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411’s UFC Fight Night 89 Report 6.18.16

June 19, 2016 | Posted by Robert Winfree

Hello everyone and welcome to 411mania’s LIVE coverage of UFC Fight Night 89: Thompson vs. MacDonald. I’m Robert Winfree and I’ll be your host for the evening, relaying all of the information to you just as I see it. Tonight the UFC is in Ottawa, the national capital of Canada, for the first time ever and they’ve brought a heck of a main event. The number one and two contenders to the welterweight crown are going to clash with the winner being the unequivocal next title challenger, barring some kind of injury or other out of cage phenomenon. Rory MacDonald has been a top welterweight for a long time, and Stephen Thompson has been blazing through the ranks and is coming off of a first round TKO win over former champion Johny Hendricks. It should be a great fight. The rest of the card is a little lacking in relevance, but hopes to make up for that with fan friendly fights such as Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone continuing his welterweight campaign against Patrick Cote and two light heavyweights in Steve Bosse and Sean O’Connell who have no concept of defense but will swing for the fences. Tonight’s card comes to us from the TD Place Arena in the aforementioned Ottawa, Ontario, Canada with Jon Anik and Kenny Florian on commentary.

Ali Bagautinov is on a two fight losing streak, but that is somewhat mitigated by the fact that those losses were a flyweight title fight to Demetrious Johnson and to Joseph Benavidez but a third consecutive loss here coupled with the failed drug test prior to his title fight would almost certainly spell disaster for the former title challenger making this a must win scenario for him. Geane Herrera is 1-1 in the UFC but is coming off of a win over Joby Sanchez and should he defeat the top ten ranked Bagautinov he’d propel himself into the top fifteen of the division and set himself up for much bigger things in the future.

Flyweight Bout: #10 Ali Bagautinov (13-4, 125.5 lbs.) vs. Geane Herrera (9-1, 125 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Herrera has half an inch of reach and both men are the same height. The biggest difference is age, where Bagautinov is five years older than Herrera. Bagautinov fighting southpaw, and they touch gloves to get things going. Bagautinov lands a couple of leg kicks. Bagautinov misses a left. Herrera misses a front kick. Bagautinov lands a left to the body then has a high kick blocked. Herrera doing a lot of backing up, Bagautinov lands a couple of body kicks. Bagautinov lands a left then part of a high kick. Body kick from Bagautinov. Another left from Bagautinov lands, Herrera has a chin. Bagautinov lands another body kick, lands a wheel kick then hits a single leg takedown into side control. Herrera tries to attack with a heel hook, Bagautinov sits into half guard and starts landing punches to the body and head. Herrera tries a heel hook, not much happening. Bagautinov walks around to the other side and lands a couple of hard rights. Herrera is in some trouble, he keeps trying for leg locks but Bagautinov is reading them and landing to the body and head. Herrera gets to half guard, now full but he’s still getting hit. Herrera tries to spin again, Bagautinov easily avoids it and lands some more punches while standing. Herrera lands a good up kick. Bagautinov lands another right to close out the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Bagautinov

ROUND TWO: Herrera has swelling around both eyes, nothing bad but you can tell he got hit. Herrera moving forward this round, Bagautinov lands a leg kick while circling. Bagautinov lands a couple of body kicks then a right. Herrera misses a right and Bagautinov hits an easy double leg and passes immediately to side control. Herrera tries a triangle from the bottom, it’s a reverse triangle and it’s pretty tight. Bagautinov fights and pulls out, Herrera tried to grab a key lock as he did but Bagautinov gets out of that easily and stands then lands a right. Herrera tries a sweep, Bagautinov smothers him and lands a couple of body shots. Herrera trying to set up another heel hook, Bagautinov just hits him a few more times in the head. Herrera back to his feet and looking for a takedown, he gets it against the fence and gets the back as Bagautinov rolled to his knees. Herrera has a body triangle, Bagautinov pushes through it and gets on top and lands another couple of rights. Herrera tries again to set up a leg lock, Bagautinov settles into half guard and lands an elbow. Bagautinov lands a hard flurry, a wicked couple of rights, Herrera has a heck of a chin. Bagautinov in half guard still. Herrera to his feet and lands a flying knee but Bagautinov lands a knee from the clinch then avoids a double leg and pushes Herrera onto his back to close the round.

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

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves for the last round. Bagautinov circling, both men visibly a little tired. Bagautinov lands a couple of leg kicks. Herrera misses a wheel kick, Bagautinov lands a hard body kick. Bagautinov just misses a high kick. Bagautinov lands a switch kick high. Bagautinov lands another leg kick, he ducks a jab and gets a single leg against the fence. Herrera lands a couple of short elbows before they settle against the cage. Bagautinov hits a spinning takedown into side control. Herrera tries the reverse triangle again, Bagautinov avoids this one easily and moves towards mount. Bagautinov lands some rights, Herrera elevates and gets up but they trade knees in the clinch then Herrera tries for a kimura but Bagautinov rolls out but Herrera holds the kimura, dang that’s tight but somehow Bagautinov doesn’t tap despite his hand basically being on the back of his own head but he rolls out of and lands in side control. Herrera bridges off of the fence and they stand but Bagautinov banged his head and is a little wobbled. Bagautinov grabs a single leg and gets one final takedown then lands a final flurry as time expires.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Herrera, 29-28 Bagautinov overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Ali Bagautinov via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

I think 30-27 under sells the grappling of Herrera in the third and how close that kimura was, but the right guy won. Great fight to start the night with, no interview for Bagautinov though.

Colby Covington is 3-1 in the UFC and while he lost his last time out against Warlley Alves a rebound win here would indicate he’s grown as a fighter and is ready resume moving up the ranks at welterweight. Jonathan Meunier is making his UFC debut here and on short notice as well as he’s replacing his teammate Alex Garcia who got injured but he’s undefeated as a professional fighter and if he can remain unbeaten here and take out a prospect like Covington he’ll have announced his arrival in the UFC in a big way.

Welterweight Bout: Colby Covington (8-1, 170 lbs.) vs. Jonathan Meunier (7-0, 170.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Meunier has four inches of height and three of reach on Covington. Covington fighting southpaw, Meunier seems to switch his stance frequently. Covington misses a tornado kick but uses that to close distance and get the clinch against the fence. Covington tries a single leg, gets the back standing and they resume jockeying. Meunier doing a good job defensively but Covington finally drags him down. Meunier to his knees quickly against the cage, Covington has the ride position. Meunier stands, Covington drags him down again and has the ride position while Meunier is on his hands and knees. Covington lands a couple of rights while trying to get a hook in. Meunier up again, Covington pushes him down to a knee again. Meunier back up, Covington hits an elevated double and lands in the guard of Meunier. Covington lands a bit of an elbow and a couple of arm punches to the body. Meunier has a body triangle from the bottom for a moment, Covington staying busy with blows to the body and head. Covington lands an elbow. The ref separates them, not sure I agree, and we’re standing again. Covington misses a body kick. Meunier misses a middle kick and the round comes to a close.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Covington

ROUND TWO: Circling to start, Meunier lands a body kick and Covington lands one of his own. Covington misses a left but shoots off of it and gets the clinch against the cage. Covington hits a trip and after a quick roll he winds up on top in the guard of Meunier. Covington lands a couple of left elbows. Another elbow lands for Covington, Meunier gives up half guard but tries to reach for a kimura. Meunier back to full guard now, still after that kimura but he can’t lock his hands. Meunier rolls for a heel hook, Covington into 50/50 guard, Meunier lands some blows from his back here. Covington spins free of the heel hook and lands some punches from the ride position as Meunier got to his knees. Covington lands a few more punches while looking to get a hook in but Meunier is doing a good job of keeping the hooks out. Covington landing short blows while riding Meunier. Meunier back up against the fence but Covington drags him back down. Meunier tries to roll for an attack but Covington stuffs it and has the ride position again and working punches. Meunier rolls for a knee bar now, Covington smothers it again and locks up a half nelson to help his control while landing some punches to close the round.

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

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves for the last round. Covington lands a body kick. Meunier has a high switch kick blocked. Covington lands a spinning back fist that knocks down Meunier, Covington tries to swarm but Meunier to his knees quickly. Covington has the back now, just one hook but he’s under the chin with the choke and Meunier has to tap out.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Colby Covington via Submission, rear naked choke, at :54 of of Round 3

Mic time for Covington now. He says he feels great, and that no one was going to stop him from winning tonight. He mentions that he knew Meunier was tired and that pressure would break him down. He says he had a broken rib for his last fight and this is what he’s capable of doing when healthy then says for his next fight he wants either Dong Hyun Kim or Demian Maia.

Randa Markos has been trading wins and losses over her last six fights and is coming off of a loss to Karolina Kowalkiewicz and combined with her missing weight for this fight a loss could mean her walking papers making a win even more imperative. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger lost her short notice UFC debut to Tecia Torres but had won four in a row before that and tonight with a full training camp has a chance to beat a top ranked opponent and get the first UFC win all in one swoop.

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger (6-2, 115 lbs.) vs. #14 Randa Markos (5-3, 117.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Jones-Lybarger has four inches of height but just one of reach on Markos. Circling to start, both women probing with jabs. Markos lands a right and just misses a couple of follow blows. Markos lands a right. They trade in close. Markos lands a leg kick, Jones-Lybarger lands a left hook counter. Markos just misses a combination. They trade and clinch with Markos getting Jones-Lybarger on the cage. Markos working some right uppercuts to the body and head from the clinch. Jones-Lybarger able to spin Markos to the cage and they start jockeying for leg and hip position. Jones-Lybarger working some knees to the body and thigh, they break with a knee to the body from Markos. Jones-Lybarger lands a right, Markos fires back and clinches again. Markos controlling Jones-Lybarger on the cage here and is looking for a trip. Markos land a couple of lefts before they break. Jabs traded and Markos lands a right. They clinch again, Jones-Lybarger gets a takedown but Markos immediately grabs a heel hook and starts cranking while Jones-Lybarger rolls to try and release the pressure. Markos switches to a knee bar then sits up while Jones-Lybarger is against the fence and lands a series of lefts to close out the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Markos

ROUND TWO: Markos lands a good right to start the round. Quick three punches land for Markos, Jones-Lybarger lands a couple of counters. Markos ducks a right and tries a double leg, Jones-Lybarger defends and they’re clinched against the fence again. Markos misses an uppercut as they break. Markos lands a thrust kick to the body. Markos moving forward, lands a right. Markos misses a spinning back fist. Markos misses a spinning back kick. They split jabs. Jones-Lybarger moving forward here, lands a body kick. Markos tries a takedown, Jones-Lybarger defends and they’re separated again. Jones-Lybarger lands a jab. Jones-Lybarger lands an inside leg kick. Markos misses another spinning back fist. Jones-Lybarger lands a left and Markos counters with a right then a left. Markos lands a body kick. Markos lands a counter right, she’s starting to walk down Jones-Lybarger. Markos pushes towards the clinch, Jones-Lybarger reads it and stays at range. They trade a few more punches. Markos avoids a high kick and lands a couple of counters to close the round.

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

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves for the last round. Markos moving forward early, lands a bit of a right. They both work some inside leg kicks, Jones-Lybarger circling, lands a body kick. They trade punches and Jones-Lybarger avoids a takedown attempt. Markos just misses a spinning back fist. Jones-Lybarger lands a leg kick. Markos lands a right, Jones-Lybarger lands a couple of counters. Markos gets the clinch then the rear waist lock and drags Jones-Lybarger down but Jones-Lybarger wall walks immediately and they’re still fighting in the clinch now. Markos lands a couple of uppercuts as Jones-Lybarger gets free. Markos lands a left then just misses a right. Jones-Lybarger lands a right. Jones-Lybarger lands a counter left after Markos misses a right. Markos lands a left during a blitz attempt. Markos dives on a single leg, gets the clinch and Jones-Lybarger spins her to the cage where they start grappling for position. Jones-Lybarger able to pull free without incident. Markos eats a jab but is pushing forward now working her own jab. They trade jabs then Markos lands a right, Jones-Lybarger lands a couple of counters. Markos still moving forward but Jones-Lybarger is circling well and striking from distance. Markos lands a spinning back fist but Jones-Lybarger lands two counters and they circle the last seconds away.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Jones-Lybarger, 29-28 Markos overall

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

Disagree with 30-27, Jones-Lybarger had a great third round countering. Mic time for Markos now, she says that she feels better back at Michigan Top Team now and thanks the crowd for being awesome. She puts over Jones-Lybarger as being tough but she was ready, asked who’s next she doesn’t care but asks to be on the upcoming Vancouver card in a couple of months.

Sam Alvey is 3-2 in the UFC and while he’s coming off of a loss to Derek Brunson he had won three in a row before that and packs some bizarre power in his hands and if he can beat the well regarded prospect Theodorou here he’ll move towards contendership and avoid a losing streak. Elias Theodorou is coming off of the first loss of his career when he was defeated by Thiago Santos and here he looks to rebound and resume climbing the middleweight ranks and towards a top fifteen ranking.

Middleweight Bout: Sam Alvey (26-7 1 NC, 185.5 lbs.) vs. Elias Theodorou (11-1, 186 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Alvey has an inch of height on Theodorou but the reach is identical. Alvey fighting southpaw. Theodorou moving forward, pawing with a really loose jab. Theodorou misses a couple of thrust kicks then lands an inside leg kick. Theodorou lands a leg kick, he really needs to keep his fingers closed though because they’re splayed wide and pointing towards Alvey. Theodorou lands another leg kick, lots of posturing and Alvey is content to look for his spot to counter from. Theodorou just has a high kick blocked. Alvey walking forward now, Theodorou misses a couple of kicks. Theodorou misses a few more kicks, he might as well be shadow boxing given his landing percentage at this point and Alvey has thrown maybe three strikes all round. Theodorou lands a body kick. Alvey misses a right hook. Theodorou misses a couple of kicks, this round has been bizarre. Alvey lands a leg kick. Theodorou throws a few more kicks while circling. Alvey lands a left then just misses a high kick to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Theodorou

ROUND TWO: Theodorou lands a body kick to begin the second round. Alvey moving forward. Theodorou still with the middle kicks. Alvey misses a left uppercut and they clinch with Theodorou holding Alvey on the fence. Theodorou pulls out of the clinch. Alvey still moving forward while Theodorou circles and fires the occasional kick. Alvey lands a leg kick. Theodorou reaches for a double leg, nothing doing and Alvey lands a knee as they break. Alvey lands a right uppercut and they clinch, he’s got Theodorou on the cage and they start fighting for position. Theodorou has Alvey on the cage but Alvey easily spins him. Theodorou able to spin Alvey, Alvey spins him back. Alvey lands a knee to the body. The ref separates them after they stall out. Theodorou lands a jumping kick to the arm of Alvey. Theodorou lands a bit of a left and they clinch again. Alvey has good clinch work going tonight, he lands a couple of short lefts. They break and Theodorou misses a thrust kick to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Alvey, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Alvey moves forward to start the final round. Theodorou circling, lands a middle kick. Alvey lands a weird front kick to the chin of Theodorou. Alvey works some kicks, Theodorou grabs one and gets the clinch, they break with a couple of punches being traded. Theodorou back to circling. Alvey lands a leg kick. Alvey lands a jab. Theodorou misses a spinning back fist. Alvey catches a kick, can’t do anything with it and Theodorou moves to the other side of the cage. Alvey still walking forward, lands a right hook. Alvey lands a bit of a right hook, Theodorou tries a takedown that winds up in the clinch on the cage. Alvey spins Theodorou and works some knees to the thigh. The ref separates them with 25 seconds left. Alvey moving forward, lands a leg kick, Theodorou checks the clock and just circles then lands a glancing high kick as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Alvey, 29-28 Alvey overall but likely going to Theodorou

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

No interview for Theodorou, and giving him all three rounds is just wrong.

That’s it for Fight Pass prelims, on to Fox Sports 2 now.

Chris Beal is returning to bantamweight here after going 0-2 at flyweight and hoping to get back to the winning side of things now that he’s cutting less weight. Joe Soto is riding a three fight losing streak, and while a short notice loss to TJ Dillashaw for the title is understandable the other two have been rough on him and he desperately needs a win here as he takes the fight on short notice.

Bantamweight Bout: Chris Beal (10-2, 134 lbs.) vs. Joe Soto (15-5, 135 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Beal has one inch of height and four of reach on Soto. Touch of gloves to get us going. Soto tries a single leg, Beal limp legs out of it. Beal misses a left hook. Soto lands a leg kick. Both miss hooks in close. Soto tries a single leg, Beal again able to limp leg away from it. Beal just misses a one two combination. Beal lands a left to the body. Beal lands a jab. Beal lands a left to the body then a right to the head. Soto misses a couple of jabs. Beal backing up but striking as he does. Soto tries a double leg, easily sprawled on and Soto tries to drop for guard but Beal avoids. Beal lands a three punch combination. Beal lands a couple of jabs. Jabs traded, Beal works a combination though that mostly lands. Soto lands a leg kick. Soto lands a bit of a right then a leg kick. Beal wings a couple of hooks and lands a switch kick to the body to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Beal

ROUND TWO: Both men working jabs early, Beal mixes in a cross to the body. Soto lands a leg kick. Beal backing up and jabbing very well so far. Soto misses a one two combination, Beal lands a couple of counter hooks. Soto’s defense is pretty good but he’s being slowly overwhelmed by Beal’s volume and accuracy. Beal lands a double jab. Beal lands a quick combination. Soto lands a jab that catches Beal off balance, Beal back and they trade a for a bit. Soto bleeding from the bridge of the nose I think. Beal lands a counter left hook and a couple of body shots. Soto walks forward and lands some punches, Beal might be punching himself out and Soto’s pressure is coming on. Beal lands a hard right but Soto doesn’t care. Beal tries a double leg but he fell into a guillotine and Soto is able to roll to top then spin to the back and get both hooks in. Soto’s grappling edge is significant at this point. Soto has a body triangle going and he’s working some punches while trying to set up the choke. Beal able to break the body triangle but Soto is on top again and in side control. Soto with some knees to the body. A quick couple of lefts from Soto close out the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Soto, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Beal visibly winded here, trying to get his movement back and lands a couple of body shots. Soto moving forward, misses a high kick. Beal just misses a right hook. Soto trying to make Beal miss now and tire him out again. Beal lands a one two counter after eating a jab. Soto lands a leg kick and just covers up from counter hooks. Soto lands a left hook. Beal lands a counter right then right follow up, those landed flush. Soto jabbing his way forward, eats a counter right and tries a single leg that Beal avoids. Soto lands a jab while moving forward. Beal misses a couple of punches, lands a left hook though. Soto tries a takedown from way too far out and Beal lands a couple of punches to make him pay. Soto tries another double leg, better entry this time and he gets the clinch against the fence and drags Beal down with a rear waist lock. Soto gets the back quickly and has the body triangle. Soto flattens Beal out, now has full mount and lands some punches then grabs at the choke as Beal rolled over again. Soto adjusts the angle on his arm and head, gets enough of a squeeze going and Beal has to tap out.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Joe Soto via Submission, rear naked choke, at 3:39 of Round 3

Good fight, Soto needed that win badly. Soto gets an interview now. He says he took the fight on three weeks notice and despite being 0-3 he believed in himself and no matter how hard it seems keep self belief and you can do anything. He talks about his corner, puts his new coach over for getting him in shape, thanks his teammates and the people in his home town for the support.

Here’s the finish to the previous fight if you’re interested.

Tamdan McCrory is riding a three fight winning streak after taking a five year sabbatical from the sport and returned to the UFC with a submission win over Josh Samman in December of 2015, he’s looking to keep that momentum going and build on it while climbing towards the top of the middleweight division. Krzysztof Jotko is 4-1 in the UFC and riding a three fight winning streak, a fourth consecutive win here would move the prospect towards being a legitimate contender and one has to imagine he’d be close to the top fifteen of the division.

Middleweight Bout: Krzysztof Jotko (17-1, 184.5 lbs.) vs. Tamdan McCrory (14-3, 185 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: McCrory has three inches of height but just half an inch of reach on Jotko. Touch of gloves to get us going, Jotko fighting southpaw. Both men feinting early, McCrory misses a one two combination and Jotko lands an inside leg kick. McCrory backing Jotko towards the fence, Jotko circling. Jotko lands a straight left. Jotko lands an overhand left, McCrory drops like a tree and Jotko lands a couple of unnecessary follow ups, McCrory was out cold after the first.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Krzysztof Jotko via KO, punch, at :59 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Jotko and also BOOM… middleweights! Jotko gets an interview now with his translator. He says he feels good and is glad to have passed the test that Joe Silva put in front of him. He talks us through the finish, says he thought the fight might last longer but he read the opening for the straight left and is happy that it worked as well as it did. Here’s that wicked left in case you missed it.

Misha Crikunov is undefeated in the UFC at 2-0 and riding a six fight winning streak overall, in fact in his last win he broke his opponents jaw with a rear naked choke squeeze and if he can get a third straight UFC win here he should crack the top fifteen of the somewhat anemic light heavyweight division. Ion Cutelaba is riding a seven fight winning streak coming into his UFC debut tonight, but unseating the highly regarded prospect Cirkunov would be the ideal way to kick off his UFC career.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Misha Cirkunov (11-2, 205.5 lbs.) vs. Ion Cutelaba (11-1 1 NC, 202.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Cirkunov has two inches of height and reach on Cutelaba. Touch of gloves, Cirkunov fighting southpaw. Cirkunov lands a couple of body kicks and Cutelaba lands a counter right. Cirkunov lands a left, Cutelaba moving forward, Cirkunov lands a hard left but Cutelaba remains upright. These two aren’t getting paid by the hour. They both just miss power hand punches. They trade power hands, Cirkunov lost his balance after that and they clinch then Cirkunov lands a left has they break. Cutelaba just misses some winging rights. Cutelaba the more mobile fighter thus far. Cutelaba tries the southpaw stance, eats a jab then badly misses a spinning back fist. Cirkunov lands a wicked straight left, Cutelaba has a pretty good chin. They clinch again, Cirkunov tries a lateral drop but Cutelaba read it and landed in mount, Cirkunov quickly bridges and bucks him off and they’re standing again. Cutelaba misses a high kick, Cirkunov misses one as well. They clinch again, Cirkunov tries a trip but Cutelaba remains upright and Cirkunov lands a couple of punches as they break. Cirkunov misses a left. Cirkunov ducks a spinning back fist and lands a right hook. Cirkunov just misses a left. Cirkunov lands a left. Another left lands for Cirkunov. They circle, Cutelaba misses a left hook and the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-10 DRAW

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. Cirkunov lands a jab. Cirkunov avoids a leg kick and lands a left. Cutelaba misses a couple of punches, Cirkunov lands a jab then a quick follow up flurry. Cutelaba has a heck of a chin. Cutelaba misses a spinning back fist, he likes that technique but sets it up very poorly. Cirkunov lands a straight left. They both miss power hand punches then Cirkunov lands a jab. Cirkunov lands a body kick. Cirkunov lands a couple of jabs. Cirkunov doing a good job of avoiding Cutelaba this round, he smothers a spinning attack and lands some punches in the clinch before they break. Cutelaba lands a bit of a left hook. Cirkunov lands a left and they clinch again. Cirkunov lands a couple of punches as he pushes Cutelaba into the cage. The round ends as Cirkunov lands a left elbow in the clinch.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Cirkunov, 20-19 Cirkunov overall

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves for the last round. Cirkunov misses a left but lands a jab. They both miss, Cirkunov then lands a right to the body. Cutelaba lands a leg kick, Cirkunov responds with a superman punch then hits double leg and lands in side control. That superman punch opened up the right eyebrow of Cutelaba. Cirkunov sets up an arm triangle choke, hops all the way over to tighten it up and Cutelaba has to tap.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Misha Cirkunov via Submission, arm triangle choke, at 1:22 of Round 3

Cirkunov’s grappling is really good, he gets an interview now. He says he’s not here via fluke, he’s here because he earned his way in and no one can stop him. He gets the crowd to cheer for Cutelaba and puts him over as a hard puncher and a tough fighter. He mentions that the game plan was to get to the third then take him down, he also thanks the crowd for cheering and giving him extra horsepower. He says he’s happy to be living his dream, then says he’ll fight anyone but he talked with Joe Silva for a couple of hours last night and knows that Silva knows he’ll fight anyone.

And here’s the finish to that fight. If I might editorialize briefly, the UFC on FOX twitter guys do really solid work in terms of timing and content. Much appreciation their way.

Jason Saggo is 2-1 in the UFC with stoppage wins on either side of a loss to Paul Felder and he’s hoping to get another winning streak going here. Leandro Silva has only lost in the UFC to Francisco Trinaldo and is riding a two fight winning streak with wins over Lewis Gonzalez and Efrain Escudero and a third consecutive win here would help tremendously if he wants to get noticed in the most stacked division in the UFC.

Lightweight Bout: Jason Saggo (11-2, 155 lbs.) vs. Leandro Silva (19-3-1 1 NC, 155.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Saggo has two inches of height on Silva but Silva has an inch of reach on him. Touch of gloves, Silva fighting southpaw. Silva stalking forward, Saggo circling. Saggo misses a couple of kicks. Silva lands a heavy body kick. Saggo has a couple of kicks blocked. Saggo catches a kick and sweeps the far leg then gets on top of Silva in half guard. Silva trying to set up a sweep, Saggo lands a couple of rights as he flattens Silva out. Saggo lands a left, Silva tries a deep half guard sweep, can’t execute it and Saggo lands a couple of rights. Silva still trying to get a sweep but Saggo floating nicely and landing short blows when the opportunity presents itself. Silva threatens with a leg attack then uses that motion to regain his feet and they separate. Silva lands a long couple of lefts. Silva lands a body kick. Silva lands a kind of glancing wheel kick at the bell.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Saggo

ROUND TWO: The second round starts with a touch of gloves. Saggo has a high kick blocked. Silva lands a one two combination. Silva misses a left and has a high kick blocked. Both men being very patient. Silva lands a left. Silva lands a knee to the body then pushes into the clinch. They break without incident. Silva tries out the orthodox stance, avoids a wild right from Saggo then goes back to southpaw. Silva lands a left. Silva misses a high kick. Saggo lands a bit of a high kick. Silva lands a couple of rights in close and pushes Saggo into the cage again via the clinch. They separate without incident and trade leg kicks, Silva landed the much better one as Saggo dropped to a knee for a moment. Saggo tries a double leg, stalls out on the cage. Silva lands a knee to the body and pulls free. Silva lands a left to the body. Silva lands a leg kick. Silva catches a kick and gets a takedown, he ends the round in the guard of Saggo.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Silva, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves for the final round. Silva moving forward, blocks a high kick and lands an inside leg kick. Silva lands a spinning heel kick to the thigh. Saggo lands a body kick, caught and Silva lands a leg kick then Saggo lands a right. Saggo lands a body kick then a jab. Silva lands a counter left. Saggo lands a right then a left that land flush. Silva returns with a body combination, Saggo lands a couple of jabs and they trade in the pocket before Saggo drops for a double leg that turns into a clinch on the fence. Silva slips free and dodges a couple of jabs. Silva lands a left. Silva has a wheel kick blocked. Saggo lands a body kick then avoids the counters. Saggo lands an inside leg kick, his volume is winning the round thus far. Silva lands a left. Silva lands a left. Saggo lands a jab. Silva lands a left and they trade body kicks. Saggo lands a leg kick that’s caught and Silva is on top now in half guard. Silva lands a couple of rights. Saggo to full guard, Silva lands a couple of hammer fists and a solid right to close the round.

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

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

Mic time for Saggo. He says that even though he was taken down at the end of the third he kept working to show he wanted to win, he puts over the fans and the country, quick interview.

There are twitter reports that the crowd is unhappy about the lack of air conditioning in the venue. The crowd actually started a “We want AC” chant between the second and third rounds.

That wraps up the prelims, now to Fox Sports 1 for the main card. My local channel is being preempted to finish a NASCAR truck race, thankfully I have the internet to keep up on Fox Sports 2 until that race wraps up.

Valerie Letourneau is 3-1 in the UFC that one loss being a strawweight title fight with champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk where she lost a unanimous decision, she’s fought at bantamweight in the UFC and tonight she and Joanne Calderwood will have the first women’s flyweight fight. Joanne Calderwood is 1-1 in her last two fights and looking to knock off a former title challenger here and possibly move further up the ranks here, both women are ranked at strawweight so while this is a flyweight fight the impact at strawweight will be felt. No official word on if the UFC will be instituting a full time women’s flyweight division though. If they do, Joanna Jedrzecjzyk will be in prime position to become a simultaneous two division champion.

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Joanne Calderwood (10-1, 125.5 lbs.) vs. Valerie Letourneau (8-4, 125.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Letourneau has an inch of height and three of reach on Calderwood. Touch of gloves start things off. Letourneau opens up with a one two into the left body kick, a favorite combination of hers. Calderwood pushes into the clinch, Letourneau lands a couple of right elbows as Calderwood gets her on the cage. Letourneau spins Calderwood to the cage. They keep jockeying for position, Calderwood hits a trip and lands in the guard of Letourneau. Letourneau throws up an armbar attempt, she bails on it after Calderwood defends. Letourneau kicks Calderwood off and regains her feet. Letourneau lands a left body kick. They clinch again and trade some uppercuts before breaking. Letourneau lands a right, Calderwood lands a right of her own. Letrouneau lands a left body kick. Calderwood lands a spinning back fist that floors Letrouneau! Calderwood dives into her guard to try and flurry, Letrouneau closes her guard and ties up Calderwood so she can recover. Calderwood lands a left elbow. Calderwood stands and backs up, both women are back standing. Calderwood lands a front kick to the chest. They trade right elbows in close. Letourneau lands a hard right then a left body kick. They trade rights then trade in the clinch to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Calderwood, borderline 10-8

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. Letourneau lands a left high kick to get this round going. They both miss rights. Calderwood lands a right then a left. Letourneau lands a right then a left. Letourneau lands a jab and a couple of body kicks then a right elbow. Rights traded, these two are having a lot of fun. Calderwood lands a left high kick, more snapping than anything. Letourneau lands a leg kick then they trade jabs. Letourneau lands another stiff jab and they trade leg kicks again. Calderwood lands a right. Calderwood tries a double leg, it stalls on the fence then she hits a trip and lands in the half guard of Letourneau. Letourneau trying for a kimura, she’s got the double wrist lock but from half guard the best she can really hope for is a sweep. Letrouneau bails on the kimura and wall walks to her feet. They keep battling in the clinch and exit by trading rights. Letrouneau lands another left body kick. They trade rights, Letourneau lands another body kick but Calderwood catches it and gets a takedown. Letourneau working elbows from her guard and Calderwood stands out of it then lands a couple of leg kicks, Letourneau lands an ax kick to the knee and regains her feet. Calderwood lands a right then a spinning back kick to the body to close out the round.

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

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves for the last round. They trade strikes, Calderwood working leg kicks now. Jabs traded, Letourneau lands a high switch kick. Letourneau lands a right, Calderwood lands a jumping high kick. Calderwood lands a right. Letourneau lands a right in close then a couple of knees to the body in the clinch before Calderwood gets her to the cage. Calderwood pulls out of the clinch. Calderwood lands a hopping kick to the midsection that visibly hurts Letourneau, Calderwood lands a combination to follow up but Letourneau recovers and lands a return combination. We get a breif bet of confusion after they separate as Letourneau had some issues with her top, she had to adjust it and we’re back to fighting. Calderwood lands another kick to the body that hurts Letourneau, Letourneau turns her back and Calderwood lands a couple of more punches before the ref steps in to stop this one.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Joanne Calderwood via TKO, body kick and punches, at 2:51 of Round 3

I’m going to call out the referee there, he allowed a couple of unnecessary punches after Letourneau was clearly done, poor job of officiating there. Big win for Calderwood though who now gets some mic time. She says hi to her mom and says she’s OK. She says she finally let stuff go in the cage here and she wasn’t thinking about much of it. She puts over Letourneau as tough and says she was ready for all fifteen, then says she’ll likely go back to strawweight after this and thanks her nutritionist for getting her weight cut down for this fight.

Olivier Aubin-Mercier is coming off of a loss to Carlos Diego Ferreira but had won three in a row before that and has shown himself to be a prospect at lightweight, if he wants to make good on that potential he needs to rebound with a win here to continue his evolution as a fighter. Thibault Gouti lost his UFC debut to Teemu Packalen but was undefeated as a professional before that and is after the all important first UFC win here against a recognized talent like Aubin-Mercier.

Lightweight Bout: Olivier Aubin-Mercier (7-2, 155 lbs.) vs. Thibault Gouti (11-1, 156 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Gouti has an inch of height and two of reach on Aubin-Mercier. Touch of gloves, Aubin-Mercier fighting southpaw. Aubin-Mercier lands a jab. Both men moving a lot, Aubin-Mercier grabs a single leg and pushes into the fence, Gouti defending so far. Aubin-Mercier drops again, Gouti spins free and lands a hard right. Aubin-Mercier tries a jumping knee that lands glancingly. Gouti avoids a double leg. Gouti pushes close and lands a couple of rights then an inside leg kick. Aubin-Mercier tries a high kick that’s partially blocked. Another high kick from Aubin-Mercier is partially blocked but Gouti responds with a very hard left. Aubin-Mercier lands a hard body kick then shoots a double leg that stalls on the fence, he keeps fighting for it and gets the takedown into the guard of Gouti. Aubin-Mercier passes to half guard, lands a couple of lefts. Aubin-Mercier looking to pass again, lands a left then a right. Another right lands for Aubin-Mercier, Gouti tries to get up but gives up the back, Aubin-Mercier just has one hook in and Gouti is sitting on the fence but Aubin-Mercier tosses him over backwards and gets the ride position. Aubin-Mercier tries to roll under but Gouti gets on top and unloads with some hard punches before settling into the half guard. Aubin-Mercier back up and they separate. Gouti lands a bit of a left. Aubin-Mercier has a high kick blocked then lands a heavy body kick. Gouti lands a right uppercut. Aubin-Mercier has another high kick blocked then follows it up with a left kick to the body. Gouti pushes forward and lands a combination to close out the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves to get us going for round two. Aubin-Mercier lands another body kick then Gouti defends a takedown attempt. Gouti just misses an uppercut, avoids a double leg then lands a right hand. They clinch, Gouti lands a couple of knees to the body then pulls free. Aubin-Mercier lands a quick one two combination then they clinch but Gouti gets free immediately. Gouti lands an inside leg kick. Aubin-Mercier has another high kick blocked. Aubin-Mercier lands a jab. Aubin-Mercier lands a counter left then a right. Gouti looks fatigued. Aubin-Mercier lands a hopping knee, Gouti lands a right hook then tries for a guillotine off of a double leg but Aubin-Mercier takes him down and lands on the safe side then Gouti gets to full guard. Aubin-Mercier in half guard now. Gouti lands an elbow from his back, Aubin-Mercier lands one from top. Full guard now for Gouti, Aubin-Mercier lands some short elbows when postured up. They trade a few more blows, Aubin-Mercier then lands a right elbow. Aubin-Mercier lands another elbow. Gouti can’t get up now, between positioning and fatigue he’s just kind of holding on and throwing back at intervals. Round ends with an elbow from Aubin-Mercier.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier, 20-18 Aubin-Mercier overall

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves again, Aubin-Mercier lands a jab. Aubin-Mercier tries a double leg, gets Gouti on the fence but has to settle for the clinch. Aubin-Mercier hits a trip and gets the back with one hook against the cage. Now both hooks in and a body triangle. Aubin-Mercier now digging for the choke, Gouti in full on defense mode here. Aubin-Mercier rolling Gouti now, trying to get him belly down, while looking for the choke. Aubin-Mercier working some punches, Gouti rolls to his knees and Aubin-Mercier grabs the choke forcing the tap from Gouti.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Olivier Aubin-Mercier via Submission, rear naked choke, at 2:28 of Round 3

Good rebound win for Aubin-Mercier who gets an interview now. He says he knew Gouti would be tough and that he would push the pace but he felt confident in his conditioning so he planned to wear him down. He puts over his coaches for getting his striking better and felt confident about getting the choke from the body triangle position.

We actually get a pretty nice video package about Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson who passed away a couple of weeks ago, nice of the UFC to put that together.

Sean O’Connell is 2-3 in the UFC and is coming off of a loss to Ilir Latifi but has only gone the distance once in his UFC tenure and is looking to get his UFC record back to the .500 mark here if he can get a win. Steve Bosse is 1-1 in the UFC, has only gone the distance once in his professional career, and is coming off of a win over James Te Huna and a second consecutive win here would potentially set him up for a bigger name his next time out. The fact that this fight isn’t starting until basically midnight eastern standard time is something of an odd choice, still to main and co-main to come.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Steve Bosse (11-2, 205 lbs.) vs. Sean O’Connell (17-7, 205 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: O’Connell has an inch of height and two of reach on Bosse. Touch of gloves to get things going. Bosse circling early, both miss quickly then Bosse lands a right to the body. Bosse lands a right, they get close and trade again with O’Connell getting the better of it. Bosse separates and lands a couple of good rights. O’Connell lands an inside leg kick then a bit of a left hook. They trade rights, just trade crazy in close and Bosse falls over with O’Connell landing on top of him. O’Connell in his guard and landing some lefts to the head. Bosse working to his feet, and he’s up against the fence and in the clinch. O’Connell lands a knee to the body. O’Connell with some body work then they break with a right from Bosse. O’Connell walking Bosse down again, lands a right. O’Connell lands a left body kick. They trade again, O’Connell lands a couple of left hooks and they clinch agian. O’Connell lands a couple of punches in the clinch. They jockey for position in the clinch, O’Connell is winning that battle. Bosse lands a couple of body shots before they break. They trade lefts, no thought for defense from either man. They trade again, Bosse misses a spinning back fist and they clinch again. O’Connell lands a knee to the body and pushes Bosse into the cage. Bosse spins O’Connell and looks for a takedown, O’Connell defends and they separate as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 O’Connell

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. Bosse lands an inside leg kick. They trade rights again, both men get clipped and O’Connell tries for a double leg that stalls out on the fence. O’Connell holding Bosse on the fence and working knees to the body and thigh. O’Connell with some more body work. Bosse tries for a trip, blocked by O’Connell. O’Connell drops for single leg, can’t finish and we’re still in the clinch. They break apart without incident. Bosse looks fresher at this point, he’s still circling. Bosse lands an uppercut, O’Connell lands a left hook. They trade and O’Connell slips on a kick after getting rocked and Bosse on top now. Bosse in half guard, lands a right. O’Connell lands an up kick as Bosse is standing. Bosse lands a right as he comes back to the mat. O’Connell doing a decent job defensively and locks up half guard. Bosse passes to side control and lands some hammer fists before standing and eating an up kick, then going back to side control. Bosse spins towards north/south but O’Connell rolls to his knees and gives up the ride position to Bosse. O’Connell back to his feet and in the clinch. Bosse lands a knee to the body then they trade rights. O’Connell lands a knee to the body and the round ends in the clinch.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Bosse, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves for the last round. Bosse circling again, O’Connell plodding forward. Bosse misses a spinning back fist. O’Connell lands a body kick. They trade punches again, Bosse misses a spinning back fist again. O’Connell lands a hard left hook, they pause to high five each other during a lull in the punching. O’Connell lands another left hook, his nose is bleeding at this point. They trade again with a hard left hook from O’Connell stopping Bosse’s movement. More trading in close, these two don’t care at all about their own health. Bosse circling again. They trade rights again, and a counter left from O’Connell lands after he blocks a spinning back fist. O’Connell lands a one two combination. O’Connell lands a left elbow, they get close and trade again. O’Connell lands a left body kick. They clinch and O’Connell pushes Bosse into the fence. O’Connell tries for a single leg, switches and they trade as they separate. They trade again, Bosse keeps trying the spinning back fist that’s missing. Rights traded again. O’Connell lands a right then a left hook. They get close and just wing punches for the last ten seconds. Well that was a little crazy.

SCORECARD: 10-9 O’Connell, 29-28 O’Connell overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Steve Bosse via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28 x2)

That wasn’t quite Kim vs. Reyes crazy but it was close. Not sure about the 10-8. Mic time for Bosse, who thanks O’Connell for the fight. He says he got hit hard in the first but he can take a punch and’s just here to fight. He says he’s here to fight all three rounds, puts over his team and coaches. He says he can deliver the big knockouts and continue to deliver for the fans. He hopes for a post fight bonus then thanks his friends and family. I disagree with that decision, but Bosse has some seriously infectious happiness about him.

Donald Cerrone has been fighting for a long time and his only losses since August of 2013 are to lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos and he rebounded from losing a title fight with RDA but defeating Alex Oliveira at welterweight and tonight looks to remain undefeated in that weight class. Patrick Cote is on the best run of his career, his only loss at welterweight is to Stephen Thompson, and he’s riding a three fight winning streak and looking to crack the top fifteen of the division with another consecutive win here.

Welterweight Bout: Donald Cerrone (29-7 1 NC, 171 lbs.) vs. Patrick Cote (23-9, 170 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Cerrone has two inches of height and two of reach on Cote. Touch of gloves to get us going. Cote lands a right. Cerrone ducks a right and hits a double leg into the guard of Cote. Cote has full guard locked up, Cerrone keeping him flat and looking to posture up. Cerrone lands a couple of rights to the body. Cote tries for an omoplata, uses it to regain his feet and they separate. Cote lands a left body kick. Cerrone lands a leg kick, Cote lands one of his own. Cerrone lands a lead leg high kick, Cote doesn’t care. Cerrone ducks a punch and hits another double leg this time landing in half guard. Cerrone trying to set up something, he winds up getting the back as Cote tried to move, he’s got both hooks in and tries for the choke but Cote just gets his arms off but now Cerrone has the body triangle going. Cerrone looking for the choke, Cote defending. Cerrone bails on the body triangle, the scramble and Cerrone stands while Cote is on his back. Cerrone lands a leg kick from that position to close out the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Cerrone

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. Cote lands a body kick. Cerrone lands a jab and a right to the body. Cote lands a left body kick. Another body kick but Cerrone counters with a hard leg kick. Another leg kick from Cerrone, cote lands a counter right. Cerrone eats a leg kick and lands a counter combination. Cerrone lands a leg kick, Cote returns it but he’s limping a little on that lead leg. Another leg kick from Cerrone lands. Another leg kick, Cote circling. They trade in close, Cerrone working a higher volume than Cote thus far. They trade again, Cerrone landed a couple of good lefts. Cerrone lands a combination, Cote lands a right uppercut. Cerrone stalking forward, lands a leg kick. Cerrone blocks a body kick. Leg kick lands for Cerrone. They clinch then break without incident. Cerrone lands a left hook then a leg kick. They trade jabs. Cote bleeding from the nose now. Cerrone lands a left hook in close that floors Cote. Cerrone on top now, pouring on elbows but Cote survives and Cerrone makes him stand. Cote coming forward now, Cerrone lands a jab. Cote lands a body kick. Cote tries a single leg, easily avoided by Cerrone. Cote lands a leg kick. Cerrone counters with some punches and a blocked high kick. Cote fires back with a right, Cerrone digs to the body and the round ends as they take a moment to reset.

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

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves for the last round. Cerrone lands a leg kick quickly. Cote lands a right to the body and a left to the head. Cerrone lands a right and left in close, Cote drops again but he’s very conscious. Cerrone standing, lands a leg kick then makes Cote regain his feet. Cerrone lands a leg kick. Cerrone lands another leg kick. Cote lands a right to the body. Cerrone has a high kick just blocked. Cerrone lands a high kick then a left body kick. Cote lands a right. Cerrone stalking forward, trying to set up a high kick. Cerrone lands a left hook then a right in close, another right in close drops Cote, Cerrone into full mount and a few more rights and the ref waves this one off.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Donald Cerrone via TKO, punches, at 2:35 of Round 3

Donald Cerrone is still awesome, and he’s got some mic time coming his way. He says this was just a matter of figuring out how to get him started early, talks about him and his coaches maybe finally getting him away from slow starting. He reiterates he does’t care about lightweight or welterweight, some profanity slipped in so I lost audio. He talks us through the finish, including saying he’s tired of taking head punches. Then he jokes about their being 36 fights on UFC 200 and he’d love to be in one of those.

And here’s the finishing sequence.

Rory MacDonald has lost to just two men professionally, Carlos Condit and Robbie Lawler and has long been considered one of the best welterweights in the world. MacDonald is coming off of a brutal loss in a war with Robbie Lawler for the welterweight title in July of 2015 and a win would move him back into the title mix while a loss could be disasterous for his immediate title aspirations. Stephen Thompson is a five time kickboxing world champion and on a stellar six fight winning streak, including coming off of a first round TKO win over former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks, if he can beat Rory MacDonald here he’ll be the undeniable next title challenger.

Welterweight Bout: #1 Rory MacDonald (18-3, 170.5 lbs.) vs. #2 Stephen Thompson (12-1, 170.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Both men are of identical height and MacDonald has an inch of reach on Thompson. MacDonald fighting orthodox, Thompson will switch his stanc frequently. Touch of gloves to get us going. Both men feinting a little early, both very aware of the five rounds and abilities of each other. Thompson lands a side kick to the body. MacDonald rolls for a heel hook, Thompson steps out but that was a wild attack. Thompson misses a jab, MacDonald misses a counter right. Thompson blocks a high kick and lands a counter left. Thompson lands a left. MacDonald tries another rolling leg lock, Kenny Florian calls it an Iminari roll, that leads to nothing. Both have punches blocked, Thompson lands a rear leg front kick to the body. Thompson lands an outside leg kick. MacDonald lands a body kick. Thompson lands a spinning back kick to the body. Thompson lands another side kick to the body. They trade power hand punches then clinch and trad elbows before Thompson gets MacDonald on the cage. Thompson lands a knee to the body. Thompson lands some knees to the thigh then they break by just missing punches. MacDonald has a high kick blocked. They stare away the final seconds.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Thompson

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. Thompson seems to like the southpaw stance here. Thompson tries a jumping kick, blocked. They both just miss power hand punches. Thompson lands an outside leg kick. MacDonald starting to crowd in on Thompson. Thompson dodges a right. They clinch and break without incident. MacDonald misses a left hook then eats a counter left. MacDonald tries the roll again, again nothing doing. Thompson lands another side kick to the chest. Thompson misses a hook kick. MacDonald grabs a single leg, stalls out on the fence in the clinch and MacDonald lands a left elbow as they break. Thompson lands a left kick to the body then goes orthodox. Thompson falls just short with a one two combination. Thompson lands a bit of a right and switches to southpaw. MacDonald tries a high kick that’s blocked. Thompson side kicks the body again, and again. Thompson lands a left, MacDonald just misses a couple of counters. Thompson lands another side kick to the body. MacDonald lands a bit of a body kick to close out the round.

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

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves for the third round. Thompson lands an outside leg kick. Thompson lands another outside leg kick, MacDonald pushes forward and lands a right. Thompson lands a left then a jab. Thompson lands a right and avoids the counter. MacDonald lands a counter left hook. Thompson lands a one two combination. They clinch again, Thompson gets MacDonald on the fence and MacDonald pulls guard. Thompson on top, MacDonald tries for a heel hook but Thompson pulls out and they’re standing again. Thompson lands a right hand. MacDonald lands a jab. Thompson lands a bit of a left then a right. They trade in close and Thompson exits with a body kick. They trade rights. Thompson lands a quick left. MacDonald lands a body kick, Thompson returns it. Thompson lands a bit of a left uppercut. Thompson lands another outside leg kick. MacDonald misses badly with a right hook. MacDonald lands a right, Thompson counters with a right of his own. Thompson lands a stiff jab. Thompson lands a couple of lefts, he’s countering well now. Thompson lands a jab. MacDonald misses an ax kick to close the round.

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

ROUND FOUR: Touch of gloves. MacDonald moving forward more, Thompson lands a jab then a leg kick. Thompson lands another side kick to the body. MacDonald pushing forward, Thompson lands a stiff left then right and a body kick. Thompson misses a left and they clinch, MacDonald lands a knee then Thompson exits with a left. Thompson lands a jab. Thompson lands another outside leg kick. Thompson lands a jab then a body kick. They trade power hands, MacDonald starting to land. Thompson lands a counter right. Left uppercut lands for Thompson then a left to the body. Thompson lands a bit of a left uppercut. Thompson lands a hard leg kick. Another leg kick from Thompson lands. Thompson lands another side kick to the body. Thompson lands a left and a side kick to the body. Thompson lands a leg kick, MacDonald lands a jab counter. Thompson lands a left to the head then one to the body. MacDonald’s output has been very low. Thompson lands a side kick to the body then a counter right. Thompson lands a left uppercut and a body kick. They stare the last few seconds away.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Thompson, 40-36 Thompson overall

ROUND FIVE: Touch of gloves for the last round. MacDonald comes out quickly, Thompson circles away. Thompson lands a counter left. Thompson lands a side kick to the body. Thompson lands an outside leg kick. Thompson lands a left uppercut then avoids the counter hooks. Thompson lands a stiff couple of counter punches, he’s picking MacDonald apart now. MacDonald lands a right, Thompson lands a counter left. Counter rights traded, they get close and trade hooks. Thompson lands a couple of jabs. MacDonald bleeding from the nose or mouth now. Thompson lands a one two then a side kick to the body. Thompson lands a glancing wheel kick. Thompson with a spinning kick to the body. MacDonald is swelling around the left eye, he tries a double leg then pulls guard but Thompson winds up in side control. Thompson lands a couple of short elbows. Thompson back to his feet after a few elbows and MacDonald has to stand up again. They trade punches, MacDonald is hurt. Thompson lands a couple more punches, MacDonald’s nose is just bleeding like a faucet. Thompson lands an outside leg kick. Thompson lands a body kick then a couple of counter punches. MacDonald just can’t find the target. Thompson landing punches while moving at angles. MacDonald lands a body kick and is still coming forward. Thompson lands another left. Thompson has a wheel kick blocked then avoids a thrust kick as time expires.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Thompson, 50-45 Thompson overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Stephen Thompson via unanimous decision (48-47, 50-45 x2)

Not sure which two could got to MacDonald. Mic time for Thompson, he says he was prepared for a war but as soon as he saw MacDonald’s stance he knew he was in for a chess match. He says he loves MacDonald and all the guys at Tristar. Asked what’s next he says he wants the title belt, be it Robbie Lawler or Tyron Woodley he wants to fight for the belt in New York.

MacDonald gets some mic time now. He says the fight was hard and that he was at his best tonight but has to put over Thompson as though and wishes him all the best.

That’s seven in a row for Thompson, give that man his title shot. That’s going to wrap up our live coverage of UFC Fight Night 89, thanks a lot for being here guys. We’ll be talking about this event on Sunday at 8pm eastern standard time on the 411 Ground and Pound radio show, which takes live callers at (323) 657-0901 if you’ve got a question or comment you’d like addressed. There’s no show next week but that’s just the lull before the storm because the first week of July will have three events back to back leading in to UFC 200. They can try but they wont burn me out, I’ll be back for the first of those Fight Night 90 on July 7th which is a Fight Pass exclusive card headlined by the lightweight title fight between Eddie Alvarez and champion Rafael dos Anjos. I’ll see you all then, until then please keep checking 411mania for all your pop culture needs.

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