UFC FIGHT NIGHT 93 RESULTS: JOSH BARNETT TAKES OUT ANDREI ARLOVSKI

 

With close to 100 fights and four decades of experience between them, it’s amazing that Arlovski and Barnett haven’t ever fought before. They nearly fought for Affliction in 2008, but the fight came apart, finally coming back together in Germany all these years later.

After waiting so long for the fight to happen, neither man wasted any time before engaging. In the first 30 seconds of the fight, Barnett landed a right hand that wobbled Arlovski, but the Belarusian returned fire, wobbling Barnett. They weren’t done yet, though, as Barnett again hit Arlovski, who staggered backward.

Without a finish coming from that opening exchange, Barnett began to employ a strategy of continually clinching Arlovski and pressing him to the fence, using a 20-pound advantage to make Arlovski carry his weight.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to action this Saturday (Sept. 3, 2016) inside Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany, for the UFC Fight Night 93: “Arlovski vs. Barnett” mixed martial arts (MMA) event.

In the Fight Pass-exclusive main event, scheduled for five rounds, former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski looks to rebound from back-to-back losses at the expense of hot-and-cold division veteran (and fellow ex-champ) Josh Barnett.

Meanwhile, in the light heavyweight co-main event, Swedish sensation and two-time division No. 1 contender, Alexander Gustafsson, tries to get back into the championship mix by trading blows with Polish power-puncher Jan Blachowicz.

All that and so much more.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Night 93 fight card below, starting with the Fight Pass “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. ET, before the Fight Pass main card start time at 3 p.m. ET.

Many of our readers check-in before, during, and after the online fisticuffs to share their thoughts on all the exciting action. Therefore, feel free to leave a comment (or 93) before you split and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show — it always turns out to be a great discussion.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after “Arlovski vs. Barnett.”

Without further delay, see below for the latest UFC Fight Night 93 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action.)

EDITOR\’S NOTE: Jesse is off today so our play-by-play and results will be brought to you by Steve Juon. With that said let\’s get on to the action!

UFC FIGHT NIGHT 93 QUICK RESULTS:

Andrei Arlovski vs. Josh Barnett — Barnett via sub (RNC) 2:53 R3.

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Jan Blachowicz — Gustafsson UD 30-27 X3.

Ryan Bader vs. Ilir Latifi — Bader KO 2:06 R2.

Tae Hyun Bang vs. Nick Hein — Hein UD 29-28, 30-28, 30-27.

Jessin Ayari vs. Jim Wallhead — Ayari SD 28-29, 29-28, 30-27.

Nicolas Dalby vs. Peter Sobotta — Sobotta UD 30-26 X3.

Ashlee Evans-Smith vs. Veronica Macedo — Evans-Smith TKO 2:46 R3.

Leandro Issa vs. Taylor Lapilus — Lapilus UD 30-27 X2, 29-28.

Christian Colombo vs. Jarjis Danho — DRAW 29-27 Colombo, 28-28 X2.

Scott Askham vs. Jack Hermansson — Hermansson UD 30-27 X2, 29-28.

Rustam Khabilov vs. Leandro Silva — Khabilov UD 29-28 X2, 30-27.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT 93 PLAY-BY-PLAY:

265 lbs.: Andrei Arlovski vs. Josh Barnett

“Warmaster” Barnett has on red trunks for tonight\’s main event. “Pitbull” Arlovski enters to Eminem\’s “Soldier” in the black trunks. Our referee in charge is Leon Roberts. Barnett is 34-8 and fights out of Fullerton, California. Arlovski is 25-12, 1 NC and fights out of Chicago, Illinois, Here, we, GO.

Round 1: Both men come straight to the center. Barnett rocks Arlovski with an uppercut, and Arlovski returns the favor, and both men have been staggered momentarily only 30 seconds into the fight. Arlovski gets the advantage against the cage. Barnett throws a knee and turns Arlovski back into the cage. They break at 1:25. Barnett with a leg kick. Roberts warns them to watch clashing heads as Barnett pushes Arlovski into the cage. Knee to the body. Arlovski with an outside trip and he lands on top at the halfway point of R1. Arlovski backs up in the center and tries to hold the legs so he can come over the top with shots. Roberts warns him to do something with it. Arlovski throws leg kicks as he gets warned again and they\’re stood up at 3:40. Arlovski lands a right hand at 3:59. Barnett looks for a takedown against the cage. The horn sounds and they break. 10-9 Arlovski.

Round 2: Barnett has an overhand right land five second in and he puts Arlovski on the fence immediately. Roberts is unimpressed and the crowd would like more too. Arlovski turns him around and tries to get behind. Roberts threatens to split them up and does so at 1:20. They clinch up and Barnett lands body shots. Arlovski lands a right but Barnett pushes him back into the cage. Knees from Barnett. Hammers to the thighs from Barnett. The two spin away from the fence, Arlovski goes for the trip, but Barnett lands on top when they hit the ground and goes right to full mount. Barnett with short shots and hard elbows and with 30 seconds left he really starts to posture up and pour it on. Arlovski gives up his back as Barnett keeps landing big blows. 10-9 Barnett.

Round 3: Both behemoths are pawing at each other with big meaty hands as the first minute of R3 ticks by. Barnett takes a couple of shots to land an uppercut, Arlobvski responds in kind and lands a knee, Barnett takes a finger to the eye and protests but Roberts doesn\’t so anything. Arlovski tries to take it to the ground but as before Barnett rolls to the top with ease. Left elbows to the head as Barnett looks for a possible kimura. Full mount at 2:37. Barnett\’s corner implores him to pour it on and Barnett locks up a rear naked choke to finish the fight!

Final result: Josh Barnett wins via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:53 of the third round.

-end-

205 lbs.: Alexander Gustafsson vs. Jan Blachowicz

Round 1: Jan Blachowicz is in the red trunks tonight. The No. 2 ranked Gustafsson is in the black trunks. Blachowicz is 19-5 and fights out of Warsaw, Poland. Gustafsson is 16-4 and fights out of Stockholm, Sweden. Our referee in charge of this co-main event is Marc Goddard. Both men are trading immediately. Blachowicz is finding the range with his left hand. Gustafsson lands an overhand right and shoots for a single. Blachowicz breaks free at 1:16 and they trade hard blows. Gustafsson with a clean right and a clinch. They separate at 2:15. Blachowicz is mixing in leg kicks. He lands a knee and a few uppercuts as they tie up. 1-2 combo by Blachowicz. Blachowicz gets off four left hooks and Gustafsson turns him into the fence and gets a takedown at 3:25. The crowd responds positively as Gustafsson stays in the guard landing elbows. Blachowicz keeps trying to spin out and look for a submission but Gustafsson keeps right in the pocket. A strong finish to the round tips it 10-9 in Gustafsson\’s favor given the judges will remember the last two minutes more than the first three.

Round 2: It\’s slugfest for the first 18 seconds until Gustafsson gets another takedown with authority. Gustafsson continues to dice up Blachowicz\’ forehead with left and right elbows. Not only are they making him bleed they are zapping Blachowicz\’ will. Gustafsson looks for side control but ends up back in full guard again and might as well stay there — it\’s paying dividends. Every time he gets a chance to posture up and land a shot Blachowicz feels it. Gustafsson is living up to that “Mauler” nickname right now. Goddard wants to see more though. Gustafsson backs off with 30 seconds left, avoids the upkicks and tries to pass but Blachowicz recovers guard. Still this round is a complete blowout for Gustafsson 10-9. If the first round was close the second was anything but.

Round 3: Blachowicz\’ needs to keep this a brawl standing. If Gustafsson gets it to the ground again it\’s a wrap. Blachowicz lands a right to the head and a body kick but Gustafsson gets the takedown at 1:03 — and now Blachowicz has to pray Goddard stands them up. Goddard gives a stern warning to MAKE PROGRESS at 2:05 so Blachowicz may get his Blacho-wish. “Last time” warning from Goddard at 2:45. Gustafsson tries to stack Blachowicz up to do damage and then tries to step over but Blachowicz puts him back in guard. Goddard\’s had enough and resets them with 1:40 left. Gustafsson gets a single leg at 3:33 so there\’s no point standing them up again now. Gustafsson stands up and drops a big right hand. Blachowicz is laying on the canvas with his mouth wide open. Gustafsson nearly passes guard on the exhausted Blachowicz but he just barely gets it back. Gustafsson mauls him with elbows until the final horn. Clean sweep for Gustafsson. 10-9 times three.

Final result: All three judges score it 30-27 for Gustafsson by unanimous decision.

-end-

205 lbs.: Ryan Bader vs. Ilir Latifi

Round 1: Latifi comes out to the “Rocky” theme with the white trunks on. He\’s No. 12 in the 205 pound division right now with a three fight win streak going. “Darth” Bader has on the blue trunks and comes out to “Paint It Black” by the Rolling Stones. Latifi\’s record is 13-4, 1 NC and he fights out of Malmo, Sweden. Bader\’s record is 21-5 and he fights out of Tempe, Arizona as the No. 4 in the division. Our referee is Neil Hall. Bader takes the center immediately and Latifi circles then briefly clinches at 28 seconds. Bader throws a high kick and hits air. Latifi spins a leg kick and nearly spins himself to the ground as HE misses. Bader lands a jab and throws a head kick. Bader lands a hard body kick and Latifi looks uncomfortable. The crowd is cheering him on. Bader throws it again and Latifi tries to counter with power strikes but can\’t land one cleanly. Latifi dances side to side and misses with a right. Latifi hurts him with a right in the last 15 seconds but Bader gets back up. That was the best strike and could have swayed the judges.5

Round 2: BADER ENDS IT WITH A BIG RIGHT KNEE TO THE HEAD AT 2:06 as Latifi was trying to drop levels for a takedown. Bang, boom, done. No judges are necessary. Highlight reel finish and a big momentum change for Bader.

Final result: Bader wins by KNOCKOUT at 2:06 of the second round.

-end-

155 lbs.: Tae Hyun Bang vs. Nick Hein

Round 1: Bang comes out to the theme from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” He\’s in the white trunks tonight. Hein is in the red trunks. Bang is 18-9 and fights out of Seoul, South Korea. Hein is 13-2, 1 NC and fights out of Cologne, Germany. Our referee in charge is Lukasz Bosacki. Hein takes the center and Bang dances back and forth along the outer ring of the canvas, finally stepping forward and forcing Hein to back up a little as we pass the first minute. The crowd is impatient and so is Bosacki. Bang is throwing slightly more shots as the second slowly pass by. A right hand connects but Hein takes him to the ground to half guard looking to pass. Hein nearly pulls his left leg through but Bang blocks it and looks to sweep. They\’re back up at 3:11. Bang with a big right over the top in the closing seconds. He comes forward and misses as Hein takes the center. The crowd boos as Hein throws a high kick. Not much to write home about for the first round of the first fight on the “main card.” 10-10. Maybe 10-9 to Hein for the takedown even though he accomplished nothing with it.

Round 2: Between rounds Bosacki called for more action from both corners, and he calls for it again when they\’re tired up at 1:16 on the fence, with Hein pressing on Bang until he backs away 10 seconds later. Bang lands a left hand and snaps off a high kick after a lot of shadowboxing by both men. Bang hangs another right out and Hein throws a left to the body. Hein misses wildly with a left and a spin kick. Bang misses too as Hein spins away from the fence. Bang lands a clean right to the head. Hein to the body two times. Left jab by Bang. Hein and throws Bang down, firing off a couple of rights before Bang gets to his feet. Bang hits a judo throw of his own. The two break clean at 4:35. It doesn\’t feel like either man gained much advantage and the crowd boos at the horn to show their disapproval. If I had to pick a winner to this round it would be Bang 10-9 by the slimmest of margins.

Round 3: Left hook from Bang at 1:18. Bosacki calls time due to a headbutt that has opened up a cut over Bang\’s right eye. Hein staggers Bang for a second at 2:05 and his eyes light up. Unfortunately he\’s not able to capitalize on it. Bosacki warns them about clashing heads again at the 3 minute mark. Hein tags him again at 3:45. Bang has to punch his way out of a clinch. Hein circles away with a shot. Bang keeps trying to win Octagon control but I don\’t think that helps him with this round. Another left from Hein in the closing seconds of a round I\’d clearly give to him 10-9.

Final result: The judges score it 29-28, 30-28 and 30-27 for Nick Hein.

-end-

170 lbs.: Jessin Ayari vs. Jim Wallhead

Round 1: Leicester, England\’s Wallhead makes his UFC debut tonight in the red trunks. He cornered Dan Hardy in his very first UFC fight. Nuremberg, Germany\’s Ayari also makes his Octagon debut tonight in the black trunks. Wallhead is 29-9, Ayari is 15-3, and our referee is Marc Goddard. Ayari lands a good body kick as we pass the one minute mark. Wallhead is trying to push Ayari toward the cage but he keeps sidestepping and dancing away. Wallhead ties him up briefly at 2:02 and Ayari breaks free and resets. Ayari keeps dancing backward but lands an uppercut when Wallhead tries to close the distance. Wallhead knocks him off balance with a hard shot but Ayari pops up quickly. Wallhead keeps trying to chase Ayari down and he keeps getting out of the way. If I were a judge I\’d want to score this 10-10 because neither man accomplished anything.

Round 2: An overhand right and a left hook stings Ayari 53 seconds into R2 but he\’s not dropped. Wallhead keeps the pressure on. Ayari keeps the overhand right out there to remind Walhead not to get too close. An uppercut lands for Ayari. Wallhead lands a combo at 2:18. Right hand at Wallhead at 2:28. Ayari throws leg kicks. Ayari avoids a big right. Wallhead tags with a left hook and keeps on coming. They trade at 4:28. The crowd is growing impatient with Ayari dancing away. Solid right hand left hook combo for Wallhead. Wallhead takes this round 10-9.

Round 3: Wallhead\’s corner told him to make this a f—ing scrap between rounds. He\’s trying but Ayari is very elusive. Ayari counters with uppercuts the first two minutes of this round whenever Wallhead gets close. At the two minute mark the fans are fed up and want more strikes thrown. It\’s not as if Wallhead isn\’t throwing them – they just aren\’t landing. Ayari suddenly gets a head of steam and comes forward, Wallhead ties him up briefly, Ayari breaks clean. Ayari\’s unorthodox stance is paying dividends — he keeps his hands down but brings them up for uppercuts. Wallhead knocks him down with a clean left, Ayari gets back up at 3:40 and the two break seconds later. Wallhead goes for a takedown and Ayari blocks. Ayari pushes forward and lands knees and a big right elbow over the top. Both men seem ready to bang it out for the last 30 seconds. Wallhead has Ayari wobbled and he drops to his knees right before the horn. I would have given Ayari the round until that point but now it\’s totally up for grabs thanks to two knockdowns. A split decision wouldn\’t surprise me.

Final result: The judges score this 29-28 Wallhead, 29-28 Ayari, 30-27 for Ayari by split decision.

-end-

170 lbs.: Nicolas Dalby vs. Peter Sobotta

Round 1: Copenhagen, Denmark\’s Dalby is out first in the black trunks. Polish born but Germany\’s own Sobotta comes out in the red trunks. His entrance music is Inner Circle\’s “Bad Boys” and he\’s wearing a Jamaican flag mouthpiece. Dalby is 14-1-1, Sobotta is 15-5-1, and our referee is Leon Roberts. Roberts immediately warns both men to target their kicks as the feet fly. Sobotta kicks Dalby straight in the face, Dalby catches the leg but can\’t do anything with it. Sobotta puts him down with an uppercut and Sobotta swarms trying to finish it on top. Dalby\’s face is busted up. Sobotta sits up and drops elbows. Dalby is clinching and trying to hang on. The left side of his face is absolutely smashed. The crowd chants loudly for Sobotta as he looks to pass and gets side control at 2:27. Sobotta drives knees to the thigh as the two spin on the mat. Sobotta drops a hammer, Dalby tries to scramble, and Sobotta counters by taking the back with both hooks in and 40 seconds left in R1. Sobotta hunts for the rear naked with short time left but Dalby is able to escape and survive. 10-8 Sobotta.

Round 2: Dalby has a huge mouse under his left eye to start R2, and apparently decides to stick his finger in Sobotta\’s right eye to even things up. The ref immediately calls time and tells him not to rub it — just blink. He\’s able to clear his vision and the fight resumes with under 30 seconds elapses. Sobotta catches a kick and whips Dalby to the ground. Dalby gets back to a knee but Sobotta has him tied up and takes him right back down at 1:18. Sobotta methodically moves his way up looking for a full mount, but winds up with side control at 3:30 instead. Sobotta could always put a knee on belly and get the mount or go for an armbar. He doesn\’t get either – Dalby gets half guard. Sobotta is dominating on top but he\’s being told to work more with 30 seconds left, so he starts landing some elbows with 15 seconds. It\’s a 10-9 for Sobotta.

Round 3: Dalby is anxious and fighting like he has nothing to lose, but Sobotta stays calm and fires rights, and just lets him rush into a clinch knowing he\’s got the strength advantage here. Dalby lands an elbow on the break but Sobotta lands a right and then the men trade body kicks. Sobotta looks for the takedown but Dalby gets free at 2:32. Sobotta lands a combo to the chin. Big body kick from Sobotta and a double leg dump to the ground with two minutes to go. Blood pours out of Dalby\’s face as he sits up against the Octagon with nowhere to go and sand pouring out of the hourglass. Sobotta turns him away from the cage and moves to half guard, then to side control with ease. One minute left. Dalby tries to spin to his knees, but Sobotta responds by taking the back and getting side control. Dalby finds an opening and gets up with 25 seconds left, and Sobotta shoots and Dalby sprawls – that eats up the clock. 10-9 Sobotta.

Final result: The judges score this contest 30-26, 30-26, 30-26 for Sobotta.

-end-

135 lbs.: Ashlee Evans-Smith vs. Veronica Macedo

Round 1: Venezuelan sensation Macedo makes her way to the Octagon first. She has on yellow trunks for this bout. She\’s undefeated in her career and the youngest woman in UFC at only 20 years old. Evans-Smith carries the American flag over her head on her way to center stage. She has black trunks on for this fight and is No. 13 in the rankings at 135. Macedo\’s official record is 5-0 and she fights tonight out of Poznan, Poland. Evans-Smith is 4-1 and fights out of Laguna Hills, California. Our referee is Neil Hall. Both women come out in an aggressive stand up fighting stance. Macedo circles and lands a backhand then throws a head kick at the taller Evans-Smith. They clinch on the fence but reset at 1:40. Macedo lands a side kick back kick combo but Evans-Smith closes the distance looking for a takedown while throwing knees. Evans-Smith finally throws her to the ground at 3:28. Evans-Smith jumps to the back and gets both hooks in. Macdeo turns but gives up full mount doing so.  Evans-Smith goes for an americana but lets Macdeo back up in the process. Macedo takes the back looking for a takedown and it\’s not there. Two big elbows from Macedo before the horn. Very close round.

Round 2: Macedo lands a good kick at 35 seconds but Evans-Smith bulls her into the fence and lands some good knees. Macdeo is warned not to grab the fence as she turns Evans-Smith around. Evans-Smith turns her back into the cage at 1:37. Macdeo drops for a knee bar and Evans-Smith takes her back briefly, then throws knees as they both stand. Hall calls for actio as Evans-Smith turns her around and throws a nice set of hands and elbows. Evans-Smith pushes the head down to throw a knee and Macedo finally breaks off with three minutes gone. Macedo throws a couple of leg kicks before she\’s pushed into the fence again. Macedo is warned to let go of the fence and once again rolls trying to get a knee bar. Evans-Smith is having none of it and takes the back to land left hands then side control. Macedo gets up with 20 seconds left but Evans-Smith hip throws her right back down. 10-9 Evans-Smith.

Round 3: Evans-Smith with a knee to the body to open R3. Front kick by Evans-Smith. Body kick. Macedo rebounds off the fence after a shot and ends up in the clinch right away. One more time she rolls for the knee bar and is eating hard left hands. The fight is slipping away from Macedo with each passing second and it now feels like it\’s Evans-Smith\’s to lose. Macedo keeps eating damage with virtually no chance to get the submission. Evans-Smith is obliterating her with right elbows. This could be stopped. Macedo is TKO\’d and this fight is over with under 2:30 left. It\’s out first finish of the entire card.

Final result: Ashlee Evans-Smith wins at 2:46 of the third round via technical knockout.

-end-

155 lbs.: Leandro Issa vs. Taylor Lapilus

Round 1: Sao Paulo, Brazil\’s Issa is in the yellow trunks. Paris, France\’s Lapilus is in the blue. Issa\’s record is 13-5 and Lapilus is 10-2. Our referee is Lukasz Bosacki. Lapilius comes forward throwing shots immediately and Issa responds by going for a takedown, taking the back, going for a single leg and getting it, and Lapilus getting back to his feet briefly at 45 seconds before Issa pulls him down. He gets up again at 56 seconds and Issa stays on that right leg until he gets Lapilus down again even though he\’s smacked with a couple of elbows. Lapilus back up again at 1:30. Issa keeps the pressure on as Bosacki calls for more action. The fighters are warned not to grab the fence. Lapilus finally breaks free at 3:36 and starts unloading with a flurry. Issa is hurt and he\’s wobbling. The only thing that stops a knockout is that Lapilus slips to one knee briefly. Issa recovers and dances away. Issa gets drilled with a big left with ten seconds left and goes for a takedown to survive. 10-9 Lapilus.

Round 2: Lapilus throws his hands up to open R2 like he\’s already won. Issa blinks his eyes like he\’s just woken up from a long nap. He may be about to take another as Lapilus cracks him with a couple of lefts. Issa ties him up and Lapilus drives a knee to the body. They break and Lapilus is stalking, left hand cocked, right hand feeling out the distance. Lapilus stuffs a takedown but Issa pushes him into the fence. Bosacki calls for action at 1:35. More knees from Lapilus as Issa is pressed into the cage, and he eats another left before he can get away. Body shot by Lapilus. Lapilus keeps Issa backpedaling as he continues to search for the kill shot. A big right hand smacks at 3:18. Issa throws a defensive high kick. Lapilus scrambles out of a takedown attempt at 3:51. Issa may not be able to see out of his left eye. Lapilus  goes for a takedown and pulls his head of a guillotine and is on top for the last 30 seconds. 10-9 Lapilus.

Round 3: Lapilus isn\’t celebrating to open this round — he\’s just getting back to work with his hands. He\’s mixing in body shots along with the head strikes. Issa shoots very hard for a single leg and Lapilus widens his stance and fights for control as Bosacki calls for action. Lapilus fires off a couple of elbows. Issa moves to the back and goes for a leg trip and misses. Issa is burning a lot of time in this failed takedown attempt in a fight where he\’s already down two rounds. The crowd starts to boo the lack of activity. Lapillus turns him around and smacks Issa with a couple of elbows, slips, but gets back up unharmed. The left hand stings Issa again. Issa shoots for the single leg and the clock is definitely his biggest enemy now with under two minutes left. Bosacki wants more activity. In the words of Dan Hardy “the takedowns are just not paying dividends.” Lapilus breaks off at 3:54. Issa scrambles as the lefts and rights keep coming. He freaks out and goes for a single leg, Lapilus nearly takes his back, then stands right up with 22 seconds left as Bosacki calls for work. Not seeing it he separates them but there are only seconds left in the round. Lapiilus lands two lefts and a combo to finish strong. 10-9 and a clean sweep.

Final result: The judges score this contest 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for Lapilus.

-end-

265 lbs.: Christian Colombo vs. Jarjis Danho

Round 1: Colombo comes out to “Godzilla” by Blue Oyster Cult in the red trunks, hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark. Nuremberg, Germany\’s own Danho (by way of Syria) comes out to Carl Orff\’s “O Fortuna” in the black trunks. Colombo is 8-1, Danho is 6-1 1 NC, and our referee is Marc Goddard. Danho closes the distance on Colombo immediately and goes for a takedown. Colombo lands a knee to the face after multiple attempts are denied. Danho keeps looking to land a big right and finally hits it flush at 1:35 but Colombo throws another knee as they break. Goddard warns them about shots to the cup. Danho backs off to avoid a high kick. They body lock at 3:01. Danho backs off and lands a couple of lefts. Colombo traps the head and tries to fire off clinch knees. Colombo keeps getting knees on target whenever Danho looks for a takedown. He throws four shots  that smack into Colmbo, but Colombo responds with a knee that splits open the top of his head while he\’s in a downed position, and Goddard calls time. Goddard docks him one point even though Marc Ratner informs us that under the rules changes coming next year that would not have been a foul since putting your fingers down and pulling them right up again is not enough to be a downed opponent. 10-8 round for Danho thanks to the deduction. Danho feels the cut on the top of the head as he walks away.

Round 2: Danho pushes Colombo against the fence for a combo and Colombo tries to respond with knees. Danho eats a knee but he trips Colombo to the ground and Colombo gets up reeling backward from the offense landed. Colombo rocks Danho with a knee as he drops levels for a takedown. This is a wild second round. Colombo stings Danho with a couple of knees at 2:27. Danho wipes the blood off his nose and tries to reset, landing a good uppercut. Both fighters seem to be exhausted. Colombo hammers away as Danho tries to get a single then covers up to avoid the knees. Danho fires off as he breaks the clinch. Danho\’s hands are down around his waist. Colombo eats a right and an uppercut as Danho tries to circle for a single, then once again covers to avoid the knees. This fight got really sloppy really fast. I\’ll give this round 10-9 Colombo but Danho may be completely gassed.

Round 3: Colombo closes the distance as Danho lands an uppercut, but Colombo responds with a knee and a right. Colombo keeps putting his weight on Danho whenever they clinch up, driving his head and body down to the ground. Danho breaks free at 1:58. Colombo lands a left jab. They clinch and Colombo gets the advantage again. He comes forward throwing lefts and rights as both men stumble like construction workers who have been in out in the summer day\’s sun all day with no water breaks. Danho gets some good lefts and rights in late after both men get up at 3:45. That seems to have been his last big flurry but it did bust Colombo up. Colombo lands more knees as they clinch. Danho pushes him into the fence as Goddard tells them to keep working. Colombo tries to turn it around and land knees late. The horn saves both men after one last exchange and blood is streaming from the cut on Danho\’s head. This could wind up being a draw.

Final result: 29-27 Colombo, 28-28, and 28-28 for a majority draw.

-end-

185 lbs.: Scott Askham vs. Jack Hermansson

Round 1: Hermansson is screaming on his way to the Octagon for his UFC debut. He hails from Uddevalla, Sweden, he\’s wearing the black trunks, and he\’s on an eight fight win streak. Yorkshire, England\’s own Askham comes out to “I Got 5 On It” by The Luniz and he\’s in the white trunks. Hermansson is 13-2, Askham is 14-2, and our referee is Leon Roberts. Askham takes the center as we start and Hermansson throws leg kicks. Hermansson seems to be bouncing non-stop while Askham is stepping forward lightly and patiently while measuring the range. Left hand to the body from Askham. Hermandsson shoots for a single and puts Askham on the fence. Hermansson with a knee to the body. Uppercut from Askham as he breaks free. Leg kick and uppercut from Askham. Body kicks are traded. Hermansson tries to kick high and it\’s blocked. Askham teases a Superman punch and closes for a takedown attempt. Hermansson blocks it and pushes him away at the horn. 10-9 Askham.

Round 2: Hermansson is aggressive with the body and leg kicks to open R2. Askham has a cut opened up over his right eyebrow. Askham throws some kicks of his own to back Hermansson off and fires lefts to the body. Hermansson stings Askham with a right hand and Askham is dancing away. Askham swings away trying to keep him out of range, goes for a single and lets it go which gives Hermansson the opening for several more right hands, then a nice uppercut in the clinch. The Swedish fans are chanting for him now. The right hands keep finding a home even as Askham tries to push him away. Three big shots in a row land with 90 seconds left. Hermansson continues to put the pressure on and land knees and uppercuts even as they clinch. A hard elbow lands flush. Askham is getting tagged with the left jab now too and the right body kick also connects. Askham is breathing hard. Tkedown attempt late. Askham pulls guard and nearly turns it into a submission. 10-9 (or better) for Hermansson.

Round 3: Right now it feels like Askham is in big trouble and Hermansson knows it. Askham takes it to the ground again but Hermansson ends up on top. Askham tries to lock up a heel hook but Hermansson spins his way out of trouble. Askham is going for a toe hold and loses it as Hermansson briefly has a guillotine on when they stand up. He lands a big right hand at 2:06 and Askham looks woozy. Big knee to the body. Hermansson keeps the head trapped to throw knees to the body and lets it go at 2:54. More big right hands for Hermansson. They tie up on the fence. Hermansson is coming over the top with the right elbow. Askham tries to get the underhooks spin Hermansson around and trip him to the ground — that does\’t pan out. Hermansson drops for a single leg and Askham sprawls. Hermansson gets back up at 4:28. Askham shifts his head side to side and tries to throw up a knee. Hermansson breaks free and lands a few more big hands that should ensure him the win. 10-9 Hermansson.

Final result: The judges score this contest 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 all for Jack Hermansson.

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155 lbs.: Rustam Khabilov vs. Leandro Silva

Round 1: Sao Paulo, Brazil\’s own Silva is in the yellow trunks. A very happy Khabilov hailing from Derbent, Dagestan, Russia is in the red. Silva is 19-3-1, 1 NC. Khabilov is 19-3. Our referee in charge is Neil Hall. Silva takes the center immediately and Khabilov circles to the left. He throws a foot stomp and faints with a knee. Silva throws a leg kick and dances away as Khalilov misses with an overhand right. Silva is getting backed up toward the fence bit by bit. Two minutes in and leg kicks are the only thing either has had success with. Hall calls for more work two times. Silva opens up a little more with his hands and lands a left kick to the body. Khabilov misses with a spin kick then closes the distance against the fence, but lets go of the takedown after eating a knee. He tries again for a single but Silva shakes him off at 3:45. Khabilov misses with a flying knee. Silva rocks Khabilov with a left, Khabilov backpedals, and Silva jumps on top in full mount at 4:25. Khabilov sweeps to the top and lands a big right hand. He grinds away with left and right elbows to the horn. 10-9 Silva for the knockdown.

Round 2: Khabilov\’s trying to pressure Silva early this round, and Khabilov tags him with a right against the fence but doesn\’t drop him. He resets and starts working his way in again, as Silva defends by firing off rights. Hall calls for work at 1:58 right as Silva lands a combo. His left hand lands flush to the head. Khabilov throws a big right hand at 2:25 and closes the distance to but Silva on the fence. Silva body locks just to push away from the cage. Hall warns both men to watch the extended fingers when they strike. Khabilov lands a left and teases another to try and open up a takedown – he uses a leg trip to complete it and get on top in full guard. Silva fishes for an arm and can\’t trap it. He keeps trying to spin his way to it but Khabilov stays dead in the middle. Hall tells them to “keep working” and “stay busy” even though the horn sounds seconds later. I can see the judges scoring it one round apiece. I\’m saying 10-9 Khabilov.

Round 3: Both men tap gloves to open our final round. Silva goes high with a head kick that Khabilov just barely checks. He goes to the body with a kick and Khabilov tries to take him down in multiple ways but can only get Silva to his knees for a second. Silva seems to be daring Khabilov to close the distance and take a kick when he gets into range, feeling he can stuff the takedowns if it doesn\’t land. Hall calls for work at 2:44 right as Khabilov goes for another single leg. Khabilov tries to dig in but Silva keeps his balance. Hall warns Silva about elbows to the spine. Khabilov finally completes the takedown at 3:40 but Silva is back up with a minute left and no damage done. Silva lands a left hand, Khailob shoots and is stuffed. Khabilov shoots and Silva stuffs it easily, and then Silva shoots as Khabilov throws an uppercut, and it\’s Khabilov who blocks for a change. This third round was so close it could go either way — on my card it\’s 10-9 Khabilov to take the fight.

Final result: The judges score this contest 29-28, 29-28, 30-27 all for Rustam Khabilov.

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Source: MMAMANIA.COM