411’s UFC Fight Night 87 Report 5.08.16

Hello everyone and welcome to 411mania’s LIVE coverage of UFC Fight Night 87. I’m Robert Winfree, and before we go any further happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. We wouldn’t be here without you. This morning, incidentally I really dislike Sunday morning cards, the UFC is making their debut in the Netherlands. We’ve got a couple of heavyweight fights at the top of the card as Alistair Overeem and Andrei Arlovski try to position themselves at the top of the division while Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Stefan Struve fight to remain relevant. There’s some good fights up and down the card, former flyweight title challenger Kyoji Horiguchi is main eventing the Fight Pass prelims against Neil Seery and a welterweight clash between Albert Tumenov and Gunnar Nelson could spell big things for either man going forward. This event comes to us from the Ahoy Rotterdam arena in Rotterdam, the Netherlands with Kenny Florian and Jon Anik on commentary.

Ulka Sasaki is in a rough spot here, he’s just 1-2 in the UFC and riding a two fight losing streak. Sasaki is desperately seeking a win here, because a three fight losing streak for a fighter with just one UFC win and no established fan base almost always means getting released and he’s hoping that this drop to flyweight will rejuvenate his career. Willie Gates is also 1-2 in the UFC and coming off of a loss, so while a second consecutive loss here wouldn’t necessarily mean getting cut a win would give him a little more job security and potentially move him up in the division.

Flyweight Bout: Ulka Sasaki (18-3-2, 125 lbs.) vs Willie Gates (12-6, 125 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Sasaki has two inches of height and one of reach on Gates. Both men are southpaws, though Gates will likely switch. Sasaki lands a body kick. Gates lands a short right, Sasaki dives for a single leg and gets Gates against the fence but Gates defending the takedown. Sasaki able to spin Gates down and get in half guard. Gates trying to threaten with a triangle choke, Sasaki avoids it and passes to half guard again. Gates tries to scramble up, Sasaki gets the back as Gates stands and Sasaki is now in the backpack position. Gates able to get on of those hooks out and Sasaki just has the clinch now. Sasaki still has one hook and jumps for the back again but decides against it. Gates trying to turn into him, Sasaki able to drag him down again, he’s got mount low on the legs and Gates scrambles up but is still in the clinch against the fence. Gates able to spin Sasaki into the fence and lands a couple of short rights. Sasaki drops for a double leg, Gates avoids it and lands a hard uppercut. Sasaki grabs a single leg but can’t finish it and Gates has him on the fence. Gates lands a hard knee from the clinch and Sasaki backs away. Sasaki lands a straight left then a knee to the body. Gates misses a right, Sasaki misses a left then a high kick and the round comes to a close.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Gates

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. Gates seems to be settled into the orthodox stance this round, lands a right to the body. Gates fades a takedown attempt, lands a couple of punches but Sasaki trips him up and gets him down against the fence. Gates sitting against the fence, Sasaki in half guard and Gates looking to wall walk. Gates back up and spins Sasaki to the cage. Sasaki drops for a single leg, Gates lands an elbow as he defends the attempt. Sasaki able to lock his hands together and suck out the hips of Gates and get the takedown into side control. Sasaki has the back now with both hooks in while Gates is on his knees. Sasaki with some elbows, trying to open up the rear naked choke. Sasaki digging for the choke, Gates just trying to hand fight and remain safe. Sasaki has the choke in after some work and Gates has to tap.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Ulka Sasaki via Submission, rear naked choke, at 3:30 of Round 2

Mic time for Sasaki now along with his translator. He says he lost two fights in a row which was a difficult time for him but his fans helped keep him coming back, he says he really wanted to perform because parts of Japan have been hurt by earthquakes and dedicates the win to them. He closes with what I assume is a bit of a joke to Demetrious Johnson, calling him Tom and Jerry.

Dominic Waters is 0-2 in the UFC with losses to George Sullivan and Dong Hyun Kim, a in here is paramount if he’s to keep his job with the UFC. Leon Edwards is 2-2 in the UFC and while he’s coming off of a loss to Kamaru Usman he won two in a row before that and a rebound win here over Waters is important to avoid what would be his first ever losing streak as a professional.

Welterweight Bout: Leon Edwards (10-3, 169.5 lbs.) vs Dominic Waters (9-4, 170 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Waters has one inch of height and five of reach on Edwards. Edwards fighting southpaw. Waters misses a couple of rights, he’s circling while Edwards tries to cut him off. Waters tries a double leg, he moves to a body lock and gets the takedown into half guard. Edwards back up quickly and hits a trip of his own to land in side control but Waters immediately to full guard. Waters trying to attack the left arm, Edwards shaking him off then lands a left as he stands and Waters stands as well. Edwards lands a knee to the high chest, he was looking for a kick and Waters was moving forward, Waters tries a takedown but winds up on all fours with Edwards in the sprawl position with a front headlock. Edwards spins and gets to the ride position looking to take the back. Edwards has one hook in, now to full mount. Waters doing a good job of holding Edwards posture. Edwards postures up and lands a couple of lefts. Edwards grabs a key lock, not much there and he bails on it then lands an elbow. Round ends with Edwards still in full mount.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Edwards, borderline 10-8 given the amount of time spent in mount.

ROUND TWO: Waters misses a couple of punches, they clinch then Edwards lands a knee to the body and hits a single leg against the fence. Waters trying to wall walk, Edwards in half guard flattens him out. Edwards lands a couple of lefts then a few rights to the body. Edwards working to pass into side control, and does so. Edwards lands a knee to the body, Waters gets back to half guard. The ref breaks them and we’re back to standing. Edwards lands a left then a glancing jumping knee before he gets the clinch against the fence. They separate without incident. Edwards backing up Waters, Waters in the southpaw stance now. Edwards lands a stiff jab that drops Waters to a knee for a second. Waters ducks a punch and tries a double leg, Edwards defends until they hit the fence. Waters still going for that takedown, gets the rear waist lock and starts kneeing the thigh then hits a takedown. Edwards back up quickly, Waters hits a big suplex and lands in half guard. Edwards with some heel strikes to the thigh, Waters hits the body a few times as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Edwards, 20-18 Edwards overall

ROUND THREE: Waters circling again, Edwards lands a kick to the chest. Waters lands a stiff right then gets a takedown into the half guard of Edwards. Waters basically goes into the guard of Edwards. Waters with some rights to the body and is trying to pass, Edwards back to his feet and able to separate. They trade jabs. Edwards lands a left shovel punch. Edwards just misses a front kick to the face then sprawls a double leg from Waters. Edwards backing up Waters, lands a jumping knee to the body then an uppercut. Waters gets the clinch along the fence but can’t complete a takedown. Waters drops for a takedown but Edwards is still defending well. Edwards spins and lands a knee to the body and sprawls while Waters holds a loose single leg. Edwards lands an elbow to the body. Waters just hanging out on his knees, Edwards with some more blows to the body and head as time expires.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Edwards, 30-27 Edwards overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Leon Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Edwards on the mic now, he says he’s been working tirelessly on his wrestling and grappling and he’s happy he could show that tonight. He says he expected Waters to do what he did and he knew Waters wasn’t active off of his back so he tried to put him there. He says his dream is to be world champion and he’s going to keep chipping away until he gets there.

Kyoji Horiguchi is an impressive 5-1 in the UFC, that one loss is to flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and he’s coming off of a win over Chico Camus. A win here for Horiguchi is important if he wants to get back to the flyweight title. Neil Seery is coming off of a win as well, his over Jon Delos Reyes and if he can upset the top ranked Horiguchi here it would be a massive boost to his career and could move him into the top fifteen rankings.

Flyweight Bout: #5 Kyoji Horiguchi (16-2, 125 lbs.) vs Neil Seery (16-11, 126 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Horiguchi has an inch of height and one and a half of reach on Seery. Touch of gloves to get us going. Horiguchi lands a quick one two combination then a leg kick. Horiguchi circling, lands a wicked lunging left that drops Seery. Horiguchi on top in the guard of Seery, Seery holding on but Horiguchi postures and stands then lands a right to the body. Seery able to roll and regain his feet, Horiguchi lands another left hook. They clinch then Horiguchi gets another takedown. Seery tries for an armbar that Horiguchi avoids. Seery scrambles back up and has Horiguchi on the fence. Horiguchi spins Seery to the cage and then separates. Horiguchi lands a right, Seery lands a right of his own. Horiguchi lands another right then a stiff jab that drops Seery again. Seery not rocked, he regains his feet but ate some punches from Horiguchi as he did so. Seery to the southpaw stance now. Horiguchi lands a left then a right, his speed is really giving Seery problems. Horiguchi hits a double leg into the guard of Seery. Seery eats a hard right from Horiguchi then tries to stand but Horiguchi gets to side control and keeps him down. Horiguchi lands a knee to the body. Horiguchi looking to mount, Seery defends well. Horiguchi stands and they trade again. Horiguchi lands a hard left kick to the body. Horiguchi lands a stiff jab. Seery lands a leg kick. They circle the last couple of seconds away.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Horiguchi

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves to get the second round going. Horiguchi lands a one two combination then a leg kick. Horiguchi lands another right, he’s pressing forward now and gets the clinch on the fence. Horiguchi works some knees to the body then trips Seery down. Seery is bleeding from around the right eye, looks like the cut is under the eye. Horiguchi passes to side control, Seery scrambles to his feet though. Horiguchi lands a left then a leg kick. Seery lands a left, they clinch and Horiguchi gets the rear waist lock. Seery able to spin free and they separate. Horiguchi lands a left. Horiguchi lands an inside leg kick. Right lands for Horiguchi, Seery landed a left. Both men are using both stances. They trade lead hand punches. They clinch again then break. Horiguchi lands a power inside leg kick. Seery lands a good left. Horiguchi returns the left punch. Horiguchi lands a body kick, then a stiff one two combination. Seery lands a body kick. Horiguchi gets a quick double leg against the fence and lands in side control. Seery able to hip escape to half guard with ten seconds left in the round. The round ends in that position.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Horiguchi, 20-18 Horiguchi overall

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves for the last round. Horiguchi lands a jab then a leg kick. Horiguchi ducks a wild right from Seery. Seery lands a good left from the southpaw stance. Horiguchi pushes into the clinch with a punch and gets Seery on the fence. Horiguchi gets an outside trip against the fence. Seery back up but eats a knee to the body as he does so. Hard left lands for Horiguchi, Seery may be wobbled. Seery still standing, Horiguchi measures him with a hard right but Seery stays upright. Horiguchi lands a leg kick then a body kick. Seery pushes forward and gets the clinch against the fence. Horiguchi able to spin Seery to the cage. Horiguchi lands a right as they break, Seery lands a right of his own. Horiguchi ducks a couple of punches then gets a double leg against the fence. Horiguchi landed in half guard. Seery back up and lands an elbow in the clinch. Horiguchi lands a knee to the body, then another. More knees from Horiguchi to the body of Seery then he pulls free. They trade rights in close. Horiguchi lands a right to the body then a left hook. They both land, these two are still throwing. Seery tries a trip takedown, Horiguchi able to reverse and land on top and the final few seconds are spent on the mat.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Horiguchi, 30-27 Horiguchi overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Kyoji Horiguchi via unanimous decision (30-26. 30-27 x2)

Good fight, I can see round 1 being 10-8 for Horiguchi based on two knockdowns. Interview time for Horiguchi and his translator. Asked about training with American Top Team now he says he wishes he could have finished the fight in the first, but he got to show some of his new skills in the grappling department. He thanks the crowd, then when asked what’s next for him he says he wants another title shot and mentions his move to ATT was based around the desire to be a champion.

That does it for Fight Pass, now to Fox Sports 1 for the remainder of the morning.

Yan Cabral is 2-2 in his last four fights, trading wins and losses and while he’s coming off of a loss to Johnny Case a rebound win here would keep him relevant in the stacked lightweight division. Reza Madadi is coming off of a loss to Norman Parke but that fight was a return from a long layoff and he’s looking to shake off the ring rust and return to the winning side of things here.

Lightweight Bout: Yan Cabral (12-2, 156 lbs.) vs Reza Madadi (13-4, 155 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Cabral has half an inch of reach on Madadi, the height is identical. Madadi comes out moving forward, Cabral circling. Madadi ducks a right and tries a double leg, Cabral keeps his balance and they get to the fence. Madadi able to get Cabral on the cage, they separate without incident. Cabral misses a right. There’s a lot of posturing going on, both men are avoiding takedowns well. Madadi misses a couple of punches then gets Cabral on the fence. They jockey for position, Cabral lands a short elbow and spins Madadi to the cage. Madadi able to spin him back and they trade knees to the body. Cabral lands another knee to the body then they break and Cabral tries a double leg that Madadi blocks with underhooks and they separate. Cabral lands a jab, tries to shoot from way outside and Madadi blocks it again while on the fence. Madadi able to spin Cabral to the cage, more jockeying for position and Cabral tries for a single leg and finally gets the takedown into half guard. Cabral trying to get a kimura going, uses that threat to pass to mount then gets the back as Madadi tries to roll. Cabral has both hooks in and is looking for the choke. Madadi back up and pushes Cabral into the fence as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Cabral

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves to the joy of the crowd, then a quick hug and the crowd cheers louder and we’re back to fighting. Madadi lands a couple of body shots. Cabral lands a leg kick. Madadi lands a left hook then just misses an uppercut. Cabral lands a jab then a right and tries a single leg takedown. They wind up on the mat but Madadi uses a cradle position to roll through and regain his feet. Cabral pushes into the clinch again, Madadi gets him on the cage and they start jockeying for position. Cabral lands a knee to the body, Madadi lands a left as they break. They clinch up again and Madadi lands a knee to the body. Madadi keeping Cabral on the cage, lands another knee to the body. The ref separates them and they’re back in the middle of the cage. Madadi lands a couple of jabs. Madadi hits a takedown and lands in side control. Cabral quickly to half guard, they trade some punches then Madadi stands and lets him back up. Cabral pushing forward now, Madadi eats a knee to the body then pushes Cabral into the cage where they spend the last couple of seconds.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Madadi, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves for the last round. Cabral slips but regains his feet. Both men visibly tired here. They split jabs then Madadi lands a hard right then an uppercut, Cabral shoots but his takdown stalls out on the cage. Madadi defending on the fence and gets free. Cabral pushing forward, Madadi lands a glancing spinning back fist, Cabral in on a single leg against the fence that Madadi defends. Cabral still digging for that single leg, Madadi defending and they separate. Madadi lands an uppercut that wobbles Cabral, he follows up and Cabral goes out on his feet and the ref stops this one.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Reza Madadi via TKO, punches, at 1:56 of Round 3

That’s Madadi’s second TKO win in his career, who now gets some mic time. He says this feels unbelievable. He talks about being arrested and being in jail, he mentions losing his last fight but it feels great to be back and winning like this. Asked about his conditioning, he mentions that it’s always difficult to get into the Octagon but he fought through it and thanks God for helping him get the victory. He talks us through the finish, mentions he’s been working on his boxing and then closes by saying he knew fighting on the mat would be dangerous and puts over his coaches for getting him ready for this fight.

Jon Tuck has been trading wins and losses in the UFC but he’s coming off of a win over Tae Hyun Bang and a win here would give him his first UFC winning streak and signal that he’s found some of the consistency he’s been lacking to this point. Josh Emmett is undefeated as a professional fighter and looks to remain that way as he makes his UFC debut on very shot noticetonight, and of course there’s no better way to debut than with a win.

Lightweight Bout: Jon Tuck (9-2, 156 lbs.) vs Josh Emmett (9-0, 156 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Tuck has four inches of height and three of reach on Emmett. Touch of gloves to get us going. Emmett tries a high kick that just misses. Emmett lands an inside leg kick, Tuck lands a right in close. Tuck walking Emmett down here. They trade rights, Emmett doing a pretty good job of covering up and countering. Emmett lands a leg kick. Emmett misses a jumping knee. Tuck lands a jab. Emmett lands an inside leg kick. Tuck lands a body kick, Emmett lands another inside leg kick. Emmett wings a right to the body. Good right lands for Emmett. Tuck just blocks a left high kick, Emmett looking very smooth so far. Tuck lands a leg kick and a right after just avoiding a right from Emmett. Emmett slips on a high kick and Tuck lands a knee to the head in close as Emmett got back up. Emmett lands a straight left from the southpaw stance. Emmett lands a right. Tuck lands a leg kick. Tuck lands another leg kick. Emmett stalking forward now, Tuck lands a glancing switch kick high. Emmett lands a right to the body. Emmett tries a double leg, Tuck avoids it and lands a knee to the body then they stare the last couple of seconds away.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Emmett

ROUND TWO: Tuck comes out southpaw for the second round. Tuck lands a jumping knee, Emmett stumbles a little but regains his composure. Emmett lands a right, then a right to the body. Emmett doing a good job of moving and finding the right hand punch. They trade in close and Emmett lands a good left hook. Emmett lands another right to the body. Emmett lands a right, Tuck is really a little flummoxed here. Tuck lands a body kick. Tuck trying to use the lead leg high kick. Emmett lands a right. Emmet lands a right to the body, Tuck hits a leg kick. They trade rights then Tuck lands a leg kick. Emmett lands a couple of body shots. Left hook lands for Emmett then another left. Tuck has a switch kick blocked as the round closes.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Emmett, 20-18 Emmett overall

ROUND THREE: Emmett resumes moving, he’s got good lateral movement so far. Emmett with a couple of body hooks then a right to the head. Emmett’s body work is getting to Tuck. Emmett pushes forward with a couple of lefts then a right. Emmett lands a left to the body then a leg kick. Tuck’s guard is dropping to protect his body. Tuck lands a couple of jabs. Emmett lands a body shot then a right. Tuck lands a short counter right after Emmett misses a wild hook. Tuck misses a wheel kick. Tuck fails on a double leg attempt. Tuck lands a jab then a leg kick. Emmett’s left hand may be hurt, his ring finger looks dislocated or something. Tuck tries a front kick that goes low so Emmett will get time to recover. Emmett takes almost no time, you’d think he’d have popped the finger back in if it was that simple. Tuck hits a jumping knee to the body. Tuck lands a body kick, then a knee to the head. Emmett is just cruising here, lands a right but Tuck is coming with hard body kicks. Another couple of kicks, Emmett drops for a double leg that stalls as time expires.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Tuck, 29-28 Emmett overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Josh Emmett via split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)

There’s actually bone sticking out of that ring finger for Emmett, also not sure which of the first two rounds went to Tuck so slightly Clucky. Emmett gets mic time, wishes everyone a happy Mother’s day, thanks his friends for coming to the Netherlands on short notice. He puts over his team to close the interview, and that’s a pretty gnarly broken finger.

Magnus Cedenblad is riding a three fight winning streak and is 3-1 in the UFC overall, a fourth consecutive win here would have to move him up in competition and get him a bigger fight next time. Cedenblad has been out of action for 18 months and needs a win if he’s to maintain that winning momentum. Garreth McLellan is 1-1 in the UFC but is 7-1 in his last eight and coming off of a late KO finish of Bubba Bush, he’s looking to get a UFC winning streak going here and start climbing the ranks at middleweight.

Middleweight Bout: Magnus Cedenblad (13-4, 185 lbs.) vs Garreth McLellan (13-3, 184 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Cedenblad has four inches of height and seven of reach on McLellan. Touch of gloves, McLellan fighting southpaw. McLellan lands an outside leg kick then a side kick to the thigh. Cedenblad lands a long right to the body, McLellan lands a body kick. Cedenblad checks an inside leg kick. Both guys still getting a feel for each other, Cedenblad lands a body kick. McLellan misses on a lead leg hook kick. Cedenblad lands a glancing right then has a high kick blocked. Cedenblad lands a counter right that drops McLellan, McLellan back up quickly and gets poked in the eye so he’ll get time to recover. McLellan is good to continue, Cedenblad lands a body shot. McLellan misses a right uppercut. McLellan hasn’t got a feel for the range yet, he’s lunging for most of his offense thus far. McLellan lands an outside leg kick, Cedenblad lands a counter right. Cedenblad just misses a high kick. McLellan lands a body kick. They clash and both miss. Cedenblad lands a right after eating a leg kick. McLellan lands a left to the chest. McLellan misses a spinning back fist and they circle the final seconds away.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Cedenblad

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. McLellan misses a couple of punches. McLellan lands a side kick to the body. Cedenblad still kind of walking him down, has a high kick blocked but it still hurts McLellan. Cedenblad unloads with uppercuts while McLellan leans on the fence and the ref has to save him from more damage.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Magnus Cedenblad via TKO, head kick and punches, at :47 of Round 2

Nice return for Cedenblad from that long lay off, he gets an interview now. He says the fight was fun and that he enjoys fighting, he puts over Rotterdam and again says the whole experience was awesome. He talks us through the finish then says he’ll be back in the gym working to develop more skills because while he feels this is the start of something big for him he knows he’s got work to do.

Chris Wade is a perfect 4-0 in the UFC and a win here in his step up in competition would signal big things for the prospect as he keeps climbing the ranks at lightweight. Rustam Khabilov just broke a two fight losing streak by beating Norman Parke and if he wants to remain relevant in the division he needs to get a second consecutive win here and start building back up towards the top of the division.

Lightweight Bout: Rustam Khabilov (19-3, 155 lbs.) vs Chris Wade (11-1, 155 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Wade is two inches taller but Khabilov has two and a half inches of reach on him. Touch of gloves to get things going. They trade leg kicks. Wade switching his stance frequently. Khabilov lands a low calf kick. Khabilov misses an overhand right. They trade body kicks. Wade lands a side kick to the body then they clinch and Khabilov hits a throw but Wade back up immediately and they both land inside leg kicks. Wade lands an inside leg kick, Khabilov returns it. Wade lands a left hook. Khabilov misses a wheel kick. Wade lands a knee then a stiff left but they clinch and Wade gets Khabilov on the fence. Wade lands a knee to the body before Khabilov spins him and gets the rear waist lock. Khabilov drags Wade down and lands in the ride position. Wade trying not to give up the back as he works towards his feet, Khabilov keeping him down so far. Khabilov lands a short left. Wade able to regain his feet but Khabilov rides him back down and lands a couple of lefts to the head. Wade on his knees, Khabilov in the front head lock position and landing some body shots as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Khabilov

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves for the second round. Khabilov misses a left hook. Khabilov lands a jab. Wade lands a left. Khabilov lands a short left then an inside leg kick. Wade lands a jumping head kick that drops Khabilov. Khabilov somehow recovers and gets on top on the mat. Wade trying to sit up, Khabilov gets his back with one hook in. I’m shocked Khabilov recovered that quickly. Khabilov tries for a triangle as Wade rolls to top position, his legs are in place but he’s not locked up properly. Khabilov can’t get his legs locked properly and Wade pushes through to land in his guard. Khabilov tries for a sweep, doesn’t work but he’s active off of his back. Khabilov kicks Wade off and we’re standing again. Khabilov lands a hard one two combination then a jumping knee. Khabilov hits a double leg against the fence. Khabilov working from half guard, he lands a couple of short blows as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Wade, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Wade could be getting tired, Khabilov is bleeding from the mouth after that jumping double kick. They touch gloves for the final round. Khabilov lands an inside leg kick. Khabilov lands a counter right. Khabilov lands a right, they trade in close then Khabilov lands a right. Wade has definitely slowed down. Wade lands an inside leg kick. Khabilov shoots a double leg then elevates and slams him. Khabilov landed basically on the back and he’s got both hooks in now. They’re trading some short punches here. Khabilov gives up one hook as Wade rolls but Khabilov lands some hard punches from the ride position. Khabilov with some more punches while Wade covers up. Khabilov just starting to overwhelm Wade from this position. Khabilov doing a great job of riding and controlling Wade. Khabilov to half guard now as Wade rolled to his back. Khabilov in side control now, Wade trying to walk his way up the cage but he’s kind of stuck. Khabilov with some more rights, trying to set up a mounted crucifix. Wade back up but immediately dumped by Khabilov from the rear waist lock position. Khabilov lands some more rights from the ride position as time expires.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Khabilov, 29-28 Khabilov overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Rustam Khabilov via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)

Good fight to end the prelims on. Not sure about that 30-27, it essentially ignores Khabilov getting dropped, though the rest of that round was all Khabilov. 10-10 might be a better representation. Mic time for Khabilov, he puts over Wade as giving him a tough time then mentions he got hit with that jumping kick but he recovered as soon as he hit the mat.

That wraps up prelims, now for the main card.

Karolina Kowalkiewicz is undefeated as professional fighter and had a successful UFC debut when she defeated Randa Markos, a second win here would set her up nicely to move up the ranks and potentially get into title contention. Heather Jo Clark won her UFC debut against Bec Rawlings but that was back in December of 2014 and she’s looking to get a big win here and move into the top fifteen rankings.

Women’s Strawweight Bout: #10 Karolina Kowalkiewicz (8-0, 115 lbs.) vs Heather Jo Clark (7-4, 116 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Clark has three inches of height on Kowalkiewicz but Kowalkiewicz has half an inch of reach on her. Touch of gloves to get things going. Clark lands an inside leg kick, Kowalkiewicz lands a leg kick. Clark lands a bit of a left. They trade jabs. They trade in close the break, neither getting a big advantage so far. Kowalkiewicz lands a leg kick, Clark lands one. Stiff jab lands for Kowalkiewicz. They clinch up, trade elbows, then break. Kowalkiewicz lands a right to the body, Clark lands an overhand right then tries a double leg that stalls on the fence. Kowalkiewicz lands an elbow then a knee before they break. Kowalkiewicz lands a body kick. Clark lands a right, then another and they clinch again with Clark getting Kowalkiewicz on the cage. Kowalkiewicz lands a couple of elbows as they break. They trade rights, Clark pushes into the clinch again. Both just kind of hanging out here, Clark eats a right as they break. Kowalkiewicz lands a combination. Clark lands a jab. Kowalkiewicz turning up the pressure here, both women throwing. Kowalkiewicz lands a spinning back kick to the body and they clinch again. Clark drops for a double leg, Kowalkiewicz lands some elbows to the body while defending the takedown. They trade knees to the body as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Kowalkiewicz

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves for the second round. Kowalkiewicz lands a right. Kowalkiewicz fades a right and lands a hard right of her own. Kowalkiewicz backing Clark to the fence and trying to flurry, Clark able to circle off of the fance. Clark grabs a kick but can’t get the takedown, fights for a body lock takedown but Kowalkiewicz is back up immediately. Kowalkiewicz lands a short elbow then a knee to the body and one to the head. Kowalkiewicz misses an elbow as they break then lands a right. They trade rights. Kowalkiewicz lands a hard left then a right to the body. They trade in close. Clark lands a right but eats a leg kick then a right from Kowalkiewicz. Clark gets the clinch but she can’t get a takedown and they’re on the fence again. Kowalkiewicz lands a couple of knees to the body then a hard elbow as they break and Clark desperately grabs the clinch again. They trade some knees, Clark tries for a single leg that doesn’t work. Kowalkiewicz lands a couple of elbows in close as they break. Clark backing up now and Kowalkiewicz is pursuing her. Kowalkiewicz grabs the Thai clinch and knees the body then gets the back standing and just misses a high kick as they break. Kowalkiewicz lands a jab. Clark actually pulls guard but Kowalkiewicz gets the back and throws up an armbar. Clark trying to defend and stacks up on the arm with just ten seconds and the round ends in that position.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Kowalkiewicz, 20-18 Kowalkiewicz overall

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves gets the third round going. Kowalkiewicz lands a right, Clark lands a leg kick. Clark lands a bit of a high kick. Kowalkiewicz lands a right then a leg kick. Another right lands for Kowalkiewicz. Kowalkiewicz lands a right and then lands a couple of elbows from the Thai clinch before they break. Kowalkiewicz lands a spinning back kick to the body. They clinch again and Clark gets Kowalkiewicz on the cage. Kowalkiewicz lands some knees to the body. They break without incident. Kowalkiewicz just lands a spinning back fist, then they trade and Kowalkiewicz gets the clinch on Clark and pushes her into the fence. Clark holding the head and able to get Kowalkiewicz on the cage. Kowalkiewicz lands a couple of knees then an elbow before breaking free. Kowalkiewicz lands a couple of rights and a stiff jab. Rights traded but Kowalkiewicz lands a flurry then they clinch and trade knees before Clark gets her on the cage. They break with a weak left from Clark. Kowalkiewicz lands a stiff uppercut. Kowalkiewicz lands a knee to the body, and a stiff one two then a body kick. Clark is just absorbing the damage and gets the clinch again. Kowalkiewicz working the body from the clinch. Clark lands a knee to the body, Kowalkiewicz lands a couple of rights as they break. Kowalkiewicz pushes to the clinch and lands another flurry of punches. Kowalkiewicz flurries hard as the round ends, she landed four or five good punches there as time expires.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Kowalkiewicz, 30-27 Kowalkiewicz overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Karolina Kowalkiewicz via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)

Round 1 was competitive and I can see it going to Clark, mic time for Kowalkiewicz. She says she’s very happy to win, thanks the Polish fans who came out and mentions she’s happy to fight in Europe. She puts over Clark as being able to take a lot because she hit her hard, then says she’d like a top five opponent next and wants to be the champion one day.

Nikita Krylov is riding a three fight winning streak, his only loss at light heavyweight is to Ovince Saint Preux, and a fourth consecutive win here would likely move Krylov up in the rankings given how anemic the division is right now. Francimar Barroso is on a two fight winning streak with decisions over Ryan Jimmo and Elvis Mutapcic, beating a top fifteen opponent here would likely get him into the top fifteen and keep his ascent up the ranks going.

Light Heavyweight Bout: #14 Nikita Krylov (19-4, 205 lbs.) vs Francimar Barroso (18-4, 204 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Krylov is an inch taller and has two and a half inches of reach on Barroso. Touch of gloves to get us going. Krylov lands a push kick to the body. They trade lefts. Krylov lands a knee to the body then they get close and trade before Barroso drops for a double leg that stalls out on the fence. Krylov able to spin Barroso to the cage and they trade knees to the body. Knees to the legs being traded here, Barroso trying to get trips on occasion but Krylov keeping upright. More knees to the legs going back and forth. Hard knee to the body from Krylov, they trade again as they break. Krylov just misses a couple of kicks. Barroso lands a right shovel punch and tries a double leg that stalls out on the cage. Barroso finally drags Krylov down but Krylov back up quickly and Barroso is holding the ride position, Krylov threatens to roll for a kneebar and they break. Krylov lands a couple of rights and pushes into the clinch. Krylov with some knees to the thigh and body. They break and trade again as they do so. Barroso breathing heavy already. Krylov lands a body kick and they both land punches in close as Krylov pushes Barroso into the fence. Krylov lands a couple of knees then a body kick and a couple of punches as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Krylov

ROUND TWO: Krylov opens the second with a couple of high kicks and they trade in close before clinching. These two are pretty wild when they start trading. Krylov with some knees to the body. They jockey for position while trading knees. Barroso able to get an outside trip but Krylov sweeps him immediately and lands in half guard. Krylov lands some punches then stands, Barroso lands a wicked up kick and Krylov drops back into the gaurd of Barroso. Krylov with some punches from the top position. Barroso tries to get an omoplata but Krylov avoids it and resumes landing short punches and elbows. Barroso tries to spin for an ankle lock, Krylov avoids it and Barroso tries a triangle choke but little on it and Krylov gets the back as Barroso tried to roll to his knees. Krylov grabs the choke and Barroso has to tap out.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Nikita Krylov via Submission, rear naked choke, at 3:11 of Round 2

Krylov and his translator get some mic time now. He says that’s the fourth Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt he’s submitted, then talks us through the finish and mentions he didn’t feel he had the choke but kept going for it and it worked. He thanks everyone for coming out, thanks those who support him, says his son is almost 1 month old and hopes to get a post fight bonus for his son.

Germaine de Randamie is 2-1 in the UFC and coming off of a win over Larissa Pacheco, a second one here would get her moving up the bantamweight rankings while a loss would drop her out of the top fifteen. Anna Elmose is making her UFC debut here but is unbeaten as a professional and a big win over a top fifteen opponent in her UFC debut would be a great way to kick off her UFC career.

Women’s Bantamweight Bout: #14 Germaine de Randamie (5-3, 135 lbs.) vs Anna Elmose (3-0, 135 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: De Randamie has six inches of height and reach on Elmose. Touch of gloves to get things going. Elmose misses a jab, de Randamie misses a thrust kick. Elmose eats an uppercut and they clinch, Elmose throws some body shots and switches to a single leg attempt that de Randamie defends against the fence. They trade some knees to the body, Elmose still digging for that single leg takedown. Elmose gets de Randamie down to a knee, de Randamie back up immediately and lands a hard knee to the body. They trade in the clinch, de Randamie lands a couple to the head before they break. De Randamie lands a couple of long range uppercuts, Elmose shoots a desperation takedown that de Randamie avoids easily. De Randamie lands a stiff jab. De Randamie lands a couple of rights then gets the Thai clinch and starts unloading with knees to the body and head. Hard one to the body drops Elmose and this one is over.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Germaine de Randamie via TKO, knee to the body, at 3:46 of Round 1

That was a brutal knee to the body that dropped Elmose. Big ovation for de Randamie. She thanks the crowd in Dutch, says this is an amazing feeling and that she wanted to come home to her family and the Dutch people. She says she knew she needed space, praised Elmose for getting close, then says she knew the knee to the body hurt. Asked who she wants next she says whoever the UFC wants but says she does want the title. She thanks her coaches, wishes everyone happy Mother’s day and says she’s home to close the interview.

Albert Tumenov is on a five fight winning streak and recently cracked the top fifteen rankings, he’s looking to keep that streak alive here and climb towards title contention. A win here over the respected Gunnar Nelson would be the biggest win of his career as Nelson represents a step up in competition for Tumenov. Gunnar Nelson is coming off of a loss to Demian Maia and is just 1-2 in his last three but his grappling is world class and beating Tumenov here would move him back into the top fifteen rankings as he keeps trying to climb towards the title.

Welterweight Bout: #13 Albert Tumenov (18-2, 170 lbs.) vs Gunnar Nelson (14-2-1, 170 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Both men are the same height but Tumenov has an inch of reach on Nelson. Touch of gloves to get us going. Nelson bouncing around, lands a quick one two combination. Tumenov lands a leg kick. Nelson lands a leaping left hook. Tumenov lands a hard left body kick then a left to the body. They trade rights in close. Tumenov lands a left to the body then escapes a clinch and Nelson lands a side kick to the body. Nelson to southpaw now, he’s switching to keep Tumenov off balance. Tumenov blocks a kick and hits a right but Nelson gets the clinch and takes Tumenov down. Nelson right into mount and lands an elbow. Nelson keeping close, lands another short elbow. Tumenov tries to hip escape, Nelson just keeps his balance. Tumenov tries to buck again, eats an elbow from Nelson though. Tumenov tries to roll again, Nelson just will not be moved. Tumenov able to scramble free after Nelson misses an elbow. Tumenov lands a left to the body. Tumenov lands a front kick to the body then he lands a quick flurry in close. Tumenov ends the round with a left to the body.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Nelson

ROUND TWO: Tumenov comes out quickly, backing up Nelson and lands another left to the body. Tumenov lands a body kick, Nelson lands a left. Tumenov lands a left hook but Nelson gets the clinch and pushes Tumenov into the fence. Tumenov able to spin free. Tumenov lands a hard right. Nelson lands a left. Nelson lands another left then they trade body kicks and Tumenov lands a couple of rights. Nelson shoots again and gets a takedown then moves to side control. Nelson passes to full mount. Tumenov tries to buck but gives up the back and Nelson has both hooks in, now goes to a body triangle. Nelson going for the choke, Tumenov trying to defend. Nelson keeps working for the choke and Tumenov has to tap.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Gunnar Nelson via Submission, rear naked choke, at 3:15 of Round 2

Mic time for Nelson. He says every fight is the biggest one, dedicates the win to his mother and says winning feels great. His strategy was to soften him up and keep him guessing then get the fight to the mat and finish him. He talks us through the finish, mentions that Tumenov turned to escape in the first and he wasn’t ready for it but he was ready in the second round and got the finish. He says he doesn’t know what’s next for him but he’ll be back in the gym and will figure out what comes next.

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva is a paltry 1-4-1 in his last six fights, his only win is over Soa Palelei and he’s coming off of a knockout loss to Mark Hunt. Silva desperately needs to win here if he wants to remain relevant as despite his top fifteen ranking he’s in the midst of a substantial slump. Stefan Struve hasn’t fared too well lately either as he’s 1-3 in his last four fights with the only win being over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and he’s coming off of a loss to Jared Rosholt, Struve also needs a win to remain relevant and avoid another losing streak.

Heavyweight Bout: #12 Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (19-8-1, 266 lbs.) vs Stefan Struve (26-8, 265 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Struve has eight inches of height and four and a half of reach on Silva. Touch of gloves to get things going. Struve lands a right and a couple of rights in close, then a knee that drops Silva. Silva holding a leg but Struve unloads with elbows to the side of the head and Silva goes out.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Stefan Struve via TKO, elbows, at :15 of Round 1

Silva’s complaining about the stoppage, he looked out to me. Also I suppose I should add boom… heavyweights. Mic time for Struve, who’s getting a big ovation from his fellow Dutchmen. He dedicates the win to Jordan Parsons who passed early last week, he says he didn’t lose it and he’s back. He talks us through the finish then speaks some Dutch including thanking the crowd to close the interview.

Alistair Overeem is a former K-1 kickboxing champion and Strikeforce heavyweight champion, the only accolade he’s missing is the UFC heavyweight title and while he’s riding a three fight winning streak a win here over a former champion like Andrei Arlovski would almost certainly get him the next title shot. Andrei Arlovski is coming off of a loss to Stipe Miocic but had a six fight winning streak going before that and if he can rebound here with a win over the surging Overeem then you have to imagine he’ll be in prime position to get a title shot as well.

Heavyweight Bout: #3 Alistair Overeem (40-14 1 NC, 244 lbs.) vs #5 Andrei Arlovski (25-11 1 NC, 248 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Overeem has an inch of height and three of reach on Arlovski. Circling to start, Arlovski feinting forward. Arlovski lands a couple of punches and pushes close but Overeem covers up and circles away. They clinch and Overeem lands a hard knee to the body before Arlovski gets him to the cage. Arlovski thinks about a single leg, Overeem lands a knee to the body then one to the head and Arlovski breaks free. Overeem southpaw now. Overeem punches into the clinch and lands a knee to the head then backs away. They clinch then break without incident. Overeem lands a hard left kick to the body. Overeem lands a side kick to the thigh. Overeem lands a leg kick, he likes the southpaw stance here apparently. They clinch again and Overeem knees the body then trips Arlovksi down and goes into his guard. Overeem working to posture up, lands a right. Arlovski lands an up kick as Overeem stands, Arlovski stays on his back and Overeem steps back as the round expires.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Overeem

ROUND TWO: Both men come out jabbing, Arlovski misses an overhand right. Overeem lands a left then a right from the southpaw stance and a hard left kick to the body. Another body kick from Overeem. Arlovski is struggling with the range, Overeem lands a left kick to the face then a wicked left that drops Arlovski. Overeem follows up on the ground but this one is over.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Alistair Overeem via TKO, head kick and punches, at 1:12 of Round 2

Big win there for Overeem, who now has the mic. He speaks some Dutch first, the crowd cheers as he does so. He does his own translation he wants to fight for the heavyweight title in November in New York and that he wants to defend the belt next year in Amsterdam arena. He mentions he dislocated his toe on that kick to the jaw of Arlovski but it just needed to be put back in place.

That wraps up UFC Fight Night 87, thanks for being here and reading. In a few hours at 8pm eastern standard time we’ll be talking about this event on the 411 Ground and Pound radio show as well as previewing UFC 198 which comes our way in six days. The show takes live callers at [phone] if you’ve got a question or comment you’d like on the air. I’ll be back on Saturday for UFC 198, until then keep checking 411mania for all your pop culture needs.