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May 13, 2017 | Posted by Robert Winfree

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MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Champ Stipe Miocic (246 lbs.) vs. #4 Junior Dos Santos (245 lbs.) – for heavyweight title
Champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk (115 lbs.) vs. #3 Jessica Andrade (114.5 lbs.) – for strawweight title
#3 Demian Maia (170.5 lbs.) vs. #5 Jorge Masvidal (171 lbs.)
#2 Frankie Edgar (145.5 lbs.) vs. #7 Yair Rodriguez (146 lbs.)
David Branch (185 lbs.) vs. #9 Krzysztof Jotko (185 lbs.)

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 8 p.m. ET)
#3 Eddie Alvarez (156 lbs.) vs. #9 Dustin Poirier (156 lbs.)
Jason Knight (146 lbs.) vs. Chas Skelly (146 lbs.)
Rashad Coulter (241 lbs.) vs. Chase Sherman (250 lbs.)
Marco Polo Reyes (154 lbs.) vs. James Vick (156 lbs.)

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 6:30 p.m. ET)
#12 Jessica Aguilar (115 lbs.) vs. Cortney Casey (116 lbs.)
Enrique Barzola (146 lbs.) vs. Gabriel Benitez (145.5 lbs.)
Gadzhimurad Antigulov (204 lbs.) vs. Joachim Christensen (204.5 lbs.)

Hello everyone and welcome to 411mania’s LIVE coverage of UFC 211. I’m Robert Winfree and I’ll be your host for the duration. UFC 211 is the first really big card of the year, the UFC has struggled through the year so far in terms of PPV buys and recapturing the momentum and magic that much of 2016 had for them. This event originally had two other fights on it, a flyweight bout between Henry Cejudo and Sergio Pettis as well as a featherweight fight between Jared Gordon and Michel Quinones, which should drop the total broadcast time from 8 hours to around 7. The double main events are great fights, a rematch for the heavyweight belt as champion Stipe Miocic tries to tie the record for most consecutive title defenses in that division at two while former champion Junior dos Santos is trying to recapture the belt. These two fought a couple of years ago in a really great heavyweight fight that dos Santos won via somewhat controversial unanimous decision, but Miocic hasn’t lost since then and has finished his last four opponents. Strawweight queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk is after her fifth consecutive title defense, as well as extending the longest winning streak by any female in UFC history, against Jessica Andrade. Also Demian Maia puts his top contender spot on the line against Jorge Masvidal with the winner the presumptive number one contender to the welterweight title. Yair Rodriguez looks for the biggest win of his young career against perennial top contender Frankie Edgar. Also in a fight that promises violence Eddie Alvarez takes on Dustin Poirier. This event comes to us from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, USA with the trio of Jon Anik, Joe Rogan, and UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier on commentary.

For the record Texas has yet to adopt the rule changes to the Unified Rules of MMA, which really need a new name now that they’re not universal, so anything but the soles of your feet on the mat makes you grounded and the new language for scoring criteria wont be in play.

Joachim Christensen is 2-1 in the UFC, he lost his debut fight but rebounded with a win over Bojan Mihajlovic and he’s looking to get his first UFC winning streak on the boards here. Gadzhimurad Antigulov is riding a seriously impressive 13 fight winning streak including a successful UFC debut. Antigulov is looking to position himself as a viable contender in the somewhat talent starved light heavyweight division. Antigulov is a significant -450 favorite while Christensen pays out at a tempting +325.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Gadzhimurad Antigulov (19-4, 204 lbs.) vs. Joachim Christensen (14-4, 204.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Christensen is four inches taller and has five and a half inches of reach on Antigulov. Touch of gloves to get us going. Circling to start, a few fakes as well from both men. Antigulov lands a left, eats a right but hits a single leg against the fence. Christensen is trying to hit a sweep, Antigulov keeps him down, Christensen wall walking and Antigulov spins to his back and starts landing knees to the thigh while Christensen hangs out on his knees. Christensen on one knee now, Antigulov gets one hook in, now two hooks and has full back mount. Antigulov after the choke, Christensen hand fighting. They roll a bit, Antigulov keeps the back rather impressively for a man of his size. Antigulov gets the forearm under the chin, Christensen struggles for a second or two then taps out.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Gadzhimurad Antigulov via Submission, rear naked choke, at 2:21 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Antigulov for his work this evening. That’s 14 in a row for him as well. Antigulov and his translator on the mic now. He’s happy to have another first round finish, thanks his new team at American Top Team and thanks them for getting him ready, he thanked a lot of other guys but the translator skipped some of the specifics. He brings up just how many ATT guys are fighting tonight, it’s a lot, and wishes all of his team mates well going forward.

Gabriel Benitez is 3-1 in the UFC and is coming off of a win over Sam Sicilia, he’s trying to rebuild a winning streak here and prove he’s still a prospect to watch at featherweight. Enrique Barzola is 2-1 in the UFC and coming off of a win over Chris Avila, he’s looking for his first UFC winning streak here and to cement himself as a player at featherweight as well. Benitez’s has a slight edge in the odds at -140 to +110 for Barzola.

Featherweight Bout: Enrique Barzola (12-3-1, 146 lbs.) vs. Gabriel Benitez (19-5, 145.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Benitez is an inch taller and has an inch of reach on Barzola. Touch of gloves, and Benitez opens up southpaw and just misses a body kick. Benitez lands a straight left then a body kick. Another body kick from Benitez, then Barzola lands one of his own. Barzola trying to back Benitez into the fence but Benitez lands a straight left that lands flush then an inside leg kick. Barzola has a head kick blocked. Benitez lands another body kick but Barzola catches this one and hits an elevated double leg into the guard of Benitez. Barzola tries to pass, Benitez hits an omoplata sweep and regains his feet. Barzola ducks a left and hits a double leg, Benitez back up but is now clinched on the fence. Benitez is able to fight free of the clinch. Barzola lands a bit of a head kick, Benitez fires a body kick back. Benitez lands an inside leg kick and just avoids a head kick. Barzola lands a bit of a right, Benitez avoids a clinch then lands a left to the body but Barzola gets the clinch and slams him down, Benitez back up but still clinched on the fence. Barzola can’t control him though and they disengage. Benitez is working on dialing in his left hand, then lands a body kick. Benitez blocks a head kick. Benitez lands a nice straight left. Benitez lands an inside leg kick. Barzola lands a looping right then pushes close, lands a couple of punches then hits a slam double leg. Benitez throws up an ill advised omoplata and Barzola lands a few punches on top as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Benitez

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves again. Barzola circling a lot early, Benitez lands a glancing leg kick. Benitez blocks a head kick. Barzola blocks a high kick. Barzola lands a bit of a combination then hits a double leg into the guard again. Benitez trying to get his hips going from the bottom, he scrambles to his feet but is still clinched. They break without incident. Barzola lands a bit of a right, Benitez lands a left to the body then eats a bit of a right. Barzola pushes Benitez into the fence and hits another double leg into the guard. Barzola passes to half guard, maybe he’ll have more luck controlling from here. Nope, Benitez back up, Barzola thinks about a guillotine but can’t get the grip and they wind up back on the feet. Benitez lands a hard inside leg kick. Barzola ducks a punch and trips Benitez down, Benitez to his knees then back up but Barzola is holding the rear waist lock. Barzola lands a couple of short rights as Benitez turns into him. They disengage then Benitez lands a knee to the body. Barzola lands a body kick and hits another takedown on the fence but Benitez is back up instantly yet again. Barzola is holding the clinch for a bit then they break. Benitez lands a heavy body kick but eats a right. Barzola lands a couple of punches in close and gets the clinch then lands a knee to the body. Barzola’s pace might be breaking Benitez down a bit. The round closes in the clinch.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Barzola, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves then hug for the last round. Barzola lands a bit of a right, Benitez lands a body kick. Benitez slips trying a high kick, Barzola lands a right then hits a double leg into half guard. Benitez gets guard but Barzola lands a few punches. Benitez rolls to his knees, Barzola gets his back and has both hooks in. Benitez to his knees, Barzola is under the neck though with a choke, he goes to a Gable grip but Benitez scrambles a hook free which lets him break the choke. Benitez scrambles to his feet now and lands a straight left. Benitez knows he needs to get that one back and he’s trying to land offense. They trade a few blows, Barzola is still moving forward though and pushes into the clinch again. They break quickly, Benitez lands a bit of a left. Barzola blocks another head kick, Benitez has really fallen off after the first round. They clinch again but Benitez pushes free. Barzola lands a right and clinches again, he’s just entering into space constantly to make Benitez work. Benitez lands a couple of punches and they break for distance. Benitez blocks a double leg attempt. Barzola lands a looping right and goes for a double leg then hits it into full guard. Barzola lands some short rights, Benitez tries for an armbar, rolls to his knees when Barzola defends and is up but Barzola is on his back standing now. Barzola lands a knee to the body as they break. They trade a few punches at distance. Benitez lands a body kick but eats a right. They trade again and Benitez lands a straight left that drops Barzola to his seat right at the horn.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Barzola, 29-28 Barzola overall but that last punch is gonna complicate things

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Enrique Barzola via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

A little surprised Benitez didn’t steal at least one judge with that final knockdown. Barzola on the mic now. He says he works very hard both in his native Peru and at American Top Team to improve. Asked about the brawl at the end and getting dropped he says he wanted to strike because Benitez thought he would shoot on him, then calls out any Mexican who’ll fight him. He closes by wishing everyone a happy Mother’s Day.

Jessica Aguilar just had a ten fight winning streak snapped in her UFC debut when she dropped a decision to top contender Claudia Gadelha, her long history of success at strawweight still has her ranked in the top fifteen but she needs to rebound with a win here badly. She also hasn’t fought since December of 2015, so ring rust could be a factor. Cortney Casey is 2-3 in the UFC and also coming off of a loss to Gadelha, a win here over top ranked Aguilar would be one of the biggest of Casey’s career and could mover her into the rankings. Casey is a slight -155 favorite to +125 on Aguilar.

Strawweight Bout: #12 Jessica Aguilar (19-5, 115 lbs.) vs. Cortney Casey (6-4, 116 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Casey has four inches of height and reach on Aguilar. They touch gloves to get things going. Casey eats a leg kick but lands a couple of punches, she’s fighting long. Aguilar lands a leg kick that takes the feet from Casey and Aguilar is on top landing some punches. Casey tries a triangle choke, Aguilar pulls free and stands then lands a couple of leg kicks while Casey is on her back. Casey back up and they trade in the pocket, Casey lands hard with an uppercut and they separate. Casey still trying to fight long, lands a leg kick but a lot of her punches are missing. Casey lands a combination in close but Aguilar takes her down again. They trade a bit, Aguilar standing and drags Casey away from the cage with an ankle. Aguilar lands a few leg kicks, eats an up kick while she tries to find an angle to return to the mat. Casey lands a straight kick to the knee, Aguilar goes into her guard again. Aguilar lands a few body shots. Casey has closed her guard and stalls out the action until the ref stands them up. They get close and clinch up, Aguilar has Casey on the fence then they break and Casey has a high kick blocked. Casey lands a leg kick then misses a combination. Aguilar circles away from the fence and starts backing Casey up again. Casey lands a right uppercut. Casey lands a right then a knee to the body, Aguilar lands a right. Aguilar pushes into the clinch and lands a couple of knees to the body. They break and Casey has a head kick blocked. Casey lands a combination, Aguilar lands a right that drops Casey to a knee right at the bell. That last punch was close to the end, it was just after the bell but before the ref stepped in. Borderline blow there.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Aguilar but could go either way

ROUND TWO: Casey lands a hard combination then a knee but Aguilar trips her down again. Casey on her back, Aguilar looking to engage on the mat but Casey is keeping her at distance. Aguilar moves into half guard for a moment, then stands again and Casey is landing thrust kicks to the knee then one to the head. Casey really abusing the knees of Aguilar from this position. Aguilar lands a leg kick, then another. The ref restarts them on the feet. They trade rights. Aguilar lands a bit of a combination. Casey lands a combination, she’s fighting well with volume at distance. Aguilar lands a leg kick. Casey lands another combination and they clinch up. They break after a few knees were traded. Aguilar really needs to figure out the distance, Casey is chewing her up when they’re striking. Casey lands a leg kick but gets tripped down again. Again Aguilar is standing and Casey is kicking at her knees and head. Casey lands an up kick that stuns Aguilar. Aguilar can’t enter the guard safely, lands a leg kick then eats an up kick. Aguilar tries to enter, Casey tries a knee bar but Aguilar blocks it and lands a blow then gets to half guard. Aguilar lands a few short elbows while trying to establish control. A few more short blows to the body and head from Aguilar close out the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Casey, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Some shadow boxing to start the third round. Aguilar trying to back Casey up, Casey lands a combination. Right and left from Casey then an inside leg kick and a body kick. Aguilar really needs to get something going, and she lands a right as I type that. They clinch up but Aguilar can’t control her and Casey spins her into the fence. They break without incident. Casey lands another couple of punches then a flurry in the pocket, Aguilar is bleeding from the nose and mouth. They clinch again and again Casey has Aguilar on the cage. They trade knees to the body and Aguilar spins Casey, Casey spins her back and lands a combination as they separate. They clinch again, Casey lands a knee to the body then an elbow. They break then clinch again, Casey lands a knee to the body and they break. Aguilar has almost nothing to offer now, she’s trying but nothing is working for her. Aguilar hits a single leg but Casey is back up immediately. Aguilar pushes into the clinch again, lands a couple of knees before Casey spins her. They break without incident. Aguilar lands a right, then another counter right. Casey lands a body kick. They trade a bit as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Casey, might be a 10-8 argument under the new scoring criteria, 29-28 Casey overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Cortney Casey via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Yeah, Casey getting the first is probably correct. She’s on the mic now. She says she knew Aguilar would wrestle and she trained to be good off of her back as well as keeping the distance at her range. She laments the lack of a finish, the crowd cheers her anyway as the fight was a pretty entertaining affair. She puts over Aguilar as a pioneer for the division and hopes she sticks around, then thanks some people in the crowd.

That’s it for Fight Pass, we’re on FX for the remainder of the prelims rather than Fox Sports 1 tonight.

James Vick has only lost to top contender Beneil Dariush professionally, and he’s coming off of a win over Abel Trujillo. Vick is trying to build another winning streak here and prove that he could still be a relevant fighter in the lightweight division. Marco Polo Reyes has gone 3-0 in the UFC including one of the craziest fights in recent memory against Dong Hyun Kim, if he can extend his UFC streak to four at the expense of Vick he could be knocking on the door of much bigger things sooner rather than later. Vick is a moderate -375 favorite to a tempting value payout of +285 on Reyes.

Lightweight Bout: Marco Polo Reyes (7-3, 154 lbs.) vs. James Vick (10-1, 156 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Vick has four inches of height and five of reach on Reyes. They touch gloves and we’re fighting. Circling from both men, Vick on the outside so far. Both men range finding so far, mostly kicks. Reyes lands a bit of a leg kick. Vick starting to get his jab going, lands a leg kick of his own as well. Reyes eats a side kick to the body. Vick lands a bit of a left body kick, Reyes lands a leg kick. Another left body kick from Vick lands. Vick lands a straight right. They trade lefts in close, both guys still doing a lot of feinting. They clinch up, Reyes lands to the body but Vick lands a knee as they break. Vick lands a spinning back kick to the body. Vick lands a right, Reyes drops, Vick lands a few blows as Reyes covers up on a hip and the ref has to save him from taking more damage.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – James Vick via TKO, punches, at 2:39 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Vick for his work this evening. Vick gets an interview after that one. He says it’s funny that people thought he’d take Reyes down, he just loves striking too much despite the game plan involving some grappling. He talks us through the finish, talking about his movement in and out of combinations. He says he’s 7-1 in the UFC and would love to get promoted or fight another top fifteen opponent. He calls out the winner of Chiesa vs. Lee and then offers to replace either of them in that fight if anyone gets injured as he’s feeling perfectly healthy right now.

Here’s that finish, and this is why you don’t back away from exchanges with your hands down.

Chase Sherman has yet to taste victory in the UFC, going 0-2 but the heavyweight division is really light on prospects and Sherman could still technically qualify as one. Going 0-3 though would certainly spell the end of his UFC run so he really needs a win. Rashad Coulter is making his UFC debut here on short notice, this fight actually started out as Jarjis Danho vs. Dmitry Poberezhets, and brings a five fight winning streak with him and the chance to make a good first impression only comes around once and he’s looking to capitalize on his chance tonight. The odds are a pick ’em here at -115 for each man.

Heavyweight Bout: Rashad Coulter (8-1, 241 lbs.) vs. Chase Sherman (9-3, 250 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Sherman is five inches taller but has just two inches of reach on Coulter. Sherman is also eight years younger. Touch of gloves to get us going. Sherman showing the jab early. They trade some inside leg kicks while range finding. Sherman lands a jab and avoids a left hook. Coulter lands a right. Sherman lands a leg kick. They trade a few punches, Sherman landed a longer combination though. Sherman lands an inside leg kick, eats a bit of a right though. Sherman lands a bit of a right. Sherman lands a leg kick, he’s throwing much higher volume than Coulter. Another leg kick from Sherman, those are starting to have an effect. Sherman lands a bit of a left hook. Sherman lands a left high kick, not a whole lot on it though. Coulter lands a right. Sherman lands another leg kick, Coulter is a bit wobbly on that leg now. Coulter lands a hard right in combination. Coulter lands a left hook. Sherman lands another leg kick. Coulter with another counter right, he’s got some timing on that punch now. Sherman lands another hard leg kick, then another and Coulter’s leg is basically done. Coulter goes southpaw to defend that leg, then back to orthodox. Coulter checks a leg kick, Sherman lands a front kick to the chest. Sherman eats a jab then lands a leg kick. That’s the last blow of the round but that leg is visibly compromised.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Sherman

ROUND TWO: Coulter was limping between rounds, they touch gloves for the second round. Sherman lands a front kick to the face. Coulter lands a hard right. Sherman lands a right then a knee to the head that wobbles Coulter, Sherman lands a couple of leg kicks. They brawl in the clinch a bit, Coulter drops from a leg kick, Sherman all over him on the mat landing punches. Coulter to his knees but Sherman is landing punches from the ride position. Coulter back up though and they’re still in the clinch. Sherman lands a knee to the body. They trade knees to the body, Coulter lands an elbow as they break. Coulter is wobbled and gassed, Sherman lands a couple of leg kicks and Coulter wobbles to the fence for support. They trade hooks, Coulter landed a hard left hook. Coulter is throwing, they trade again in close both landing. Sherman could end this with a couple of leg kicks but he’s fighting kind of stupid here. Coulter lands a couple of rights, Sherman lands a knee to the head. Sherman lands a leg kick but eats a couple of punches. Coulter backs to the fence, eats an elbow then they trade again. Sherman lands a combination, eats a left hook. They’re both tired, this is equal parts great and awful, Sherman lands a standing elbow that finally drops Coulter to end the fight.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Chase Sherman via TKO, elbow, at 3:36 of Round 2

Sherman made that so much harder on himself than it needed to be with stupid brawling at the end there. Sherman gets his first UFC win and his first interview with Joe Rogan. Sherman says that fight was great and he’s so glad to see Rogan’s “bald headed ass” next to him. He brings up the short notice for both of them, knew Coulter would come to bang it out and he’ll bang with anybody in the division. He was surprised at the punishment Coulter took but that’s what the fans pay for. He talks us through the finish as elbows were part of his training, wishes the mothers a happy Mothers Day, names his mother and the mother of his child, then asks for a post fight bonus.

And here’s the finishing bits, again I can’t believe that Sherman stopped using his most effective weapon in favor of nearly 50/50 brawling, but note the alteration of angle and choice of elbow due to the range. Smart finishing choices, poor set up choices.

To kill time we head to the analyst desk with Karyn Bryant hosting Brian Stann and the welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.

Chas Skelly has been a very consistent fighter, going 6-2 in the UFC and only losing to top fighters Mirsad Bektic and Darren Elkins, and he’s currently on a two fight winning streak. Skelly is trying to earn another shot at ranked opposition here by getting that streak to three in a row. Jason Knight is 3-1 in the UFC and on a three fight winning streak, he lost his debut on short notice against veteran Tatsuya Kawajiri, and Skelly represents a big opportunity for him as a fourth win here against a consistent top fighter like Skelly could get him a ranked opponent next. The odds are even here as well, -115 for both men.

Featherweight Bout: Jason Knight (17-2, 146 lbs.) vs. Chas Skelly (17-2, 146 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Skelly is an inch taller and has an inch and a half of reach on Knight. Knight is also eight years younger. Touch of gloves to get us going, Knight fighting southpaw. Knight working the lead hand early to range find. Knight lands a hard left then right to counter a lazy jab. Another left from Knight lands. Front kick to the body from Knight. Knight lands a leg kick. Skelly lands a hard left hook. They clinch up, Skelly has to fight for it but finally gets the takedown but Knight goes to rubber guard immediately. Skelly can’t pass because of the rubber guard. Knight is trying to isolate the right arm, he might be setting up a gogoplata. Skelly pulls free and stands but eats a bit of an up kick as he goes back to the guard. Knight lands a few elbows, tries a triangle then an armbar, hits a sweep into top position but Skelly scrambles up and is after another takedown. Knight defending the single leg, tries to hit a kimura roll but Skelly out scrambles him into top position and Knight is after the rubber guard again. Knight is after the gogoplata again, switches to an omoplata and rolls to top position. Impressive scrambling from Knight, who tries a kimura, Skelly rolls through and threatens with an armbar but Knight easily stands and we’re back on the feet. Skelly lands a jab. Knight lands a left. They clinch up again and Skelly has Knight on the fence. Knight spins Skelly and lands knees to the thigh then hits a knee tap and gets the back briefly as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Knight

ROUND TWO: Circling again for the second round, Knight lands a side kick to the thigh. Knight lands a body kick. Skelly lands a body kick. Skelly lands a body kick but eats a hard right, he was off balance and dropped but got back up immediately. They trade some rights and Knight lands a body kick. Knight lands a stiff right. Skelly lands a body kick. Skelly lands an uppercut and they trade in close. Skelly lands a body kick. Knight lands a right. Knight lands a left then a right and blocks a takedown attempt. Skelly lands a leg kick but eats another right hook. Knight blocks another double leg attempt, Skelly might be fading here. Knight lands a body kick then another one. Skelly tries a double leg, it reaches the fence and he switches to a single leg but Knight is defending correctly and lands an elbow to the body. More body work from Knight as he regains his feet while Skelly is still holding the single attempt. Knight blocking a double leg attempt now, Skelly gets a body lock and has the clinch but Knight gets an under hook and spins him into the fence. Knees to the body go back and forth then Knight lands an elbow. Knight after a single leg and hits it into side control. Knight is cut around the right eye, not sure what caused that. They scramble, Knight has the crucifix position and lands a few elbows before Skelly gets free. That cut is under the eye, they get up and trade, Skelly lands a head kick and Knight punches him in response as the round ends.

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

ROUND THREE: That cut is on the cheek bone under the right eye of Knight. They hug to start the final round. Skelly lands a bit of a jab. Knight moving forward and they trade rights. Knight stuns Skelly with an uppercut, Skelly is down. Knight is in half guard landing rights to the face until the ref stops this. That was a slightly late stoppage there from where I sit.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Jason Knight via TKO, punches, at :39 of Round 3

The Final Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Knight for his work this evening. That’s a big winning streak for Knight, he’s due a bigger opponent next time. He’s on the mic now. He says he’s been working hard on his game, then calls out Joe Rogan for not having him on his podcast, Rogan seems amenable to having him on. He puts over Skelly as tough, he heard his arm pop in the first round but Skelly just kept coming and he says Skelly has more heart than anyone he’s fought. He talks us through the finish, puts over a training partner of his who he thinks will be in the UFC soon. He then offers to give his gloves away to someone on his way to the back and asks them to raise some hell. He says he’s 4-0 and wants three more fights this year in July, September, and December.

Eddie Alvarez is the former UFC lightweight champion and has been one of the best lightweights in the world for a few years now, but he’s coming off of a devastating loss to Conor McGregor that cost him the title. Alvarez needs to rebound with a win here if he wants to get another crack at the title, assuming it ever gets defended, and prove he’s still one of the best lightweights in the world. Dustin Poirier is 5-1 at lightweight and is coming off of a win over Jim Miller, before that he had a four fight winning streak snapped by Michael Johnson. Alvarez represents the biggest name Poirier has fought at lightweight and a significant opportunity to move into the top five of the division and enter his name into the title picture. Poirier is a slight -130 favorite while Alvarez’s underdog status sits at +100.

Lightweight Bout: #3 Eddie Alvarez (28-5, 156 lbs.) vs. #9 Dustin Poirier (21-5, 156 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height while Poirier has a three inch reach advantage. Poirier fighting southpaw. Feinting from both men, Alvarez trying to back Poirier up. Poirier lands a bit of a left, Alvarez lands a right to the body. Poirier lands a body kick, Alvarez lands a right to the body. Poirier lands another body kick. Poirier lands a leg kick. Poirier lands another body kick, Alvarez fakes a single leg and just misses a left. Alvarez lands a left. Alvarez falls just short with a right, he lands an inside leg kick then Poirier lands a body kick. Alvarez lands a right to the body, Poirier tags him with a straight left. Poirier avoids a double leg, and lands a body kick. Alvarez has a right blocked then misses a high kick. Neither guy wants to make the first major error. Alvarez with another right to the body, he’s timing that punch well. Poirier lands another straight left, Alvarez lands a body kick. Poirier backing Alvarez towards the fence and limiting his movement. Poirier lands a body kick then a jab. Poirier lands a couple of lefts. Alvarez lands a right to the body then a right to the head. Poirier lands a leg kick. They both land rights then Poirier lands a body kick. Poirier lands a right hook after they both feint. Alvarez has a spinning back fist blocked. Alvarez is biting on most of Poirier’s feints and Poirier is reading him well so far. Alvarez misses a right as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Poirier

ROUND TWO: Alvarez showing the jab early, then misses an inside leg kick. Alvarez is struggling with the range a bit, and he lands a right as I say that. Alvarez tries a double leg, Poirier stuffs it and is threatening with a standing guillotine, it gets pretty tight before Alvarez breaks it. Alvarez has Poirier on the fence and is looking for a takedown, Poirier defending so far. Poirier lands a knee to the body. Alvarez lands a bit of a left as they break the clinch. Poirier lands a jab. Poirier lands a left then a bit of a body kick. Poirier lands a short right uppercut then a straight left. Alvarez really needs to get into boxing range, he’s a bit outside of it and he’s getting torn up. Poirier lands a body kic. Hard counter left from Poirier wobbles Alvarez. Alvarez gets his back to the fence and Poirier is swarming him, Alvarez is nearly out on his feet but is throwing back. Alvarez slips off of the cage and tries a takedown to buy himself time. Poirier threatens with a choke, they break and Poirier lands another hard combination. They trade, Alvarez hurts Poirier with a left hook. Alvarez teeing off now, this is insane! Poirier lands a hard body shot, Alvarez tries a double leg and Poirier uses a d’arce choke to break free. They trade rights again, both are damaged but still swinging. Poirier lands a left, Alvarez finally gets the takedown but Poirier is sitting on the fence. Alvarez holding a front head lock, Poirier takes a couple of illegal knees from Alvarez, he had a hand down and Alvarez kneed him in the head. We get time, both men were bleeding anyway but Poirier is damaged from those knees. We’ve got time for the doctor to examine him. Poirier is sitting on a stool, he can’t continue as his orbital may be broken and he’s still a little dazed.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – No Contest at 4:12 of Round 2

Should be a DQ in my opinion, that second knee landed when Poirier was on a knee with both hands on the mat. Utter shame as that was turning into a fun brawl, still think Eddie should be disqualified. Poirier also made that fight harder on himself, he had Alvarez dead to rights in the second and rather than stay disciplined went head hunting and got sucked into a brawl. Both guys will get mic time. Alvarez starts us off by talking through the finishing sequence, he says he’s not a dirty fighter and he was doing the best he could and apologizes to Poirier. The crowd boos a little, Poirier grabs the mic and gets on the crowd for booing, tells them not to boo him and that Alvarez is a warrior, he’s got no ill feelings and says what Alvarez did that this is a fist fight and stuff happens. Alvarez apologizes again, acknowledges the illegal second knee and offers to do the fight again. Poirier says the first two knees were glancing but the third was hard and the fight was stopped because he had blurry vision in his left eye after that knee and he was honest with the doctor. I hope we get that as a main event to a Fight Night card in the near future.

Here’s some still from those knees, no video available and I really wish the UFC would allow more gifs and short videos of their content into the world. Anyway decide for yourself if a No Contest is correct or a DQ is right. I stand by DQ personally.

That’s it for prelims, to PPV for the main card now. In a break from tradition, instead of Dana White and Joe Rogan yelling at you to buy the PPV now it’s Rogan and Daniel Cormier. Cormier is no more effective in this particular spot that White was.

Krzysztof Jotko is on a five fight winning streak and coming off of a win over Thales Leites that landed him a top ten ranking. Jotko is trying to keep that momentum going here and enter his name into the crowded top rankings at middleweight. Dave Branch is starting his second UFC run here, he went 2-2 from 2010 to 2011, and brings a massive ten fight winning streak with him. Branch was also the simultaneous middleweight and light heavyweight champion for WSOF and he’s looking to prove he’s a more seasoned fighter this time around and ready to make a run towards the top of the division. Jotko’s ranking and UFC success have him the favorite at -155 to +125 for Branch.

Middleweight Bout: David Branch (20-3, 185 lbs.) vs. #9 Krzysztof Jotko (19-1, 185 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height while Branch has an inch of reach on Jotko. Another eight year gap in age, Jotko being younger. Jotko fighting southpaw. Branch showing the jab, misses a body kick. Branch misses a looping right, Jotko keeping good distance as they feel each other out. Branch misses a right then a right high kick. Jotko lands a straight left. Jotko lands a knee but gives up a double leg, Branch landing in his guard. Branch lands a left hand. Branch lands an elbow. Branch lands another elbow. Branch doing a good job of keeping control, Jotko is threatening with sweeps or feet on hips and Branch is shutting him down. Jotko to the fence and wall walks but Branch still has the clinch. Branch with some knees to the thigh, then a short elbow before Jotko spins him into the fence. They jockey for position in the clinch. Branch lands a knee to the body, Jotko hits a trip takedown, Branch back up quickly, Jotko lands a knee to the body as he holds the clinch and gets Branch on the cage. Branch is able to spin Jotko into the fence. More knees going back and forth, Branch after a single leg but Jotko defends. And the round comes to a close in that position.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Branch

ROUND TWO: Jotko just misses a left, both guys are clearly looking to pick up the pace a bit. Jotko lands a right uppercut and they clinch, he’s got Branch on the fence now. Jotko lands a spinning elbow as they disengage. Jotko lands a body kick, Branch returns it but it goes into the groin so Jotko has time to recover. Jotko walks it off quickly and we’re back to fighting. Jotko lands a bit of a left, he’s slipping and countering nicely so far. Jotko lands a left then a right hook. Jotko lands another left. Branch tries a double leg, bails and lands a bit of a left. Branch going forward now, eats a bit of a jab. Jotko again with the left, not landing flush but scoring. Branch hits a double leg, Jotko up instantly and they separate with a right from Jotko. Branch avoids a body kick. Jotko lands another left, Branch lands a couple of jabs. Jotko lands a left in close, Branch throws a right to the body. They clinch again and Branch has Jotko on the fence. The ref breaks them, very quickly from where I sit. Jotko has a high kick blocked. Jotko lands a glancing wheel kick, Branch gets close and tries a body lock takedown but Jotko whizzers hard and is back up without Branch getting position. Jotko lands a straight left. They end the round with a quick clinch.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Jotko, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Both men showing the jab early, Jotko misses a left. Branch misses a spinning back kick. Jotko backs Branch towards the fence, lands a bit of a right hook. Branch lands a leg kick. Branch lands a right to the body. Branch blocks a high kick. Jotko lands a spinning back kick to the body, Branch lands a body kick. Jotko blocks a knee tap attempt and lands a left. They clinch up again in space, Branch gets Jotko on the fence. Jotko spins Branch, lands a knee to the body and gets spun in return. More jockeying for position and the ref breaks them up. They trade a bit and clinch again then break without issue. Branch lands a jab. Branch hits a double leg into the guard of Jotko. Jotko to his knees, Branch has a front head lock but Jotko threatens with a single leg, Branch spins him into the cage yet again. The ref breaks them again, he’s a little quick to do that again but no one is complaining. Jotko lands a knee to the body and a left. Branch lands a right, Jotko lands a knee to the body. Jotko lands a right uppercut, Branch clinches up to kill the last ten seconds.

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

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

Well that pretty much sucked. No interview for Branch, as let’s all just move on to better things to come.

Frankie Edgar is a former UFC lightweight champion and two time featherweight title contender, he’s been one of the most consistent fighters of his era and at featherweight has only lost to Jose Aldo. Edgar is also 35 years old and has been with the UFC since 2007, if he’s going to make another run at becoming a two division champion the time could be running out and he can’t afford a loss here. Yair Rodriguez has yet to lose in the UFC, he’s 6-0 with the promotion, and is coming off of a win over the zombified corpse of BJ Penn but Edgar represents a significant step up in competition from the fighters he’s faced in the UFC so far. Of course that also represents a big opportunity, if he can unseat a man long considered one of the three best featherweights in the world here he’ll launch himself into contender status and could be next in line for a title shot pending the outcome of Aldo vs. Holloway later this year. Edgar’s consistency and Rodriguez’s lack of high level opposition have Edgar a slight -130 favorite to even money, +100, on Rodriguez.

Featherweight Bout: #2 Frankie Edgar (21-5-1, 145.5 lbs.) vs. #7 Yair Rodriguez (10-1, 146 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Rodriguez is five inches taller but has just three inches of reach on Edgar. Touch of gloves to get us going. Edgar showing the jab and trying to back Rodriguez up, Edgar lands a left then a right. Rodriguez switching his stance frequently. Edgar avoiding kicks, tries a clinch but Rodriguez pushes him off. Edgar blocks some rights, they trade in close and Edgar lands a good right and has the clinch. Edgar after a double leg, Rodriguez trying to defend against the fence. Edgar hits a high crotch takedown into the guard of Rodriguez. Edgar lands some short left elbows. Edgar landing short blows and looking to pass, Rodriguez throwing some hammer fists but he’s pinned near the fence. Edgar lands an elbow then a hard right. Hard left from Edgar lands. Edgar landing to the body and head. Rodriguez keeps trying to get his legs and hips up and Edgar is shrugging them off and smashing him. A couple of more elbows from Edgar land. More offense from Edgar. Edgar postures up and lands a series of punches, this is horribly one sided. Rodriguez is bleeding, can’t see from where but his face looks pretty bad, the left eye is swollen badly as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Edgar

ROUND TWO: Edgar lands a right, he’s circling well. Rodriguez tries a wheel kick, Edgar blocks it and then hits a takedown but Rodriguez rolls under for a kneebar. Edgar defending by figure fouring the leg in danger and is getting towards top position. Edgar lands a couple of rights. Rodriguez is after the knee again, he’s in the right position but doesn’t have hip pressure and Edgar is turning the knee then lands an elbow. Edgar into cross wise half guard and lands elbows, Edgar into full mount now. Edgar lands some rights, Rodriguez to his knees and Edgar into the ride position. Rodriguez tries to spin his hips but Edgar smothers him and is back in his guard. Edgar lands a series of hard elbows, he’s aiming for the swelling on that left eye. Another elbow from Edgar. Rodriguez has closed his guard but he’s almost helpless here and Edgar is smashing him. Another elbow from Edgar. Edgar with some body to head combinations, Rodriguez’s corner should consider stopping this as he’s got nothing to offer. Edgar working to pass, Rodriguez tries a triangle but Edgar moves through it and punches him again. Edgar lands a few more rights as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Edgar, arguable 10-8, 20-17 Edgar overall

ROUND THREE: That eye is swollen completely shut, Rodriguez says he can see but he’s lying through his teeth, this one is over.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Frankie Edgar via TKO, doctor stoppage, at 5:00 of Round 2

Frankie Edgar is still really really good. Edgar on the mic now. He puts over his home town and state, then says he loves Texas. He thanks his coaches then expresses condolences to his team mate Nick Catone who’s infant son died just a few weeks ago and says “this doen’t mean shit, I just want to go home and hug my kids”. Condolences from me as well, that’s an awful thing. Edgar says there’s levels to MMA and while Rodriguez might be a superstar eventually he’s not there yet. Edgar loves the upcoming fight between Aldo and Holloway, so do I, and he wants the winner. He’ll be in that building supporting his team mate Marlon Moraes who’s making his UFC debut on that card.

Here’s the eye of Rodriguez at the end of that fight.

They announce Joe Silva as the next entry into the UFC Hall of Fame this year. If you’re inducting guys from the office he absolutely deserves it. Rogan and Cormier put over Silva as deserving and being important to the history of the sport and both wish he was back doing his job.

Demian Maia should really be fighting for the welterweight title, he’s on a six fight winning streak and is coming off of a first round submission win over Carlos Condit. Maia is taking a risk with this fight, but if he can extend that streak to seven he’ll be utterly undeniable as the top contender as well as extending the longest active winning streak in the whole division. Jorge Masvidal is riding a three fight winning streak of his own and is coming off of his best performance professionally when he TKO’d Donald Cerrone. Masvidal could usurp Maia’s top contender status if he takes him out and earn a shot at the welterweight title. Masvidal is favored to do that at -120 while Maia’s +100 payout may not be much but is a tempting bet to anyone looking to play an underdog on this card.

Welterweight Bout: #3 Demian Maia (24-6, 170.5 lbs.) vs. #5 Jorge Masvidal (32-11, 171 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Maia is two inches taller while Masvidal has two inches of reach on him. Maia fighting southpaw. Masvidal circling, Maia trying to back him towards the fence. Both men flashing the jab but not a whole lot on it for either of them. Maia tries a single leg, Masvidal sprawls but Maia is in the clinch and hits a single leg. Masvidal back up but Maia is on him like white on rice. Masvidal hips down, Maia pulls half guard, is back up and after another single leg from the clinch. Maia gets him down, Masvidal back up but Maian has the back standing. Maia drags him back down and gets the back, Masvidal stands but Maia has a body triangle in the back pack position. Maia after the choke, he lands a few rights and is after the choke. Masvidal defending well but Maia goes for a neck crank, Masvidal guts through it and Maia bails to try to get under the chin. Masvidal’s defense is good so far, he’s blocking the lanes for Maia to go for the choke. Maia lands a few punches to the body and head. Maia bails on the body triangle, goes back to it quickly though. Masvidal trying to spin into Maia, he gets on top and lands some lefts. Maia to half guard, Masvidal lands a few more punches but Maia is trying to sweep as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Maia

ROUND TWO: Maia back to trying to move Masvidal towards the fence, Masvidal circling. We get time for loose tape on Masvidal’s wrapping, quick cut and we’re back to fighting. Masvidal has a head kick blocked and lands a bit of a left. Masvidal moving forward, he sprawls on a takedown attempt. Masvidal lands a body kick then an inside leg kick. Masvidal sprawls again then lands a short right. Masvidal lands another inside leg kick. Body kick from Masvidal then an inside leg kick, Masvidal is lighting Maia up on the feet. Masvidal with another inside leg kick. Masvidal sprawls a tkaeodnw attempt, Maia switches to a half guard sweep attempt, he’s got ahold of the leg but Masvidal gets the leg free and lands a knee to the head. Maia dives and tries to pull half guard again, Masvidal on top in half guard and Maia hits a sweep into top position. Masvidal sitting on the fence, he’s holding an anaconda choke but has no body control and Maia looks to pass into half guard. Masvidal looking to sit up and wall walk, and he’s back up but Maia has the rear waist lock again. Maia is bleeding from somewhere, he drags Masvidal back down but Masvidal is back up again though Maia is still holding him. Maia drags Masvidal back down, he’s got the back but just one hook in. Maia lands a few rights trying to open up the choke but Masvidal defends that as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Masvidal, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Maia looks more fatigued, though Masvidal isn’t exactly bouncing around. Maia blocks a high kick. Masvidal lands a hard inside leg kick. Maia is moving but his knee might have been tweaked from that kick. Masvidal with a body kick. Masvidal has a head kick blocked. Maia still circling, Masvidal just wants the center of the cage. Masvidal misses a one two combination. Masvidal just misses a knee then lands a body kick. Maia blocks another high kick, he tries for a single leg and pushes Masvidal over and tries to get the back. Maia has one leg grape vined and Masvidal is trying to use the fence to keep Maia from fully taking his back. Maia is after the choke with just one hook, the angle is weird and Masvidal gets his head free. Maia now has both hooks in and a body triangle. Maia still after the choke but Masvidal’s defense is holding up. Maia landing a few shots, Masvidal tries to spin into Maia but winds up on his knee for a moment then to his back again. Maia lands a couple more rights as the round ends.

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

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

Tough fight to score, could be for either man realistically. Maia on the mic now. He thought Masvidal would be easier to submit then says Masvidal is one of the best jiu jitsu fighters he’s ever faced. Asked about the scoring he says he didn’t get dominated on the feet, might have lost but he did dominate on the ground. He’s won seven in a row and has the most wins by any Brazilian in UFC history and Dana White has said he’ll get the next title shot. He thanks God for the title shot, says he always wants the submission but Masvidal was great. He puts over the crowd and Texas in general to close out the interview.

Jessica Andrade is undefeated since dropping to strawweight having gone 3-0 with wins over Jessica Penne, Joanne Calderwood, and Angela Hill. Andrade is after her first UFC title here as she takes on one of the best female fighters in the UFC. Joanna Jedrzejczyk has made history by having the most consecutive wins of any woman in UFC history and has four consecutive defenses of the strawweight title, she’s continuing to chase the record and has also made it known she wants a shot at the upcoming flyweight champion once that division is established for women to become the first female simultaneous champion in the UFC. If she wants to accomplish those lofty goals she has to defend her title a fifth time here to potentially set up a champion vs. champion fight. Jedrzejczyk is the favorite here at -185 to the +150 comeback on Andrade.

Strawweight Title Bout: (c) Joanna Jedrzejczyk (13-0, 115 lbs.) vs. #3 Jessica Andrade (16-5, 114.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Jedrzejczyk is four and a half inches taller and has three and a half of reach on Andrade. Touch of gloves to get us going. Jedrzejczyk lands a leg kick and is showing the jab. Andrade on the outside, she’s waiting to try and bum rush forward, Jedrzejczyk lands a leg kick. Leg kicks go back and forth, Jedrzejczyk also lands a jab then another leg kick. Jedrzejczyk lands a right. Andrade lands a couple of hooks, Jedrzejczyk circles away. Jedrzejczyk lands a leg kick and just avoids a couple of hooks. Jedrzejczyk lands another leg kick, they clinch and Jedrzejczyk lands a knee to the body before Andrade gets them to the fence. Andrade after a single leg, tries to elevate and finally gets Jedrzejczyk down but Jedrzejczyk tries to wall walk, Andrade pulls her away from the fence and settles into half guard. Jedrzejczyk trying to hip up, and she’s back up then spins Andrade into the fence. Jedrzejczyk lands an elbow and a knee to the body before Andrade spins them. Jedrzejczyk lands more knees to the body, she’s playing the long game for sure here. Jedrzejczyk lands an elbow then misses a kick as they break. Jedrzejczyk lands a couple of inside leg kicks. Jedrzejczyk lands a jab. Leg kick from Jedrzejczyk then an inside leg kick. Jedrzejczyk lands a left high kick. Jab from Jedrzejczyk, Andrade is plodding forward, Jedrzejczyk circling and sniping from distance. Jedrzejczyk lands a leg kick then a jab. Andrade misses a couple of punches and lands a glancing leg kick. Inside leg kicks go back and forth, the clinch and Jedrzejczyk lands a knee to the body then a left as they break. Jedrzejczyk lands a stiff jab, Andrade pulls into the clinch. Jedrzejczyk lands a knee to the body, Andrade tries a takedown but can’t secure position and they break with an elbow from Jedrzejczyk. Andrade lands an inside leg kick, Jedrzejczyk lands one of her own as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Jedrzejczyk

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. Jedrzejczyk lands an inside leg kick then avoids a leg kick, and lands a leg kick. Another leg kick from Jedrzejczyk, those are staring to add up. Jedrzejczyk lands a right. Jedrzejczyk lands an inside then outside leg kick and avoids the counters from Andrade. Jedrzejczyk lands another leg kick. Jedrzejczyk lands a front kick to the body. Andrade backing Jedrzejczyk towards the fence, lands a bit of a left as Jedrzejczyk circles away. Jedrzejczyk lands another leg kick. Jedrzejczyk lands a bit of a right then a jab to the body. Leg kick from Jedrzejczyk, Andrade is really struggling with the distance here. Jedrzejczyk lands a jab, Andrade is just following her rather than cutting off the cage and Jedrzejczyk is dissecting her. Andrade fails on a bull rush. Jedrzejczyk with an inside leg kick and again avoids the counters. Another leg kick from Jedrzejczyk. Jedrzejczyk lands an inside let kick then a right to the body. Jedrzejczyk lands a couple of jabs then an inside leg kick. Jedrzejczyk lands a knee to the head from a brief clinch then circles free. Jedrzejczyk lands another leg kick, Andrade returns this one. Jedrzejczyk lands a leg kick then a one two combination. Jedrzejczyk lands another combination and avoids the counter hooks. Andrade lands a right and finally gets the clinch and looks to get a takedown. Andrade can’t secure it and Jedrzejczyk lands a body kick. Jedrzejczyk lands a stiff jab. Jedrzejczyk lands a left high kick. Andrade checks a leg kick, and Jedrzejczyk lands a jab. Jedrzejczyk lands a jab and a knee, Andrade lands a right but eats two jabs for her trouble. Jedrzejczyk lands a head kick and a knee, Andrade lands a right and tries for a takedown but can’t finish it as the round ends.

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

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves for the third round. Andrade lands an inside leg kick, and eats a leg kick. Jedrzejczyk lands a right body kick, Andrade’s left leg is swelling from the abuse. Jedrzejczyk lands a left head kick, Andrade just eats it but she’s getting worked over. Jedrzejczyk lands a one two, I think Andrade is bleeding now. Jedrzejczyk lands a couple of jabs then a leg kick. Andrade pushes in for a takedown, Jedrzejczyk defends and lands an elbow in the clinch. Andrade is holding the clinch but Jedrzejczyk spins free and jabs the body. Jedrzejczyk lands a front kick to the body then a leg kick and circles away from Andrade’s hooks. Andrade goes southpaw, Jedrzejczyk kicks the new lead leg happily and lands a right. Jedrzejczyk lands a head kick then another leg kick. Jedrzejczyk lands a right to the body, and Andrade is orthodox again. Jedrzejczyk lands another leg kick, Andrade is limping on that leg. Jedrzejczyk lands a jab, she’s got the range now and lands a jab. Andrade tries to get a brawl going but Jedrzejczyk isn’t having that. Jedrzejczyk lands another leg kick, Andrade is southpaw again to defend that leg but Jedrzejczyk is happy to kick either leg. Jedrzejczyk lands a straight right. Jedrzejczyk lands a leg kick, then another one. Andrade just ducks a head kick and barely misses a right hook counter. Jedrzejczyk lands a one two combination, Andrade can’t close the distance now and is getting wrecked at distance. Jedrzejczyk lands another leg kick and Andrade’s leg buckles a bit. Jedrzejczyk lands jabs to the body and continues circling. Jedrzejczyk lands a knee in close. Andrade is just chasing now, and eats another leg kick. Another leg kick from Jedrzejczyk. Jedrzejczyk lands a head kick, Andrade gets the clinch and has Jedrzejczyk to a knee, Jedrzejczyk back up and knees the body as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Jedrzejczyk, borderline 10-8 based on volume difference, 30-27 Jedrzejczyk overall

ROUND FOUR: They touch gloves again for the penultimate round. Jedrzejczyk lands a leg kick, Andrade is southpaw again. Jedrzejczyk lands a jab then a leg kick. Jedrzejczyk with another leg kick then a head kick that lands. Andrade back to orthodox, Jedrzejczyk circles away from the fence and lands a body kick then a leg kick. Jedrzejczyk lands a jab then an inside leg kick. Jedrzejczyk lands to the body then a jab to the head. Jedrzejczyk lands a body kick. Jedrzejczyk lands a right then a jab and another right. Andrade still can’t contain Jedrzejczyk, her following rather than cage cutting has led to her getting sniped continually. Jedrzejczyk lands to the body then a stiff one two that wobbles Andrade for a moment. Jedrzejczyk lands a body kick as Andrade gets a clinch. They trade some knees, Jedrzejczyk lands a short elbow. They spin a bit, Jedrzejczyk lands a knee to the body. An elbow from Jedrzejczyk. Another knee to the body from Jedrzejczyk, Andrade is trying to change levels but Jedrzejczyk is blocking that and punishing her. Andrade can’t finish a single leg and Jedrzejczyk walks free. Jedrzejczyk lands an inside leg kick. And Comcast flicks off, thanks Comcast. Ugh. I miss the last mintue or so of action.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Jedrzejczyk based on what I saw, 40-35 Jedrzejczyk overall

ROUND FIVE: Jedrzejczyk kicking the legs to start the fifth round. Jedrzejczyk still moving well and making Andrade miss then countering her. Jedrzejczyk lands a body kick and a bit of a right in close. Jedrzejczyk lands a jab then a right. Andrade moving forward but she’s struggling to get anything to land. Jedrzejczyk lands a left then a body kick. Jedrzejczyk lands a long right, Andrade misses a spinning back fist. Andrade swinging wild now, Jedrzejczyk lands a leg kick. Jedrzejczyk lands a right then a jab. Another right from Jedrzejczyk. They clinch up and Andrade has Jedrzejczyk on the fence, but she’s doing almost nothing then eats an elbow as Jedrzejczyk pulls free. Jedrzejczyk lands a body kick then a right to the body. Jedrzejczyk lands a right, Andrade lands a right in close. Jedrzejczyk lands a couple of jabs to the body and head. Jedrzejczyk lands a leg kick. Jedrzejczyk lands a straight right then a jab. Jedrzejczyk just misses an elbow off of a brief clinch. Jedrzejczyk lands another leg kick then a right as Andrade chases her. Jedrzejczyk lands an elbow as they separate, Andrade getting desperate. Jedrzejczyk lands a right. Jedrzejczyk lands a combination as she turns Andrade’s wild motion. Jedrzejczyk lands a front kick to the hip. Jedrzejczyk lands another straight right, she’s slipping the hooks and landing almost at will. Jedrzejczyk lands a few more straight punches. They clinch and Jedrzejczyk knees the body as they break. Jedrzejczyk lands another straight right, gets the clinch as time runs down.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Jedrzejczyk, 50-44 Jedrzejczyk overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER and STILL UFC Strawweight Champion – Joanna Jedrzejczyk via unanimous decision (50-44, 50-45 x2)

We’re lucky to watch Joanna Jedrzejczyk in her prime, that was textbook movement, use of reach, and clinical dissection of a dangerous opponent. Jedrzejczyk on the mic now. She thanks God, and says she’s the only strawweight champion of the world and no one is taking the belt from her. She puts over Andrade as tough and a good fighter and deserving challenger, but she’s the champ. She says she got tired at the end but her team, who she names individually as well as her new husband and family, got her ready. She won the belt two years ago in this building, she thanks the crowd again and plans on continuing to make history.

Andrade gets an interview as well. She thanks Dallas in English, the switches to Portuguese. She thanks her camp and while she came to fight she’s still young in her career and then asks her girlfriend, who’s in the crowd, if she’ll marry her. Apparently she said yes off camera, so congratulations to both of them. She closes by saying she’ll be back and plans to fight in Dallas again.

Junior dos Santos is a former UFC heavyweight champion and actually still holds the record for longest winning streak in heavyweight history at 9 consecutive wins. Dos Santos has fallen a bit since his title run though, he’s just 3-3 in his last six fights and has traded wins and losses over that time. Those losses are to Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem, so he’s not losing to just anyone, and he’s coming off of a win over Ben Rothwell. Tonight represents a big chance for dos Santos to reclaim the heavyweight title and cement his name as one of the best heavyweights in UFC history. Stipe Miocic is the reigning heavyweight champion and is riding a four fight winning streak, all of them finishes and the last three of those in the first round, he’s also got one successful title defense already under his belt. The record for most consecutive title defenses in UFC heavyweight history is just 2, Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia, Brock Lesnar, and Cain Velasquez have all reached that number, and Miocic could join that club as well as set himself up to break that record if he can defeat dos Santos here. These two had a great slug fest in December 2014 that saw dos Santos earn a hard fought decision, Miocic is after a bit of revenge here as well. The odds are with the surging champion at -140 while dos Santos would pay out at +110 should he reclaim the title.

Heavyweight Title Bout: (c) Stipe Miocic (16-2, 246 lbs.) vs. #4 Junior Dos Santos (18-4, 245 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height while Miocic has thee inches of reach advantage. Touch of gloves to get us going. Miocic lands an inside leg kick, dos Santos returns it. Dos Santos jabs the body. Both men feinting and getting a feel for the distance. Dos Santos lands a leg kick. Miocic is backing dos Santos towards the fence, Miocic lands a right as dos Santos tries to circle. Dos Santos lands a leg kick, and another one, he’s aiming for the calf on that. Miocic lands a jumping right but can’t stay close. Miocic is already a little wobbly on that lead leg from just those low leg kicks. Miocic lands a leg kick. Miocic lands a couple of rights, misses a few as dos Santos circles free. Dos Santos lands a low leg kick. Miocic lands a right as dos Santos is along the fence. Miocic wobbles dos Santos with a short combination, he’s not getting reckless though. Miocic lands a right as dos Santos jabs the body. Miocic lands a right, dos Santos drops to the turtle position, Miocic lands a few short lefts to prompt the stoppage.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER and STILL UFC Heavyweight Champion – Stipe Miocic via TKO, punches, at 2:22 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Miocic for his continued first round finishes and his work this evening. Miocic is still limping a bit on that left leg from those kicks and his calf is swelling visibly but he’s still the champ and gets an interview. Miocic says his leg hurts and is terrible, he puts over that as a game plan from JDS but he didn’t plan on the fight going long enough for it to matter. He talks us through the finish and puts over his coaches and the city of Dallas. He says he’s the best heavyweight in the world, then asks who’s next he says he’s only concerned with cleaning his kitchen when he gets home then wishes all the mom’s out there a Happy Mother’s Day. Stipe Miocic is a terrifying man when he wants to be.

Alright that wraps up UFC 211. A really good card, only a couple of boring/bad fights. Pity we’re entering a really rough stretch of MMA. We’ll be breaking down this card Sunday at 8pm eastern standard time on the 411 Ground and Pound Radio Show, which takes callers at (323) 657-0901 if you’ve got a question or comment you’d like addressed on air. I think next week is free but I’ll be back early Sunday morning on the 28th for Fight Night 109, I hope you’ll be there as well. Or that you read after the fact, either is fine with me. Until next time thanks again for being here, I may not have the biggest number of clicks or views but I’ll take you guys for quality pretty much any day of the week, and keep checking 411mania for all of your pop culture needs.

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