UFC Fight Night 243 ‘Moicano vs. St. Denis’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Chris Duncan (156) vs. Bolaji Oki (156)

Round 1

Paris is the place to be on Saturday if wanting to watch the biggest fights of the weekend—no offense to PFL’s Glasgow offering—because the UFC has made sure this event will be a violent one. Practically the entire slate pits Europe against the world, and it remains to be seen how the locals will fare. The first of these pairings actually an all-Euro affair, as “The Zulu Warrior” Oki (9-1, 1-0 UFC) comes into friendly territory having made his bones in Belgium. Oki will take on Scotland’s Duncan (11-2, 2-1 UFC), and the crowd has firmly decided whose side it is on—and it’s not Duncan. The lightweights will receive oversight from referee Loic Pora on the card opener, and the bout begins with a sporting glove touch. Duncan attacks first with a pair of low kicks, and Oki counters a third with a right hand over the top. Duncan replies with a front kick that grazes the jaw, and Oki is not about to let him get away with it and tags him with a one-two. Oki connects with another right hand, and Duncan chips at his front leg in responds. Oki’s right hands are finding their home on the Scot early and often, and he catches a body kick and dumps Duncan to the mat. Duncan climbs back up and winds up with his own right hook, but Oki is faster and a bit more elusive. Duncan’s naked leg kick gets him smacked in the nose again, which is fast turning a shade of red. Duncan decides to push in and pursue a takedown, but ultimately pulls guard with a guillotine choke that falls short as soon as they hit the mat. When both men muscle their way back upright, chants for “Oki” boom in the arena. This fires him up, as he breaks out of a clinch and starts brawling. Duncan meets him in the phone booth, with both men slugging away until they realize maybe they should take it down a notch. Oki advances with a right hand and a step-in knee, and he chases Duncan around as fans are in full support of his tactics. Oki drops down for an ill-advised takedown, because Duncan counters immediately with a guillotine choke. Oki sits up, and Duncan postures up and squeezes the neck with all his might. Oki does not let himself get flat and he appears to pop his head out, as Duncan re-adjusts to his side. Duncan connects with a few short punches until he realizes that he actually put Oki to sleep with the submission, and he signals to Pora that his opponent is unconscious on top of him. Pora realizes that the submission achieved what it was set to accomplish and intervenes. The crowd is silenced immediately, as they realize their fighter has lost in unexpected yet dramatic fashion. This is one heck of a way to start the night.

The Official Result

Chris Duncan def. Bolaji Oki R1 3:34 via Technical Submission (Guillotine Choke)

Jacqueline Cavalcanti (135) vs. Nora Cornolle (136)

Round 1

It’s no time like the present to move to the next fight, which comes at the 135-pound weight class in a wide-open division. A pair of ladies with two wins in the promotion will aim for win no. 3, with Cavalcanti (7-1, 2-0 UFC) returning from a quick turnaround against home country Cornolle (8-1, 2-0 UFC). While the woman from Portugal is currently riding a five-fight win streak, the local Cornolle has not tasted defeat since her pro debut—which came against Cavalcanti—and is flying high. Referee Christophe Chapuis takes charge of the cage, and he starts the rematch as the two women touch gloves. Cornolle stays on the outside while Cavalcanti is in the middle, and she pecks at her foe with a few low kicks. Cavalcanti responds in kind, and they dart in at one another with single jabs. Cavalcanti looks for a right hand over the top when a leg kick is aimed at her, and she continues to work the Frenchwoman’s lead leg over with her shin. Another leg kick from Cornolle is answered with an overhand right, but it is a bit too slow to get to her. Cornolle ducks and reaches her way in, only to find herself out of range. Cavalcanti jams a hard low kick on the front wheel, and she checks a kick that comes back her way. Cornolle reaches her foe with a winging right hand, using this strike to close the distance and wrap her arms around Cavalcanti’s waist. Cavalcanti leans her head against the cage as Cornolle hangs on from behind her, with the woman from France pursuing a level change. When Cavalcanti stands her up, Cornolle dings her with a pair of sneaky elbows and two knees. The third knee from Cornolle allows her to lift her opponent and chuck her to the floor, where she is stuck in an odd position until she steps all the way over to full mount. Cavalcanti rolls her over and finds herself in armbar danger, so she stands back up and stars slapping Cornolle’s legs with kicks. Cornolle responds with axe kicks, so Cavalcanti does the same. When “Wonder” works her way back up, Cavalcanti walks her down and beans her with a pair of punches. Cornolle tosses out a naked leg kick, and two more fists fly at her mug. Cavalcanti chains several punches together as a head kick brushes past her shoulder, and Cornolle tries a second high kick from up close. Cavalcanti pays it no mind, walking through a high knee to put her hands on her opponent until the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cavalcanti
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Cornolle
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Cavalcanti

Round 2

Cavalcanti deploys her same game plan to start the second round, claiming the center of the cage while slowly advancing. Cavalcanti picks at her adversary with kicks, avoiding a wheel kick and landing a right hand over the top. Cornolle connects with a left hand, and she has a head kick come up short of the mark. Cavalcanti keeps crowding her, and they trade low kicks. A high kick from Cornolle gets closer than before, whipping it up in close proximity. She appears to celebrate her work a little too long, as Cavalcanti rings her bell with a right hand down the middle. The power punches from the woman born in Brazil but now a Portuguese local do serious damage, and Cornolle wobbles and bounces off the fence. Cavalcanti stays composed as she traps Cornolle against the wire, ringing her bell with another big right, and Cornolle bends over and has to shake it off. To save her composure, the Frenchwoman changes levels and succeeds in tripping Cavalcanti’s legs out. Cavalcanti climbs back up, and she grabs the fence to keep herself from getting mat returned as Chapuis slaps her hand. Cornolle stays tightly pressed to her opponent, chipping away with knees and dirty boxing until Cavalcanti spins her about. Cornolle uses a knee to get a bit of space, and she fires off a head kick from up close to break away. Cavalcanti shrugs it off and keeps the pressure fully on “Wonder,” and she stuffs a takedown but cannot stop Cornolle from grabbing her. Cornolle opens up with a number of knees from up close as she clinches, continuing this until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cavalcanti
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Cavalcanti
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Cavalcanti

Round 3

The bantamweights are lathered up for five more minutes of combat, and Cavalcanti leads off the round where she prefers, in the center slowly spreading her way towards the cage to back her opponent up. Cavalcanti uses her jabs to keep a safe range, but Cornolle steps in to break that up momentarily with a hard right elbow. Cavalcanti no-sells it and hammers Cornolle’s front leg with a kick, and she leans back to dodge a head kick. Cavalcanti checks a kick as Cornolle staggers back, and she avoids a high kick and a spinning back fist while sneaking in an overhand right. Cornolle shoots in but cannot get to the hips, settling for a clinch and a knee to the breadbasket. Cavalcanti frames off with an elbow to split up, and she shakes her arms out. Cavalcanti tries to pin a one-two on the chin, and a follow-up right reaches its intended target. Cornolle responds with a head kick that slaps off the guard, and she gets marked up with a right hand that shakes up her balance. Cavalcanti’s right finds its home once more, not letting the head kick counter get to her, and she pushes off another clinch setup. Cavalcanti stalks the Frenchwoman down, ignoring a high kick to stretch out with three punches. The crowd attempts to inspire their fighter with two minutes left, and she channels their energy to explode into a slugfest. Cavalcanti stands her ground and knocks her back, and Cornolle shrugs at her as if to say that Cavalcanti’s blows do not hurt her. When Cavalcanti connects hard, Cornolle turns around and shouts something at her own team, which allows Cavalcanti to hit her again. Cornolle gathers herself, and Cavalcanti reaches a right hand that misses the mark when “Wonder” attacks the hips. Cornolle hangs on and mashes her elbow on Cavalcanti’s face, and Cavalcanti bursts out of the tie-up and boots Cornolle in the belly. Cornolle again waves her own, and Cavalcanti obliges, lobbing punches, elbows and kicks at her until the final bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cavalcanti (30-27 Cavalcanti)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Cavalcanti (29-28 Cavalcanti)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Cavalcanti (30-27 Cavalcanti)

The Official Result

Jacqueline Cavalcanti def. Nora Cornolle via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Victor Altamirano (126) vs. Daniel Barez (125)

Round 1

Backs are against the wall in this flyweight affair, as 35-year-old Spaniard Barez (16-6, 0-1 UFC) hopes to right the ship against the struggling Altamirano (12-4, 2-3 UFC). A pink slip could be awarded to the losing fighter, depending on how things play out. The referee of this fast-paced contest will be Rich Mitchell, who clocks the fighters in and is ready for what happens next. The two 125ers share a glove touch to commence, as Altamirano almost sprints past him to get set up. Altamirano leads the dance with a body kick, and Barez trips the front leg with a short low kick. Barez misses on a second kick, and he reaches the belly with a right straight. Altamirano swings his way in with a big left hook that does not connect, and Barez goes to the body again with a right hand. Barez chambers and fires a massive right hand, sending “El Magnifico” hurtling to the canvas. Barez pounces, letting loose ground-and-pound as Altamirano gathers his bearings and tries to close down the guard. Barez calms himself rather than spending his gas tank pursuing a finish that might not be around the corner, and he stands back to let his adversary up. Altamirano follows him up and uses his front leg to go after a side kick, a lead-leg high kick and a wheel kick. The Spaniard dodges all three and corrals Altamirano towards the fence, reaching the body and avoiding a kick at the same time. Barez’ strategy of that specific body shot must have been studied, because he lands it again and does not get hit with a counter. Altamirano uses a body kick to keep distance, only for Barez to crowd him with a right hand. Altamirano sneaks a head kick up, and Barez dodges it and ignores the second, even signaling to the Texan that it was no big deal. Altamirano kicks the ribs as he circles away, and his calf gets kicked in response. As the two battle it out, the commentary booth battles on the correct Spanish pronunciation of Barez’ name. Altamirano lines up several powerful body kicks, giving the older fighter pause and discouraging him from coming in. Barez tries to crash the pocket, and Altamirano parries effectively to get away. A second blitz from Barez is more successful, ending the round with a clean combination.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Barez
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Barez

Round 2

The second round begins where the two left off, with Altamirano whipping kicks at his opponent while Barez tries to find a way in. Altamirano uses a side kick to aim at the head and body, preventing Barez from pursuing him constantly and instead forcing him to work in spurts. Barez manages to get inside, landing a few shots and slipping away. Altamirano charges forward and misses with every punch, and Barez is warned for outstretched fingers as he holds them towards his opponent. Altamirano dodges a haymaker to work the body, going to the lead leg and aiming a high kick in a rapidly transitioning combo. Altamirano’s activity is beginning to frustrate Barez, chipping and chopping with kicks at a safe berth. The more kicks he aims to the midsection and land on the right arm, the slower Barez’ right hands come back at him. Altamirano slips big, telegraphed blows while using that body kick to pepper the Spaniard again and again. Barez maintains a steady pace forward, but Altamirano is able to counter him and work away. Barez reaches him with two punches, dropping Altamirano to a knee, but it might be because of a trip and not a clean knockdown. When Altamirano gathers himself, Barez bears down on him and drills him in the head with a right hand, sending “El Magnifico” back down to the mat. Altamirano appears to be fine after the flash knockdown, with Barez chasing him and swinging until time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Altamirano
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Altamirano

Round 3

Gloves are touch to start the round, and the two are intense as can be. Altamirano does not slow down launching his rear-leg body kick, and Barez is giving Altamirano everything he can handle. Barez swings hard, and Altamirano’s primary weapon lands cleanly or is blocked cleanly—and either is a win for the Texan. Altamirano dips a left to the body and fires a right to the head, stunning the Spaniard for a moment. Altamirano capitalizes on the opening with an inside low kick, and he ducks a Barez charge to blast him in the face with a spinning back fist. Barez’ aggression works against him, and Altamirano pours it on and spams kicks to every target. Barez’ busted nose starts leaking, and his composure changes as his volume diminishes. Altamirano’s does not, keeping Barez honest with a constant stream of kicks to the head and midsection. Altamirano dances away from a looping right hand, resetting and firing a kick to the noggin. Altamirano jams a front kick to the body, and Barez walks him down and jabs him to the body. Barez swipes out with a left hand, and it is his right that lands. Altamirano slows his own pace until surging into action, rushing with a knee but extending a left hand that connects on the bloodied nose. Altamirano drills the ribs with a kick, and then hammers the raised guard with a kick. As Barez rushes towards him once more, Altamirano counters him with a spinning back fist, and it lands but not as cleanly as before. Altamirano comes up short with a wheel kick, and Barez gets his hands on him with a right hand. Both men land flush, and a furious brawl ensues. Barez eats a few shots and responds with a power right hand that sends Altamirano flying. Altamirano recovers instantly and swings it out until the back-and-forth scarp wraps.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Altamirano (29-28 Barez)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Altamirano (29-28 Altamirano)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Altamirano (29-28 Altamirano)

The Official Result

Daniel Barez def. Victor Altamirano via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Ailin Perez (136.5: Missed Weight) vs. Darya Zheleznyakova (135)

Round 1

In a fight that some have posited should not be happening today, Perez (10-2, 3-1 UFC) appears to be in much better shape than she was on Friday. The Argentinian still did miss weight as she cut down to 136.5 pounds, and her tremors and wobbly nature appear to be a thing of the past. Her team says the shakes were a ruse, but is Perez that good of an actor? Happy to take 20% of her foe’s purse, Zheleznyakova (9-1, 1-0 UFC) would also like to cash a second check and further work her way up the women’s bantamweight ladder. There is no glove touch offered as this has developed into a chippy fight, and referee Herb Dean watches on. After a fair amount of circling, Perez eventually engages with a takedown shot. Zheleznyakova pushes her away, and they resume their staring contest. Zheleznyakova decides she would like to try the grappling game, and she gets Perez down and lowers herself to side control. Zheleznyakova bails on the position for some reason and stands, and she has to quickly defend a shot from the Argentinian. Zheleznyakova reaches her opponent with a right hand, and she stuff another try and connects with another right hook. Perez crashes the pocket and tackles Zheleznyakova to the mat with a body lock takedown, where she scrambles her way all the way to full mount. Perez opens up with a few punches as she gets dragged back to half guard, and she starts setting up an arm-triangle choke. Perez lowers her body weight down to pressure the Russian’s throat, and Zheleznyakova’s face transforms to a brilliant shade of red in a hurry. Before she even moves to side control or mount, Perez manages to elicit the tap she was seeking. Dean officially calls a halt to the match, and when Zheleznyakova stands, Perez twerks in her face. The fans don’t know what to think, but she does not care, as her celebration dance continues.

The Official Result

Ailin Perez def. Darya Zheleznyakova R1 3:52 via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)

Taylor Lapilus (136) vs. Vince Morales (135)

Round 1

Many have forgotten this, but both Lapilus (20-4, 5-2 UFC) and Morales (16-7, 3-5 UFC) are on their second stints with the promotion. The Frenchman was let go in 2016 despite going 3-1 with the organization, while “Vandetta” is on the rough side of .500 looking up. The bantamweights will be joined in the Octagon by referee Marc Goddard, and they touch ‘em up while he dons his proverbial hard hat. Even in the prelims, the crowd is nearly deafening in support of the French fighter. There is no glove touch, as Lapilus takes to the center of the cage and puts a series of hands on the American. Lapilus ends his combo with a thudding head kick, and Morales pays it no mind. Lapilus goes high with another kick that glances off the shoulder, and a third is close to chin-checking Morales. Lapilus chops at the front calf, and the two are coiled springs ready to release as they stand in front of one another. Lapilus prods out jabs, and Morales reaches him with a right hand over the top. Morales has a kick caught, and he gets tossed to the floor and kicked on his way down. Morales stands back up and delivers a clean uppercut on the chops, only to get met with two sharp elbows from up close. They nail one another with calf kicks as fans are chanting mean things, and the fighters do not slow down from engaging. Lapilus lands first, and he uses his distance strikes to keep Morales off of him. Morales gets off at the end of a left hand, and the audience shifts from saying rude words to singing the French national anthem. Lapilus turns up the heat as the song draws to a close, ringing Morales’ bell with a fast flurry of fists. Lapilus plants a knee to the chest, and a left hand opens a cut on Morales’ right eyebrow. Lapilus drives a one-two down the pipe, and he blocks a high body kick to give two punches and a knee back. Morales drops to a knee and explodes back up before the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus

Round 2

Morales starts the round aggressively, only to walk into a number of quick jabs that rap off his forehead. Lapilus splits the guard with a left hand, and he slips Morales’ punches to back him off. Morales just manages to avoid a high kick as he slides to the side, but he cannot stop a body kick from slamming into his ribs. Morales uses the kick to lift Lapilus off the ground, where he throws the Frenchman to the mat and tries to quiet the raucous crowd. Lapilus stands back up, his back to the fence, and he elbows Morales hard on the dome. Morales responds with a knee, and Lapilus tags him with two more elbows to the cut. Lapilus lets his hands go, walking Morales down with short salvos of feet and fists. Two jabs from Lapilus get through, and Morales scores back. The French fighter scores with a pair of body kicks, and he slips and jumps right back to his feet before Morales can get to him. “Double Impact” drives a double right hand over the top, and he follows the second blow with a left hand and a body kick. Hand-fighting with his opponent, Lapilus times a left hand and a huge knee that smashes into Morales’ face and sends a gob of saliva soaring across the cage. Morales is tough as a stale baguette, not even wavering from the powerful strike. Instead, he comes back harder than before, winging a huge right hand that Lapilus cannot quite avoid. Lapilus absorbs it and fires back, leading to Morales shooting in for a single-leg takedown. Morales wraps up one leg but is unable to ground him, and Lapilus elbows him to force a break and spin away as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus

Round 3

It takes little more than 10 seconds for Morales to shoot for a takedown, opening the round up by putting Lapilus on the defensive. Morales succeeds in driving the French fighter to the wall, where he elevates Lapilus’ right leg and deposits him to the floor. In the span of a second, Lapilus powers right back to his feet, and he pushes Morales away. As Morales backpedals, Lapilus drives a knee to the liver and puts his hands on Morales’ chin. Lapilus uses his close range to slash at Morales with elbows, and his head movement and footwork keeps him safe from the telegraphed, winging strikes of “Vandetta.” Lapilus jabs with the ball of his foot, sticking and poking with strikes from his preferred berth. Lapilus lands the better of an exchange with a left hook, but Morales connects with his own power punches to get Lapilus’ attention. Four punches get through before Lapilus can make him pay with a knee, and blood flows from the American’s cut once more. Lapilus times a left hand to drive a knee into Morales’ sternum, and Morales desperately responds with a tackling takedown where he pushes Lapilus from one end of the cage to the other. Morales manages to take Lapilus for a ride, lifting him up and slamming him down while landing in a top-side leg triangle out of the Khabib Nurmagomedov playbook. Lapilus does not care about the leg position, exploding upright and surging into action. Two big knees score cleanly for the Frenchman, and Morales knows this is his last time to shine. Morales rushes after Lapilus, putting everything he has into swinging fists. Lapilus absorbs some punishment and doles it out, with the two laying into one another until a clinch ensues. Lapilus pushes out of it, and he spins with an elbow that grazes the melon of “Vandetta.” The match draws to a close, and the crowd is on its feet.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus (30-27 Lapilus)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus (30-27 Lapilus)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lapilus (30-27 Lapilus)

The Official Result

Taylor Lapilus def. Vince Morales via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Ludovit Klein (155) vs. Roosevelt Roberts (155)

Round 1

One of the heaviest betting favorites not just on the card but across every fight in the UFC thus far, Klein (22-4-1, 6-2-1 UFC) hovers around -1100 odds as most expect him to run through Roberts (12-4, 1 NC; 4-4, 1 NC UFC). This sport is a volatile one and there is no such thing as a betting lock, as anyone could slip on a banana peel—or in the case of Mauricio Rua, skateboard—while in the cage. Referee Christophe Chapuis is on high alert, ready to step in at a moment’s notice between these lightweights. They kick things off with a sporting tap of gloves, and Klein springs into action with a slapping low kick. Roberts replies in kind, and follows it with a body kick. Klein kicks his man upside the head, only for the guard of “The Predator” to be up in time. Roberts wings into action, and Klein parries and responds with a high kick that is once more blocked. Klein targets the body with kicks and punches, and Roberts splits the guard with a pair of right crosses. Roberts walks through a hook to land on his opponent, and his right hand is finding its home. Klein slaps the front leg and catches a kick hurled at his ribs so that he can tie the taller man up and go for a takedown. When the level change fails, Klein leans tightly on his foe, and they trade close clinch strikes. Klein backs out of the tie-up so they can trade kicks. Roberts crashes the pocket to connect with an elbow on the dome, and he backs away from a soaring head kick from Klein. Roberts plants a one-two on the side of the head, and Klein grabs hold of him to slow him down. Roberts wings a head kick that bounces off the temple to get the favorite’s attention, and Klein responds by clinching him up. There is ample dirty boxing before Roberts fights his way out, and Roberts shoots in low for a single that is pushed aside. Klein responds with a body kick and a few punches, and he backs off when Roberts head kicks him. Roberts tries another change of levels, and the closer-than-expected round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Roberts
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Roberts
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Roberts

Round 2

Roberts claims the center of the cage to get started, and he lets loose with punches a body kick. Klein sweeps him off his feet with a kick, and Roberts scoots his way to the fencing. Klein climbs on top of him, putting Roberts in an awkward position as the Slovakian stacks him up. Klein drops down punches, and he leaves his right arm in a lazy spot to allow Roberts to set up an armbar. “Mr. Highlight” pulls out of what would have been a highlight-reel submission and jackhammers the underdog with elbows. Klein brushes off a triangle setup as Roberts settles with a closed guard, and he stays busy with ground-and-pound to further fluster Roberts. Klein keeps his man stuck between the corner of the fence and the floor while beating on him, with short elbows mixed among numerous punches. Klein shifts to half guard, and Roberts pulls on the fence to try to adjust himself. Klein is pushed back to his feet courtesy of Roberts’ long legs, and Klein comfortably lowers back down while looking for a guard pass. This succeeds, with Klein getting to a standing side control, only for Roberts to recover quickly to full guard. Roberts flirts with triangles and any other desperate submission while Klein is on top of him, and Chapuis asks for more activity. Klein stands, and he sways to avoid a swinging upkick so he can drop himself down to elbow Roberts in the face. Klein lowers himself to side control, where he attacks until the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Klein
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Klein
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Klein

Round 3

The lightweights clap hands to get going, and Roberts tries to push forward only to get driven back by Klein’s hands. Roberts dodges a pair of booming hooks, and the low kicks are giving him issues early. Klein goes up top with a kick that glances off the shoulder, and Roberts answers with a step-in knee and a right hook. The underdog succeeds in opening a cut on Klein’s left eyebrow, and Klein ignores it as he strings punches and kicks together in a flurry. Klein shoots for a double-leg takedown, and he completes it with ease and deposits Roberts to the mat. After landing some strikes from above, Klein postures up to connect with more, but Roberts uses the opening to wall-walk and return to his feet. Klein ties him up, and Roberts snatches up a power guillotine choke and drops to the ground to complete the submission. Klein squirts out of the submission, thanks in part to the blood on the side of his head, and he gets pushed to the wall. Klein secures a double, lifting “The Predator” high in the air and jamming him down on the mat. Roberts frantically attacks off his back from any angle he can find, and a horizontal slugfest develops between the two until Klein holds his foe’s head down with his elbow. Klein uses a number of elbows and flailing hammerfists until time expires, and his eye is a mess.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Klein (29-28 Klein)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Klein (29-28 Klein)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Klein (29-28 Klein)

The Official Result

Ludovit Klein def. Roosevelt Roberts via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Da Woon Jung (205) vs. Oumar Sy (205)

Round 1

French finisher Sy (10-0, 1-0 UFC) will put his spotless record on the line as he aims to surge up the light heavyweight rankings next. With the crowd at his back, he battles the skidding Jung (15-5-1, 4-3-1 UFC), who started his own run with four wins and a draw before losing three straight. Drawing the charge for these two will be referee Rich Mitchell, who observes the clap of hands to kick off the fight. Jung looks to keep his distance with a front kick, and Sy reaches him with a low kick and a right hand. Sy strikes with another few low kicks on the inside and out, and his blows have enticed the partisan crowd into song. Sy keeps prodding with jabs and leg kicks, staying well out of arm’s reach from the wide hooks of the South Korean. Sy parries a jab and rifles one back, snapping the head back and following with a head kick. Sy styles on Jung, shrugging after landing and jumping with a flying knee. Jung steels himself and launches counters back at him, hurting the undefeated fighter and forcing him to shoot for a takedown. Sy scoops Jung up and puts him on his seat, only for Jung to work his way back to his feet comfortably. Sy gets hold of a single and trips Jung up, and Jung explodes to get away. Sy follows him with an uppercut, and he chips at the front leg with a kick. A bit of blood trickles from Jung’s left eye, with a tiny cut on an unusual spot on his lower eyelid. Sy shoots low for a takedown, but Jung stifles it before it gets anywhere and advertises the price of admission with a solid knee. Both lightweights whiff on out-of-range strikes, and Sy manages to barely graze the jaw of his foe. Jung reaches out with his right hand, and he boops Sy on the chin and draws a reaction out of him. The horn sounds to end the close round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sy
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Sy
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Sy

Round 2

The fighters slap hands to get going in Round 2, with Mitchell offering a light warning to both fighters for leading with their fingers outstretched. Sy reintroduces himself with several leg kicks, and he ducks to avoid a massive counter. Sy jabs a few times and swats away a front kick, and he parries a head kick and replies with a right hook. Jung defends himself from that strike and a second of the same type, walking the French fighter down methodically while making him bite on feints and fakes. Jung clips the undefeated man with a right hand, and he defends from a head kick. Sy plants a right hand on the jaw, but it is one-and-done. Sy then attacks the front leg on the inside, but once more it is a single strike and not part of a series of blows. Jung jabs his way in, and Sy is warned for his fingers pointing towards the target’s eyes. Jung plows his way into a tie-up, and Sy meets him with a single knee before separating. Sy goes high and low with kicks, and he has a right hand sneak in decently. Jung rips a right hand to the body, and they go after alternating jabs. Sy steps in to grab hold of a brief Thai clinch, which he uses to knee Jung once in the face before they split up. Sy jabs the solar plexus with his foot, and he doubles up on a jab up top while walking through a kick to his calf. When Jung wipes his eye, Sy takes advantage of the opening by winding up with a power strike. Jung tags his foe with a head kick, and Sy springs into action with a flurry of punches and kicks. A few punches from Sy have busted Jung’s nose open, and he senses he may have had his man hurt and lets him have it with a barrage of fists. Jung’s head gets batted around like a piñata, and with seconds to go, Sy bafflingly shoots for a single. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sy
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Sy
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Sy

Round 3

It remains to be seen whether Sy emptied his gas tank seeking the finish at the end of the second round, but he starts up actively enough by meeting Jung jab-for-jab. Sy follows a body kick with a booming right hand, and Jung dodges the latter. Sy hammers the front leg, and Jung reacts poorly to it, allowing Sy to have a celebratory moment. Jung pokes out several jabs, connecting with a follow-up right hand. Sy responds with a few jabs, and the volume of both men has fallen significantly. Jung’s jabs are met with a calf kick, and they both gets off jabs. Jung’s jab gets followed by an overhand right, and he stalks the unbeaten fighter down and lops a right hand at him. The Frenchman evades a high kick and stuffs a takedown shot from Jung, and he wraps up a standing guillotine choke when pushing Jung to the fence. Sy goes after a double that turns into a body lock, and Jung turns around and attempts to break the clasped hands around his waist. Sy wrenches his man to the mat, only for Jung to set up a kimura sweep counter. Sy steps over to thwart the reversal effort, and he sneaks around to take the South Korean’s back and get his hooks in. Sy slides out the back door with seconds to spare, and Jung cannot capitalize on this before time expires. Sy climbs to the cage and jumps out of it, raising his arms to the crowd to prompt them to shower him with cheers.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sy (30-27 Sy)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Sy (30-27 Sy)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Sy (30-27 Sy)

The Official Result

Oumar Sy def. Da Woon Jung via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Ion Cutelaba (205) vs. Ivan Erslan (206)

Round 1

With four losses in his last five outings, “The Hulk” Cutelaba (17-10-1, 1 NC; 6-9-1, 1 NC UFC) has not been smashing much lately. Luckily for him, the UFC has given him a willing dance partner in KSW vet Erslan (14-3, 1 NC; 0-0 UFC), who has seen 10 of his last 11 appearances end inside the distance, win or lose. Before they go ballistic, the two hulking 205ers meet in the middle to share an incredibly intense face-to-face staredown as referee Herb Dean watches closely. There is no glove touch to be shared, as Cutelaba is energized and wants to inflict punishment of some sort. Cutelaba sweeps the leg early, and Erslan does not budge. Cutelaba splits the guard with a front kick, and Erslan sits down on a left hand counter. Cutelaba has a kick checked, and he lets go with two punches that bounce off the guard. Cutelaba lunges and whiffs with a right hand, but his front kicks to get through. Cutelaba overswings, and Erslan ducks under and pushes him to the wall. Cutelaba spins around and smashes Erslan in the face, and Erslan staggers away, regains his footing and shakes his head to signal he is fine. Cutelaba comes up short on a big head kick, and Erslan bets him to the punch with two counters. Cutelaba walks Erslan down and draws him into a brief slugfest, but Erslan is wise to it and does not want to get blasted. Erslan sneaks in an uppercut while Cutelaba blitzes, and he absorbs a low kick and a left hand before stopping a takedown shot. Cutelaba steps in with a body kick, and he whizzes past his target with a spinning back kick. Cutelaba bites down on his mouthpiece to throw hammers, but the head movement of the newcomer keeps him safe. Erslan keeps his guard up high, but the sheer horsepower of Cutelaba’s three punches knock Erslan across the cage and down to his seat. Cutelaba leisurely walks him down rather than sprinting, and instead lets Erslan stand so he can go after a single. Erslan stands, ignores a right hand to his temple and puts his back to the wall. Erslan gains a bit of space thanks to an elbow on the inside, and they reset. Erslan lashes out with a calf kick, and when he throws a second, Cutelaba is on him with a winging right hand. Cutelaba’s big right hooks come up short, and he gets stuck with a right straight. Erslan walks through a power punch to sling leather, and he gets his bell rung once more in a furious exchange. Cutelaba spins with a back fist that goes well wide, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cutelaba
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Cutelaba
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Cutelaba

Round 2

The light heavyweights lumber towards one another to start off the stanza, and they both measure one another with front kicks from afar. Cutelaba advances rapidly, and Erslan escapes out the side before getting struck. Erslan rolls with a punch, but Cutelaba is on him with three more and a takedown shot. Erslan shoves the Moldovan away, and Cutelaba takes a moment before lashing out with a low kick and a right hand. Cutelaba gets caught with a right hand and wobbles back, but then flashes a huge grin as he was playing possum and hoped to draw Erslan in. When Erslan does not engage, Cutelaba spins with a back kick that slams into his liver. Cutelaba jabs and swings hard behind it, and he clips the Polish fighter with a powerful left hook. Erslan does not like what he is getting, and he shoots in for a single but finds himself facing a wall in “The Hulk.” Cutelaba gives Erslan a taste of his own medicine, grabbing a single and kicking Erslan’s other leg out to put him down dramatically on the canvas. Cutelaba jumps around to take his back, wrapping a body triangle around his waist and hitting him with punches around the side of the head. Cutelaba briefly latches onto a rear-naked choke, and the newcomer fights out of it, breaks the body triangle and muscles back to his feet. Erslan tries to wrangle Cutelaba down to the floor, and when they hit 50/50 position, Cutelaba turns the tables and tosses Erslan effortlessly to the mat. Cutelaba climbs into full mount, and he takes Erslan’s back and slides off of it. Falling to his back, Cutelaba briefly considers a triangle choke, but Erslan keeps himself flat on top of his adversary to ride out the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Cutelaba
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Cutelaba
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Cutelaba

Round 3

The heavy hitters have reached the third round—as many of the fights tonight have done so far—and it starts off gingerly as neither man wants to overcommit. Erslan walks the favorite down, and he swings for the fences with a monster right hand. Cutelaba counters him brilliantly with a right hand, only for Erslan to duck under a second blow and hit an easy takedown. Erslan gets dragged into the guard when assuming top position, but he finds himself struggling to mount any offense. Cutelaba either holds on tightly or pushes off Erslan enough to get space so that Erslan cannot reach him. When not pushed by Cutelaba’s legs, Erslan utilizes tight chest pressure, smothering rather than attacking. Erslan stands up and drills “The Hulk” with a huge right hand, and it is one-and-done when Cutelaba kicks him off. Erslan lowers himself back to top control, and Cutelaba is flat on his back not entirely sure which way to lean. Cutelaba briefly considers a kimura, and Erslan sees it coming a mile away and wrenches his arm out. Cutelaba looks for an omoplata shoulder lock, which he uses to get enough leverage to work his way to his feet. Erslan controls Cutelaba from behind, dragging the Moldovan to his seat against the fencing to further nullify him. Erslan is warned for hooking his fingers inside of Cutelaba’s gloves, and Erslan lets go and starts slugging Cutelaba in the chops. Cutelaba stands up, and Erslan tries to muscle him back down. Cutelaba turns him around and imposes his weight to attempt to wrench Erslan to the mat, dropping low for a double and tossing the newcomer to the floor. Time runs out, and these two have surprisingly left it in the hands of the judges.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Erslan (29-28 Cutelaba)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Erslan (29-28 Cutelaba)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Erslan (29-28 Cutelaba)

The Official Result

Ion Cutelaba def. Ivan Erslan via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Matt Frevola (156) vs. Fares Ziam (156)

Round 1

The UFC chose violence in practically every one of these main card tilts, and the carnage starts in the lightweight division. While he has earned all five of his UFC wins at the hands of the judges, Ziam (15-4, 5-2 UFC) is no stranger to the “just scrap” mentality. Frevola (11-4-1, 5-4-1 UFC) would love nothing more than for the two to go buckwild, attacking with everything they have to let the chips fall where they may. Referee Loic Pora steels himself for just such an encounter, as “The Steamrolla” has not left the first round in his last five trips to the Octagon. There is a speedy glove touch before fists fly. Frevola takes the center of the cage, bobbing to the side to let a front kick fly past him. Frevola swings his way into a takedown setup, and this results in a clinch with a number of knees traded on both sides. The Frenchman bails on the tie-up, avoiding two looping hooks to pay Frevola back with a hard overhand right. Frevola digs deep and shoots for a double, switching to a single and putting “Smile Killer” to his seat. Ziam stays defensive with his guard, not letting Frevola get off any offense, until he sits up. Frevola jumps into a guillotine choke, and he rolls to full mount as Ziam is briefly concerned about the submission and thinks about tapping. Instead, Ziam rides it out, and Frevola rides heavily on top while looking for offense. Ziam turns to his side, and Frevola snatches up an armbar. Ziam shifts through it, and Frevola responds with a triangle choke. Ziam lets him have it with three thunderous right hands, forcing Frevola to spin to his side and try to stand back up. Frevola gets his back to the cage, and he locks his hands around the waist to hurl Ziam to the floor. Ziam lands on his knees, stands up and tags Frevola with a right hand. A second power right hand from Ziam stings the New Yorker, and Frevola smiles and tries to go out guns blazing. “The Steamrolla” misses with a huge right hook, and he kicks his way off the fence to launch a Superman punch. Ziam dodges and counters with a right hand, and he scoops an uppercut to the body before hooking up the clinch and kneeing Frevola in the belly. Frevola gives him a pair of knees back to think about, and a third forces a break. Ziam pounds Frevola in the face with a left hand, and he digs hard to the body before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ziam
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ziam
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ziam

Round 2

Frevola comes out of his corner loaded for bear, and he lobs two right hands at the Frenchman to reintroduce himself. Ziam jumps back at him with a knee, and Frevola grins and waves his arms in the air. Ziam pins a one-two on the chin, and he doubles up on a jab and goes over the top with a right. Two punches from Ziam lead to a low kick, and he intercepts an advancing Frevola with a left hand. Frevola overswings with bombs, and Ziam is composed and light on his feet to dodge a spinning wheel kick. Frevola just misses with a right hand from his knees, and Ziam is there to jab him up and move well enough to not get tagged with anything of merit. Frevola slings his way into the clinch, and he drops down for a double. Ziam defends it and hacks Frevola in the face with an elbow to force a break, only for Frevola to belt him with an overhand right. Frevola backs Ziam against the wall and unloads with a few punches, and Ziam is unafraid to engage in response. Ziam hammers his man with an elbow, and he uses another to get in close and tie “The Steamrolla” up. Getting turned to the wall, Ziam stays busy with knees until he spins out and elbows Frevola. Frevola comes out swinging, but Ziam sees the strikes coming, dips and pops Frevola in the temple with a left hand. Frevola circles into a head kick and walks into a jab, and he eats three punches while missing with his own. Ziam splits the guard with a jab, and a one-two keeps Frevola guessing as Ziam closes in on him. Ziam tosses Frevola to the floor, where he gets hold of his back and fishes for a rear-naked choke with only one hook in. Frevola guts it out, fights off a subsequent neck crank and whips an elbow from behind his back. The round ends with Ziam landing shots to the side of Frevola’s dome.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ziam
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ziam
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ziam

Round 3

Frevola assumes the center of the cage in the final round, likely down on the scorecards with plenty of damage on his face. He leads off with an overhand right, and when Ziam avoids it, he goes for another. Ziam sticks him with a jab, charges at him and hits him with a jump knee. Ziam rushes forward and sweeps the New Yorker off his feet, and he pushes Frevola against the wall when Frevola stands. Ziam succeeds in hitting a mat return, dragging “The Steamrolla” away from the fencing. Frevola scrambles, and Ziam follows him and keeps him stuck on his knees. Frevola bursts back to his feet, and Ziam pulls him down to the floor and briefly takes his back. Frevola spins around and works back to his feet, but Ziam lifts him in the air with a single and puts him down like a little brother. Ziam’s hands are clasped around the waist, with Frevola trying to fight the grip but getting tossed around. Frevola spins around, desperate to get out of this bad spot and gain some space. Ziam holds on with his right hand, pulling Frevola’s head down into the meanest knee one could ever see. His mouthpiece sent flying, Frevola collapses lifelessly to the mat, out well before his head clatters off the mat. Ziam does not need to do this, but before Pora can pull him off, he hammers Frevola with a few standing-to-ground punches to further seal the deal. The French faithful erupt in favor of their victorious fighter, who has just authored one of the most brutal knockouts of the year. It takes some time, but Frevola manages to come to, getting to his stool and eventually back to his feet, as many witnessing it breathing a sigh of relief. Ziam has the crowd in the palm of his hands, and he calmly thanks his friends and family as he drinks in what will almost certainly be a $50,000-winning performance.

The Official Result

Fares Ziam def. Matt Frevola R3 2:59 via KO (Knee)

Morgan Charriere (146) vs. Gabriel Miranda (146)

Round 1

From a small city not far from the confines of Paris comes Charriere (19-10-1, 1-1 UFC), who will be the prohibitive crowd and betting favorite in this featherweight crash-‘em-up derby. The man who once called himself “Luffy” stands across the cage from Miranda (17-6, 1-1 UFC), who sports a 100% finish rate with all but one of his stoppages via submission. Referee Marc Goddard will have his hands full with this one, and he sharply inhales when the fighters touch gloves. Miranda tosses out an early low kick, and the two clash with subsequent kicks. A foot might have bumped into Charriere’s groin, and Goddard asks if he is ok, to which he does not respond. Miranda rushes forward, tying the Frenchman up and holding him against the wall. Miranda drives several knees to the body, hooking a leg around Charriere’s and jumping guard in hopes of dragging Charriere down. Charriere turns him around and leans against the fence to stop it from succeeding, so Miranda lets go of his legs around the waist and opts to try to throw his foe to the floor. Charriere lands in 50/50 position, and the two get back up. Miranda jumps guard once more, and Charriere breaks up a submission setup by elbowing the Brazilian in the jaw a few times. Charriere allows his man to stand up so he can connect with a left hook, and Miranda follows him up and trades hands. Charriere pitches out a leg kick, and he jabs and finds himself defending a single. Charriere turns the momentum around and pushes Miranda to the floor, where he drills the Brazilian with a right hand on the chin with a standing-to-ground right hand. Charriere does not play in the guard, instead letting “Fly” up. Miranda spins with an inaccurate wheel kick, and Charriere jabs him up in response. When Miranda goes after another takedown, it fails, and Miranda pulls guard. Miranda looks to roll his opponent around, and the two furiously scramble until Miranda sneaks around to take the French fighter’s back. Miranda looks to isolate an arm, but Charriere slides out the back and stands up. Miranda flops to his back, and Charriere allows him to stand. Miranda lifts a high kick up, surprisingly the striker, but Charriere slips away from anything further. Miranda lets his hands go, and the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Miranda
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Miranda
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Miranda

Round 2

Miranda is the immediate aggressor to start the round, walking his foe down and slamming a leg kick behind the knee. Charriere drops to a knee, stands up and checks another kick. Miranda whiffs on an overhand right, and Charriere ducks down and gets hold of him to set up a possible body lock takedown. Miranda turns out of it, but he is looking the wrong direction. The left hand of “The Last Pirate” smashes square into Miranda’s jaw, and the submission specialist goes down in a heap. Goddard sprints to intervene as the back of Miranda’s noodle bangs into the floor, and one finalizing right hand from the Frenchman may have reactivated him. Charriere walks off to dance, knowing there is nothing more he needs to do, and the French fans go wild. The victorious man leads the audience in song, and they could not be happier.

The Official Result

Morgan Charriere def. Gabriel Miranda R2 0:27 via KO (Punch)

Bryan Battle (170) vs. Kevin Jousset (169)

Round 1

Although these welterweights might share records of 10 wins with two defeats, at the moment, proud French-Kiwi Jousset (10-2, 2-0 UFC) is at a drastically different point in his career than “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 29 winner Battle (10-2, 1 NC; 5-1, 1 NC UFC). City Kickboxing’s Jousset has won five straight, while Battle’s short win streak came to a close when he poked Ange Loosa in the eye in March. Referee Herb Dean hopes fouls will not mar this outing, and he steps back to let the fighters get down to it. There is no tap of gloves, as Battle just wants to attack. Battle jabs his way into close range, walking through a leg kick and getting hold of his opponent. Jousset tries to counter his takedown effort with a trip, dropping Battle on his face, but Battle laughs it off and stands back up again. Jousset spins him around in the clinch, getting lifted up with a knee, and Battle shoots in low for a single. The French-born fighter defends the attempt and gets off several short elbows and knees on the inside. Battle keeps after the single, but he fails on it and decides to get back to striking range. Three jabs come out, and he is met with a low kick and a clubbing right hand. Battle punches his way in, rifling out a number of fists before closing in and grabbing Jousset. The French fighter flips Battle around, again slamming Battle on his head, only for Battle to climb back up as if nothing had happened and dirty box with him. Battle sets up a Thai clinch and works knees on the inside, and Jousset answers him with several short uppercuts. The two men break apart and start trading, with Jousset doing more damage and shaking Battle up. Battle fires back without fear of reprisal, chaining a number of shots together and busting his nose open. Battle backs Jousset up and shoots for a double, and time expires before he can land it.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jousset
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Battle
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Battle

Round 2

Battle comes out of his corner ready for combat, and Jousset is prepared to greet him and defuse some of that aggression. A few leg kicks from Jousset disrupt Battle’s constant pressure, but Battle manages to put hands on his man and has a head kick blocked just in the nick of time. Battle punches his way into a clinch, and he frames off to launch an elbow but abandons it. Instead, Battle backs off just enough to get into boxing range, and they trade hands furiously. Chins are checked and hold up, with Battle pushing Jousset back thanks to his higher volume and intensity. Battle rips a left to the liver and knees the same spot, and he ties up a clinch to land a few more knees and ends with a jump knee. Jousset splits off and gets a moment to breathe, but Battle is soon to pursue him. Battle jabs and gets caught with a one-two, and he loads up on a combination to pay Jousset back immediately. Battle may have gotten Jousset’s attention with a body shot, and he kicks the same spot and goes back to headhunting. Battle rarely pushes out a single strike, instead with two, three or eight flying in rapid succession. Battle takes a quick glance at the clock, and he gets caught with a right hand counter over the top. Jousset returns fire, but Battle is on him, hammering him with a mighty barrage of punches. Jousset wobbles and teeters, falling back to the wall, and Battle smells blood and continues his bombardment. Fists from “The Butcher” meet face again and again, and Dean comes in close to implore Jousset to fight back. Jousset turns to the side and is about to wipe out, and Dean gets between them to save Jousset from his toughness. The victorious American, showered with boos, does a tour of the cage while displaying his middle fingers to the audience. He relishes their jeers, saying in his post-fight interview that the more they boo him, the stronger he gets.

The Official Result

Bryan Battle def. Kevin Jousset R2 3:47 via TKO (Punches)

Joanderson Brito (146) vs. William Gomis (146)

Round 1

Paris native and MMA Factory staple Gomis (13-2, 3-0 UFC) is firmly in the hearts and minds of the majority of the fans in the building in this “featured fight of the night” slot. However, he stands across from Brito (17-3-1, 5-1 UFC), a veritable featherweight wrecking machine who has crushed his last five foes. Keeping his head on a swivel for this one will be referee Rich Mitchell, although the fighters touch gloves before the ferocity begins. Brito advances rapidly, parrying a few front kicks so he can crowd the local. Gomis sticks out a jab and slides away from a winging right hand, and he boots the Brazilian in the side. Brito swings his way into a clinch, with Gomis glad to turn him about so he can lean on him and take some of the sting out of his offense. Brito decides he does not want to deal with this and he scoops Gomis up and flips him over. Brito attempts to take back control while they are shifting, but he falls the wrong direction and lands on his back. Gomis resides in the guard of his foe, smothering and looking for positional improvements over inflicting damage thus far. Brito sits up, but he is unable to get upright. Gomis drags him back down flat, and Brito hooks his toes in the cage to turn himself over. Brito pursues an armbar off his back, and Gomis fights out of it and flattens his chest down on top of Brito’s. When Gomis advances, Brito scrambles at that exact moment to fight to his feet. Brito looks for a single of his own, and he bails on it to go for a sneaky right hand up top. Gomis ducks it, and Brito ties him up again. The two jockey for position, and Brito is smiling and laughing while watching video of himself on the big screen. Gomis tries and fails to toss Brito down, and Brito knees him flush in the belly before being warned for grabbing his opponent’s shorts. Gomis turns him around and knees him repeatedly, and Mitchell asks for more activity from the Frenchman. Gomis elevates Brito but cannot deposit him to the mat, with Brito’s balance keeping him upright. When they separate, Brito is frantic, lashing out with big punches and kicks. A massive right hand from “Tubarao” hurts Gomis, and he hunts him down and jumps guard for a guillotine choke. Before he can complete it, the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Brito
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Brito
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Brito

Round 2

Unsurprisingly, the two fighters go right after it as soon as Mitchell says “fight.” Brito swarms Gomis, throwing with everything and the kitchen sink until he gets so close to Gomis that he elects to pursue a takedown. The Brazilian wrestles the underdog to the mat, where he lands in side control raining down right hands. Brito keeps swinging until Gomis turns to the side, and Brito latches on with an arm-triangle choke from an odd angle. Brito lowers himself down to try to complete the submission, and Gomis signals a thumbs-up to indicate he is fine. Brito changes angles, and he moves himself to half guard while squeezing with all his might. Once more, Gomis shows Mitchell a thumbs-up, and Brito looks surprised that he cannot choke his foe out. Gomis is still fine, so Brito bails on it. Brito pounds on Gomis with free left hands, and Gomis sits up and gets to his knees. Brito belts him in the chops with a left hand, and Gomis explodes upright. Brito leans heavily until Gomis bursts out of the position, and Brito walks him down. Brito connects with a few hard calf kicks, and he winds up his right hand to get the French fighter’s attention. Gomis takes it on the chin and retains his composure, and Brito tightly presses himself against his opponent instead of getting completely reckless. Mitchell tells Brito he needs to do more than hold, and it is Gomis who completes the break with a knee on the chin. Gomis backs off and boots Brito in the face with his foot, and he targets the body with a kick and nearly takes Brito’s head off with his shin. Brito responds with his own kicks, and the two trade vicious leg strikes until the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Brito
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Brito
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Brito

Round 3

The featherweights clap hands after 10 minutes of action, and then resume kicking one another mercilessly. Gomis catches Brito on the way in with a right hand, and he backs away and raises his guard when Brito whips a kick at him. Brito plods forward and hammers the front calf with a kick, and he sprints his way in to land another. Gomis counters him with a left hand, and Brito has to shake it off. The Frenchman lets go with is hands and a kick, and he sneaks in another power punch to intercept his marauding opponent. Brito walks through it and loads up with even bigger, more telegraphed power, and Gomis is sniping him and keeping him from hurting him. A Brito leg kick gets his adversary’s attention, and Gomis pushes him to the fence. Brito smiles to Mitchell as he takes a breath with his back on the cage, and he wriggles out of the grasp and into a front kick. Brito scores a low kick and eats a left, and he walks square into a thudding body kick. Brito keeps chasing and missing, with few strikes but his leg kicks landing cleanly. Brito stops an ankle pick from getting anywhere, jamming Gomis against the wire and going after a single. Brito wrangles Gomis down to his seat, and Gomis tugs on the fence to prevent himself from going to his back. With Brito at the right angle, he slugs Gomis in the side of the head and moves around to the back to load up with high-amplitude knees to the thigh. Brito has his hands clasped around the waist, not giving Gomis a modicum of space, all while working on him with any offense he can muster. Gomis gets in a knee before Brito dives after a single, and Gomis defends with a guillotine that he uses to drag Brito to the floor. Brito climbs up with 10 seconds to spare, and Gomis kicks him square in the head. One more high kick from the French fighter punctuates a tense and exciting battle.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gomis (29-28 Brito)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Gomis (29-28 Brito)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Gomis (29-28 Brito)

The Official Result

William Gomis def. Joanderson Brito via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Brendan Allen (186) vs. Nassourdine Imavov (186)

Round 1

On practically any other Fight Night card, this middleweight pairing would serve as the main attraction—and it could use the five-round treatment, as the winner might not be far from a title shot. Imavov (14-4, 1 NC; 6-2, 1 NC UFC) is coming off the biggest win of his career, having knocked out Jared Cannonier. His opponent Allen (24-5, 13-2 UFC) is riding a dynamite seven-fight win streak on his own ledger, and someone’s momentum will grind to a halt in the next 15 minutes or less. Referee Herb Dean will know first before anyone else, and he tells the fighters to fight as they acknowledge him and do not bump fists. Imavov takes to the center of the cage, and lets Allen come to him. Allen does just that, leaping in to land a few punches. Imavov pushes him away, getting away with an eye poke, and finds himself staring down the barrel of a takedown attempt. Allen easily lands the body lock, putting the Frenchman on his back and landing in side control. Allen imposes heavy shoulder pressure on the side of Imavov’s face, holding him tightly while Imavov signals to Dean that he is just holding him. Dean asks for more activity, leading to Allen shoulder-checking the local fighter. Imavov tries to buck and shift his hips, and he sits up and is otherwise stuck. Allen looks to assume full mount, and he gets caught and pulled into half guard. Allen opens up with short, stay-busy strikes, and he lowers himself down with a possible arm-triangle setup. Dean claps several times to prompt more action, and Imavov reassumes full guard. Allen postures himself up to land a single right hand, and it is one-and-done and makes Dean ask for more fighting a few times. Imavov sets up an armbar, but he lets it go and gets tagged with a hard right hand. Allen connects with a left while Imavov scoots his way closer to the fencing, and Dean is not overly thrilled by the lack of face-punching thus far. Allen allows Imavov to turn over to his knees, working the body with a knee and planting an elbow on the eyebrow before the grinder of a round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Allen
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Allen
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Allen

Round 2

Allen sprints out of his corner to engage, and he fires off a big right hand only to get poked squarely in the eye. Allen signals to Dean that he has gotten poked again, and Dean calls time. Allen frowns and takes a few seconds before resuming, and Dean tells Imavov to be careful. Allen shoots from one side of the cage to the other with a single, and Imavov defends this time and drops to his knees to sprawl effectively. Allen turns to his back, and Imavov lets him stand up. Allen fires off two low kicks and a left hook, and Imavov counters with a right hand over the top. Imavov rings two punches off and waves Allen on, who connects cleanly and shoots for a double. Imavov stuffs this shot masterfully, and he rolls Allen to his back and gets to north-south position. Imavov moves himself to side control, and Allen turns to his knees and starts absorbing fierce punches from the position. Allen’s small rubber bands holding his hair braids start breaking and shooting off his head, and a pile of them forms beneath him. Imavov postures up and batters “All In” with devastating right hands, and Allen is stunned and still with it. Allen explodes back to his feet and directly into a head kick, but he turns around and lets Imavov have it with counters. Imavov strings a combination together and stops a deep shot from Allen, dropping to his knees and considering a guillotine choke of his own to keep Allen honest. Allen breaks out of the choke and dives after the hips, and he twists and turns to not get tagged. This allows the Frenchman to mount him, and Allen turns to give his back up and surrenders both hooks. Allen hand-fights to protect his neck, and Imavov rolls for an armbar with 10 seconds left in the round. Allen defends properly and flips over, landing a few punches before time expires. Allen flashes a wide grin to his opponent after several minutes of grappling.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Imavov
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Imavov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Imavov

Round 3

The last round kicks off with Allen again pushing the pace, and after landing a few punches, Allen is driven back with a one-two. Imavov flicks a jab out and follows with a right hand, and Allen leaps after a single. Imavov defends with a sprawl in the center of the cage, pulling his leg out and letting Allen roll to his back so he can club him with right hands. Imavov, in guard, drops down a few punches to bloody the nose of the surging contender. Imavov’s left hands continue to find their home, and Allen pushes off the chest with his feet. Imavov dives after him with a right hand, and Allen sits up and spins around to pursue a double. The Frenchman defends with his back to the fencing, elbowing Allen on the side of the head when Allen turns it to a single. Imavov’s defense in the second and third rounds is immaculate, and Allen is the one getting tossed around at this point. Imavov loads up on short punches from inside, and Allen shoves him away and throws caution to the wind. Allen punches his way in close, and he blasts Imavov in the face with a knee. Imavov waves him on, and Allen tries to throw him to the mat. Allen walks Imavov down when they both are upright, and he overswings and ends up in a clinch. Allen informs Dean that Imavov is holding his gloves, and Dean looks closely but does not see anything. They break out of the clinch, and Allen whips an elbow up top and a clean knee on the chin. Allen shoots for a single with a minute to go, and when that fails, they start slugging it out. Imavov tags Allen, and Allen fires back hard. Allen tackles his foe down, but Imavov squirms away. Allen walks him down, gets clinched and spins with an elbow that misses. Imavov lands a few punches, and the nailbiter of a middleweight contest draws to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Imavov (29-28 Imavov)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Imavov (29-28 Imavov)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Imavov (29-28 Imavov)

The Official Result

Nassourdine Imavov def. Brendan Allen via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Renato “Moicano” Carneiro (156) vs. Benoit St. Denis (156)

Round 1

At long last, the main attraction is upon us. Five rounds or fewer of lightweight action and intensity. Savvy grappler Carneiro (19-5-1, 11-5 UFC) would normally be the fan-favorite were it not for the venue in which he is competing. Instead, the Parisians go nuts for St. Denis (13-2, 1 NC; 5-2 UFC), who is determined to make another climb up the ranks all while retaining his 100% finish rate. These two are amped up and ready to unleash fire and fury on one another, and they likely will do just that when referee Marc Goddard says go. There is still plenty of respect between them even as they prepare to lop one another’s head off, as shown by a respectful tap of gloves to seal the cage. It’s on with the show. Carneiro strikes first with a low kick, and not to be outdone, St. Denis returns fire with a front kick and his own leg kick. “Moicano” attacks with another low kick, and he latches onto the Frenchman, clasping his arms around the waist and hurling him to his back. St. Denis uses butterfly hooks as soon as he hits his back to prevent Carneiro from settling down on top of him, kicking the Brazilian off briefly. Moicano leaps back on top, getting to half guard and hooking his leg around his opponent’s to keep him there. St. Denis sits up, and Carneiro is ready to take advantage of a momentary lapse. St. Denis gets up, and “Moicano” hops on to become a malicious backpack. St. Denis turns over, giving up his back completely, and Carneiro takes it and locks up the body triangle. St. Denis turns back and forth, and Carneiro smashes him with elbows that slash him wide open. Blood sprays from an open wound, as Carneiro beats down the local favorite. Carneiro postures up, holding one fist on the fence to get leverage to hack down with his free arm, and the blood is flowing freely. Carneiro gets dragged to the full guard, and he finds openings and attacks with ferocious ground-and-pound. St. Denis pushes Carneiro off of him and gives up his back again, and “Moicano” happily takes it in the blink of an eye. Carneiro locks up the body triangle, and he lets St. Denis turn around to his back so he can bulldoze the betting favorite with more ruthless elbows. St. Denis’ face transforms to a crimson mask as Carneiro clobbers him, and St. Denis is hanging tough but firmly in survival mode. Carneiro lowers himself down to conclude the round, and it remains to be seen if the cuts under St. Denis’ eyebrow are cleared by the doctors.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Carneiro
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Carneiro
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Carneiro

Round 2

The Frenchman is cleared to continue, lumped up and busted after just five one-sided minutes of pain. He begins the round, meandering forward ready to throw bombs. Carneiro stays in one place a bit too long, and he eats a huge left hand that stuns him. St. Denis slowly stalks him down, but his vision is obscured by swelling on both eyes. “Moicano” lands a right hand and misses with a knee, and St. Denis fires a head kick at him. The jab from St. Denis finds its home, and he aims one to the body and whiffs on a hook. Carneiro slips and counters a punch with a right hand, and he shoots for a takedown but hits a wall. Carneiro circles around, picking his shots carefully while letting St. Denis’ face close up more. St. Denis follows after him with long, straight punches, and he gets caught with a solid left. Carneiro re-opens the wounds above St. Denis’ eye, and he is a veritable horror show at this point. St. Denis is tough as nails, lunging forward to attack, but he finds a Carneiro who wants to take him down but cannot. St. Denis trades hands, somehow finding his target every so often even though his vision likely is but a fraction of what it would be normally. St. Denis stifles another takedown and gets off an uppercut, before ringing a kick to the ribs. St. Denis goes high with his shin, parrying a jab and a front kick to end the round bloody as can be.

Goddard calls in the doctor to assess the French fighter’s condition, checking his vision as both eyes are nearly swollen shut. While he passes the first test, sight of his right eye has failed him. St. Denis informs the physician that he cannot see from it, and the doctor has no choice but to tell Goddard this fight should be stopped. It is a disappointing ending to what was shaping up to be quite interesting, but it was a definitive conclusion given the massive damage inflicted to the visage of “God of War.”

In his post-fight interview, “Moicano” goes off on multiple tangents about his visit to the Louvre, how democracy is a fallacy and that Paddy Pimblett is easy money. Bemused commentator Michael Bisping holds the microphone in front of his face until the producers likely tell him to cut it. With UFC Paris now in the books, next week, the UFC takes to Salt Lake City with a pair of titles on the line. We will be here for it, and we hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 St. Denis
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 St. Denis
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 St. Denis

The Official Result

Renato Carneiro def. Benoit St. Denis R2 5:00 via TKO (Doctor Stoppage)