to get there. Araujo ducks and drives Silva to the cage, where she pushes her into the fence but does little to secure a takedown. Smith is quick with the call for action this time, and Araujo does drop levels, looking for a single-leg. Silva fights her off with an underhook, and they disengage. They return to the center of the cage and Silva is still bouncing, flicking out both feet, landing kicks that are not that heavy, but constant and disruptive. A minute to go and Silva is sliding laterally along the outside as Araujo charges like a bull. Silva slaps Araujo with a head kick, then a body kick to the other side. Araujo is aggressive in the final seconds, crashing forward and getting a takedown that she finishes a second after the final horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Silva (29-28 Silva)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Silva (29-28 Silva)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Silva (30-27 Silva)

The Official Result

Natalia Silva def. Viviane Araujo via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Randy Brown (171) vs. Muslim Salikhov (171)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Brown (-245), Salikhov (+200)

Round 1

A killer welterweight matchup originally scheduled for UFC 296 in December, rescheduled due to Brown falling ill, now blesses “UFC Vegas 85.” While Brown and Salikhov lose the full-arena vibe, they do see their scrap promoted from curtain-jerker to feature fight. Lubbock, Texas’ own Kerry Hatley draws his final referee assignment of the night. The “Rude Boy” and “King of Kung Fu” immediately begin exchanging kicks. Salikhov goes low with quick calf kicks, which Brown counters with long flicking front kicks to the midsection. Salikhov tries a spinning wheel kick which falls short, but had murderous speed on it. A minute and a half in, not much has landed outside of low kicks, but it feels as though either man might bust this fight—and maybe his foe—wide open at any moment. Salikhov’s chopping kicks to Brown’s lead leg are starting to land with increasing frequency and force. Brown reaches out with his left hand and the extended fingers swipe Salikhov’s eye. The two touch hands in recognition of the foul before Hatley even calls time, but Salikhov does take his time to blink it out. They go back to work and Brown stocks out a fast jab, feints with his right hip and then comes back with a kick from the other side. Out of nowhere, Brown crushes Salikhov with a jab and a blistering right cross. Salikhov goes down and Brown appears to hesitate before following up. With no stoppage forthcoming Brown lands a single standing-to-ground right on the turtled Russian, and that’s enough to spur Hatley into action. Highlight-reel knockout from Randy Brown.

The Official Result

Randy Brown def. Muslim Salikhov R1 3:17 via KO (Punches)

Drew Dober (156) vs. Renato Carneiro (156)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Carneiro (-155), Dober (+130)

Round 1

Dober and Carneiro go to work at a word from referee Mark Smith, and Dober sticks a righty southpaw jab in the face of orthodox “Moicano” right away. Smith warns Carneiro about his extended fingers within the first 15 seconds. Carneiro comes inside with a long right cross, but eats a hard counter that has him stumbling back. Dober blasts him with a left, and “Moicano” shoots. Dober sprawls nicely, but Carneiro gets him down seconds later on a second effort. He sets up in Dober’s half guard. Dober works to lock down Carneiro’s right leg, while Carneiro uses elbow and forearm pressure to make his life miserable from top position. Dober gets in a knee shield and kicks Carneiro off, but the Brazilian dives back in before Dober can get up. “Moicano” postures up and drops a big punch, then sets up in half guard again. Carneiro works to pass to mount, but Dober does a good job of regaining half guard. Under a minute left and Carneiro is in control on top, chipping away with short shots, but Dober does a good job of denying him a truly dominant position. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Carneiro
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Carneiro
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Carneiro

Round 2

Dober marches forward, throwing big hooks with both hands. Carneiro gives ground and when the punches pause, he steps in, grabbing a body lock. Dober uses a whizzer to stay upright, but “Moicano” changes direction and hauls him down. Dober does a nice job of kicking him off within seconds, gets back up, but “Moicano” stays stuck to him and drags him back to the canvas. Carneiro is in half guard again, leaning across the body and setting up an arm-triangle. Dober scoots toward the fence and Carneiro glides to the other side. Half the round is gone and Carneiro is once again in the driver’s seat, heavy on top, and while Dober is going a nice job of keeping him from passing to mount or doing too much damage, that’s about all he can manage. Dober gets some space and stands, but Carneiro jumps on his back. Dober spins into him and disengages, and when “Moicano” gives chase, Dober hits a beautiful lateral drop, landing on top in full guard. Dober lands a couple of short strikes from top position and one of them has split the Brazilian wide open. The round ends with Dober on top, “Moicano” bleeding all over the place.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Dober
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Dober
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Dober

Round 3

“Moicano” looks out of sorts to open Round 3, either from fatigue or the ugly cut near his eye, but whatever the reason, Dober comes forward with big punches and Carneiro backs off. Carneiro tries a body lock for a takedown and there’s nothing doing. “Moicano” steps into the pocket and lands a nice right hand. He steps in for another, and Dober crushes him with a lefty counter that has him staggering. Carneiro tries for a takedown and they both sort of topple to the canvas, with the Brazilian landing in top position. “Moicano” hears a quick warning from Smith and gets to work, standing up out of half guard and dropping a big punch. He uses heavy pressure on top to pass to three-quarter mount. Dober sticks him back in half guard, then full guard, but he’s flat on his back with Carneiro throwing punches to the ribs and head. A minute and a half to go and Dober bucks, looking to pop up. Carneiro gets to side control, then goes back to half guard. He frames an arm-triangle choke and moves to mount. He doesn’t look serious about finishing it, but it has Dober completely on the defensive. Dober regains half guard and a few moments later, the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Carneiro (29-28 Carneiro)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Carneiro (29-28 Carneiro)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Carneiro (29-28 Carneiro)

The Official Result

Renato Carneiro def. Drew Dober via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Roman Dolidze (186) vs. Nassourdine Imavov (185)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Imavov (-166), Dolidze (+140)

Round 1

The main event participants engage, with referee Herb Dean looking on. Both middleweights are in orthodox stance. They are measured in the early going, feinting, throwing out single jabs and half-speed low kicks. Dolidze crashes forward, shoving Imavov to the cage and using an underhook and overhook to try and set him up for a possible takedown. Imavov uses his hands and forearms to push the Georgian’s chin up and back as they exchange knees on the inside. After an extended sequence against the fence, they disengage, with Imavov landing a clean punch on the break. Imavov is mindful of the distance, using a lead-foot kick and his long left jab to keep Dolidze on the outside. Imavov comes back with a crisp right cross that catches Dolidze clean and rocks him badly. Imavov swarms with punches and follows Dolidze to the canvas, where he swings away. Dolidze blocks enough of them to keep Dean from intervening, then goes for a leglock. He can’t get it, but it forces Imavov out of the position. Dolidze twists away and Imavov snatches an armbar. It’s deep and he’s still working for it at the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Imavov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Imavov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Imavov

Round 2

Imavov presents a side-on stance, pushing out low kicks with his lead left leg. Dolidze enters the pocket and is clipped with a sharp punch. They drift into a clinch and Imavov immediately puts his hands under Dolidze’s chin again, pushing him up and away as they make their way to the fence. Dolidze takes an outside position, shoving Imavov into the chain link. Imavov has an overhook and underhook, and tries to reverse position against the fence, but Dolidze sags his base and is immovable. They disengage and Dolidze wades forward with a sweeping overhand right. It backs Imavov up, but Dolidze keeps marching forward. He clinches and Imavov again works his hands under the chin. They are near the fence with a minute left, Dolidze applying pressure but neither throwing strikes nor making any obvious moves towards a takedown. Dean breaks them up with 20 seconds to go, and Dolidze lands a big left hand. Imavov sticks him with a clean right, then another. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Imavov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Imavov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Imavov

Round 3

Imavov is back to the short side kicks, pairing them with his jab to try and keep Dolidze at bay. It works for a moment, but Dolidze steps inside a right cross, closes the distance and runs Imavov to the cage. Imavov half-turns his back, creates a bit of space and tags Dolidze with a short punch, then another. Dolidze stumbles a bit and Dolidze steps back. Imavov blasts Dolidze with a hard right hand, but can’t follow up before Dolidze smothers him in the clinch. They stumble to the cage, and Imavov again has the overhook and upper head position. Dolidze can’t seem to do much but hold him there, and Dean can be heard telling them to work. A minute and a half to go, and Imavov shoves off the fence, shucks Dolidze off of him and moves to the center of the cage. Imavov tags Dolidze with a clean left, and Dolidze is looking absolutely exhausted. Dolidze runs Imavov to the fence once again, but it gets him a respite of just seconds before Dean resets them. Dolidze gets in a tired swing before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Imavov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Imavov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Imavov

Round 4

Dolidze steps forward with big right hand that comes up short. He throws another, then a spinning back something or other that misses. There’s enough heat on them to back Imavov off, however, and Dolidze again gets the clinch and drives him to the fence. They bounce off the fence on their own, saving Dean his breath. They make their way to the center of the cage and Imavov is on Dolidze’s back. Dolidze grounds himself with a hand on the canvas. Imavov looks around the corner, verifies that Dolidze’s hand is down and then inexplicably kicks him right in the face. It’s completely illegal and it definitely made an impact. Dean calls time and to make things even stranger, Imavov gets into a shouting match with Chris Curtis, who fought to a no-contest with Imavov last year thanks to an inadvertent head butt. Dean has to threaten to disqualify Imavov while physically shoving him away from Curtis, before he can even attend to Dolidze. Dolidze seems pretty game for a man who just got kicked in the face, and they go back to work, with Dean taking a point from Imavov for the foul. Dolidze gets a takedown near the base of the fence and goes for a leglock, possibly a kneebar, when Imavov works to escape. After a few tense moments, Dolidze gives up on the submission attempt and they make their way back to the feet. Imavov is on Dolidze’s back standing once again, this time near the fence, but they manage to separate without any flagrant fouls. Dolidze goes southpaw and throws a spinning back elbow which misses. They clinch and careen into the cage before the horn sounds, ending one of the strangest rounds you’ll see all year.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 9-9
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 9-9
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Dolidze

Round 5

Dolidze is back in orthodox to begin Round 5 and he comes forward with big swings, looking to create the kind of wild melee that probably represents his best chance at pulling out a win here. Imavov cautiously gives ground and refuses to be drawn into such a brawl, but he does get drawn into yet another clinch against the cage. Once again, they separate before Dean has to intervene. Dolidze barges in again and drags Imavov down, looking for a leglock. Dolidze appears to be going for a heel hook and for a moment, Imavov appears to be in some real peril. He extricates his foot from the hold, however, and they return to the feet. Dolidze is bent at the waist, looking spent. Imavov comes forward and lands punches, sending Dolidze into the fence. Dolidze plants a hand and there is no foul coming this time, and Imavov wisely doesn’t kick or knee at all. Dolidze moves away from the fence and clinches, but Imavov shrugs him off. Dolidze shoots for a takedown from a mile away and it just runs out of gas, leaving the Georgian on all fours about three feet away. Imavov steps back and Dolidze gets back up. They come together near the center of the cage and throw a few more tired-looking punches before the final horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Imavov (49-44 Imavov)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Imavov (49-44 Imavov)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Imavov (48-45 Imavov)

The Official Result

Nassourdine Imavov def. Roman Dolidze via Majority Decision (49-44, 47-47, 48-46)