LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was on scene and reported live from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 210 event, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
In the bantamweight main event, Cory Sandhagen (15-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) took on Song Yadong (19-6-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC). In the middleweight co-feature, Chidi Njokuani (22-8 MMA, 2-1 UFC) met Gregory Rodrigues (13-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC).
To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC Fight Night 210 discussion thread. You can also get behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes from on-site reporter Ken Hathaway (@kenshathaway ) on Twitter.
Nikolas Motta vs. Cameron VanCamp
Round 1 – Fights! Thirteen on deck for today/tonight – or perhaps even the morning depending on where you’re tuning in from. Nikolas Motta tells the camera to get out of his face during the introductions. He’s raring to go. Both of these men are looking for their first UFC victories. They both land left hands. Cameron VanCamp looks like the much bigger human. He lands two punches on Motta. Jumping up, VanCamp looks for a flying knee. Motta dodges and throws a head kick which clunks VanCamp against the side of the noggin. VanCamp smiles. Motta has some swelling on the right side of his face. Motta connects on a left and VanCamp stumbles back. That looked like it was a combination of a stunning shot and a trip. VanCamp has halted momentum. Motta cracks him again with a left hook. VanCamp goes down. Motta pounds away. And that’s it! Former CFFC champ Motta has his first UFC win. The man has power.
Result: Nikolas Motta def. Cameron VanCamp via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:49
Recap: UFC Fight Night 210 video: Nikolas Motta scores TKO, pleads for bonus after being ‘broke for 10 years’
Records: Nikolas Motta (13-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Cameron VanCamp (15-7-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Javid Basharat vs. Tony Gravely
Round 1 – Javid Basharat comes out to “Kids” by MGMT, so he’s already up slightly in my book (kidding). “No Nonsense” Keith Peterson signals for the bout’s start and we’re off. Each fighter is feeling out the other. Tony Gravely throws a knee and his head clashes with Basharat’s. On the break, Basharat is sliced open above his eyebrow. They scramble and separate. Peterson calls timeout as there is blood all over Basharat’s face and he wants to get the gash examined. The doctor briefly looks at the cut and gives his stamp of approval. Peterson restarts the bout. Gravely dives for a takedown. Basharat defends and lads a hard knee to the head of Gravely. Both fighters land a big punch. They reenter close range and Basharat tags Gravely with another combination. He’s finding his rhythm. Gravely connects on a pair of overhand rights. Basharat shoots for a takedown and gets it. Gravely threatens a guillotine choke, but Basharat gets to mount. Gravely pops up to his feet and the two fighters exchange. This has been fun thus far. Basharat spins and lands a kick to the midsection of Basharat a la Dennis Siver. The round ends. 10-9 Basharat.
Round 2 – Gravely shoots for a takedown. No dice. Gravely shoots again. This time, he gets it but Basharat nearly reverses him. The threat of reversal is enough for Basharat to raise Gravely back up. Gravely tries again. Same thing. They separate and Basharat punishes Gravely’s body. Gravely shoots again. This time Basharat actually does reverse position on the takedown and lands on top in half guard. Basharat threatens a D’Arce choke. Gravely flattens out facedown and Basharat tries to take his back. Whether it was intentional bait or not, Gravely used his position to get Basharat to let go. Gravely stood up and they separate. Basharat lands a front kick. The round ends. 20-18 Basharat.
Round 3 – The two fighters trade back and forth. Gravely shoots for a single leg. Basharat spins around and tries to go for a takedown of his own. Gravely defends and pushes forward. They trade kicks. They clinch. Basharat lands a knee to the body. More kicks from both guys. Gravely dove for a single leg. Gravely lands a combination and Basharat fires back. The horn sounds. 30-27 Basharat.
Result: Javid Basharat def. Tony Gravely via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Records: Javid Basharat (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Tony Gravely (23-8 MMA, 4-3 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Keith Peterson
Judging: Chris Lee, Anthony Maness, Junichiro Kumijo
Mariya Agapova vs. Gillian Robertson
Round 1 – Here’s a battle between former training partners. At one point Mariya Agapova and Gillian Robertson were both at American Top Team. Now, Agapova is at MMA Masters and Robertson recently joined The Goat Shed. Now, they’re opponents. Wasting no time, Robertson shoots and almost finds herself submitted by an Agapova guillotine choke attempt. Back up, Robertson tries a guillotine but Agapova breaks. Robertson shoots against the fence. Agapova keeps her hips low. Robertson won’t give up the attempt, as Agapova lands elbow after elbow on the ear Travis Browne style. Those were loud and impactful. Agapova lands on top and whacks Robertson, who scrambles to the back. Agapova escapes the back-take and they’re back on the feet. Man, Agapova has to be one of the more physically-imposing women on the UFC women’s flyweight roster. Robertson shoots for a low single leg and Agapova hammerfists her. Robertson tries to sneak up to a high crotch. Agapova still defends, leaning against the cage. Over and over Agapova elbows Robertson. Finally, Robertson dumps Agapova to the canvas and rolls right into mount. Robertson is working for an arm-triangle choke. Agapova is defending, while she receives warnings from Mark Smith about cage grabs. Time expires – and may have saved her. 10-9 Agapova, because of damage.
Round 2 – Robertson takes Agapova down less than one minute into the round. She has much more time to work this time around. Robertson briefly seeks the arm-triangle choke again, but switches to Agapova’s back. She is only able to get one hook. Agapova tries to wall-walk up. Robertson snatches the neck. Agapova flips to the center of the cage but Robertson locks it deeper. She lost her mouthpiece and appears to be biting her tongue as she’s fighting this choke. Oh, man. This is gruesome. Agapova goes out and referee Mark Smith dives in. As Robertson sneaks out from under her opponent, Agapova eerily stays upward, while drooling, then faceplants back down as medical professionals and commission officials tend to her. That was pretty scary, but Agapova appears to be OK during the decision reading. Regardless, another finish for Gillian Robertson.
Result: Gillian Robertson def. Mariya Agapova via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:19
Recap: Gillian Robertson rallies for frightening choke of Mariya Agapova
Records: Mariya Agapova (10-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC), Gillian Robertson (11-7 MMA, 8-5 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Trey Ogden vs. Daniel Zellhuber
Round 1 – A very highly-anticipated debut up next. Unbeaten 23-year-old Daniel Zellhuber could be the future of Latin American MMA. Let’s see. He’s got the gritty Trey Ogden for his UFC debut. Ogden shoots. No dice. Zellhuber looks very long. Lots of strike misses from both men thus far. We’re already halfway through the round and essentially nothing has happened. Ogden tries a high kick. It’s blocked. Zellhuber lands a leg kick. Ogden lands a left hand. Zellhuber returns with a combination followed by a kick. Both men jab – and jab again. Zellhuber’s most success has come with a leg kick. Ogden isn’t doing anything too pretty, but at least he’s more active than his Mexican opponent. Zellhuber smiles. The round ends. 10-9 Ogden.
Round 2 – More bounce from the two fighters immediately in Round 2. Zellhuber tries some high kicks that miss. Ogden lands a sneaky open-hand counterpunch. There’s a low blow. Herb Dean calls timeout. Seconds later, Dean starts the action back up. Zellhuber is moving forward now, audibly making a noise on each strike thrown. Lots of head movement from Zellhuber, but still not a lot of throwing. Ogden shoots. Zellhuber shoves him aside. We’re halfway through the fight and Zellhuber has yet to show any sort of significant offense. Ogden lands a leg kick. Unless someone hits the “Slugfest” button here, I don’t think this will win Fight of the Night for this card. Ogden secures a takedown. Zellhuber scrambles up. Ogden shifts to the back, standing up. The round ends. This has been a little bit difficult to score because of inactivity – but 20-18 Ogden.
Round 3 – Zellhuber pumps the jab. He needs a finish here, in my opinion. Zellhuber misses on a combination. Ogden ducks under, clinches, and then breaks. Ogden lands a left. Zellhuber lands a jab. Ogden lands a kick to the hip of Zellhuber, who has more movement right now with little offensive. success. Zellhuber rushes in and Ogden circles away. Ogden lands an inside leg kick. With a minute left on the clock, Zellhuber is finally opening up. He lands a hard combination on Ogden, who circles away. Zellhuber rips a body kick. The round ends, as does the fight. I can’t imagine Zellhuber will be happy with that performance. 29-28 Ogden.
Result: Trey Ogden def. Daniel Zellhuber via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Records: Trey Ogden (16-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Daniel Zellhuber (12-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Herb Dean
Judging: Doug Crosby, Junichiro Kumijo (30-27); Chris Lee (29-28, scoring Round 2 for Zellhuber)
Denise Gomes vs. Loma Lookboonmee
Round 1 – The second DWCS, Season 6 alum to debut in the UFC, Denise Gomes makes her walk to the cage seconds after Loma Lookboonmee. The fight is underway. Lookboonmee elbows Gomes, who is now already leaking less than a minute into the fight. Lookboonmee kicks Gomes to the canvas. Gomes ties her up against the fence. Lookboonmee defends. Gomes lifted her up off her feet. Not only did Lookboonmee defend, she leaned and fell on top of Gomes – right into mount. Gomes flips to her belly, but Lookboonmee snatches the back. Gomes’ blood is painting the canvas. A puddle is forming. Gomes has wrist control, defending the choke. Lookboonmee goes to high on Gomes, who lands up on top and attempts an arm-triangle choke. She’s in half guard on the wrong side, however. Blood is squirting as Gomes strains to complete the submission. Gomes moves to mount but loses grip of the choke. Gomes pulls for an armbar. There is a brief struggle, but Lookboonmee slips out. You have to wonder if the slippery blood came into play just then. Lookboonmee is now on top in Gomes’ guard. Lookboonmee lands a hard elbow as the round ends. 10-9 Lookboonmee.
Round 2 – Lookboonmee takes Gomes down and is in half guard. Lookboonmee shifts to mount and lands some punches. Gomes shoves her away and the fighters return to their feet. Moments later, Lookboonmee clinches, headlocks Gomes, and tosses her to the canvas. Lookboonmee is back in half guard. Gomes shoves Lookboonmee away. As Lookboonmee walks away from her downed opponent, she stops paying attention for a second. Gomes quickly gets to her feet and dives for Lookboonmee’s legs. She has Lookboonmee up against the cage then lands a hard combination. The round ends. 20-18 Lookboonmee.
Round 3 – Oh! Gomes lands a spinning elbow. Lookboonmee grabs her and throws a headlock toss. On the ground, Gomes grabs hold of a leg and attempts a heel hook. Lookboonmee escapes but now Gomes in on her back with a ton of time left. Gomes is seeking a rear-naked choke. Lookboonmee defends the hands. A minute of inactivity ends with Gomes attempting an armbar. That failed. Lookboonmee is now on Gomes’ back. Gomes raises up, bloodied. Lookboonmee keeps her grip and throws Gomes down again. Gomes desperately seeks to get to her feet. Lookboonmee keeps her pinned against the canvas and fence however, as she lands short elbows and punches with about 30 seconds remaining on the clock. Gomes controls the wrist to stop the stream of strikes. A few more elbows and punches paint the canvas red and the horn sounds. That was a fun, competitive matchup. Good matchmaking. 29-28 Lookboonmee.
Result: Loma Lookboonmee def. Denise Gomes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Records: Denise Gomes (6-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC), Loma Lookboonmee (7-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Judging: Mike Bell, Sal D’Amato (30-27); Derek Cleary (29-28, scoring Round 3 for Gomes)
Louis Cosce vs. Trevin Giles
Round 1 – These two could very well be fighting for their jobs here. Let’s see what happens. Through the first minute, there have been virtually zero strikes. Lots of staring. Both men kick and miss. Trevin Giles lands a jab. Louis Cosce misses on two kicks. Giles lands a leg kick. Cosce lands a punch. Giles jabs again. He appears to be in really great shape. This is his first camp as a full time fighter. He stepped away from his job as a Houston police officer to focus solely on fighting for this one. More staring. Giles fires away. Even more staring. The round ends. Ummmm. 10-9 Giles.
Round 2 – Cosce lands a high kick and runs in. Giles shoves Cosce aside. Cosce misses a left hand. A head kick from Giles is blocked. The two fighters open up a bit before more staring ensues. Giles ties Cosce up against the fence where he keeps him for the rest of the round. Man, I wish there was more for me to fill you guys in on, but that’s literally all this round was. 20-18 Giles.
Round 3 – Wow. Something just happened. Cosce takes Giles down and is on top of him. Giles looks uncomfortable as Cosce leans on his head. Cosce in half guard. Giles slips out. Cosce threatens a head lock, but Giles loops around to the back. Standing up, Giles takes Cosce to the canvas. Cosce crawls to the fence. They’re standing now. Giles lands four knees, as he leans against Cosce. As the horn sounds, Giles dumps Cosce to the canvas. 30-27 Giles.
Result: Trevin Giles def. Louis Cosce via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Records: Louis Cosce (7-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC), Trevin Giles (15-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Judging: Chris Lee, Junichiro Kumijo (29-28, scoring Round 3 for Cosce); Anthony Maness (30-27)
Damon Jackson vs. Pat Sabatini
Round 1 – Here’s a fun one between two grapple savvy fighters. As mentioned on the broadcast, Damon Jackson enters UFC Fight Night 210 with a heavy heart as his brother died one week ago. Oh! And he enters with heavy strikes too. Jackson just crushed Pat Sabatini with a kick to the face. Jackson is crushing him with punches. He moves to mount. Sabatini is flattened out and Jackson is punishing him. There’s the stoppage. An all-time performance from Jackson, who immediately breaks down crying. His family is shown in the crowd doing the same. What an emotional moment, man.
Result: Damon Jackson def. Pat Sabatini via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:09
Recap: Damon Jackson finishes Pat Sabatini at UFC Fight Night 210 for emotional win just days after brother’s death
Records: Damon Jackson (22-4-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC), Pat Sabatini (17-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Keith Peterson
Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Anthony Hernandez
Round 1 – The main card is underway. The two fighters clinch against the cage. Anthony Hernandez lands a brutal elbow and breaks away. Marc-Andre Barriault lands a right hand. Barriault jabs. Hernandez shoots for a single-leg. Barriault threatens a guillotine choke. Hernandez swings his momentum into Barriault and breaks the choke. Barriault backpacks to Hernandez, who reverses the reversal and gets a takedown. Hernandez lands a few punches as Barriault’s arm is trapped under him against the fence. Barriault turns into Hernandez and posts up. Hernandez pulls Barriaults legs out again. Barriault hand stands and lands in the same position. Barriault escapes, gets to his feet, and tags Hernandez with a combination. Hernandez walks Barriault down, grabs his leg, and puts Barriault to the canvas again. Barriault gets up. Hernandez connects with a punch but Barriault blasts him in return. Hernandez digs the body with a punching combination. They’re exchanging. They separate and Hernandez gets another takedown. He lands some ground-and-pound before the horn sounds. 10-9 Hernandez.
Round 2 – Barriault may have broken ribs. He told his corner in between rounds they’re bugging him. That might be why Hernandez was targeting the body so much at the end of Round 1. Perhaps he sensed something was up. Barriault lands a combination on Hernandez, who takes Barriault down into half guard. Hernandez grabs hold of a gift wrap and pounds Barriault with a punch. Barriault rolls and scrambles to the cage. Hernandez is still on top of him, though. Barriault gets up but is taken down again. Hernandez moves to half guard again. Barriault is bleeding from somewhere. Hernandez knees him in the midsection as he moves to the back. Hernandez has one hook in. He’s all over Barriault. Eventually, Barriault gets up, noticeably exhausted. The round ends. 20-17 Hernandez.
Round 3 – Barriault throws a high kick. That wasn’t smart. Hernandez takes him down. Barriault gets up. Hernandez picks Barriault up and drops him on his head. Barriault gets up and escapes briefly before Hernandez drags him down again. Hernandez works to side control, as he seeks an arm-triangle choke. He’s squeezing – and Barriault is out! That was quite the choke. Only a few seconds into it, he was out. Domination by Hernandez.
Result: Anthony Hernandez def. Marc-Andre Barriault via technical submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 3, 1:53
Recap: Anthony Hernandez chokes Marc-Andre Barriault out cold
Records: Marc-Andre Barriault (14-6 MMA, 3-5 UFC), Anthony Hernandez (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Herb Dean
Tanner Boser vs. Rodrigo Nascimento
Round 1 – Big boys up now, although Tanner Boser came in at a light 229 pounds. Meanwhile, Rodrigo Nascimento tipped the scales at 261 pounds, near the heavyweight limit. Boser comes out with a lot of movement. Nascimento ties him up against the fence. Boser hammers some strikes with his back against the cage, but Nascimento tosses him to the mat. Nascimento is in Boser’s guard. After some inactivity, Boser escapes and is now pushing Nascimento against the fence. They separate. Nascimento lands an overhand right. Boser didn’t like that. He ties Nascimento up again. They separate and exchange. The round ends. 10-9 Nascimento.
Round 2 – Nascimento is flinging punches early. On the feet, these exchanges though few and far between, have been pretty wild. Nascimento stings Boser again. Boser throws back and circles away. A nice jab from Boser clanks off the face of Nascimento. Round and round Boser goes as he circles around the inside perimeter of the cage. Boser lands a multipunch combination that stuns Nascimento. He’s totally rocked but not going down. Boser slows his aggression. A questionable move there. Nascimento looked like a sitting duck. Perhaps Boser didn’t want to blow his gas tank load. Nascimento’s face is swollen and red. Both fighters land a combination. Nascimento shoots for a double leg. Boser struggles but eventually goes down. Nascimento shifts to Boser’s back. Boser throws a blind punch behind his head and Nascimento snatches a rear-naked choke. Boser doesn’t seem bothered, though. He’s giving the referee a thumbs up. Boser is out and faces up Nascimento, who then shifts into half guard. The round ends. 19-19.
Round 3 – Both men are throwing labored punches. Some are landing. Some aren’t. But nothing significant thus far in this round. Nascimento shoots and takes down Boser yet again. Nascimento is in Boser’s guard. Nascimento shifts into half guard. Referee Mark Smith says he needs them to work. Nascimento eyes side control. Boser is blocking it. He shifts back to half guard. Another warning to “stay busy” comes from the referee. Nascimento lands a punch as Boser returns him into guard. With 30 seconds left in the fight, Smith stands them up. Boser needs a finish – and he’s fighting like it. He stuns Nascimento with an uppercut. Boser stuffs a takedown and is firing all sorts of punches, though nothing significant. 29-28 Nascimento.
Result: Rodrigo Nascimento def. Tanner Boser via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Records: Tanner Boser (20-9-1 MMA, 4-4 UFC), Rodrigo Nascimento (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Judging: Junichiro Kumijo (30-27 Nascimento); Adalaide Byrd (29-28 Nascimento, scoring Round 2 for Boser); Doug Crosby (29-28 Boser, scoring Round 3 for Nascimento)
Alen Amedovski vs. Joe Pyfer
Round 1 – All right. The poster child for DWCS, Season 6 is about to fight. Joe Pyfer touches gloves with his opponent Alen Amedovski and we’re off. Amedovski is the biggest underdog on the card. Pyfer rips the body with a punch. Amedovski is bouncing around Pyfer, seemingly trying to gauge distance. Pyfer lands a combination and Amedovski returns. The two whiff on a few more combinations. Amedovski winds up for a high kick. Pyfer blocks it. Both fighters land simulatenous punches that put each other on their back feet. Then, they do it again. Pyfer fires again and floors Amedovski, who looks dazed and confused. Pyfer fires one more punch and that’s it. Tognoni dives in and Pyfer has his first UFC win.
Result: Joe Pyfer def. Alen Amedovski via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:55
Recap: Joe Pyfer delivers scintillating TKO of Alen Amedovski in debut
Records: Alen Amedovski (8-4 MMA, 0-4 UFC), Joe Pyfer (10-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Christ Tognoni
Bill Algeo vs. Andre Fili
Round 1 – Perhaps one of the more underrated fights of on the card is underway. Andre Fili tries a big combination. Bill Algeo does an exaggerated double-take – a taunt of sorts. He smiles and high fives Fili. On the next exchange, he does something similar. He looks extremely loose out there. Let’s see if that turns out to be good or bad. Fili appears to be all business. Algeo does a spin kick to the body. Half blocked. Algeo fires back with a three-punch combination. Those landed. Algeo lands a big head kick. Algeo is on roller skates. Algeo ducks and dodges the onslaught of attack that follows, but desperately grabs a leg of Fili. He does enough to survive and reset. Fili lands another head kick. Algeo is bleeding. Fili fires a few kicks to the body and then another one high. Algeo jabs, as he rushes in. Fili grabs hold of Algeo and circles him around to the cage. They separate. Algeo lands a kick. Fili signals it his elbow. Time expires. 10-9 Fili.
Round 2 – Algeo has a massive glob of grease on his forehead, but a timeout is actually caused because of Fili in the early seconds. There’s excess glove tape hanging off. It’s cut off and Keith Peterson resumes action. Both men swing wildly and miss, like a choreographed Jean-Claude Van Damme movie. Algeo lands a running left. Fili once again matadors the bull and drives Algeo into the fence. Algeo wiggles away. Algeo lands two punches. Fili returns with one. A loud Fili body kick slaps Algeo under his right arm. A left hand lands for Fili. A slick two-punch-to-spinning-kick combination lands for Algeo. Another spinning kick lands for Algeo. He’s spamming the funky moves at this point, but many are working. A hard leg kick for Fili lands. A straight left counter pops Algeo right in the mouth. They jab. Algeo finishes strong with a variety of different strikes. 19-19.
Round 3 – Algeo lands a stepping side kick to the face. That was slick. He came out in a very side-first karate stance. Fili lands a nice check hook and gets a takedown. Fili is in half guard. Algeo gives up his back and lands in a Fili arm-triangle choke attempt. Algeo breaks it but Fili takes his back with the body triangle. Fili snatches for a rear-naked choke. Algeo is hand fighting. This is an insane showing of hand-fighting. Multiple times he pried Fili’s fingers apart to save himself from the brink of defeat. Algeo blindly pummeling Fili behind his head. There’s a lot of blood coming from Fili. Algeo continues to punch Fili, who hasn’t been able to muster up another submission attempt. Fili’s face is a mess. This is bizarre. Algeo is winning the past few minutes from inside the body lock. The round ends. MMA Junkie scores it 29-28 Fili.
Result: Andre Fili def. Bill Algeo via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Records: Bill Algeo (16-7 MMA, 3-3 UFC), Andre Fili (22-9 MMA, 10-8 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Keith Peterson
Judging: Sal D’Amato, Derek Cleary (29-28 Fili, scoring Round 2 for Algeo); Chris Lee (29-28 Algeo, scoring Round 1 for Fili)
Chidi Njokuani vs. Gregory Rodrigues
Round 1 – If you’ve seen these two fight, you have to think someone is going to sleep. We’re off. This is the co-main event, by the way. In one of the early exchanges Chidi Njokuani tags Gregory Rodrigues, who stumbles backward. Njokuani pursues and is met with a combination from Rodrigues. These two are slugging out. Power shots landing for both men. Wow. Rodrigues is gushing blood. His whole face is covered already. Njokuani ties Rodrigues up against the fence and they break. Njokuani tags Rodrigues again. Rodrigues staggers but doesn’t go down. There was ZERO feeling out process in this one. All action from the start. Now Rodrigues floors Njokuani on a double right hand. They’re in the clinch and Rodrigues is hammering Njokuani with some elbows. Njokuani is dropped again but gets up. Rodrigues clinches Njokuani against the fence. Njokuani hammers Rodrigues with a short shot. Now, Njokuani clinches Rodrigues against the fence. Rodrigues reverses. Njokuani does the same and the round ends. 10-9 Rodrigues.
Round 2 – Rodrigues is sporting a nasty gash directly between his eyes. The cutman did an excellent job to fix it, however. The doctor tells Mark Smith to keep a close eye on it – but the fight is allowed to continue. Rodrigues comes out aggressive. He tries a leaping kick, but it misses. Njokuani appears to have less in the gas tank at the moment. Rodrigues grabs him and plants him to the canvas. Rodrigues is pounding away. Blood is spattering all over the place. Referee Smith is warning Njokuani – and he dives in! What a freaking exciting seven or so minutes. Amazing action! Rodrigues is must-see TV.
Result: Gregory Rodrigues def. Chidi Njokuani via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 2, 1:27
Recap:
Records: Chidi Njokuani (22-8 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Gregory Rodrigues (13-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Cory Sandhagen vs. Song Yadong
Round 1 – Cory Sandhagen goes immediately to the takedown. He has Ryan Hall in his corner, so perhaps a more ground-heavy attack is in the cards. Sandhagen shoves Song Yadong up against the fence. Referee Herb Dean briefly calls timeout when an errant knee from Yadong hits Sandhagen in the groin. Sandhagen has dominant position and tells Dean he’s fine. They’re back to clinching. They separate and reset. Yadong cracks Sandhagen in the face with a punch. Sandhagen shoots again. They’re back against the fence. Once again, they separate. Sandhagen shoots again. Yadong stuffs it. Sandhagen threatens to choke Yadong with a triangle. Yadong breaks the grip. Sandhagen shifts and Yadong circles to his back. Sandhagen elevates with Yadong on his back. Yadong’s feet hits the canvas but he’s still gripping Sandhagen. Against the fence, Yadong breaks and Sandhagen rips a body kick. Yadong lands three punches. Sandhagen dips in with a combination and misses. Sandhagen lands a leg kick. The horn sounds. 10-9 Yadong.
Round 2 – Yadong bursts out of the corner. Sandhagen calmly circles and sets. He tries a flying knee – similar to the move he hit Frankie Edgar with. It misses. Yadong throws a hard left hand that connects. Sandhagen loops in and Yadong tags him. Sandhagen wobbles and stumbles backward. He regains himself and tries the knee again. This time, it misses by even more. Sandhagen shoots. No dice. Yadong just keeps marching forward. They clash heads. No timeout. Sandhagen shoots again. He’s stuffed again. Yadong smiles but is bleeding. Sandhagen ties Yadong up against the fence. He’s gushing all over Sandhagen’s back. Sandhagen lands an elbow and the clinch breaks. Yadong sticks his tongue out. That cut could be concerning. It’s above his left eye. There are 90 seconds left in this round before it’s assessed – unless Dean calls timeout before that. Sandhagen throws a pair of kicks. Yadong is slowed a bit. Sandhagen lands more elbows and Yadong throws haymakers. The round ends. Let’s see what happens here, but 19-19.
Round 3 – Dean and the doctor are conferencing. It’s in a bad spot but the cut man appears to have done a good job. The doctor is examining Yadong. Phew, we’re good go. The two fighters continue to point-fight, but with extreme power. Sandhagen’s elbows are money – both from the clinch and from distance. They’re covered in blood. Eventually, Sandhagen ties Yadong up against the fence. Yadong is stalking Sandhagen, who is moving awkwardly, per usual. The round ends. 29-28 Sandhagen.
Round 4 – The doctor looks at the cut again. This time, he seems a bit more worried. His examination is longer, as is his discussion with Dean. However, the doctor allows it to continue. The bottom line is that Yadong can’t let this get any worse. Yadong times a leg kick to knock a head-kicking Sandhagen off balance. Yadong lands on top of Sandhagen and is in his full guard. Sandhagen gets up and they separate. Yadong throws a bomb and sticks his tongue. Sandhagen has slowed noticeably. He’s still moving backward, constantly switching stances. Yadong ducks and dodges a combination. Sandhagen takes Yadong down and is in half guard. Yadong’s cut might be worse than it was a few minutes ago. At least it looks worse visually. There is a pool of blood all over Yadong’s face. Sandhagen is warned about putting his fingers in the cut. Sandhagen rides out the rest of the round on top. When the horn sounds, Yadong looks in visible pain. There’s some swelling accompanying the gash now. This could be it – and it is. The doctor says he isn’t liking it and Dean waves it off. I really can’t argue with that call. The gash is nasty. 39-37 Sandhagen.
Result: Cory Sandhagen def. Song Yadong via TKO (doctor stoppage due to cut) – Round 4, 5:00
Recap:
Records: Cory Sandhagen (15-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC), Song Yadong (19-7-1 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Herb Dean
