UFC on ESPN 3 ‘Ngannou vs. Dos Santos’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Maurice Greene vs. Junior Albini

Round 1

The first fight of the night is a heavyweight bout between Junior Albini and Maurice Greene. The referee is Jason Herzog. They touch gloves and the fight begins. Albini opens with a low kick and Green returns with one. Green lands a straight right that briefly stuns Albini. Greene with another low kick and then a straight right behind it. Albini moves forward and lands a left hook of his own. Albini presses forward with a flurry punches and now has Greene backed up against the fence in the clinch. They break. Albini lands a nasty right hook to the body. Greene moves away but Albini continues to follow him around the cage. Greene lands a jab. Albini returns with one of his own. Greene lands a front kick to the body. Albini with a kick to the body, and Greene returns with one. Greene lands a jab that hurts Albini and then Greene drops Albini with a straight left. Greene follows Albini to the mat and is in side control. Albini gets up and catches Greene with a right hook. Now Albini has Greene against the fence. They break once again. Greene lands another front kick to the body. Greene now lands a clubbing overhand right that drops Albini. Greene follows Albini to the mat and lands some ground-and-pound before the referee jumps in and stops the fight. Great win for Greene.

The Official Result

Maurice Greene def. Junior Albini via TKO (Punches) R1, 3:38

Emily Whitmire vs. Amanda Ribas

Round 1

Up next are the women’s strawweights as Emily Whitmire takes on Amanda Ribas. The referee is Vance Swerdan. No touch of gloves between these two. Whitmire immediately lands a high kick that just grazes the head of Ribas. Now Ribas moves forward and clinches Whitmire against the fence. Whitmire does a good job of using the whizzer to stuff the takedown attempt. Now Ribas is able to drag Whitmire to the ground and in transition Ribas takes her back. Whitmire is standing back up now but Ribas is in the backpack position looking for the rear-naked choke. Ribas is not able to get the choke and Whitmire is doing a fantastic job of defending it and burning out the legs and arms of Ribas. But Ribas holds on and is now able to get the fight to the mat with the body triangle still locked in. Finally Whitmire is able to break free and sweep Ribas. Whitmire is now in top position in the full guard of Ribas. Whitmire finishes the round in top position but wasn’t able to do much damage from the top.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Ribas
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ribas
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Ribas

Round 2

Round two begins. Ribas pushes forward with her strikes and once again pushes Whitmire against the cage. Ribas is able to drag Whitmire to the mat with a body lock takedown. Ribas winds up in the mount and lands some nasty ground and pound. The referee thinks about stopping it but Whitmire is able to buck Ribas off. Ribas still has control with the body triangle and now takes the back of Whitmire. She locks in the rear-naked choke and Whitmire is quickly forced to tap out. Great UFC debut victory for Ribas.

The Official Result

Amanda Ribas def. Emily Whitmire via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R2, 2:10

Dalcha Lungiambula vs. Dequan Townsend

Round 1

It’s now a light heavyweight bout between Dalcha Lungiambula and Dequan Townsend. The referee is Travis Metteer. They touch gloves. Townsend lands a stiff jab. Low kick by Townsend. Lungiambula looks to lands a giant left hook but Townsend slips it. Lungiambula with a 1-2 combination. Lungiambula explodes forward but Townsend is able to grab him and now they are clinched up against the fence. Townsend is able to trip Lungiambula to the mat but Lungiambula is able to get back to his feet and is pushing Townsend against the fence again. Lungiambula is able to trip Townsend to the mat and lands on top of him in half guard. Lungiambula is now in the full guard of Townsend. He is just holding top position and doing no damage. Lungiambula ends the round on top but didn’t really do much with the position.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Lungiambula
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lungiambula
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Lungiambula

Round 2

Round two begins. Townsend throws a low kick but Lungiambula explodes forward and drags Townsend to the mat. Lungiambula is back in half guard on top of Townsend. He lands some punches to the face of his opponent. Townsend stands back up but Lungiambula literally throws him back down to the mat. Lungiambula is in half guard and Townsend is able to get back into his full guard. Lungiambula isn’t doing any sort of damage and it’s amazing the referee hasn’t stood these two up yet. Finally Lungiambula starts landing some punches from up top while Townsend just survives. Lungiambula is barely doing anything. Finally the referee stands them up with just 10 seconds left. Townsend moves forward and lands some sloppy strikes just before the end of a sloppy round.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Lungiambula
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lungiambula
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Lungiambula

Round 3

Round three begins and Townsend needs a stoppage to win the fight. Lungiambula moves forward and drops Townsend a straight left followed up by a right hook. Lungiambula gets on top of Townsend in the mount and starts raining down brutal elbows from the top. The referee is forced to step in and stop the fight due to the unanswered blows. Explosive finish by Lungiambula.

The Official Result

Dalcha Lungiambula def. Dequan Townsend via TKO (Elbows) R3, 0:42

Jared Gordon vs. Dan Moret

Round 1

Next is a lightweight bout between Dan Moret and Jared Gordon. The referee is Herb Dean. They touch gloves. Both fighters are coming off of two straight losses and the loser could be cut so this should be a good fight. Gordon pushes forward and lands a combination of punches. Moret looks to land a head kick but Gordon changes levels and lands a double leg takedown. Gordon is on top of Moret in half guard. Moret is able to get back to his feet. He now has Gordon against the fence and is landing some heavy knees and punches up close. Gordon is hanging in there and is able to grab a hold of Moret and clinch him against the cage. Moret reverses position. He connects on a body lock takedown but Gordon gets back to his feet. Moret lands a nasty elbow on the break. They swing it out until the end of the round. Crazy first round to this fight.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Gordon
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Moret
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Gordon

Round 2

Round two begins. Gordon presses forward and lands a short left hook. Moret returns with a low kick. Gordon changes levels and looks to land a double leg takedown but can’t complete it. Moret is able to sweep hm and throw Gordon to the mat. Moret is now looking for a rear-naked choke. He has a neck crank locked up and Gordon is doing a good job of fighting the rear-naked choke. Now Gordon is able to turn over and get on top of Moret. Moret has a head-and-arm choke locked up but Gordon breaks free. Moret is now looking for the armbar but Gordon is staying strong on top and landing some ground and pound. He is landing some heavy punches now. Moret is looking for an armbar once again but his willingness to fight off his back is hurting him here. Gordon is doing a great job of staying strong on top landing heavy punches from half guard. He continues raining down punches until the close of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Gordon
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gordon
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Gordon

Round 3

Round three begins. Gordon looks for a head kick but slips and Gordon grabs hold of a guillotine choke in transition. Gordon winds up on top and is able to break free of the choke. Gordon continues to stay strong on top while evading all of Moret’s submission attempts from the bottom. Moret is able to get up to his feet but Gordon once again drags the fight down to the mat. There’s about a minute left in the fight now. In a scramble Moret looks to take the back of Gordon. But Gordon reverses Moret and winds up on top in full guard. That was probably Moret’s best chance to win the fight. Gordon is in half guard raining down punches to wind down the round, and he should take home the decision in what was a spirited affair.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Gordon (30-27 Gordon)
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gordon (29-28 Gordon)
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Gordon (30-27 Gordon)

The Official Result

Jared Gordon def. Dan Moret via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Eryk Anders vs. Vinicius Moreira

Round 1

Next up are the light heavyweights as Eryk Anders takes on Vinicius Moreira. Vance Swerdan is the referee. They touch gloves. Anders lands a straight left right away. Moreira with a kick to the body and he shoots in for a double leg takedown. Anders is able to sweep Moreira and lands on top but Moreira gets back up and is looking for a single leg takedown now. Anders stuffs it and shrugs Moreira off of him. Anders lands a straight left that really hurts Moreia and follows it up with a brutal right hook and then a left hook that drops Moreiea to the mat. Anders follows Moreira to the mat and lands some brutal ground and pound to knock his opponent out cold. Fantastic win by Anders.

The Official Result

Eryk Anders def. Vinicius Moreira via KO (Punches) R1, 1:18

Ricardo Ramos vs. Journey Newson

Round 1

The last preliminary card bout is a bantamweight matchup between Ricardo Ramos and Journey Newson. The referee is Travis Metteer. They touch gloves and the fight is on. Ramos comes out aggressively, landing low kicks immediately. Newson is still figuring his timing out. He lands an overhand right. Now Newson lands a spinning back kick. Ramos goes up high and nearly lands flush on a head kick. Newson with another low kick. Ramos returns with a heavy low kick of his own. Newson blitzes forward with a left hook followed by a low kick. Newson changes levels and looks for a body lock takedown but Ramos sweeps him and winds up on top. Ramos transitions to the back of Newson and is now looking for a rear-naked choke. Newson manages to break free and grabs hold of a guillotine choke but Ramos moves into side control and breaks free. They are back to their feet now. Newson pushes forward and clinches Ramos against the cage to end the round, with Ramos landing an elbow right before the end of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Ramos
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ramos
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Ramos

Round 2

Round two begins. They once again stand in the center of the cage. Both men are having a problem finding their range and landing punches this round. Ramos is the aggressor though and continues to march forward, but he isn’t landing much. Newson isn’t landing anything, however. Ramos finally changes tactics and starts to land his jab. They exchange low kicks. At this point though Newson is just surviving. Ramos nearly lands a spinning back elbow as Newson moves forward but he misses. Newson lands a nice side kick to the face of Ramos just before the end of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Ramos
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ramos
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Ramos

Round 3

Round three begins. They stand in the center of the Octagon again with Ramos walking down Newson. Now Ramos is able to land a double leg takedown and get Newson to the mat. But Newson grabs the neck of Ramos in a scramble and is looking for a guillotine choke. Ramos breaks free. They stand back up. Ramos slams Newson back to the mat and winds up on top in full guard. Ramos lets Newson up and they are back on their feet with two minutes left in the fight. Newson lands a low kick. Ramos looks to land a spinning wheel kick but Newson slips it. Ramos lands a low kick. Ramos connects on a brutal spinning back elbow that drops Newson, but Newson immediately gets back up. Ramos is stalking Newson now. He misses landing a head kick just before the end of what has been a great round of action.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Ramos (30-27 Ramos)
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ramos (30-27 Ramos)
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Ramos (30-27 Ramos)

The Official Result

Ricardo Ramos def. Journey Newson via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Alonzo Menifield vs. Paul Craig

Round 1

The first fight on the main card is a light heavyweight bout between Paul Craig and Alonzo Menifield. The referee is Herb Dean. No touch of gloves between these two rivals. Immediately Menifield pushes forward and clinches Craig against the fence. Craig jumps guard but gives up on it. They break. Craig changes levels and shoots for a double leg takedown but Menifield stuffs it. Menifield appears to drop Craig with a jab but Craig was just playing possum and gets right back off the mat. Craig shoots for a single leg takedown but Menifield is doing a good job of stuffing the takedown. Craig lands a spinning wheel kick but Menifield eats it. Craig looks to land another spinning wheel kick but Menifield counters him with a right hook and knocks Craig to the mat, where he finishes Craig with brutal ground and pound. Impressive finish by Menifield.

The Official Result

Alonzo Menifield def. Paul Craig via KO (Punches) R1, 3:19

Drew Dober vs. Marco Polo Reyes

Round 1

Next up is a lightweight bout between Marco Polo Reyes and Drew Dober. The referee is Jason Herzog. They touch gloves. Dober pushes forward and lands a straight left. They exchange low kicks. Dober moves forward and lands a right hook and then a left hook and has Reyes hurt. Reyes is able to quickly recover. Dober lands a kick to the body. Dober lands a brutal straight left. He swarms Reyes and lands another bruta left hook that drops Reyes to the mat. Dober follows him down and finishes him with ground and pound. Fantastic finish by Dober.

The Official Result

Drew Dober def. Marco Polo Reyes via TKO (Punches) R1, 1:07

Roosevelt Roberts vs. Vinc Pichel

Round 1

It’s time for another lightweight bout, this time between Roosevelt Roberts and Vinc Pichel. The referee is Travis Metteer. They touch gloves. They exchange low kicks. Roberts moves forward and lands a straight right and then a clinch knee behind it. Roberts pushes forward and Pichel clinches up with him against the cage. Roberts reverses position. They break. Roberts lands a stiff jab. He lands a flying knee and they clinch against the fence again. They break. Roberts with a jab. Pichel lands a straight right and then clinches Roberts again. Roberts is looking for a single leg takedown but Pichel stuffs it and they break. Pichel lands a low kick. Roberts lands a left hook and straight right behind it and clinches Pichel once again. This time Roberts commits to a single leg takedown and completes it. Pichel gets back to his feet but Roberts lands a flurry of punches along the fence. Pichel pushes forward and clinches Roberts against the fence. The round is now over.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Roberts
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Roberts
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Roberts

Round 2

Round two begins. Roberts take the center of the Octagon and begins to work off his jab. Pichel pushes forward and shoots for a double leg takedown. He switches to a single and then to a trip takedown and gets Roberts to the mat. Roberts is able to get back to his feet and pushes Pichel against the fence again. They break. Roberts pushes Pichel back into the cage once again. They break. Once again Roberts uses his strikes to get inside the clinch Pichel against the fence. This time Roberts is able to get a body lock takedown and get Pichel to the mat. Roberts is looking for a rear-naked choke but Pichel sweeps him and ends up on top in half guard. Pichel lands some short, hard elbows. Pichel moves into mount but the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Pichel
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pichel
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Pichel

Round 3

Round three begins. They touch gloves. Pichel moves forward and lands an overhand right. Roberts return with his jab. He lands a quick combination of short hooks. Pichel moves forward and completes a double leg takedown and gets Roberts to the mat. Pichel is working in side control but Roberts is looking to scramble. Pichel lands some heavy ground and pound and is looking for a guillotine choke on Roberts. They stand up and Roberts get out of the choke. Pichel is squeezing tight but Roberts is able to reverse him. Pichel lands an elbow. They clinch once again and Pichel completes a body lock takedown. Pichel has the back of Roberts now and is looking for a rear-naked choke. Pichel transitions from the back into full mount. Pichel lands some heavy elbows to the face of Roberts and is now looking for an arm-triangle choke. He can’t get it and is now looking for a kimura. Roberts breaks free and lands a straight right just before the end of the round. We are now off to the judges’ scorecards.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Pichel (29-28 Pichel)
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pichel (29-28 Pichel)
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Pichel (29-28 Pichel)

The Official Result

Vinc Pichel def. Roosevelt Roberts via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Demian Maia vs. Anthony Rocco Martin

Round 1

It’s time for an intriguing welterweight bout between Anthony Rocco Martin and Demian Maia. The referee is Vance Swerdan. They touch gloves. It’s a feeling-out process to start the bout as they are both trying to find their range. Martin lands a counter straight right as Maia moves in. Maia shoots for a single leg takedown and has Maia up against the cage. Maia is able to get the takedown. Maia is smothering Martin on the ground up against the fence. Maia is punching Martin in the face. Maia is doing an amazing job of pressuring Martin against the cage and just smothering him. Martin is finally able to get back to his feet. They remain clinched and Martin reverses Maia against the cage. Martin lands some knees to the thighs. They break. The round soon comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Maia
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Maia
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Maia

Round 2

Round two begins. Martin lands a high kick. Maia shoots for a double leg takedown but Martin easily stuffs it. Martin lands a straight right. Maia shoots for a double leg takedown but Martin sweeps him and gets back to his feet. But Maia shoots again for another double and Maia gets him back to the mat. Maia is smothering Martin up against the cage again. Martin manages to get back up but Maia dumps him back down to the mat. Maia is landing ground and pound on Martin and is staying busy enough to keep the ref from breaking things up. Now Maia is really starting to get busy with the ground and pound. But the referee decides to break up a dominant position. Maia shoots for another double leg takedown but Martin sweeps him and winds up on top. Maia sweeps Martin and ends up on top to finish the round.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Maia
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Maia
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Maia

Round 3

The third and final round begins and Martin needs a finish. Martin is pushing forward on the feet behind his jab but Maia is doing a good job of moving. Martin lands a heavy kick to the body. Martin looks for a high kick but Maia blocks it. Martin lands a low kick. Right hook by Martin. Straight right by Martin. He continues to follow Maia around the cage. Martin stuffs a double leg takedown attempt by Maia. Martin lands a brutal overhand right and it appears to rock Maia. He pushes forward and clinches up with Maia and Maia pulls guard. Martin is on top in the full guard of Maia. He lands some ground and pound but it’s too late and the fight is over.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: R3 10-9 Martin (29-28 Maia)
Jay Pettry scores the round: R3 10-9 Martin (29-28 Maia)
Cole Shelton scores the round: R3 10-9 Martin (29-28 Maia)

The Official Result

Demian Maia def. Anthony Rocco Martin via Majority Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)

Joseph Benavidez vs. Jussier Formiga

Round 1

The co-main event of the evening is a flyweight bout between Joseph Benavidez and Jussier Formiga. The referee is Jason Herzog. Formiga takes the center of the Octagon right away. But Benavidez isn’t having any of it as he pushes forward and lands a brutal kick to the body, and then another. Benavidez looks to land a left hook but Formiga counters with one of his own. Benavidez pushes forward and lands a right hook. Low kick by Benavidez and Formiga tries to counter him with a spinning back fist. Benavidez pushes forward and clinches Formiga against the cage. They break. Benavidez has a nasty cut on his left eye and it’s bothering him. Formiga drops Benavidez with a straight right. Benavidez gets back up but Formiga takes his back. Benavidez scrambles and gets out of danger. They break. Benavidez continues to push forward until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Formiga
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Benavidez
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Benavidez

Round 2

Round two begins. Benavidez takes the center of the Octagon again. They paw at each other but Formiga gets up close and takes the back of Benavidez and slams Benavidez to the mat. But Benavidez is able to sweep him and end up on top in half guard. Benavidez is now in the full guard of Formiga. But Formiga is able to get back to his feet once again. They are back in the center of the Octagon. Benavidez lands a low kick. Benavidez clinches up with Formiga and lands a couple knees to the body. They break. Benavidez continues to push forward and lands a head kick that rocks Formiga. Benavidez pushes forward and lands a nasty left hook. He has Formiga hurt badly and starts whacking away at him against the cage. Formiga covers up and falls to the mat and Benavidez continues to land heavy ground and pound until the referee stops the fight. Great win by Benavidez.

The Official Result

Joseph Benavidez def. Jussier Formiga via TKO (Punches) R2, 4:47

Francis Ngannou vs. Junior dos Santos

Round 1

It’s time for the main event, a heavyweight bout between Francis Ngannou and Junior dos Santos. The referee is Herb Dean. They touch gloves. Ngannou starts off with a heavy low kick, and then another. JDS lands a low kick that actually drops Ngannou. Ngannou with a left hook followed by an overhand right. Another low kick by Ngannou. JDS looks to land an overhand right but Ngannnou connects on a counter left hook. Ngannou lands a right hook and then another that knocks JDS to the mat. Ngannou follows him down and lands some heavy punches that force the referee to stop the fight. Wow. What an incredible performance by Ngannou.

The Official Result

Francis Ngannou def. Junior dos Santos via TKO (Punches) R1, 1:11