Devin Powell pantshitter kicks Herrera
Herrera comes out really overwhelming and aggressive, Powell throwing naked leg kicks. Powell doesn't seem to have any balance, but cripples Herrera with two EXCELLENT liver kicks Herrera.
#13 Nina Ansaroff outlasts #12 Randa Markos
This would be only Markos' second career pro winning streak (excluding TUF). She's alternated wins and losses her last 11 fights. Ansaroff is engaged to Amanda Nunes. Ansaroff got outwrestled in the first round, and opened up her leg kicks in the second. Markos is rushing in as an attempt to refuse Ansaroff the range the needs to land kicks. Nina Ansaroff SHOULD be on a four fight winning streak, but got hosed in the decision against Kish. Many also had her beating Lima. Ansaroff shrieks "YES, FUCK!!!!!" after being announced as the winner.
#9 Dustin Ortiz head kicks through the gizzuard of #12 Matheus Nicolau
Nicolau is riding a three fight winning streak and is trying to stamp his place in the division as a contender with the champion fighting next week. This is a fight Ortiz had to win to keep his name as a relevant possible contender, and he did it with a head kick through a block, which Daniel Cormier expertly explains away. Ortiz now has the second longest flyweight winning streak (besides Johnson), and third most 125 pound wins in UFC history.
#7 Katlyn Chookagian outpointed #3 Alexis Davis
Chookagian won a nice, technical battle. We're going to see a lot of this in the UFC Flyweight division over the next year -- top 3-5 fighters getting beaten by newcomers. When the division has Davis, Roxanne Modafferi and Lauren Murphy in the top 6, that will happen. If you want a good fight out of Katlyn, you have to push the pressure and pace. Davis did that, but couldn't win.
John Makdessi goes to war with Ross Pearson, and wins
They were doing Pearson no favors. This was a war, but the funniest part was Makdessi pretending to have mercy and asking the ref to stop the fight, only to get thrown on his ass. Makdessi has won three of four, and Pearson has lost five of six while not being a perennial bonus contender.
Ion Cutelaba has more gas in the tank than #15 Antigulov
Cutelaba comes out with the Bret Hart gimmick, but the jobber doesn't give anyone his sunglasses. Antigulov lands a takedown, but gets really tired and doesn't have the energy to finish out the round. Instead, he eats a bunch of knees and elbows in the clinch and gets finished. Yikes. Cutelaba even wears the sunglasses after the win. Cutelaba has won 3 of 4, Antigulov ends his four-plus year winning streak. Cutelaba will replace him in the rankings.
Islam Makhachev serves as UFC's assassin against Kajan Johnson
ANY chance UFC doesn't fire Kajan Johnson if he loses? Anik and DC are putting over Makhachev as a potential future champion. After a really boring first couple of minutes, Makhachev takes Johnson down and taps him out. This ends a four-fight winning streak for Johnson, and Makhachev has now won four in a row -- and has Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner.
Hakeem Dawodu outclasses Austin Arnett
Dawodu gets one of the best pops I've heard in MMA. It was deafening. He lands some early leg kicks, but Arnett discovers in round 2 that Dawodu has no vision for straight right punches. That doesn't stop Dawodu, who hits leg kicks and hooks to the body at will.
Jordan Mein defeated Alex Morono
They're just throwing and swinging wild. This is absolute garbage technique that sometimes evolved into a powerful takedown from Mein that show how good he can be on the ground. In the third round, Morono tries to pull a guillotine, but can't get it done and ends up exhausted. It's a good thing Fox wrapped up that interview with Jordan Mein that way the Fox broadcast didn't bleed over into the Fox broadcast.
#13 Alex Hernandez beats out OAB
I expect Hernandez to fight like he thinks he's invincible. He does, and quickly realizes that OAB is a much more experienced fighter. OAB very weirdly gives away top control by pulling guard and for some reason Marc Goddard bails him out with a standup. A knee to the penis stops the action, but Alex Hernandez comes right back with a big combo and takedown. He wins a decision and this was a big test after the quick KO of Dariush.
#1 Joanna Jedrzejczyk is better than #5 Tecia Torres
This is a must-win for either to remain in the title discussion at 115, even though if Joanna loses (or wins), she could move to 125 and contend, even though she's dead-set on regaining the strawweight title. The first round features JJ winning the clinch battle and stuffing takedowns with her back against the cage.Torres is able to get inside here and there, but has emptied the cupboard and doesn't have much of anything for the range of Joanna.
#2 Jose Aldo pantshitters (part II) #4 Jeremy Stephens
Aldo's first non-title fight in nine years. This is either going to be Aldo chewing through Stephens with leg kicks, or Stephens countering a leg kick to knock Aldo out. The former happens, then the latter and Stephens is hunting Aldo down. Holy crapping butt balls, that was one of the nastiest, filthiest body punches I've seen in MMA. I mean, just filthy. Aldo is emotional. That was one of the best one round fights in UFC history. Aldo is deadly when he's hurt, and that looks to be what happens here.
#4 Dustin Poirier defeated #3 Eddie Alvarez via UUUUUUUUUUULTRA COMBO
Eddie Alvarez plans on throwing leg kicks because he didn't think Poirier could have recovered from Gathje in time. Of course, Poirier almost drops Alvarez with a leg kick instead. Alvarez fights out of a really nice guillotine choke and ends up with his own neck crank, but it doesn't get the job done. Eddie Alvarez does not know the rules of MMA actually, he's admonished for a 12-to-6 elbow. Poirier goes crazy and backs him against the cage before unloading a Killer Instinct style combo.
