UFC Fight Night 192 ‘Smith vs. Spann’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Hannah Goldy (125) vs. Emily Whitmire (125)

Round 1

After a week to catch our collective breaths, the UFC is back with a marathon of combat. A what? A marathon. The what? A marathon. Fourteen fights are on the docket tonight, so without further ado, we begin in the flyweight division with a match between two women in dire need of a win. Both Whitmire (4-4, 2-3 UFC) and Goldy (5-2, 0-2 UFC) have lost their last two convincingly, so something’s gotta give and one should get back on the winning track. The first referee of the evening is Chris Tognoni, and with no touch of gloves, it’s on with the show! Whitmire advances to take the center of the cage, and both land leg kicks one after the other. When Goldy lands one, Whitmire responds in kind, and she sneaks up a head kick that just misses. Whitmire backs off with a one-two, and as she retreats, Goldy presses her into the cage and tries to throw her to the ground. Whitmire counters with a trip to throw her opponent on her back, where Goldy gets stacked up when on her back before she kicks Whitmire off of her. Whitmire tries to climb into her foe’s guard, avoiding the upkick and an armbar setup to find a place to attack. “24K” bucks her off at the right moment, where she pops back to her feet and the two clinch up. Whitmire is quick to throw her right back down to the canvas, where she slides down into guard so she can land a few strikes from above. She looks to pass to half guard, succeeding as Goldy turns her back to try to stop it. Whitmire pulls her back down to the mat so that she can do some damage, but Goldy protects herself well. Goldy gets to her knees, and in an instant, Whitmire circles around and takes her back to set up a rear-naked choke. Goldy is able to stop it and twist around to her back, where she pushes Whitmire away with upkicks. “Spitfire” leaps forward into the guard, evading the foot that zooms past her face, but she lands right into a dangerous position. Goldy immediately puts her legs up to snag an armbar, and Whitmire defends well until Goldy isolates an arm and cranks on it. Whitmire tries to stand up and free herself from the precarious place, but her elbow extends to the point of no return. Whitmire yells out to verbally submit, and Tognoni is quick to intervene before Whitmire’s arm gets torqued too far. An emotional Goldy lets loose a guttural scream, a few tears and some DMX-inspired barking for good measure as she celebrates the first win of her UFC career.

The Official Result

Hannah Goldy def. Emily Whitmire R1 4:17 via Submission (Armbar)

Heili Alateng (136) vs. Gustavo Lopez (135)

Round 1

Moving right along to the bantamweight division, Lopez (12-6, 1-2 UFC) will try to lift his UFC record to .500 at the expense of Alateng (14-8-1, 2-1 UFC) – and should the former win, he will drop Alateng’s Octagon record to that .500 mark. Referee Keith Peterson is in charge of the action for this 135-pound tilt, and nonsense has been successfully ejected from the premises. A glove touch precedes the action, and Lopez grins from ear to ear as he takes the center of the cage. Alateng loads up on several looping shots, and Lopez dances out of the way. Lopez winds up with one of his own, and they clash together and are too close to land their strikes. They clinch up for a moment, before Lopez pushes off and looks to set up an angle to attack. The American circles around from the outside, dodging and weaving single strikes while not throwing much of his own. Lopez walks face-first into a huge right hand, but he is ready to brawl, and both men swing for the fences and clock the other. They both absorb punch after punch flush on the chin without budging, until Lopez backs away to take a breath and land a slapping calf kick. Alateng continues to load up on right hands as Lopez dances around the outside, and he clips Alateng coming in with a left hook. They crack one another, and Alateng bites down on his mouthpiece to charge ahead and attack with haymakers. Alateng calms himself down with wild strikes to connect with a straight one-two, but he abandons that quickly to go back to throwing hammers. Lopez meets him with a left hand, and Alateng does not even notice the blow landed. Alateng stalks him down, and he gets off a right hand that opens a cut on the corner of Lopez’ left eye, and Lopez smiles as he notices the blood. They feint and fake towards one another, both respecting the other’s power, but not afraid to engage as they crash together and nearly bang their heads into one another. Alateng steps back so that he can race ahead with a flying knee, and Lopez watches him fly past him. The round ends with a tense exchange.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lopez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lopez
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Alateng

Round 2

The bantamweights come out with a glove touch, and Lopez darts forward but gets his lead leg kicked hard. Lopez tries to return the favor, and Alateng is out of the way in time. Lopez keeps moving on the outside, drifting left and right as he avoids the punches that come his way. When Alateng loads up on a punch, Lopez kicks low and sends Alateng staggering away. Lopez connects with another heavy calf kick, and Alateng recoils his leg as it already appears to be bothering him. The fighter from China lands a heavy right hand, and Lopez shakes it off to score a calf kick. Lopez sits down on a pair of right hooks that fluster Alateng for a moment, but Alateng gathers his thoughts to send a right hand straight across the forward bow. Alateng stands his foe up with a right and then a left, and he charges ahead with a right hand that sends Lopez rebounding off the cage wall. Lopez escapes before his foe can follow up, and he scores a thudding calf kick that Alateng can do nothing but absorb cleanly. Lopez sticks out a left hand and tries to check a leg kick coming his direction, and he suddenly leaps forward with a right hand and a takedown attempt. Although Alateng hits the ground for a second, he sprawls and springs back to his feet. Lopez interrupts an advancing Alateng with a powerful kick to the calf, but Alateng grits through it and puts two punches together. Lopez continues to chip away at the leg while Alateng swipes at him, and the round ends with them staring across the cage at one another.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Alateng
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Alateng
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lopez

Round 3

There is a final glove touch to check in the last round, and Alateng begins snapping out several jabs that hit nothing but air. Lopez absorbs a left hand to the body and dodges a right hand over the top, and Alateng tries to push the pace and gets countered with a right hand. A stalemate ensues as they try to wait for a mistake, as they toss out single kicks at one another from afar. Lopez swipes out with a trio of left hands, and Alateng dodges them and tags Lopez on that damaged eye. Alateng fires off a left hook that glances off the chin and may have hurt Lopez, but he does not follow it up with anything. Lopez takes a deep breath, and he appears to have awakened, as he charges ahead recklessly with a swarm of punches. He smashes Alateng on the chin several times to wobble his foe, and he ends a lengthy combination with a takedown. Alateng gets back up, grabs the fence and has his hand slapped away. Lopez tries to continue the takedown even as Alateng grabs the fence again and again, and Peterson loudly warns him to stop holding the cage. After a blatant snag where he stops a takedown, Peterson pauses the fight and deducts a point from Alateng for repeated fence grabs. When the action resumes, put right back in the same position where they left off, Alateng gets away with one more grab of the fencing. Lopez bullies him to the ground and starts pounding on him, and the damage begins to mount as Peterson takes a close eye on the proceedings. Alateng manages to get back up to his feet after toughing out a rough sequence, and he reverses the position to put Lopez on his back. Lopez welcomes this, as he grabs hold of the neck and squeezes with a suddenly tight guillotine choke. As Alateng twists and turns, he pops his neck out, and Lopez kicks off. One final wild exchange ensues, and Alateng hits his opponent so hard that Lopez goes spinning around to bounce off the cage wall. Lopez survives to the bell, and the judges will certainly have their hands full with this one. A draw would not be out of the question here.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Lopez (29-27 Lopez)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Lopez (29-27 Lopez)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Lopez (29-27 Lopez)

The Official Result

Gustavo Lopez vs. Heili Alateng is ruled a Unanimous Draw (28-28, 28-28, 28-28)

Carlston Harris (170) vs. Impa Kasanganay (170.5)

Round 1

Drifting up to the welterweight division, two men with impressive submission victories in their last outings come to blows when Kasanganay (9-1, 2-1 UFC) meets Harris (16-4, 1-0 UFC). Neither man has ever been tapped out before, so will tonight be the first? Like referee Mark Smith, we will find out soon. The gloves are not touched, as both men instead take a stride on the edge of the cage. Harris is the first to engage, waltzing forward to lob a wide right hand. Kasanganay dodges and moves away, but Harris is intent on closing the distance with it as he punches his way into a clinch. When Kasanganay is able to escape, Harris just misses with a right hand on the break. “Mocambique” slaps away a punch to score a heavier one of his own, and he fires off a head kick. They both exchange with huge punches, and Harris appears stunned but keeps a stiff upper lip to not let his opponent know he may be hurt. They bite down on their mouthpieces and throw for the fences, with little interest in defense as they both go for a home run shot. Harris backs off with a leg kick, and he blocks a punch with an elbow so that he can swing a left hand. Harris swats at his man with a right hand over the top, and he digs his shin into Kasanganay’s liver. Both men blast the other with massive punches, and it is Harris that gets the better of the exchange as Kasanganay staggers back. Harris follows him and smashes him in the face with a left hand that sends Kasanganay careening to the ground. Kasanganay rolls over and gets to his knees, but Harris is on him in a hurry as he tries to finish the job. As the Guyanan pounds on his foe with strike after unanswered strike, one or two may land to the back of the head, but enough mount until Smith steps in to call a halt to the fight. Kasanganay stands back up and protests the stoppage, but there is nothing more he can do as the fight is over.

The Official Result

Carlston Harris def. Impa Kasanganay R1 2:38 via TKO (Punches)

Sarah Alpar (126) vs. Erin Blanchfield (125)

Round 1

Someone in this next bout will earn their first UFC win – barring an unusual outcome – when Invicta FC vet Blanchfield (6-1, 0-0 UFC) makes her debut against “Too Sweet” Alpar (9-5, 0-1 UFC). The flyweights will draw officiating from referee Chris Tognoni, and they have no interesting in touching gloves as they want to get down to business straight away. Both women throw punches in bunches in the early going, with Alpar charging in recklessly as she throws hands and a leg kick. Alpar turns her forward momentum into a takedown try, but Blanchfield stuffs it and boots her in the stomach. Blanchfield connects with several straight punches, snapping Alpar’s head back repeatedly as Alpar tries to recover against the wall. Blanchfield sneaks up an elbow that clips Alpar on the side of the head, and she pours it on before Alpar grabs hold of her to clinch up. Blanchfield strings together multiple short combinations together that practically land one after the other without any defense stopping them. Blanchfield breaks up the punches with a big body kick, and Alpar fires back with a right hand to get Blanchfield to back away and reset. She sticks her left hand into Blanchfield’s face, but Blanchfield advances and continues to drill Alpar in the face with punches. When they close in, Blanchfield elbows her in the chops for good measure. Blanchfield ties her up and pursues a takedown try, but Alpar’s strength allows her to stay upright and turn her opponent about. Blanchfield trips her adversary’s legs out from beneath her so that she lands on top in side control in a hurry. Blanchfield uses heavy shoulder pressure to keep Alpar from bucking her off, and she works her way over to three-quarter mount. Blanchfield slashes down with elbows from this dominant position, and she switches it up to punches as she claims full mount. Alpar turns over, and Blanchfield starts blasting her with punches and elbows from above. Alpar is able to get half guard back as she takes blows to the face, so Blanchfield opts to strike the midsection instead. Alpar holds on for dear life to keep “Cold Blooded” tight and stop the damage. Blanchfield sits up and drills Alpar with a few punches, before Alpar kicks off. Blanchfield scores several kicks to Alpar’s legs while Alpar is flat on her back, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Blanchfield
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Blanchfield
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Blanchfield

Round 2

Blanchfield comes out of her corner with a head kick, and Alpar swats at her with punches but Blanchfield walks through them to land a leg kick and a heavy combination. Blanchfield scores a front kick to the body and just misses with a superman punch, but she regains her footing and starts to peck away at her opponent with jabs. Blanchfield checks a kick and continues to land punches on the chin, and she mixes them up with a few head kicks to keep Alpar guessing. “Too Sweet” gets off a sweet left hand that backs Blanchfield off, but only for a moment, before Blanchfield press forward, lands a few punches and hits a takedown. Alpar falls to her seat with her back against the fence, and Blanchfield tries to slide around and take her back as she gets a single hook in. Blanchfield uses the odd position to knee Alpar in the ribs repeatedly, and Tognoni warns her to avoid the spine. Blanchfield slips her left arm around the chin as she sets up a rear-naked choke, and when that falls short, she strings together a long salvo of left hands. Blanchfield continues to pound on Alpar with these punches, and gets off another stinging knee to the side. “Cold Blooded” shows no mercy as she keeps on working ground-and-pound, and she bowls Alpar over to land more strikes. Blanchfield is able to land in half guard when she drags Alpar out away from the cage wall, and Alpar hangs on fight. Blanchfield grinds her elbow on the neck and face of her opponent as she makes Alpar’s life miserable, but her striking pace wanes as she tries to gain an advantageous position instead of deal damage. Blanchfield gets back to the three-quarter mount position, and she rains down blows until the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Blanchfield
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Blanchfield
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Blanchfield

Round 3

Despite likely being way down on the scorecards, Alpar is amped up and ready to fight in the third round. She reaches out with several right hands, and alternates rights to the head with lefts to the body. Blanchfield pounds her opponent’s body with a kick, and she rings Alpar up with punches. Alpar absorbs a leg kick and several punches as she backs up into the fence, and her own leg kicks cannot get Blanchfield off of her. Instead, Blanchfield wades forward into the melee and drills Alpar in the body with a knee. Blanchfield tries to drag Alpar down, but is content to work from inside the clinch. A break allows Alpar to blast Blanchfield in the face with a knee, surprising Blanchfield and making her take a moment to back off and gather her thoughts. Alpar appears energized from this, as she lands several punches and a few kicks for good measure. Blanchfield kicks the body, punches her way into close range and hits a body lock takedown to put Alpar flat on her back. “Cold Blooded” goes from half guard to side control without much effort, and Alpar spins and gets to her knees. Blanchfield fishes for a front choke when Alpar is kneeled down, but there is nothing there as Alpar sits up. Blanchfield climbs on to try to slide around to a back take, and she puts Alpar flat back down as she lands punches. Blanchfield sits up with about a minute to go to open up with punches, and Alpar survives and pulls her opponent back to half guard. Blanchfield pushes the legs off so that she can get back to side control on the other side, and Alpar is quick to push her feet off the cage. Blanchfield does not let her off the hook, squeezing down with an odd angled arm-triangle choke as Alpar twists and turns. With seconds to go, Blanchfield gains mount one last time and rains down punches, and Tognoni tells Alpar to fight back. She does just enough to survive to the final bell, but this was one-way traffic for the newcomer practically from beginning to end.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Blanchfield (30-25 Blanchfield)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Blanchfield (30-26 Blanchfield)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Blanchfield (30-26 Blanchfield)

The Official Result

Erin Blanchfield def. Sarah Alpar via Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-26)

J.P. Buys (136) vs. Montel Jackson (136)

Round 1

At bantamweight, Jackson (10-2, 4-2 UFC) will try to hold the line against former flyweight Buys (9-3, 0-1 UFC), with the former possessing a massive height and reach advantage over his South African foe. Referee Herb Dean will be ready to get in the middle of the action should something go awry, but there is a glove touch to demonstrate that there is no ill will between the two. Buys comes out quickly but backs off as Jackson walks him down, and Buys throws out a few punches and a leg kick in rapid succession. Jackson slaps them away and dodges a head kick that soars past his head, and he easily stuffs a diving takedown try. Jackson lands a heavy blow, and Buys again charges in to pursue a takedown. Jackson stops the first try, but when Buys redoubles his effort, he uses a body lock to put “Quik” flat on his back. Buys lands in half guard, and he takes full mount. Jackson times the pass to turn to his knees, and Buys latches on immediately for a rear-naked choke. Jackson fights the hands and frees his neck, but Buys is on him to punish him. Jackson decides to stand up, and doing so drops Buys off from him. Buys shoots in low for a takedown, and Jackson snags his neck with a guillotine choke that is cinched up tight. Buys struggles and scrambles well enough to get away, and as the two jockey for position, Jackson holds on to the back. Both men get back to their feet, and Jackson tags Buys with a right hand. Jackson ducks down just long enough for Buys to jump guard with a guillotine choke of his own, and he uses the choke attempt to take mount until Jackson rolls him over. “Young Savage” rolls for an armbar from his back, and Jackson punches his way out of the danger while Buys wraps his legs around his head. Buys gives up his back so that he can stand up as they continue to scramble, and Jackson pressures him down and knees him in the side of the head. Jackson knees the thigh several times from behind until this furiously paced round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jackson
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Jackson
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Buys

Round 2

Before the round begins, Dean sternly warns Buys from grabbing the fence, as he did so in the previous round to stop a takedown try. Jackson walks forward when the second frame begins to kick his man in the body. When Buys tries to clinch up, Jackson grabs the hand and blasts his opponent in the face with a few left hands. The first hurts him, and the second sends him crashing to the ground. Jackson climbs on top, but he cannot do anything with it as Buys fights back to his feet. Buys looks to threaten with a kimura, and he bails on it to jump up for a guillotine choke. Jackson carries him across the cage like a sack of potatoes, but he does not slam him down in a Hughesian fashion. Instead, he use the opposite wall to scrap Buys off from the choke, so that he can put Buys down on the floor head-first. Jackson lands sporadic ground strikes as he nullifies his grappling-friendly foe, and Buys holds on tight so that few can land. This position provides a stalemate, until Buys powers back to his feet and gets kneed in the face. Jackson holds an arm around Buys’ back as he tries to land knees and drag him back down, and Buys furiously squirms like an angry toddler until he breaks free. Jackson catches a body kick, and he counters with a right hand out of the Anderson Silva playbook to put Buys down to the ground. Jackson lets him back up instead of diving down into his guard, and Buys thanks him with a kick that is not caught. Buys looks to close the distance, and Jackson uses Buys’ momentum against him to trip him down to the mat. Buys defends with heel strikes to the gluteus maximus and holds on to a kimura from his back, and when the clapper sounds, Buys shakes his head. The round ends in this position.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jackson
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Jackson
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Jackson

Round 3

The gloves are touched to clock in the last stanza, and Buys begins the attack with a front kick up the middle. Jackson answers him with a stiff one-two, and Buys points to his elbow mockingly and gets clocked with a one-two that sends him flying to the ground. Jackson considers stepping over to the guard to end the fight, but after a few strikes, he stands back up and lets Buys up. Jackson clips Buys with another right hand, forcing Buys to clinch up. Jackson tries to get off a knee to the body, but it clatters off the knee and draws a break. Only 40 seconds pass before Buys is good to resume, and they miss touching gloves and have to do it a second time to make it “official.” Jackson sits Buys down with a vicious right hand, and he may have set a record for the most knockdowns in a fight for a bantamweight in the process. Jackson lets him back up so that he can work him over with strikes, until Buys grabs on to him and gets pulled to the canvas. The action stalls out from this position as Buys holds on to guard, and he shifts to butterfly guard before closing it back up. When Buys aims for a submission try, Jackson punches himself out of the position to the body and head. Buys then pulls for a kimura to sweep position, and Jackson claims that Buys is holding his gloves. Jackson punches the body a few times to soften him up, but Buys is still locked on to that kimura from his back. Jackson uses his knee to disallow Buys from advancing the two-on-one wrist lock to a dangerous place, and the fight comes to an end.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jackson (30-27 Jackson)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Jackson (30-27 Jackson)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Jackson (29-28 Jackson)

The Official Result

Montel Jackson def. J.P. Buys via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Zhu Rong (158)* vs. Brandon Jenkins (155.5)

Round 1

On extremely short notice, 21-year-old Chinese prospect Rong (17-4, 0-1 UFC) now finds himself taking on “The Human Highlight Reel” Jenkins (15-7, 0-0 UFC) instead of his previously planned opponent of Dakota “Hairy” Bush. Rong did miss weight for the fight, coming in two pounds heavy, and he apologizes with a glove touch as the two come together before referee Chris Tognoni. Right before the fight starts, Tognoni has someone toss a rag in the cage to clean up a large wet spot. Tognoni boots the rag out of the cage and the fight begins, with Rong attacking first. Rong lands a punch or two, and Jenkins backs off to land several leg kicks. He scores a few punches, and a kick bounces off the cup. Rong tells Tognoni he does not need a break, and Jenkins apologizes. The fighters trade leg kicks, and Jenkins mixes things up entirely with an axe kick. The legs continue to get kicked, with this strike the primary mode of offense thus far for both men. Jenkins sticks out a few jabs and a leg kick, and Rong responds with a pair of hooks that back Jenkins off. “The Human Highlight Reel” looks to emulate recent success by leaping forward with a flying knee, but Rong sees it coming and stops it. The Chinese fighter blasts Jenkins in the face with a right hand, sending him staggering but grinning back to the wall. Jenkins recovers and slaps out several leg kicks, and when one lands, Rong gives him a thumbs-up. Rong walks through jabs to throw a few hooks, and Jenkins spins with a kick. Rong comes in close enough to avoid the strike, and as soon as Jenkins sets his legs down, he smokes Jenkins with a right hand. The American falls to the ground in a daze, and he protects himself from most of the strikes that come at him while on his back. Rong gets a few elbows in before Jenkins scrambles back to his feet. Rong takes his back and looks to set a choke up, and he gets away with a fence grab. Jenkins gets pushed over and eats a ferocious right hand from above that shakes the cobwebs loose. Jenkins turns around on his seat as Rong pounds on him with strikes, and Rong nails him with two standing-to-ground punches to the body and head. When Jenkins climbs back to his feet, Rong greets him with an elbow, and the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rong
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Rong
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Rong

Round 2

Jenkins nods and offers a glove touch, and Rong obliges and dodges a jump knee into a spinning kick. Rong counters a strike with two heavy punches, pressing the newcomer back to the wall. Rong lifts Jenkins’ leg in the air to put him down, and Jenkins gets up thanks to a sneaky fence grab. Rong is on him as Jenkins tries to find space, and he keeps holding tight when Jenkins snags hold of the wall a few more times. When Rong gets him down, Jenkins gets up by pulling on the wire. Rong hits a double to put Jenkins flat on the floor, and Jenkins closes his guard before looking for some submission angle on his back. The 21-year-old ignores any setup so that he can pound on Jenkins with punches and elbows, and he uses a few strikes to pass guard while keeping Jenkins pressed against the wall. Jenkins kicks off and glances an upkick off the chin, but Rong is not concerned as he leans back down into the guard. Jenkins does everything he can from his back to kick off, and the Chinese fighter gloms on to him and takes his back. With one hook in, Rong looks for a rear-naked choke, and Jenkins gets to a knee while defending it only to get pulled right back down. Rong slices over to mount, and as soon as he does, Jenkins kicks off the cage wall. Rong lands several punches to the back of the head as this uncalled foul-filled fight continues, and Jenkins rolls through it to take top position miraculously. Rong stands up and gets kneed in the face, and Rong shakes it off and turns around to throw heavy punches and elbows. Tognoni tells Jenkins to defend himself, so Jenkins jumps in the air with a flying knee. Both men trade heavy punches, and Jenkins eats two to spin with a back fist right before the buzzer.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rong
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Rong
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Rong

Round 3

There is a glove touch to begin the last round, and Jenkins starts with a few punches to the body and head. He lands a crisp right hand up top, and Rong reels and boots him in the belly. “The Human Highlight Reel” swings with everything he has left, with low kicks and punches, but Rong is so not concerned about the strikes that he lets Jenkins come back to the center of the cage to brawl with him. Rong knocks Jenkins back with a right hand, and he backs away again to let Jenkins back into it. Rong ducks down for a body shot, and Jenkins spins with a back fist that makes him fall off-balance. The fighter from China bowls him over and hops into his guard, but Jenkins is quick to scramble and get to his knees and back up. Rong pulls him back down, and he starts working Jenkins on the side of the head with punches. A successful no-look elbow from behind surprises Rong, allowing Jenkins to buck the back control that Rong was hunting for so that he could try to get back up. Rong pounces back down, and he grabs the cage to hold Jenkins down as Tognoni slaps his hand away. Jenkins stands back up as Rong holds on to his back, and he gets yanked right back down as he reaches out to any fence that can keep him up. Rong gets in a hook as he aims for back control, and Jenkins smiles and laughs even while Rong is slugging him with punches. Rong lands punches and forces a scramble, allowing him to get on top to land punches from above. Rong starts smashing Jenkins with punches, and he stops so that he can shake his finger to his corner. Tognoni tells Jenkins to fight back as Rong wails into him, and Rong rides his back and punches him with undercuts – that is, uppercuts that go under the armpit, a la Dan Henderson to Fedor Emelianenko. A few more punches from Rong are enough for Tognoni to call it, and Jenkins gets to his knees confused about the stoppage. Tognoni explains that he has taken enough damage, and some might dispute whether a stoppage was merited.

The Official Result

Zhu Rong def. Brandon Jenkins R3 4:35 via TKO (Punches)

Pannie Kianzad (136) vs. Raquel Pennington (135.5)

Round 1

Buried on the prelims is a ranked bantamweight battle between the UFC’s #12 135er in Kianzad (15-5, 4-2 UFC) against ex-title challenger Pennington (11-8, 8-5 UFC). The line of this bout going to decision is high at -340, and the numbers back that up with 27 of their combined 39 bouts reaching the scorecards including each woman’s last four appearances. Ready for whatever comes is referee Mark Smith, and the two do not touch gloves before throwing down. Pennington darts in with a punch, and Kianzad counters her. Pennington does not like this, so she rushes in to clinch in a hurry. Pennington holds tight as Kianzad looks for separation, and she turns Pennington around thanks to a stern knee to the body. The two fight for position tightly pressed in the clinch, trading knees here and there, until Kianzad suddenly hits a trip and drops Pennington a knee. Kianzad holds on to a seat belt type position with an arm around the back, leading Pennington to lift her foe’s leg up. She sets it down when she cannot get Kianzad down, and she drops low for a takedown try. Kianzad tries to frame off and get a few knees off, and she does this with a left hand and a knee to the midsection. Pennington sets up a Thai plum and belts Kianzad with uppercuts, but Kianzad ignores them as she elbows her opponent. Kianzad gets off a big knee, and Pennington returns fire with the same blow. Pennington lifts a knee up to stifle body blows, and Kianzad considers using it for a takedown but abandons it so that she can knee on the other side. Kianzad tees off on Pennington with short punches, and Pennington turns her around so that she can knee her back. “Rocky” pursues a single, but she cannot get Kianzad down. The clinch resumes just as soon as it breaks, and Kianzad knees her adversary in the midsection. The round ends in this tightly wrapped standing position.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kianzad
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Kianzad
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kianzad

Round 2

With no gloves touched, Pennington instead springs forward with a superman punch that dings Kianzad on the chin. Kianzad grabs hold of her and turns her to the wire, where we resume the position that we left the previous round. Smith already calls for action after 40 seconds, so Kianzad lets it rip with knees on the inside and punches. Pennington breaks off and reaches out with a left hand, but Kianzad sticks it, moves and counters. Pennington wades back into the clinch, and Kianzad stings her with an elbow after a pause. “Banzai” pushes away and lands a trio of punches, and Pennington charges ahead with a few jabs before clinching up again. Pennington does work on the inside with short punches, before ripping Kianzad’s leg out beneath her and putting the Swede on her back. Kianzad is quick to set up a triangle choke from her back, but Pennington ignores it and pushes the legs away so that she can land punches. Kianzad goes for the triangle again, holding on to Pennington’s arms to keep her from throwing. When Pennington stops this, Kianzad kicks off, and in the process, she gives up her back. The former title challenger gets her hooks in, but nothing comes of it. A lull in activity allows Kianzad to scramble, but the woman formerly known as “Sexy Scramble” may have fallen into a trap as Pennington follows her every step of the way to wind up on top. Although Kianzad gets up, Pennington keeps her pressed to the cage. A few punches from Kianzad to the body end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pennington

Round 3

The final frame begins with the two women wanting to trade at a distance. Both land body kicks, and they reach out with jabs. Kianzad spins with a back fist, and Pennington is able to avoid it just in time. “Rocky” pushes in to tie her Swedish adversary up, and they jockey for position against the wire with dirty boxing traded between them. Pennington lands a thumping knee to the body, and Kianzad eventually makes her way free from her back on the wall. Pennington follows her with a few punches, and she pushes Kianzad into the other side of the fence. The two slash at one another with elbows as they remain in close range, and Pennington ducks down with a left hand. She follows it with a one-two that staggers Kianzad, and Pennington ignores a standing guillotine choke setup to mash Kianzad into the fencing. Kianzad frames her up with an elbow and a few knees, allowing her to get some space. Pennington gives chase, and she leaps ahead with a superman punch so that she can enter clinch position again across the cage. Kianzad knees the body to force a separation, and she steps in with a knee up the middle that Pennington takes flush. “Rocky” gets off a front kick on the chin, and she grabs hold of Kianzad. When she tries to let go to find a better angle, Kianzad hangs on and smacks her a few times. As Pennington goes low with a kick, Kianzad strings a few punches together. Pennington charges from one side of the cage to the other so that she can engage and latch on to her foe, but Kianzad sees it coming and counters her with a knee. The women go from clinch to fighting in a phone booth, and Pennington hurts Kianzad with a few right hands. Kianzad stumbles back across the cage, and before Pennington can reach her, the final bell sounds. This was a close one, and it would not be surprising if either woman gets her hand raised.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pennington (29-28 Pennington)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pennington (29-28 Pennington)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pennington (29-28 Pennington)

The Official Result

Raquel Pennington def. Pannie Kianzad via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Tafon Nchukwi (204.5) vs. Mike Rodriguez (202)

Round 1

Put an end to the preliminary card is a light heavyweight banger with two brawlers in Rodriguez (11-6, 1 NC; 2-4, 1 NC UFC) and Nchukwi (5-1, 1-1 UFC) that both post knockout rates at or above 80%. Referee Herb Dean has his eyes peeled for the potential violence that is about to ensue in the cage, and the gloves are touched before they are hurled at one another. Nchukwi reaches out first with a right hand, and Rodriguez circles away and tries to stick out a few jabs. Nchukwi loads up on a punch to the body, and a leg kick comes up short as well. “Slow” lances the body with a slow front kick with his toes outstretched, and Nchukwi crashes forward and clinches up to push his foe into the wall. Rodriguez fights back with a few high knees, and Nchukwi starts swinging hammers one after the other with Rodriguez’ back against the wire. Rodriguez tries to defend with a knee up the middle and an elbow, and Nchukwi gives him two elbows right back that stand up straight up. Nchukwi rips a few elbows from very close range as he works on Rodriguez in the clinch, getting shots off to the body. Rodriguez is able to get Nchukwi off of him with a knee and a solid right hand, but Nchukwi does not appear flustered by it. “Slow” utilizes a quick jab to decent effect, breaking up the oncoming blows from the shorter Cameroonian. Nchukwi muscles his way forward and sweeps Rodriguez’ leg out beneath him to put him on his back hard. In half guard, Nchukwi sits up and hacks with elbows and slams him in the face with punches. The American turns to his knees and avoids most of the heavier blows, and he works his way back up to his feet only to be elevated and tossed back down to the floor. Rodriguez walks up the cage to stand, and Nchukwi grabs hold of him to keep him mashed against the wall in the clinch. Nchukwi elbows him a few times with short but powerful shots, and Rodriguez cannot get space to let loose with his longer limbs. Nchukwi sits back so that he can throw bombs, and he does so to the body and head as Rodriguez winces but gets some space. As Nchukwi advances, Rodriguez picks him off with a few punches, and they grab hold of one another right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nchukwi
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Nchukwi
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Nchukwi

Round 2

Gloves are touched by the light heavyweights to resume the festivities, and Nchukwi strikes first in the form of a low leg kick. Rodriguez is ready to get his jab going again, and he keeps a safe range to avoid a pair of strikes that come up short. Nchukwi ducks down and tries to throw bombs, but Rodriguez sticks and moves to stay at his preferred distance. Nchukwi steps forward and cracks him with a left hand, and this slows him enough so that Nchukwi can follow after him and unload to the body. Rodriguez gets off a one-two, and Nchukwi does not even budge. Rodriguez kicks the lead leg as Nchukwi barrels down on him, and Nchukwi decides he can do that do so he hammers Rodriguez’ leg with a kick. Nchukwi attacks with a salvo of punches until they tie up against the fencing, and both are taking deep breaths. A pair of short knees to the thigh lead to four power punches from Nchukwi, and this forces Rodriguez to act, breaking free of the dangerous clinch. Rodriguez gets jabbed when he chops at the leg, and takes a few glancing blows so that he can kick at Nchukwi’s leg again. Rodriguez rolls just enough to not take the brunt of a huge left hand, and Rodriguez sticks him with an uppercut up the middle. Enraged, Nchukwi gives chase and bullies Rodriguez back with a barrage of battering blows. In the midst of his combination, Nchukwi scores a spinning back elbow that beans the Beantown native, but Rodriguez stays upright. When Nchukwi tries to punish him on the inside, Rodriguez is able to circle away just in time. Nchukwi walks him down and throws heavy hooks, but the speed of these strikes is diminishing, allowing Rodriguez to snap out quicker punches. Nchukwi does not seem concerned when he absorbs strikes to his chin, and instead loads up with a left hand that could have knocked out a bull moose. Somehow, Rodriguez takes it cleanly and remains upright at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nchukwi
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Nchukwi
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Nchukwi

Round 3

Both men meet in the center of the cage and touch hands before getting after it. They both land cleanly with heavy strikes, one after the other, and Nchukwi’s appear to have more impact as Rodriguez gets knocked back when taking them. Rodriguez backs off and pumps out the jab a few times, but Nchukwi bears down on him so that he can tie him up and jump up with a knee. Rodriguez pushes him off, and Nchukwi swarms him with wild punches. A right and a left pound into Rodriguez’ jaw, but the Massachusetts representative has a solid chin as he takes them cleanly. Nchukwi pours it on with everything he has, and a few punches hit Rodriguez so hard that his mouth starts bleeding and stays open. Rodriguez does not seem concerned, as he reaches out with left hands. Nchukwi crashes in, throws heavy punches, and backs off. When he backs off, Rodriguez peppers him with a few jabs, and one jab stops a looping punch. Two massive left hands connect about as cleanly as they could on the beard of Rodriguez, and Rodriguez continues to take punishment and fire back. Nchukwi rips the body with a right hand, and Rodriguez counters him with a sharp left hand. He follows the counter with a front kick and a few punches, but Nchukwi is ready to come back at him with a loud leg kick and a leaping right hook. Nchukwi walks through punches so that he can push into the clinch, and he knees Rodriguez a few times up close. Rodriguez pushes away from Nchukwi’s face, and Nchukwi thanks him for this by uppercutting him. Rodriguez starts to power up, with a one-two, and then a three-punch combination followed by a knee up the middle. Nchukwi’s non-reaction makes Rodriguez frustrated, who tries to dodge power shots so that he can tag Nchukwi with longer, rangier shots. With seconds left in the round, Nchukwi ducks down and hits a takedown, putting Rodriguez on his back to ride out the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nchukwi (30-27 Nchukwi)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Nchukwi (30-27 Nchukwi)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Nchukwi (30-27 Nchukwi)

The Official Result

Tafon Nchukwi def. Mike Rodriguez via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Antonio Arroyo (186) vs. Joaquin Buckley (184.5)

Round 1

The main card opener should begin with a bang, as the UFC puts the win-or-lose highlight-reel creator Buckley (12-4, 2-2 UFC) against durable Brazilian Arroyo (9-4, 0-2 UFC). All of Buckley’s stoppage wins have come by knockout, while Arroyo has never been stopped with strikes. On the other hand, Arroyo has recorded his last few finishes by submission, and Buckley has never been tapped. Anything could happen, and referee Mark Smith has his head on a swivel for the middleweight action. They do not touch gloves, and Buckley hops forward and sweeps with a low kick that comes up short. A subsequent kick scores, and he tries to plant a side kick to the midsection but Arroyo is well out of the way. The Brazilian spins with a sudden wheel kick, and Buckley sees it coming and gets out of the way. Both men swing and miss with powerful strikes, until Buckley lands kicks on the in and outside of his foe’s leg. Arroyo lands a straight right hand that sends “New Mansa” flying back to the cage, but it appears to have been a stumble and not from the damaging blow. Buckley comes back with a head kick, and they both miss with head kicks that would separate their heads from their respective shoulders. Buckley ducks square into a front kick as he unleashes a right hand, but it is Arroyo that falls to his back after delivering the blow. The Brazilian uses an upkick to back Buckley away, and he gets back to his feet. The power strikes are inaccurate towards one another, and an inside leg kick from Buckley slaps into Arroyo’s cup. Arroyo centers himself after 30 seconds, and the fight resumes as they touch hands. Arroyo goes after a low kick and then follows it with a high kick, and Buckley absorbs some of it and wears it well. “New Mansa” lets loose with a head kick that is at least a foot off the mark, but his inside calf kick connects cleanly. Arroyo steps in with a side kick to the knee, leading Buckley to respond with a question mark kick. Arroyo times an advancing Buckley to sit down on a high kick that nails Buckley in the chest. Buckley tries to get off a flying knee, but midair, Arroyo pushes him back. Buckley goes after a kick, and he falls over as he misses. Arroyo tries to get on top and work him over, but Buckley springs back to his feet and blocks a head kick that comes right after. The American suddenly changes levels, drags Arroyo down to a knee, but cannot keep him there before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Arroyo
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Arroyo
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Arroyo

Round 2

Buckley comes out of his corner charging, but all he comes up with is a leg kick. Arroyo pays him one back, so Buckley springs to action with one more. Buckley strides ahead with a pair of jabs to the longer man, and he flings a head kick that is easily blocked. The middleweights go tit-for-tat with leg kicks, and their head kicks are either protected or avoided entirely. Buckley turns his hips into an inside leg kick, causing a momentary grimace on the face of the Brazilian as his thigh turns a brilliant shade of red. As Arroyo tries to back off, he goes for a back kick, and the kick clacks into Buckley’s cup. Buckley does not want to slow down, so he waves the foul off and continues pushing forward with short combinations. One salvo of strikes leads them to clinch up, and Arroyo backs him off with a knee to the sternum. Arroyo keeps his hands down and he lands a leg kick, following it up with a stiff jab as his hands go back to his waist. His feints have Buckley jumping away from him, and Buckley finally bites down to attack and is forced to block a high kick. Buckley tries to launch one back at him, but when it comes up hitting air, he whacks the lead leg. Buckley advances, and Arroyo times a perfect flying knee that collides directly into his chin. “New Mansa” eats it like St. Louis barbeque and presses in to clinch, but nothing can come from it. Buckley backs off as Arroyo stands, seemingly bored, in the center of the cage. The round ends as Arroyo goes for a jumping switch kick, only to pull it back before it connects so that it does not land after the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Arroyo
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Arroyo
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Arroyo

Round 3

Arroyo offers a touch of gloves, but Buckley is not interested in that. Instead, he chops down the inside thigh of his opponent, and Arroyo nearly falls over reaching after him with something. Buckley steps in with a head kick, but he cannot get it high enough to land where he intends. Buckley fires a heavy leg kick, and it gets checked as he takes a funny step. Suddenly, Buckley shoots in for a takedown, and Arroyo stuffs it and circles around to take his back. Buckley explodes back to his feet and lands a right hand, and Arroyo backs him off with a low kick. As a hematoma forms around his right temple, Buckley blitzes forward with looping right hooks, and a sharper, short left hand surprises “New Mansa.” The American continues to attack, keeping Arroyo on his heels and forced to defend. Buckley wings a right hand that goes around the side of Arroyo’s head, hurting him, and an uppercut practically lifts Arroyo off the ground before sending him face-down to the ground. Buckley knows this is his moment, so with everything he has left, he leaps down and pummels Arroyo with right hammerfists. The sledgehammers continue to lay waste to Arroyo until he goes limp with his hands at his sides. Smith recognizes that the Brazilian is out, and he rushes in to stop the fight. Very possibly down on the scorecards, Buckley scores yet another fantastic knockout, doing so against an opponent that had never before been knocked out.

The Official Result

Joaquin Buckley def. Antonio Arroyo R3 2:26 via KO (Punches)

Tony Gravely (135.5) vs. Nathan Maness (135)

Round 1

The magic word for this potential bantamweight brawl is “Mayhem,” which is appropriate since it is the nickname of the once-beaten Maness (13-1, 2-0 UFC). He finds himself in the cage against Gravely (21-6, 2-1 UFC), who dropped his UFC debut and then rattled off a pair of wins. Referee Keith Peterson clears the Octagon of all nonsense left strewn about, and the gloves get touched before fists and feet go flying. Gravely is the first to strike, using a body kick to solid effect. Gravely then kicks low, and he backs away when Maness tries to pay him back. Gravely stings his opponent with a right hand to make “Mayhem” retreat, and he steps in with a knee. Maness returns fire with a right hand, and he checks a leg kick before Gravely shoots in on him for a double. Maness stuffs it with ease and pushes away, where he sticks out a jab and evades a body kick. Although two punches from Gravely come up short, a leg kick does land for him. Gravely puts on the pressure, landing leg kicks and working the body all while avoiding jabs. Gravely has a high kick blocked, and he tags Gravely with an uppercut. Maness takes it square on the jaw and counters with a right hand, but Gravely is there to greet him with a right hand and a takedown try. Maness gets back to his feet as Gravely tries to set up a choke, and suddenly reverses the position and hits his own takedown to put Gravely on the ground for a moment. Gravely blasts back up to his feet, and he strings a few punches together to close the distance and allow him to pursue a body lock. The two jockey for position as they stay tightly pressed to the wall, with Gravely landing short punches to the body as Maness tries to fight out. Maness lifts Gravely up with a knee to the chest, which allows him to back away. Maness times a right hand as Gravely advances for a takedown, stunning Gravely but not stopping the takedown in its tracks. Instead, Gravely crashes in to squeeze Maness into the wire, and he lands a few punches and a leg kick when Maness pushes him back. Maness counters a body kick with a huge overhand left, and Gravely eats it like a steak. Maness pushes out a jab, and Gravely sits down on a right hand and knocks “Mayhem” down to the ground in a crumpled heap. Gravely slams him in the face with a few punches to try to finish the job, and Maness is saved by the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Gravely
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Gravely
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Gravely

Round 2

Maness appears at least partially recovered coming into the round, but Gravely does not let him off the hook as he advances and starts to slug Maness in the face with vicious punches. The Virginian knocks Maness around with his blows, until Maness is able to tie him up. He hands on just long enough until Gravely can break off and try to lay into him with wild punches. Maness stuffs a takedown try and threatens with a choke attempt, but Gravely breaks the grip and stands back up. Maness sticks out a few jabs as Gravely is more interested in throwing haymakers, and Maness slips a punch and slings a right hand that catches Gravely right on the button. Gravely's eyes roll around in his head as he stumbles back and falls to the ground, and Maness gives chase. "Mayhem" unleashes the mayhem with jackhammering fists into the side of Gravely’s head again and again until Gravely goes out for a moment. A few more punches actually wake Gravely back up, and Peterson has seen enough. What a comeback, and what a fight!

The Official Result

Nathan Maness def. Tony Gravely R2 2:10 via TKO (Punches)

Christos Giagos (155.5) vs. Arman Tsarukyan (155.5)

Round 1

Ten fights are in the book so far, and the next one comes at lightweight between the resurgent “Ahalkalakets” – that is his nickname – Tsarukyan (16-2, 3-1 UFC) against “The Spartan” Giagos (19-8, 5-4 UFC) on the latter’s second, far more successful UFC stint. Drawing the assignment for this 155-pound affair is referee Herb Dean, and gloves are touched prior to being traded. Tsarukyan keeps his left hand outstretched as he plods forward, stalking Giagos down right out of the gate. Tsarukyan slips a punch and lands two, following the brief combination with a head kick. Tsarukyan avoids a huge right hand as he suddenly changes levels into a takedown, but in the ensuing scramble, it is “The Spartan” who comes out on top. Tsarukyan scoots his backside to the fence, as Giagos has his hands locked around Tsarukyan’s waist. Tsarukyan walks up to his feet without taking a blow, and Giagos claims that Tsarukyan is grabbing his glove. Giagos gets off a heavy elbow on the break from the clinch, and he cautiously reaches out with several jabs. Tsarukyan lets a head kick fly, and he staggers Giagos with a left hand right after blocking a kick. Giagos does not quite realize that he is in the danger zone, as he falls back towards the wall and down to his knees. “Ahalkalakets” punishes his man with hellacious strikes, railing into him with vicious right hands that put Giagos’ lights out and switch them back on as he continues to land them. Dean sees that Giagos is no longer defending himself, intelligently or otherwise, and he steps in to save Giagos from further damage. In victory, Tsarukyan earns his first stoppage win in over three years, and he tells Sean Shelby that he is ready for higher opposition, calling out Dan Hooker or offering to face Nasrat Haqparast as Hooker is currently dealing with visa issues ahead of his fight next week.

The Official Result

Arman Tsarukyan def. Christos Giagos R1 2:09 via TKO (Punches)

Mandy Bohm (125.5) vs. Ariane Lipski (126)

Round 1

Even though a ranked women’s match where both hold UFC records well above .500 were fighting on this card, instead the “featured fight of the night” slot goes to the “Queen of Violence” Lipski (13-7, 2-4 UFC) against German newcomer Bohm (7-0, 1 NC; 0-0 UFC). Referee Mark Smith clocks them in without a glove touch, and instead leg kicks from both women. Lipski lands a few punches, and Bohm raises her arms like a Diaz brother to signal the strikes meant nothing to her. Lipski avoids a left hand to walk in with a few on the inside, and she dodges a leg kick to score one on Bohm. When Bohm tries to crash forward and hit a takedown, Lipski reverses her and throws the German woman on her back. Bohm is able to spring back up, but when she pursues another takedown, Lipski pushes her down and takes full mount. Bohm is able to recover full guard, and she tightens up the body triangle from off her back. Lipski tries to slash her way to break free with elbows, and Bohm is forced flat on her back as she absorbs these strikes. Bohm continues to hold the leg grip around the waist to possibly draw a standup from Smith, and an elbow from the Brazilian shakes Bohm up and makes her stand up on her own. Bohm does this by kicking off, and she takes a right hand as she gets to her feet. Both women grin at the other after they load up on strikes, and a head kick gets blocked but still does some damage on Bohm. “Queen of Violence” follows it up with a ferocious right hand, and she chains several together to hurt Bohm and force Bohm to clinch up with her. With her back against the wall, Bohm slaps Lipski on the side of the head, and Lipski does not react. Instead, Lipski drills Bohm in the body with a trio of knees, forcing Bohm to push off. A long left hand from Bohm gets countered, and when Lipski finishes striking, Bohm gives her a punch back. Lipski slips a punch and smacks Bohm with a left hand right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lipski
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lipski
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lipski

Round 2

Both women come together to land body shots – punches, not beverages – and they separate as Lipski takes the center of the Octagon. Bohm sticks out a few slow jabs to get her range, and she just barely ducks a looping right hand that brushes past her hair. Lipski walks through a jab to try to smash Bohm in the face with an overhand right, and she flips up a head kick from the other side. Lipski stings Bohm with a right hand, but before she can do any more with it, Bohm pokes her a few times with jabs. Lipski chops down low with a kick as she tries to close in with hooks, and Bohm catches her with a leg kick and a left hand. The jabs have marked Lipski’s right eye up to a small degree, but she pays them no mind as she targets the body. Bohm tries to grab hold of her and force a takedown, and Lipski grabs her arm and aims a left hand that just misses. They come together in a clinch, and Lipski is the one who strikes by landing knees to the body. “Queen of Violence” puts a combination together that is punctuated with a head kick, and Bohm’s offense dwindles to single jabs or slapping leg kicks. The few jabs are enough to get Lipski’s attention, and the Brazilian rushes in to clinch up with her and pull Bohm’s head down. She does this to blast Bohm in the face with several crisp knees, and Bohm wriggles her neck free so that she stops taking them flush. Lipski paws out a few left hands after they break, and she times a straight right hand down the pipe that makes Bohm blink several times. Bohm swings and misses wildly, as Lipski continues to walk her down and land to the body. A huge right hand from Lipski drops Bohm on her back, and Lipski follows her to the canvas in search of a finish. Bohm threatens with a triangle choke setup, but Lipski blows past that to get to north-south position. Before she can link a choke up, the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lipski
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lipski
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lipski

Round 3

The two women touch gloves to start out the last round, and Lipski marches forward to throw hands. Lipski scores a clean head kick that busts Bohm’s nose up, and Bohm suddenly charges ahead with a flying knee that bounces off the chest. “Queen of Violence” digs the body with punches, and Bohm starts pouring it on with punch-to-head kick combinations. Lipski kicks at the lead leg a few times, doing enough damage to make Bohm lift her leg up from the damage. Lipski sits back as she swats with a few low kicks, and she slips a punch to land a right hand on the bleeding nose of her opponent. Bohm eats a body shot like a plate of schnitzel as Lipski lands practically at will. Lipski slips and rips a left to the body and a right to the head that hurts Bohm badly, and Bohm’s legs betray her in a way that could force an immediate stoppage. Smith allows Bohm to fight her way out of it, with Lipski pounding on her with hammerfists. Bohm manages to survive, and Lipski backs out of her guard to force her to stand back up. Lipski kicks her in the body, stops Bohm from catching it, and bowls Bohm back to the canvas in side control. Bohm pulls her back to half guard as she gets elbowed to the face several times, with Lipski looking to set a choke up but pulling it back when she stands back up and welcomes Bohm to stand again. Bohm closes in to clinch, and Lipski slugs it out with her to the body and head. Bohm gives strikes right back to her, and the flyweights trade leather right to the final bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Lipski (30-26 Lipski)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Lipski (30-26 Lipski)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Lipski (30-26 Lipski)

The Official Result

Ariane Lipski def. Mandy Bohm via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Devin Clark (206) vs. Ion Cutelaba (205)

Round 1

In the co-main event, we have reached the age-old question of whether “The Hulk” could take on a bear. Soon, in front of referee Keith Peterson, we will have our answer when “The Hulk” Cutelaba (15-6-1, 1 NC; 4-5-1 UFC) meets “Brown Bear” Clark (12-5, 6-5 UFC) in the center of the Octagon. There is no interest in a glove touch from the light heavyweights and nonsense is left to a minimum, as Cutelaba just wants to smash. Cutelaba starts off with a spinning back fist, and Clark rushes in and hits an early takedown to drag Cutelaba down to the canvas. The Moldovan gets right back to his feet without much effort, and Clark grinds him into the wall to try to get him back down. Cutelaba blocks a takedown try with a high knee, and he uses the other to thump on Clark’s chest a few times. Cutelaba pushes away with a heavy knee, and he rushes after Clark with a body kick. Clark swings and misses with a counter, but he does get a kick off to Cutelaba’s heavy plant leg. Cutelaba paws out with a few jabs as he corks back a right hand, and he tries to block a low kick as he slowly works his way in. Clark just misses landing a hook kick, and he strides ahead to pop Cutelaba in the chops with a head kick. “The Hulk” does not register the blow, and instead stalks Clark down before jumping ahead with a thudding knee. Clark circles away so that he can chop down Cutelaba’s leg, much to the delight of his father. Cutelaba winds up with his thunderous right hand, and Clark falls to the ground lifelessly. As Cutelaba comes after him to hammer the nail, Clark comes to and is able to block the follow-up ground-and-pound. Peterson tells Clark to defend himself, and Clark survives by grabbing on to one of Cutelaba’s arms. Cutelaba slugs him in the face a few times and lands a solid knee on the chin as well with Clark leaning against the cage. Cutelaba tries to strip his foe’s legs out beneath him, and Clark grabs the fence to stay upright. Peterson slaps his hand away and Cutelaba brings him back down. Clark, on his knees, gets smashed repeatedly with heavy punches. Clark stands up, and Cutelaba wrenches him back down to take full mount. “The Hulk” smashes with elbows and thunderous punches, and Clark miraculously makes it to the first buzzer.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Cutelaba
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Cutelaba
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Cutelaba

Round 2

Clark rises from off his back like the Undertaker between rounds, and he recovers enough to make it into the second round. Clark walks forward to pursue a takedown, and Cutelaba sees it coming and wings a right hand that just misses. Clark composes himself with multiple leg kicks, and he just manages to escape a big right hand that soars past his chin. Cutelaba counters Clark coming in with a check left hook, and Clark scores a high leg kick. “The Hulk” charges ahead with a bullying takedown, and he practically lands in full mount. Clark holds on for dear life on Cutelaba’s shoulders, keeping him close so that he cannot get off the brutal blows that he ate at the end of the last round. Cutelaba sits up in a high mount with slashing elbows, and Clark protects his mug from some of them but others get through. Cutelaba opts against spending his gas tank by forcing a finishing sequence, instead sitting up every so often to hack with elbows. Clark tries to kick off, bucking and flailing with his legs, but the Moldovan is a 205-pound cement block with jagged edges sitting on his abdomen. Clark kicks off suddenly, turning around just enough to escape out the back door as Cutelaba looks to tie an arm down for a possible submission. Clark spins with a kick that is telegraphed and several feet away from his intended target. Cutelaba powers his way forward to press Clark into the fencing, and he knees Clark in the face before tripping his leg out again. Clark is able to stay upright this time, but he takes another knee that opens a cut. Cutelaba wrests him down to the ground again, and Clark once more gets to a knee and to his feet. Cutelaba grinds with his full body weight, as if he were trying to mash Clark through the wire like he was made of Play-do. The horn sounds, and Clark shouts a loud expletive.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Cutelaba
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Cutelaba
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Cutelaba

Round 3

The doctors come in to check on Clark between rounds, with parts of his lower jaw smashed and his vision struggling. “Brown Bear” is cleared to continue, and he thanks the doctors and Peterson for allowing him to continue by shooting in for a takedown. He nearly lifts Cutelaba off the ground, but Cutelaba ultimately keeps his balance and breaks free. Instead of laying into Clark with strikes, he takes him back down and puts Clark flat on his back. When Cutelaba tries to advance position and reclaim mount, Clark bucks him off and ambles back to his feet. Cutelaba keeps him pressed into the chain-link fence, and Clark looks for a takedown and almost trips Cutelaba to his back. Instead, the Moldovan reverses the position and puts Clark down to the mat. With Clark stacked up, Cutelaba sits on top of him and pins an arm under his knee. With his right hand free, Cutelaba slams his fist into Clark’s face a few times. Cutelaba uses his knee to hold Clark down on his already hammer-smashed face, and he climbs into full mount while Clark’s father watches with dread from his corner. Cutelaba sits up and elbows Clarks a few times, and Clark bursts back to his feet in a rage to start throwing hands with Cutelaba. The Moldovan tries to take him back down, but Clark turns the tables and takes “The Hulk” down and puts him flat on his back. In full guard, Cutelaba holds on and absorbs sporadic punches. Cutelaba kicks off and gets to a knee, and Clark lands a potentially illegal knee while Cutelaba was grounded. Clark lays into him with a few more punches, but the final bell sounds before anything of merit can come from the final flurry. Clark collapses to the ground with the fight over, while Cutelaba stands and raises his arms triumphantly.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cutelaba (30-25 Cutelaba)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Clark (29-26 Cutelaba)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Cutelaba (30-25 Cutelaba)

The Official Result

Ion Cutelaba def. Devin Clark via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 29-26, 29-27)

Anthony Smith (205.5) vs. Ryan Spann (206)

Round 1

At long last, we have reached our headliner, in the form of a 205-pound clash between former title challenger Smith (35-16, 10-6 UFC) and rising Fortis MMA star Spann (19-6, 5-1 UFC). The final charge of the evening goes to referee Herb Dean, and there is nothing but respect between these two finishers – five decisions in their 54 career wins points to this one likely ending before the final bell – touch gloves. Hang on tight. Smith lands first with a chopping calf kick, and Smith reaches out with a long front kick as a response. Spann headhunts with a few wide hooks, and Smith stays light on his feet and avoids them. Smith again targets that calf, and he pirouettes to avoid the counter that aims at his head. Smith steps in with a left hand, and Spann counters with a check hook and grabs “Lionheart” to charge him against the wall. Dean leaps out of the away to avoid getting caught up in the melee, and Smith blasts Spann with a huge right hand that puts “Superman” on the ground. Smith dives after him to pursue a finish, and he climbs on top. When he cannot get much in the way of ground-and-pound off, he opts to come around and pursue an armbar. Smith flips Spann over and cinches the armbar up, but Spann grits it out and stands up, allowing him to knee Smith in the chest with a strike like Anderson Silva did to Stephan Bonnar. Spann recovers to stand back up, but he is still on rubber legs. Smith lands on him repeatedly, and every time he does, Spann’s legs give out a little more beneath him. “Superman” throws a punch so hard that he actually swings himself down to the ground while simultaneously eating a straight right hand, and Smith jumps on to his light heavyweight foe to pursue a finish. Smith circles around to take Spann’s back, where he gets his hooks in and elbows Spann in the side of the head. Smith flattens Spann out briefly, and he locks in a rear-naked choke in a hurry. Spann has to tap out immediately with the choke tight as can be. When Dean intervenes, Smith stands up and shouts “what about that ass-whoopin’” and Spann is fired up about this. The two big men very nearly get into another brawl right after a wild round, and security floods the cage as Dean keeps them separate. Cooler heads do prevail, and Spann goes over to congratulate his victorious opponent. In his post-fight interview, the profanity that spews from Smith’s mouth breaks ESPN’s hyperactive censors, and the first half of his interview is blocked for sensitive listeners’ ears after watching nearly seven hours of bloodsport. When he is allowed to be heard again, Smith calls out Aleksandar Rakic, a man that defeated him in August, to make their way to a title shot. Before the interview wraps up, Rakic tweets a response that he accepts and proposes they meet in December, and Smith answers, “Merry Christmas to me.” What an ending to a tumultuous fight card. Next week, multiple belts are on the line and a rematch many years in the making will come at UFC 266. We will be here for it, and we hope you are too.

The Official Result

Anthony Smith def. Ryan Spann R1 3:47 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)