UFC on Fox 17 Results: ‘Dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2’ Play-by-Play & Updates

Luis Henrique Barbosa de Oliveira vs. Francis Ngannou

Round 1

Ngannou pumps a jab, lands a leg kick inside and pops Henrique with a short left hook as the Brazilian steps into the pocket. Henrique catches the next kick and floors Ngannou with a quick takedown in the center of the cage. Good wrist control from Ngannou as the heavyweights fight on the ground early, but now Henrique breaks the guard and stands up to try and pass. Henrique has to dodge upkicks as he comes back to the mat, still in Ngannou’s full guard. Short, grinding shots land for the Brazilian, who keeps Ngannou pinned down until the 2:00 mark, at which point the fighters are stood up by referee John Hosegood. Henrique wastes no time clinching up again, this time shoving Ngannou against the cage with over-unders, working for a trip. Ngannou lands a few knees to the body as he resists the takedown, and now referee Hosegood breaks them up again with 40 seconds on the clock. Ngannou comes down the center with a long right hand, then stings Henrique with a counter right as “KLB” rushes forward with wild strikes. Henrique ends the round holding Ngannou on the fence, trying for another takedown.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Henrique
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Henrique
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henrique

Round 2

Ngannou comes forward looking for a big right hand, but Henrique circles away when his back touches the fence. A two-piece combo connects for Ngannou, followed by a clinch knee to the body which sends Henrique shooting for another takedown on the fence. Ngannou defends the shot until midway through the round, when the big men separate and Ngannou presses forward again. A right straight tags Henrique, then a left hook, and the Brazilian stumbles backward to the fence. Ngannou smells blood and comes in heavy with combinations, and a massive uppercut catches Henrique on the jaw, snapping his head back. Henrique drops to his back, out cold, and referee Hosegood steps in to stop the fight.

The Official Result

Francis Ngannou def. Luis Henrique Barbosa de Oliveira via KO (Punch) R2 2:53

Vicente Luque vs. Hayder Hassan

Round 1

Hassan cicles Luque and delivers a pair of kicks to the outside of the Brazilian’s lead leg, adding a few kicks to the body and push kicks. Luque presses forward with punches but gets picked off by the quicker Hassan’s jabs and counter hooks. Hassan is sticking to the outside, staying constantly in motion as Luque pushes forward. Two minutes in, Luque turns Hassan’s head with a hard right cross, and Hassan goes shooting for a desperation takedown. Luque wraps up a perfect anaconda choke and rolls Hassan to the ground, where Hassan fights for a moment and then twitches as he goes unconscious. Referee Jorge Alonso separates the fighters, giving Luque the victory by way of technical submission.

The Official Result

Vicente Luque def. Hayder Hassan via Technical Submission (Anaconda Choke) R1 2:13

Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards

Round 1

Both fighters crawl to the center of the cage, where Usman clinches and tries to trip up Edwards near the fence. Edwards breaks out of the clinch, but Usman comes back in on a single-leg and pins the Englishman against the fence. The welterweights fight on the cage for a minute, Usman still working for the takedown. Edwards eventually breaks loose and pops Usman with a few punches, but the wrestler comes right back for another takedown try and this time succeeds in bringing Edwards to the canvas. “Rocky” throws up his legs, trying to cinch a triangle, but Usman gets his other hand inside to block. While holding Usman in the loose triangle, Edwards cracks him with a sharp elbow from underneath. Edwards scrambles back to his feet shortly before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Edwards
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Edwards
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Edwards

Round 2

Edwards catches a kick and tries to tee up Usman for a punch, but the “Nightmare” yanks back the leg before anything can materialize. Now it’s Usman swinging forward with punches, clipping Edwards with a left hook before taking him down against the fence. Edwards tries to post and stand, takes a couple short punches from Usman, who’s trying to wrap up the British fighter’s legs and keep him on the mat. Edwards powers back to his feet with Usman wrapped around his waist. The welterweights stay in the clinch, Usman transitioning to the front and grinding Edwards against the cage with short strikes. Edwards turns him around with two minutes on the clock and looks for a trip takedown of his own as he holds Usman with a bodylock. Referee Dan Miragliotta breaks up the fighters, who soon clinch again, this time away from the fence. Edwards lands a good left hook but hits Usman with a knee to the groin on the follow-up. Usman recovers quickly and comes back to clinch again, absorbing a knee to the gut as he presses Edwards to the fence. Another takedown lands for Usman at the end of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Usman
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Usman
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Usman

Round 3

Usman goes straight after the takedown and drags Edwards down to the canvas in the opening minute of the final frame. Edwards tries to post and stand, but Usman keeps hold of an ankle and moves to transition into back-mount as “Rocky” climbs back to his feet. Edwards stands up and Usman keeps a rear waistlock for a few seconds before being scraped off by the fence. Usman keeps his man pinned to the cage, now stomping Edwards’ feet before securing another takedown. Edwards gets to his knees and stalls out as he attempts to stand, allowing Usman to score with some left hands and knees to the body. Up stands Edwards, now with just over a minute on the clock, but he’s dragged back to the mat 10 seconds later. Edwards receives multiple warnings from referee Dan Miragliotta for grabbing the fence as he tries to stand again. Edwards does manage to get back up in the final 20 seconds, but it’s all control from Usman, as it has been the entire round.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Usman (29-28 Usman)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Usman (29-28 Usman)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Usman (29-28 Usman)

The Official Result

Kamaru Usman def. Leon Edwards via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Cole Miller vs. Jim Alers

Round 1

Miller shoots out a long jab as the featherweights circle and test the range in the opening minute. Alers puts a few kicks on Miller’s lead leg, but they’re checked by the lanky ATT fighter. Alers sticks a jab, follows with a hook and adds a pair of low kicks behind it. Miller continues to press forward, occasionally sliding backward to avoid an Alers flurry, but now “Magrinho” walks into a couple left hooks at the midway point of round one. Alers grazes with a Superman punch, turns his back in the pocket and gets a hard right hand to the body. Miller stomps forward with an axe kick but Alers circles away. A left hook pushes Alers backwards momentarily, but he catches Miller with a right hook in close quarters a few seconds later. The 145ers tie up at the end of the round and Miller breaks the clinch with an elbow.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Miller
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Miller
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Miller

Round 2

Alers is examined by the doctor between rounds and cleared to continue despite a cut on his right eyelid. The cut isn’t bleeding and doesn’t seem to be affecting Alers as round two begins, though the “Beast” comes out swinging in the first minute. Miller continues to keep his distance and avoid Alers’ heaviest shots, and now “Magrinho” presses forward with a jab and a good kick to the body. Just as Miller is gaining some momentum, Alers catches him with a finger to the left eye. It’s a bad poke, and Miller tells referee Herb Dean that he cannot open the eye as the fighter paces in the corner. The doctor is called in and tries to pry open Miller’s eye; he can’t. Referee Dean tells Miller that he will be given time to try and recover, but Miller tells the ref that the eye is not going to get any better, that he will not be able to see. That’s all Dean needs to hear: the fight is waved off and will be ruled a no-contest.

The Official Result

Cole Miller vs. Jim Alers is declared No Contest (Accidental Eye Poke) R2 1:34

Nik Lentz vs. Danny Castillo

Round 1

After a tentative opening minute, Castillo sticks a jab and ducks a kick to try a takedown, fended off by Lentz. “The Carny” uses a hip toss to slam Castillo to the mat and comes down heavy on top of the Team Alpha Male fighter. Fishing for the neck as they stand, Lentz wraps up a guillotine against the fence and keeps hold as he goes to the ground. It looks tight, but Castillo angles his way loose and tries to posture up in Lentz’s butterfly guard. Lentz grabs to get the guillotine back, can’t get it, and now he’s flattened out by Castillo with an arm-triangle from guard. Lentz regains full guard, kicks away Castillo and scrambles back to his feet. Lentz goes up high with a left head kick, steps forward and clips Castillo with a right hook. Castillo dashes to the other side of the cage, and now it’s his turn to slug Lent with a big right hand. Lentz comes in sloppy with a combination at the end of the round and has to fend off a late takedown attempt.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Lentz
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Lentz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lentz

Round 2

Castillo comes hunting for a big right hand early in the round but can’t find the mark on Lentz, who angles off the fence and tags his man with a straight left. Both guys are slowing down after a fast-paced opening frame, hands hanging a little lower. Lentz goes to the body with a hard kick, pushes forward and lands a right hand down the center. Castillo barely dodges a left high kick but eats a hard left hand soon after. Lentz hits a takedown around the halfway mark and comes down into Castillo’s half guard. Castillo pushes him away and stands, dodging a knee along the way. Lentz clinches briefly to deliver a couple knees to the body. Castillo separates, then tries to close the gap with a faked right hand. Lentz gets pushed against the fence and jumps guard with a very loose guillotine which he loses on the way down. Back up they come, now inside the final minute, and Lentz is looking like the fresher fighter as he hits Castillo with another right hand. Castillo slugs him back with a right and then puts a kick on Lentz’s body before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Lentz
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Lentz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lentz

Round 3

Castillo lands a leg kick, tries a single-leg and gets a knee to the face for his trouble. Lentz hits a quick takedown but can’t hold Castillo on the canvas. One minute into the final round, Lentz stalks forward, holding his hands high to deflect Castillo’s single jabs. Castillo drives into another takedown attempt, and Lentz appears to go willingly to the mat as he snatches up another guillotine. Lentz loses the choke soon after they hit the ground but works back up to his feet, eating a knee as he does. Lentz appears to get a finger in the left eye during one exchange but doesn’t want time to recover. Castillo appears to poke him again shortly after they restart, but time is not called. Lentz is still on the march but his offense has dropped off, and now it’s Castillo staying active with jabs from his back foot. Another takedown for Castillo, another guillotine attempt from Lentz, and again they scramble up after only a few seconds. Lentz connects with a short left hand as he steps into the pocket to clinch, shoving Castillo against the fence. Lentz tries a bodylock, working to reap the outside leg, but the lightweights land in the whizzer and come right back up. With 30 seconds on the clock, Lentz pushes forward but can’t close the distance as Castillo fires a front kick up the middle. A straight right hand knocks back Castillo briefly but it’s just a single punch from Lentz.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Lentz (30-27 Lentz)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Lentz (30-27 Lentz)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Castillo (29-28 Lentz)

The Official Result

Nik Lentz def. Danny Castillo via Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) R3 5:00

Josh Samman vs. Tamdan McCrory

Round 1

McCrory ducks in behind Samman’s first kick and rushes the Florida local against the fence with an underhook. The middleweights do some head-fighting in the clinch before McCrory delivers a knee to the body. After another knee, Samman reverses to take the outside position with over-unders. McCrory tries to trip him and take top position as they tumble to the ground, but Samman stays heavy and comes down in McCrory’s half guard. They fight on the floor near the fence, now halfway through the round, Samman landing short left hands to the body and head. McCrory throws up his legs to try an armbar, switches to a triangle but can’t catch Samman. The choke gets Samman unbalanced and McCrory uses the sub attempt to scramble up, then forces Samman to his back. Samman sweeps back to top position after a few seconds, and McCrory is back to fishing for sub attempts from the bottom with 90 seconds on the clock. McCrory uses a kimura to sweep and takes the back of Samman in the scramble. McCrory gets shaken off and transitions straight into another armbar attempt, but Samman yanks the arm loose and lands a couple short left hands. McCrory powers back to his feet to land a left of his own just before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Samman
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Samman
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 McCrory

Round 2

Samman charges in for an early takedown and has to protect his neck as McCrory grabs for a choke on the way down. McCrory wraps up his opponent in a tight guard, locking down Samman’s arms with overhooks to prevent ground-and-pound. Samman gets off a couple punches before McCrory throws up a high guard to catch an omoplata. McCrory uses the arm to sweep, using the whizzer to put Samman belly-down on the mat. Samman gets to a knee and tries to shake off McCrory, who is slowly working his way onto the Floridian’s back. Samman puts his back on the canvas to scrape McCrory away, and now it’s the “Barn Cat” standing over Samman, trying to inflict some damage. McCrory dodges an upkick and sets up in Samman’s guard to unload with half a dozen hard elbows. Samman sits up against the cage to negate the space and slow McCrory’s roll. Samman makes a move to stand but is quicky dissuaded of the notion by some hard left hands from McCrory. Samman throws a few elbows to the top of McCrory’s head as they hit the final minute of the round. McCrory tries to pass to half guard but Samman shifts underneath. Instead, McCrory leans right to left across Samman’s body to work a kimura on the left arm as the last 20 seconds tick down.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 McCrory
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 McCrory
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 McCrory

Round 3

Samman dashes across the cage as the round begins, winging punches which back up McCrory to the fence. Samman tries a takedown but the middleweights wind up in the whizzer, and once again McCrory forces him to the ground. A hard elbow drops on Samman’s face as McCrory comes down to settle in his half guard, and now the “Barn Cat” peppers Samman’s face with some short left hands on the mat. McCrory stands over the prone Samman and unloads with some heavier punches, and now Samman is looking exhausted. With his left side flush to the fence, Samman rolls right but gets trapped on his side and eats more punches. McCrory tries a no-hooks rear-naked choke, gets scraped off by the fence and winds up in Samman’s guard again. Referee Jorge Alonso tells Samman to “show [him] something” as they hit the midway point of the final frame. With 2:00 on the clock, Samman sweeps to top position. McCrory tries to use the omoplata sweep again, can’t get it and instead throws up a triangle. Samman is trapped in the triangle with 80 seconds left to fight, now absorbing elbows. McCrory gives up on the strikes to bear down on the choke; Samman has nowhere to go and is forced to tap out.

The Official Result

Tamdan McCrory def. Josh Samman via Submission (Triangle Choke) R3 4:10

Sarah Kaufman vs. Valentina Shevchenko

Round 1

Shevchenko catches the incoming Kaufman with a couple good right hands in early exchanges, then spins the Canadian against the fence when Kaufman tries to clinch. “The Bullet” puts a few knees in Kaufman’s breadbasket as they fight along the cage, then trips her to the mat about two minutes into the round. Kaufman wraps up Shevchenko’s arms from underneath, neutralizing offense from either fighter and eliciting a call for work from referee Dan Miragliotta. Shevchenko bursts back to her feet and catches Kaufman with another body kick. Kaufman tries to clinch and gets tossed back to the ground, where Shevchenko briefly achieves full mount. Kaufman reclaims half guard, then full guard as they enter the final two minutes. Kaufman gets to a knee, eats a couple right hands and powers back to her feet. Once again, Shevchenko drills Kaufman with a body kick and then takes control in the clinch when Kaufman gets into the pocket. The bantamweights trade knees in the clinch, and Shevchenko adds a couple short left hands as they stay tangled to the end of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Shevchenko
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Shevchenko
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Shevchenko

Round 2

Shevchenko misses with a spinning backfist but clips Kaufman with a nice right hook as the women tie up again 30 seconds into the round. Shevchenko takes the outside for the next 30 seconds and pops Kaufman with a couple left hands before disengaging. Kaufman comes back for another clinch, gets a knee to the gut and has her back pressed against the fence again. Shevchenko is overpowering Kaufman here, just controlling her on the cage whenever they clinch. Kaufman gets some space, comes back to clinch and gets tossed over Shevchenko’s hip. Midway through the frame, Shevchenko works from Kaufman’s open guard. Kaufman stays busy off her back with elbows and punches, while Shevchenko just stays heavy on top and buries her face. With 70 seconds left, Shevchenko opts to bail out of top positon and allows Kaufman to follow her to the feet. Kaufman finally gets outside position in the clinch but doesn’t do much with it. She gets a bit busier in the final 20 seconds with a few left hands to Shevchenko’s ribs.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Shevchenko
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Shevchenko
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Shevchenko

Round 3

Kaufman presses forward early, navigating past some long kicks from Shevchenko to clinch up once again. Shevchenko tries another throw, but Kaufman lands in the whizzer and gets back to her feet to continue the clinching. Shevchenko turns Kaufman against the fence with an underhook, trips her to the ground but can’t hold her down. The fighters circle back to the center to strike with 3:30 left in the bout. Shevchenko misses with a spinning kick and gets wrapped up by Kaufman, who shoots for a single-leg against the fence and finally succeeds in dragging Shevchenko to the ground. Kaufman passes to side control on Shevchenko’s left and leans across to deliver some horizontal elbows to the head. Shevchenko pivots to kick off the fence and winds up with Kaufman straddling her face in north-south position. Kaufman passes to side control, grabs for a keylock but can’t get hold of Shevchenko’s far arm. Suddenly, Shevchenko is the one being overpowered, with Kaufman just pinning her to the mat from cross-side position, throwing more elbows to the body. Kaufman goes back to hunting the far arm as they enter the final 60 seconds. Shevchenko spins back to north-south position and throws up an inverted triangle, but Kaufman sniffs it out early and pulls clear. Kaufman steps over to full mount in the last 15 seconds but gets bucked off and eats a right hand from Shevchenko as they scramble up at the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Kaufman (29-28 Shevchenko)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Kaufman (29-28 Shevchenko)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Kaufman (29-28 Shevchenko)

The Official Result

Valentina Shevchenko def. Sarah Kaufman via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) R3 5:00

C.B. Dollaway vs. Nate Marquardt

Round 1

Dollaway lands the only offense in a slow opening minute, flicking out a leg kick and a body shot. Another low kick scores for “The Doberman,” this one a little harder than the first. Meanwhile, Marquardt has yet to offer up anything through the first 90 seconds. Marquardt checks the next low kick and continues pawing at Dollaway but not connecting. Dollaway whiffs on a huge right hand and runs himself against the fence, then takes a kick to the gut as he turns around. Halfway through the round, Dollaway throws a switch kick up high, deflected by Marquardt’s forearm. Marquardt is on his back foot, being moved around the outside, and still hasn’t done much of anything in this round. “Nate the Great” takes a right hand and strikes back with a few low kicks of his own. Dollaway gets clipped with a right hand as he shoots on Marquardt’s legs with 45 seconds on the clock. Marquardt denies the takedown attempt and whips a kick into Dollaway’s body.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Dollaway
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-10
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-10

Round 2

Dollaway backs Marquardt toward the fence and comes lunging in to strike with his left hand low. Marquardt uncorks a perfect counter right hook that knocks Dollaway out cold instantly. Marquardt adds a coffin nail to his prone opponent’s face before referee Herb Dean can get in between the fighters for the stoppage. Out of nowhere, Nate Marquardt snaps his two-fight losing streak with a pretty, one-punch KO.

The Official Result

Nate Marquardt def. C.B. Dollaway via KO (Punch) R2 0:28

Charles Oliveira vs. Myles Jury

Round 1

Oliveira presses forward in the opening minute but takes a hard leg kicks from Jury as they near the fence. Jury circles out to the center, where he’s snatched up and tripped to the ground by the Brazilian. The featherweights fight nearer the fence and Jury throws up an armbar. Oliveira escapes with ease and catches Jury in the transition, jumping on the American’s back and sinking in both hooks. Oliveira briefly traps Jury’s arm, then Jury pulls it free and rolls to his knees. Jury stands and drives forward on Oliveira for a takedown of his own, leaving his neck wide open in the transition. Oliveira wraps up a guillotine and jumps guard, and this one is all over. Jury can’t shake him off and has to tap out while still standing.

The Official Result

Charles Oliveira def. Myles Jury via Submission (Guillotine Choke) R1 3:05

Randa Markos vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Round 1

Markos snaps off a quick left hook and a straight right behind it, then slides back to avoid Kowalkiewicz’s jabs. Kowalkiewicz comes back to the pocket and slugs the Canadian with a right hand down the center. Markos’ next combination comes up short, and Kowalkiewicz works a clinch knee to the body the next time Markos steps in to strike. Another straight right connects for Kowalkiewicz on the end of a combo, reddening Markos’ nose. Midway through the round, Markos pushes Kowalkiewicz to the fence and uses a bodylock to work for a takedown. Kowalkiewicz breaks the hold, throws a knee to the body and spins Markos’ back to the fence. They trade positions again, Markos on the outside now, still looking to reap a leg for the takedown. The strawweights tumble to the ground and Markos eats a right hand on the way up. Markos gives Kowalkiewicz a few hard chops to the lead leg, clinches up and pops the Polish fighter with a short hook on the exit. Kowalkiewicz gets the last word with a final straight right.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Kowalkiewicz
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Markos
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Markos

Round 2

Kowalkiewicz comes out kicking and slips a punch from Markos to counter with another straight right. Markos gets tagged with a hard left hook and takes a moment to check that her mouthguard is still intact. Eighty seconds in, Markos grabs a rear waistlock and tries to pull Kowalkiewicz to the ground. Kowalkiewicz lands an over-the-shoulder elbow and works her way to the fence with Markos still wrapped around her from behind. Markos falls backward to drag Kowalkiewicz to the floor and works to take the UFC newcomer’s back. Kowalkiewicz stands up with Markos on her back, and the Canadian secures the position with a body triangle. Markos works for a straight armbar from the back but loses it as Kowalkiewicz drops to the ground, slamming Markos’ head on the canvas. Markos retains back-mount and continues hunting for a submission as they hit the final 90 seconds of the round. Kowalkiewicz is looking for an opening to twist around but Markos is giving her no space with the body triangle. Nonetheless, Kowalkiewicz is able to land some punches over the shoulder before time runs out.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Markos
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Markos
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Markos

Round 3

It’s another hot start for Kowalkiewicz, who steps forward on Markos with short, stiff right hands to Markos’ already reddened face. Kowalkiewicz lands an uppercut, another straight right. Markos sees the next one coming and counters with a right hook, then another. Markos gets a kick on the body, tries to keep hold of the leg but can’t turn it into anything. Kowalkiewicz backs up her opponent to the fence with front kicks and then backpedals away when the Canadian pushes out with punches of her own. A spinning backfist lands for Kowalkiewicz, prompting Markos to run forward and drive on a single-leg at the fence. Kowalkiewicz denies the takedown attempt, reverses and releases Markos to reset with just over two minutes on the clock. Markos eats a right hook, clinches up and hits a trip takedown, but Kowalkiewicz sweeps straight into top position. Kowalkiewicz drops hard punches from half guard and then transitions to full mount. Markos tries to kick off the fence but she gets pushed out of range, and now she’s being assaulted with heavy strikes from full mount. Markos survives the assault to escape out the back door and then scrambles to her feet just before the fight ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Kowalkiewicz (29-28 Kowalkiewicz)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Kowalkiewicz (29-28 Markos)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Kowalkiewicz (29-28 Markos)

The Official Result

Karolina Kowalkiewicz def. Randa Markos via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Michael Johnson vs. Nate Diaz

Round 1

The lightweights stand in the pocket early, and Diaz starts mugging early after ripping Johnson with a counter. Johnson misses on a big punch, eats a jab. Diaz doing well to jab and evade Johnson’s heavy shots. Diaz sticks another jab, takes an inside leg kick and evades a big right hand. Again, Johnson gets tagged with a jab as he tries to step inside. Diaz is doing his thing, starting to taunt Johnson a bit in between exchanges. Johnson comes in with a right hand to the body, lands a leg kick behind it. The lightweights knock heads in an exchange but neither appears damaged from the accidental clash. Johnson lays a hard kick across Diaz’s midsection and continues to land hard low kicks as they fight down the final 90 seconds. Meanwhile, Diaz’s punches are coming up shorter as Johnson moves around the outside. At the 10-second clapper, Diaz cracks Johnson with a straight shot down the center, then another, and Johnson gets the last word with a final leg kick.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Johnson

Round 2

Johnson goes back to the body with another big kick at the start of the round, causing Diaz to switch to orthodox stance for a few seconds. Right straight-left hook combo scores for Diaz, then a crisp jab down the middle. A cracking left straight turns Johnson’s head as Diaz begins to take control of the range in their striking exchanges. Johnson’s offense slows a bit after Diaz dings him up, and now Diaz starts goofing a little bit, shaking his head and leaning in to offer up his chin. The one-two is scoring regularly now for Diaz, though Johnson is getting back to his leg-kicking. Johnson comes over the top with a right hand, eats another great one-two from Diaz. They’re just throwing hands here, Diaz marching forward on Johnson and landing almost at will. Diaz stops between combinations to point and laugh at Johnson, who answers with a hard left straight. Diaz stops his clowning after Johnson blasts him with another left, and now the Californian is back to slamming Johnson with one-twos. The left hand continues to yield results for Diaz down the stretch in a highly entertaining round.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Diaz
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Diaz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Diaz

Round 3

Diaz turns a shoulder and fakes a spinning attack, drawing Johnson inside but never unloading with the strike. Diaz lands the one-two again and has to cover up as Johnson throws a series of counter hooks in close quarters. Johnson lands a right hand to the body, but his two follow-up punches upstairs bounce of Diaz’s mitts. The next left hand from Diaz sends Johnson stumbling backward. Diaz is loving it, smiling and waving Johnson forward to eat more punches. Johnson tries to clinch and push Diaz to the fence but he’s pushed away and clicked with another right hook-left straight. Diaz goes body-head with his jab, checks a low kick and counters a Johnson overhand right with a slick right hook. Johnson is getting eaten alive with jabs and left hands but he’s still fighting back, trying to pressure Diaz inside the last two minutes. Diaz slips throwing a body shot, gets back up and throws up his guard to block Johnson’s attack. Inside the final minute, it’s all Diaz, all jabs and one-twos keeping Johnson in danger. Johnson hits a late takedown, the lightweights climb back to their feet and Diaz rolls for a kneebar. After the horn, Diaz half-heartedly stretches out the leg and mugs to a camera, prompting Johnson to kick him away for a little bit of extracurricular activity.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Diaz (29-28 Diaz)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Diaz (29-28 Diaz)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Diaz (29-28 Diaz)

The Official Result

Nate Diaz def. Michael Johnson via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Junior dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem

Round 1

Dos Santos steps forward after an awkward touch of gloves but doesn’t let his hands fly, and Overeem is similarly reserved as he circles backward in a wide southpaw stance. The crowd starts to boo after 90 seconds without a strike, and then dos Santos misses as he steps into the pocket with a straight right. The big men trade low kicks and continue their tense circling. Overeem puts his arms up to block a right high kick, then gets a straight right to the body. “The ‘Reem” replies with a low kick, checked by dos Santos. Overeem launches a step-in knee to the gut of dos Santos, who answers with a quick jab. They’re inside the last 90 seconds of a round which is still very much up for grabs. Overeem goes over the top with a good left hand and puts a pair of kicks on the Brazilian’s lead leg. In the last 10 seconds, Overeem scores with a kick to the body.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Overeem
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Overeem
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Overeem

Round 2

Overeem gets a push kick to the cup in the first 10 seconds of the round and needs a moment to recover from the foul. The heavyweights trade leg kicks as they resume, then “JDS” follows with a kick to the gut. Overeem continues to chop at dos Santos’ legs, but again neither man is engaging or throwing combinations. Dos Santos lands a knee to the body at the halfway point, one of his few clean strikes of the round. The former champ follows with a leg kick; Overeem gives him two in return, then one to the body. Dos Santos can’t seem to get anything going here, looking very tentative on the feet. Overeem connects with a left hand which instantly opens up a cut on the outside of dos Santos’ right eye. With 40 seconds left, dos Santos backs up Overeem to the fence with his best work of the round, a body-head combination that has the Dutchman blinking. They circle back to the middle and Overeem charges forward with a perfect left hook that catches dos Santos square on the jaw. Dos Santos hits the ground on his back, rolls to his knees and takes three or four hammerfists to the head before referee Dan Miragliotta steps in to halt the bout. Dos Santos isn’t happy with the stoppage, but he was clearly in trouble despite his attempt to power back to his feet.

The Official Result

Alistair Overeem def. Junior dos Santos via TKO (Punches) R2 4:43

UFC Lightweight Title Fight:
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Donald Cerrone

Round 1

Herb Dean is the referee for tonight’s 155-pound championship bout, with judges Derek Cleary, Sal D’Amato and Chris Lee scoring at cageside. Dos Anjos pushes his challenger away with a front kick to the chest, then lands a straight left and a hook in a close exchange. Cerrone cracks back with a hard leg kick but takes another left hook and a knee to the body as dos Anjos charges forward. A body kick doubles over Cerrone, then a pair of punches blast him backward to the fence. “Cowboy” covers up, trying to block the champion’s barrage of punches as referee Dean takes a close look. Cerrone escapes off the fence and staggers to the center of the cage, where he’s shoved to his knees and slammed with more punches on the floor. The ref gives Cerrone a few more seconds to recover, but he’s not intelligently defending himself and dos Anjos’ attack is relentless. Dean steps in to stop the fight, and Rafael dos Anjos has defended his UFC lightweight title in style with a quick and vicious stoppage.

The Official Result

Rafael dos Anjos def. Donald Cerrone via TKO (Punches) R1 1:06