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411’s UFC Fight Night 113 Report

July 16, 2017 | Posted by Robert Winfree

MAIN CARD (FS1, 3 p.m. ET)
#8 Gunnar Nelson (170 lbs.) vs. #14 Santiago Ponzinibbio (171 lbs.)
#8 Joanne Calderwood (118 lbs.)* vs. Cynthia Calvillo (116 lbs.)
Paul Felder (154 lbs.) vs. Stevie Ray (155 lbs.)
Ryan Janes (185 lbs.) vs. Jack Marshman (185 lbs.)
Paul Craig (204 lbs.) vs. Khalil Rountree (203 lbs.)
James Mulheron (240 lbs.) vs. Justin Willis (264 lbs.)

PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1, 1 p.m. ET)
Bobby Nash (170 lbs.) vs. Danny Roberts (170 lbs.)
#14 Alexandre Pantoja (125 lbs.) vs. Neil Seery (125 lbs.)
Galore Bofando (170 lbs.) vs. Charlie Ward (169 lbs.)
Danny Henry (155 lbs.) vs. Daniel Teymur (155 lbs.)

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, noon ET)
Brett Johns (135 lbs.) vs. Albert Morales (134 lbs.)
Amanda Lemos (134 lbs.) vs. Leslie Smith (135 lbs.)

Hello everyone and welcome to 411mania’s LIVE coverage of UFC Fight Night 113. I’m Robert Winfree and I’d like to thank you all for being here this Sunday afternoon, assuming you’re on one of the North American time zones at least. Before going any further a minor belated happy birthday to former 411 contributor Stewart Lange, who’s live at this event and who’s perspective I will be getting on things like reading the mood of the audience and who gets the loudest pop, stuff like that. This event is, well a very European one in that it features a lot of familiar faces from the UFC’s European league. The main event has some relevance in the welterweight division as Gunnar Nelson tries to string together enough impressive wins to make a title run, he’s taking on the surging Santiago Ponzinibbio who’s after the biggest win of his career. The recently debuted but now much hyped Cynthia Calvillo continues her assault on the strawweight division as she takes on Joanne Calderwood. Calderwood missed weight and has mentioned she’s moving up to flyweight permanently once the UFC gets that division going. Beyond that it’s a lot of fights that we all just hope are great in execution. This event comes to us from The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland with the UK commentary duo of John Gooden and Dan Hardy on the mic.

In your weekly update, the changes to the unified rules of MMA have been adopted by whatever body regulates Scottish MMA. So you need both palms or fists on the mat to be considered downed, or have a knee down of course, extending your hand with the fingers in any direction other than curled into a fist or pointing straight up at the ceiling is a foul, and the language around scoring is clearer including the criteria for a 10-8 round.

Leslie Smith has gone 3-3 in the UFC, trading wins and losses while doing so. She’s coming off of a win though and is looking for her first UFC winning streak. Amanda Lemos has never lost as a professional and was the most recent Jungle Fights bantamweight champion, she’s trying to remain unbeaten and make an immediate impact on the UFC audience. Smith’s veteran status has her a slight favorite at -200 against +160 for Lemos.

Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Amanda Lemos (6-0-1, 134 lbs.) vs. Leslie Smith (9-7-1, 135 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Smith is five inches taller but has just one inch of reach on Lemos. Smith feinting early, both women doing some circling and Lemos lands a heavy leg kick. Smith trying to back Lemos towards the fence, Lemos lands another couple of leg kicks then a bit of a one two. They trade rights and Lemos circles off of the fence. Another leg kick from Lemos. Lemos lands a right then a left hook. Lemos misses a wheel kick and slips as she does so, Smith jumps into her guard. Lemos scrambles back up, Smith lands a bit of an elbow then they trade knees to the body. Lemos lands a right as they break. Lemos lands a couple of lefts to the body. Smith trying to break Lemos with pressure. Lemos lands to the body, Smith gets the clinch and they trade body work, Lemos lands a couple of hooks as they break. Smith lands a bit of a right. Lemos lands a hard left body kick then a jab. Lemos eats a combination, Smith is just bulling forward. They trade in the clinch, Lemos lands a heavy leg kick then another one. That lead leg is giving a bit on Smith. They clinch up again, Lemos trips Smith down and lands in side control. Smith trying to explode off of the cage, can’t do it but does walk back to her feet, Lemos lands a knee to the body that’s a half second or so after the bell.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Lemos

ROUND TWO: Lemos opens up southpaw, lands a body kick and goes orthodox. They trade leg kicks, Smith still pushing forward and eating punches. Smith is basically hoping for Lemos to tire herself out hitting her. Lemos lands a bit of a combination. Lemos lands a couple of body kick, Smith returns one. Lemos ducks a right and lands a right of her own. Smith lands a combination along the fence, she just wont be deterred. Lemos lands a leg kick then a body kick. Another leg kick wobbles the lead leg of Smith but Smith powers close and starts teeing off along the fence. They RoadHouse it up a bit, Smith lands a bit of a left high kick. Lemos is gassed, Smith is patiently breaking her down along the fence. Smith with some elbows on the fenc and earns the standing TKO.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Leslie Smith via TKO, elbows, at 2:53 of Round 2

Smith just wouldn’t be deterred and Lemos wasn’t ready for that pace, she also couldn’t circle off of the fence to save her life. Smith on the mic now. She says the women’s division is the wild west and it takes four wins to get a title shot. She calls out Bethe Correia, says Correia has been building up the career of others and now she wants to build hers on her. She briefly mentions wanting a fighters union but thinks the Correia fight is a good one. She briefly puts over Lemos to close her interview.

Here’s the finish, Smith was just dogged in walking down and exhausting Lemos despite taking damage.

Brett Johns is undefeated and is coming off of a solid UFC debut, he’s hoping to extend that streak tonight and potentially get a step up in competition going forward. Albert Morales is coming off of his first UFC win, a split decision at that, he’s looking to unseat a hyped prospect and prove himself a possible force in the division. Johns is a notable -380 favorite to a +290 payout for a Morales win.

Bantamweight Bout: Brett Johns (13-0, 135 lbs.) vs. Albert Morales (7-1-1, 134 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Morales is two inches taller and has an inch of reach on Johns. Morales showing the jab early, lands a leg kick. Johns lands a counter right after taking a leg kick. Johns lands a left, Morales lands a couple of leg kicks. Johns tries a double leg, gets to the fence and gets Morales down. Johns trying to pass to half guard, Morales able to keep guard. Johns lands an elbow. Johns lands a couple of more elbows before Morales gets some control over his posture. Johns doing a good job of keeping posture and landing short elbows. Morales should be trying to wall walk, instead he’s half trying to set up a triangle or stall things out. Johns grabs a can opener to get his posture back and lands some rights to the body and head. A few more elbows from Johns, Morales doesn’t have a whole lot to offer here, he’s basically just defensive. And the round concludes in that position.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Johns

ROUND TWO: Morales flashing the jab again, Johns working his way close. Morales lands a jab. Morales lands a bit of a left hook, he’s keeping distance well and is circling here. Johns lands a right, Morales sprawls on a double leg attempt and lands a right. Johns lands a hard left to the body then a right. Johns after a double leg that stalls on the fence. Johns hits the double leg and lands in Morales’ guard again. Johns back to landing short elbows. Johns bleeding from the nose from I think the jabs of Morales. Johns passes to half guard, Morales fights back to full guard. Morales’ lack of wall walking is a little shocking here. Johns with consistent offense from top position, Morales still defensive. The round ends in the same position that round one ended in.

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

ROUND THREE: Morales lands a jab to open the third. Johns tries some kicks that are blocked, then he lands a long right. Morales still trying to circle and keep distance. Morales lands a left, Johns lands a right. Morales lands a right. Johns tries a knee tap, they hit the fence again. Morales bleeding around the left eyebrow, Johns locks his hands and gets a double leg against the fence yet again. Johns passes to half guard quickly this time. Morales to his knees, Johns has his back but just one hook in. Johns landing some rights while fighting to get both hooks in. Morales able to spin into him and get butterfly guard. Johns smothering and landing body shots. Morales trying to wall walk but Johns is attacking whichever arm he tries to post with and keeping him down. Johns after an arm triangle, he passes to the other side but the fence is keeping him from getting maximum torque. Johns is really just using his squeeze here and Morales has quarter guard to stop him from leveraging his weight. Johns to mount now and bails on the choke attempt to land a few blows as Morlaes hip escapes to half guard again. They talk to each other, trade a few punches as time runs down.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Johns, might be a 10-8 argument, 30-27 Johns overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Brett Johns via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-27 x2)

Two 10-8’s seems wrong to me, though again that third could easily have been. Johns on the mic now. He puts over Morales for taking the fight on two weeks notice and gets the crowd to applaud that. He says the time off has been tough, thanks his family and friends for putting up with him and supporting him. He puts over his celtic brothers in Scotland, Johns himself is Welsh, and says “square go like”, which Stewart Lange informs me means “do you want a fight” in the Glasgow vernacular, got a bit of a pop from the crowd. He wants to fight in Glasgow again as he’s had the time of his life in the city.

That’s it for Fight Pass, we’ll be on Fox Sports 1 for the rest of the event.

Danny Henry is making his UFC debut here, he’s the former two time EFC featherweight champion and is 7-1 in his last eight fights. Henry is up at lightweight for this one and hoping to continue his run of success. Daniel Teymur is also making his UFC debut, he’s the younger brother of UFC fighter David Teymur, and has yet to taste defeat. He’s trying to make a good first impression as well. Teymur is the favorite here at -205 while Henry’s comeback stands at +165.

Lightweight Bout: Danny Henry (10-2, 155 lbs.) vs. Daniel Teymur (6-0, 155 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Henry is seven inches taller, which is kind of insane, as well as four inches of reach on Teymur. They touch gloves to get things going. Henry circling early, Teymur lands a leg kick, then another one. Teymur lands a bit of a right. Henry lands a body kick and eats a counter right. They get close and trade rights, Teymur trying to flurry and blocks a double leg attempt from Henry. Teymur lands a hard right but eats a couple of counters. Henry lands a bit of a right, then they trade leg kicks. Teymur lands a combiantion then a few knees in the clinch before he breaks free. Teymur lands a right then a left. Henry lands a left body kick. Teymur lands a leg kick that gets Henry down, Henry lands an up kick and Teymur goes into his guard. Teymur can’t really get his posture, he stands out of the guard, lands a leg kick. Another couple of leg kicks from Teymur. Henry lands a bit of an up kick. The ref separates them and stands Henry back up. Teymur lands an inside leg kick. Henry trying southpaw, lands a bit of a high kick but takes another hard inside leg kick. Teymur lands a spinning back fist, Henry lands a couple of counters. They clinch up, Teymur has Henry on the fence. They break, Henry lands a jumping knee as the last relevant blow of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Teymur

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves again. Henry lands a bit of a right, Teymur seems the more technical striker and has a speed advantage. Teymur lands a couple of leg kicks. Teymur lands a right uppercut then a left hook, he tries that same combination a few too many times in a row and Henry rocks him with a straight right. Henry lands a left body kick, tries to push forward but Teymur grabs a clinch to slow him down. They break without incident. Teymur lands a bit of a combination, Henry tries a takedown along the cage. Henry after a single leg right now, Teymur blocks it, lands an elbow and spins Henry into the fence. Tehy trade elbows, Teymur lands a bit of a knee as they break. Henry lands an elbow, they’re both throwing standing elbow strikes. Henry lands a left hook that wobbles Teymur. Henry lands a right, gets him down and is in north-south position. Teymur to his knees, Henry riding him well and landing knees to the body. Henry can’t keep him down but lands a right as they break on the feet. Henry lands a right. Teymur is swinging wild now. Henry lands a right, they clinch and he lands a knee. Henry with rights to the body and head, Teymur drops and Henry is on top in half guard. Henry to full mount with thirty seconds left. Henry with rights to the head, elbows now as well. Teymur to his knees, Henry has the back and is after the choke. Teymur hand fights to hold on for the final ten seconds of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Henry, 19-18 Henry overall

ROUND THREE: Henry lands a jab to the body then a front kick to the body. Henry lands a left body kick then a knee to the body. Teymur lands a left to the body. Henry with a knee to the body then a right. Henry lands a jab, Teymur is visibly fatigued. Henry lands a right then a left, backs Teymur to the fence and lands a few punches. Henry drops for a double leg, switches to a single, back to a double and gets Teymur down. Teymur to his knees, Henry in the ride position. Henry lands rights to the head. Henry gets one hook in on the back, he’s got the choke, Teymur able to roll into it because he didn’t have both hooks in, but Henry is now in mount. Henry land some shoulder strikes. Henry with some body work, he’s trying to set up something but I’m not sure what. More rights to the body from Henry. Henry lands a bit of an elbow, Teymur finally trie shrimping but he’s too exhausted to work hard for it. Henry lands some more blows to the body and head. Teymur to a hip, Henry into the ride and Teymur is back to his knees. Henry rides him back down to his seat. Henry to the back, just one hook though and he lands lefts to the head. Both hooks in now for Henry, Teymur blocking the choke attempt. Henry tees off with punches, grabs the choke one more time but there’s no time to finish it before time expires.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Henry, 29-26 Henry overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Danny Henry via unanimous decision (29-26, 29-28 x2)

I might have been generous with that 10-8 in the second, but clear 10-8 in the third from my perspective, so nuts to those two judges who didn’t give him one. Henry on the mic, jokes about going back and eating soup because his jaw is sore. He puts over Teymur as having a tough first round but that just woke him up. He planned on Teymur slowing down after the first, he wanted to drag this deep and put a pace on him then get a stoppage. He thanks Teymur for taking the fight on short notice so he could still fight in his home country. He talks about what it means to be in the UFC, thanks Glasgow and says this was like a fair tale for him.

Some highlights here, a really solid fight to kick off the FS1 prelims.

Charlie Ward lost his UFC debut in just fifty three seconds, in what was also just his fifth professional fight. Ward needs a win here to keep his professional record above the .500 mark and help prove he deserves to be here on his own merits, not because of his association with Conor McGregor. Galore Bofando has only lost via disqualification, he’s a younger guy trying to make a good first impression on the UFC. The odds lean towards Bofando at -210 against +180 for Ward.

Welterweight Bout: Galore Bofando (4-2, 170 lbs.) vs. Charlie Ward (3-2, 169 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height while Ward has an inch and a half of reach on Bofando. Bofando fighting southpaw, opens with a side kick to the body. Bofando lands a body kick, he’s switching his stance now and lands a straight right. Left body kick from Bofando lands. Ward plodding a bit here, Bofando circling and sniping and distance with kicks. They both land lefts, clinch then break without much issue. Bofando misses a spinning back fist. Ward misses a left hook. Bofando lands a side kick to the body. Long left lands for Bofando. Ward pushes into the clinch and has Bofando on the fence. Bofando slings Ward face first into the canvas, Ward is basically out from that, the ref waits a bit too long and Bofando has to land a few hammer fists before the stoppage. Wicked throw from Bofando there.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Galore Bofando via KO, slam, at 2:10 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Bofando for his work this afternoon. Bofando on the mic, he says he’s glad to do something other than what people know him for, referencing his kicking game. His advice for the younger guys is never to give up on your dream, just keep pushing. He has no name to call out, leaves that to his coaches and plans on just continuing to fight and win.

Here’s the finish again, because slam KO’s are a rarity. Ward landed really bad on the side of his head.

Alexandre Pantoja (17-2) was one of the top flyweights outside of the UFC, he hasn’t lost since 2010 when he dropped a decision to Jussier Formiga. Pantoja had a successful UFC debut but is looking for an emphatic statement win here to move himself towards the top ten of the division and possibly title contention down the road. Neil Seery (16-12) is a veteran of the sport, and a pioneer for Irish MMA, but he’s at the end of the road here. Seery tried to retire against Ian McCall in Northern Ireland last year but McCall pulled out of that fight at the last minute, tonight will be his final hurrah and while it wont be in his native Ireland he’ll be trying to go out on a high note. The odds don’t favor him to do that, Pantoja is a significant -375 favorite while Seery’s chances of victory sit at +285.

Flyweight Bout: #14 Alexandre Pantoja (17-2, 125 lbs.) vs. Neil Seery (16-12, 125 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Pantoja is ten years younger, an inch taller and has three inches of reach on Seery. Touch of gloves to start things. Pantoja lands an inside leg kick then they trade rights. Seery lands a bit of a right hook, Pantoja lands a leg kick. Pantoja lands a right that off balances Seery. Pantoja lands a counter right then a leg kick. Seery lands a leg kick. Seery lands a right in close, Pantoja lands a leg kick. Seery lands a right to the body then a left hook. Pantoja lands a right that drops Seery for a second, Seery back up and lands a right. Pantoja lands a right then a left and just misses a head kick. Pantoja is reading the punches of Seery and countering. Pantoja lands a right, gets a clinch and lands hard knees to the body from a Thai clinch before Seery breaks free. Seery lands a left. Seery just misses a right hook. Seery lands in close, Pantoja lands a leg kick. Seery eats a right. Pantoja lands a bit of a leg kick. Seery lands a right. Seery lands a right to the body, and eats another leg kick. Pantoja lands a leg kick. Seery switching his stance now, lands a short right, then a left hook. Pantoja lands a right then a body kick. They clinch up again, and break without incident. Seery lands a left then a right, eats a right and the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Pantoja

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. They trade lefts quickly, Pantoja is pushing hard and gets a Thai clinch again. Pantoja with knees to the body and head, Seery fires back with uppercuts and elbows. More knees and elbows going back and forth. Pantoja with more knees to the body, he’s starting to break Seery’s posture. Seery sneaking elbows in whenever he can but he’s getting the worst of this position. They break without incident. Seery bleeding around the right eyebrow. Seery lands a right hook then a left hook. Seery lands a right, Pantoja pushes back to the clinch. Pantoja with knees to the body again, he might have gassed himself a little during their last exchange in this position. They trade as they break. Seery lands a bit of a right, then a straight left from southpaw. Pantoja is backing up, he’s fighting in flurries now he might be a little fatigued. They trade again, clinch, Pantoja lands a knee to the body as Seery spins free. Seery lands a right hook and a bit of a right uppercut. Seery working the jab, Pantoja lands a right. Seery lands a left hook in close, Pantoja’s defense is falling apart. Seery lands a combination and a leg kick. Seery lands a glancing left. Seery with rights and lefts to the body. Pantoja lands a couple of leg kicks. Seery lands a left right left in close. Pantoja lands a leg kick. They both miss rights, and Pantoja lands a leg kick at the end of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-10 DRAW, 20-19 Pantoja overall

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves again. Pantoja lands an inside leg kick, Seery fires back. We’ve got some brawling, Pantoja hits a double leg against the fence. Seery lands a few elbows from his back, Pantoja moves to half guard. Pantoja moves towards mount, stuck in quarter guard for the moment, then passes to full mount. Seery bucks to his knees, Pantoja gets his back and has a body triangle while looking for the choke. Pantoja after the choke, he gets under the chin and Seery has to tap.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Alexandre Pantoja via Submission, rear naked choke, at 2:31 of Round 3

The Final Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Pantoja for his work at this event. Pantoja on the mic now. He puts over Seery as an opponent, says the fight was good and he loves this style of fighting. He thanks Seery for the fight and thanks Scotland.

Seery gets an interview as well now. He says he wanted to go out on a win but felt it was his time to leave as his body was slowing down. He puts over the younger generation of fighters, thanks his coaches, the UFC, every sponsor over the years, and the fans.

Here’s the finish, really good hand fighting to set up the choke from Pantoja. Hand fighting like that is underappreciated in MMA, really sneaky set up going from arm to arm to finally get it.

Danny Roberts just had a seven fight winning streak snapped by Mike Perry, Roberts is trying to rebound here and prove he’s still a relevant fighter in the division. Bobby Nash lost his UFC debut when he was knocked out by Li Jingliang, he’s trying to rebound here and avoid what would be the first losing streak of his career. Roberts enjoys favored status at -190 to +155 on Nash.

Welterweight Bout: Bobby Nash (8-2, 170 lbs.) vs. Danny Roberts (13-2, 170 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Roberts is an inch taller while the reach is identical. Roberts fighting southpaw. Nash misses a high kick. Roberts lands a heavy body kick. They both miss body kicks, Roberts misses a left. Still trying to get a read on each other. Roberts lands an inside leg kick. Straight left lands for Roberts. More missed and blocked high kicks from each man. Roberts with another heavy body kick, Nash gets close and lands some body shots before Roberts breaks free. Roberts lands a right, eats a counter right. Roberts landing rights to the body, trying to set up to the head. Roberts lands a leg kick. Nash ducks a left and hits a double leg into the guard of Roberts. Nash passes to half guard, Roberts looking to wall walk. Roberts gets full guard back. Roberts now trying to hit a switch, bails on it but wall walks back up. Nash hits him a few times in the clinch, they break and Nash hits another double leg as Roberts over extends on a left. Nash to half guard quickly. Roberts rolls to his knees, Nash holding a front head lock, Nash after a d’arce but there’s no time to work on it as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Nash, 10-10 might be more accurate though

ROUND TWO: Nash opens with a few kicks that miss. Roberts misses a kick. Roberts lands a body kick. They trade leg kicks. Roberts lands a bit of a left in close. Roberts lands a body kick, eats a bit of a counter left though. Roberts blocks a double leg attempt, they’re clinched though and trade knees to the body before Nash gets Roberts on the fence. Roberts spins free. Roberts with another body kick, Nash returns it but Nash’s goes into the groin so we’ve got time. Replay confirms the shot to the groin. Roberts walks it off relatively quickly and we’re back to fighting. Both men still relying on kicks that are being blocked or just missed. Nash lands a bit of a right. Roberts lands a left. Nash blocks a takedown attempt, gets a front headlock and snaps Roberts down to the mat then spins for the back but Roberts is back up and Nash has to settle for a rear waist lock. Nash rides Roberts down, Roberts back up. Nash switches to a high crotch, Roberts blocks it and is able to spin him into the fence. Roberts holding a bit of a head lock, lands a few knees towards the head as Nash disengages. Roberts lands another heavy body kick. Roberts lands a left that drops Nash, a couple follow up blows prompt the stoppage.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Danny Roberts via KO, punches, at 3:59 of Round 2

Roberts on the mic now. He talks about his preparation, says he worked on relaxing and just fighting to his strengths and everyone knows he’s a crowd pleaser. He says he wanted to wrestle a bit more, but once they got going he knew he could find the openings and stay patient then get the finish. He talks us through the finish to close out his mic time.

That was well set up, note how the left body kick prompts the lower guard and opens up the looping left right to the chin. On that note we’re done with prelims, though we’re still on Fox Sports 1 for the main card.

James Mulheron brings a five fight winning streak into his UFC debut, he’s hoping to make an immediate impact as heavyweight is a division that could use talented fighters. Also making his UFC debut is Justin Willis. Willis hasn’t fought in a little over a year but could also enter his name into the ranks at heavyweight, it’s a thin division and a good performance could make a lot of people pay attention. Willis is a slight -190 favorite against +155 on Mulheron’s comeback.

Heavyweight Bout: James Mulheron (10-1, 240 lbs.) vs. Justin Willis (4-1, 264 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Willis is three inches taller, has five inches of reach on Mulheron and of course is twenty four pounds heavier. Touch of gloves, Willis fighting southpaw. Willis lands an inside leg kick. Mulheron lands an inside leg kick of his own. Willis lands a body kick. Willis lands a straight left to counter an inside leg kick. Mulheron lands a right to the body. Willis lands another straight left and evads a counter. Willis again lands a straight left, the fact that he’s punching straighter is letting him land first and then avoid a counter from Mulheron. Mulheron lands a right to the body. They both fall short with punches. Willis lands a short left. Mulheron again with a right to the body, he eats a bit of a counter left. Willis hits a knee tap and lands in half guard. Willis lands a few rights, Mulheron to the fence and a knee, then back up and we’re clinched. They break without incident. Willis extending his fingers towards Mulheron, surprised the ref hasn’t warned them both for that at this point. Mulheron lands a right to the body, Willis lands a left. Mulheron lands another right to the body. Willis ducks a right and lands a right hook. They’re both swining with power but both miss as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Willis

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves for the second round, and Mulheron wastes time with a spinning back kick. Willis lands a front kick to the body. Willis lands an inside leg kick. Willis lands a counter left then a right. Willis countering well enough so far, but neither man being terribly proactive. Mulheron is the one fading faster in terms of cardio, but these are heavyweights so I expect Willis to follow him after another couple of minutes. Willis lands a straight left. Commentary tells me that the ref warned Willis between rounds about the extended fingers, good for him. Mulheron lands a right to the body. Willis lands an inside leg kick. This has gotten pretty ugly, Mulheron lands a bit of a spinning back fist then a right to the body. Willis ducks a right, ducks a spinning back fist, and gets a body lock takedown into half guard. Willis trying to isolate the far arm for an americana, it’s high enough to be more of a key lock but Mulheron gets his arm free. Mulheron scoots to the fence, Willis lands a few lefts. Willis has caught one of Mulheron’s arms behind his back, hand cuffed, and he’s landing some lefts to the head as the round ends.

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

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves for the last round. Both guys fatigued, Mulheron still the worse of the two. Willis lands an inside leg kick. They get close, Mulheron trying to instigate a brawl in close quarters. They both miss a few punches. Willis lands a short right in close. They both miss rights. Willis lands a left. Willis ducks a right, lands a bit of a short right of his own. They trade body shots, clinch, then both miss as they separate. Willis lands a couple of short lefts, Mulheron lands a left of his own. Willis circling while Mulheron plods after him, no semblance of cage cutting here. Mulheron lands a right to the body. They clinch up again, and Willis has Mulheron on the fence. Mulheron spins Willis into the cage. Mulheron digs some body shots, Willis is able to spin him then drops for a single leg. Willis hits the takedown into a loose half guard. Mulheron trying to wall walk, Willis riding him. Willis has a rear waist lock as Mulheron stands. Mulheron breaks the grip and they’re chest to chest again. Mulheron spins Willis, they jockey for position and time expires with a missed right from Mulheron.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Mulheron, 29-28 Willis overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Justin Willis via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Well that was fifteen minutes I’ll never get back. Willis on the mic, are we long on time or something? Willis puts over Mulheron, says he’s jet lagged and puts over Mulheron again as tough. Willis, who’s interview is being cut off after every other word or so, says he fights like himself and likes to find his mojo in each fight.

Khalil Rountree finally got his first UFC win his last time out, bringing his UFC record to 1-2. Rountree has serious power and light heavyweight needs prospects so the UFC is trying to build him up, but he can’t afford to go 1-3 in his first four fights as that could easily lead to him being cut. Paul Craig suffered his first professional loss his last time out but he’s trying to rebound from that here and prove that he’s a prospect worth watching in the division. The odds lean towards Rountree at -175 to +145 for Craig.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Paul Craig (9-1, 204 lbs.) vs. Khalil Rountree (5-2, 203 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Craig is two and a half inches taller, Rountree has half an inch of reach on him though. Rountree fighting southpaw. Craig circling early, lands a few leg kicks. Rountree trying to counter with a left but he’s falling short. Rountree backing Craig into the fence but he’s not found the target yet with his left. Rountree lands a bit of a left to counter a leg kick. Rountree blocks a head kick and just misses a couple of counters. Craig lands a bit of an inside leg kick. Rountree misses three or four punches. Rountree lands a straight left. Rountree lands a bit of a left after they both miss some stuff. Rountree lands a left uppercut, blocks a takedown and lands a body kick. Craig lands a body kick. Rountree blocks a high kick. Craig lands a solid body kick. Rountree lands a short left uppercut, drops Craig and lands a few follow up blows with time winding down to finish him off.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Khalil Rountree via KO, punches, at 4:56 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Rountree for his work this evening. Rountree on the mic after that one. He thanks his coaches for getting him ready and making him what he is today. He says he had no game plan, he just prepares and then takes appropriate action in the cage.

Here’s the finish, a well set up short left uppercut in close quarters once he’d established that Craig would duck to avoid his overhand.

Jack Marshman just had a seven fight winning streak snapped when he lost to Thiago Santos. Marshman is trying to rebound here and prove he’s still a worthwhile addition to the UFC’s roster. Ryan Janes is also coming off of a loss in the UFC, he was submitted by Gerald Meerschaert. He’s also trying to rebound and prove he deserves his spot on the roster. Marshamn is the biggest favorite on the card at a whopping -550 while a potential +375 payout on a Janes upset has to tempt a few gamblers out there.

Middleweight Bout: Ryan Janes (9-2, 185 lbs.) vs. Jack Marshman (21-6, 185 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Janes is three inches taller and has three and a half inches of reach on Marshman. Janes circling early, Marshman looking to close distance. Both men probing so far, Janes using front kicks to try and maintain distance. Marshman looking to slide into range and tee off with punches. Marshman lands a right to the body. Janes lands a body kick and eats a left. Marshman lands a left to the body, he’s keeping Janes very near the fence. Marshman lands a couple of hooks. Janes lands a left body kick, Marshman lands a left uppercut. Marshman lands a right. Janes lands a bit of a right. Marshman lands another left, kind of a shovel punch. Marshman lands a leg kick. Janes lands a bit of a right, Marshman lands a three punch combination. Marshamn lands a leg kick and a bit of a left. Janes doing a decent job of slipping and countering, Marshman struggling with the specifics of the distance. Marshman lands a couple of lefts, Janes returns fire and both land flush. They both land and clinch up, where the round comes to a close.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Marshman

ROUND TWO: Janes back to circling, Marshman trying to cut him off. Marshman has swelling under and around his right eye. Marshman lands a lunging left hook. Marshman lands a right to the body. Janes lands a left. Marshman lands another right to the body. Marshman lands a double jab. Both guys still struggling with the range, they’re falling just short most of the time. Marshman lands a left to the body. Janes lands a right. Marshman lands a leg kick then a bit of a combination. Marshman lands a right, Janes gets the clinch though and has Marshman on the cage. Janes with some knees to the body. A few punches going back and forth, but not much really going on. Marshman lands an elbow, and another. Janes with some rights to the body. They break without much issue. Marshman lands a left to the body. Marshman lands a left hook, Janes lands a knee to the body. The round ends with a leg kick from Marshman.

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

ROUND THREE: Janes circling again. They trade rights in close. Janes still circling, Marshman not cutting him off as much as I’d like. Janes lands a left hook. Marshman lands a right to the body, Janes lands a body kick. Marshman lands a left to the body, Janes lands a jab. They trade rights. They clinch up, Janes working rights to the body and head before Marshman breaks free. We get time as Marshman lost his mouthpiece, they rinse it and we’re back to fighting. Janes lands a left hook. They trade some lefts, Janes landed better. Janes pushing forward, lands a right and they clinch again. Janes lands on the break, still just walking Marshman down. Janes lands a counter left, and the round ends in a loose clinch.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Janes, 29-28 Marshman overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Jack Marshman via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Well, I’m sure the UFC will try to play that as a war but I was a tad non plussed. Marshman on the mic, says he worked the body but Janes came on strong in the third and got a good round on him. He says Janes did a good job of avoiding the second shot after taking the first. He was a tad surprised that Janes never went for a takedown but his jiu-jitsu is pretty good for MMA. He puts over Janes as having a good chin.

Stevie Ray is 5-1 in the UFC and on a two fight winning streak. Ray has an opportunity here to move from talented prospect towards legitimate contender. Paul Felder has been hot and cold in the UFC but is 3-1 in his last four fights, that loss to Francisco Trinaldo, and is coming off of a win. Felder needs a win here to earn another step up in competition and prove he’s found some consistency in the UFC. Ray is a slight favorite here at -190 to +155 for Felder.

Lightweight Bout: Paul Felder (13-3, 154 lbs.) vs. Stevie Ray (21-6, 155 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Felder is an inch taller and has half an inch of reach on Ray. Touch of gloves, Ray fighting souhtpaw. Ray circling, Felder lands a front kick to the body. They trade inside leg kicks. Felder lands a right to the body. Ray lands a straight left. They clinch up, trade some knees to the body and Ray gets Felder on the fence. Ray drops for a double leg, Felder is able to block that. They jockey for position. Felder lands a knee to the body. Ray lands an elbow. Felder drops for a double leg, blocked. Felder lands an elbow then they trade knees to the body. Felder lands a knee to the head, Ray is down, Felder is trying to swarm him. Ray gets full guard, Felder passes to half guard. Felder lands an elbow. A couple more elbows from Felder put Ray out on the mat.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Paul Felder via KO, elbows, at 3:57 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Felder for his work at this event. Ray was out when he hit the mat after that knee, he recovered enough to get elbowed into oblivion. Felder on the mic now. His father passed just a week before his training camp started, he’s wearing some of his ashes in a necklace around his neck. He talks about that, puts over Ray and thanks the fans for being awesome and says he knows Ray will go on to great things. He puts over Ray again as a polished striker and good submission guy, and talks about being prepared for that.

Here’s the knee and finish. Really the knee ended it, but those elbows on the mat were absolutely vicious.

Joanne Calderwood missed weight for this fight, her first time doing so, and has been very vocal about moving up to flyweight once the UFC has that division up and running as the cut to strawweight takes a lot out of her. Calderwood is 3-2 in the UFC and trying to avoid the first losing streak of her career. Cynthia Calvillo is undefeated including two wins in the UFC but Calderwood is the best fighter she’s faced, she’s trying to prove she’s going to be a force in the division for years to come with what would be the biggest win of her career here. The odds lean towards Calvillo at -185 against +150 on Calderwood’s comeback.

Strawweight Bout: #8 Joanne Calderwood (11-2, 118 lbs.) vs. #14 Cynthia Calvillo (5-0, 116 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Calderwood is two inches taller and has an inch and a half of reach on Calvillo. Circling to start, Calderwood backing Calvillo up early. Calvillo showing the jab, Calderwood lands a left body kick. Calvillo tries a takedown, Calderwood spins free and lands a leg kick. Calvillo lands a right to the body. Calderwood lands a bit of a front kick to the body. Calvillo still circling, Calderwood sniping at the inside of the lead leg. Calvillo lands a bit of a right. Calvillo turning well so far, angling away from Calderwoods offense. Calderwood lands an inside leg kick. Calderwood lands a body kick, Calvillo lands a right to the body. Calderwood landing a lead leg front kick to the body pretty regularly through this round. Calderwood lands a bit of a right. Calvillo tries a double leg, gets Calderwood down and has the back with one hook in. Both hooks in now for Calvillo but Calderwood spins into her. Calvillo after an armbar, Calderwood blocks but Calvillo sweeps into top position and tries to extend the arm as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Calvillo

ROUND TWO: Calderwood pushing forward early this round. Calderwood landing front kicks to the body. Calvillo circling, trying to find an angle to attack from. Calvillo lands a right to the body then a left to the head. Calderwood lands a leg kick. Calderwood bleeding from the nose, she’s still landing straight kicks to the body. Calvillo lands a bit of a left. Calvillo gets kicked off of her feet for a moment but she’s back up quickly. Calderwood still kicking the body. Calvillo blocks a couple of kicks, tries a double leg but Calderwood blocks it and lands a body kick. Calvillo lands a left hook. They both spin at the same time, Calderwood’s landed and off balanced Calvillo for a second. Calderwood avoids a right. Calvillo is limited on the feet, a lot of short rights to the body hoping to set up a left hook. Calderwood lands a body kick. Calderwood lands a leg kick. Calvillo lands a right in close, and Calderwood just has a head kick blocked to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Calderwood, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves for the last round. Calderwood is pushing forward, lands a body kick. Calvillo circling but taking body kicks at distance. Calderwood lands a bit of a right. Calvillo lands a right to the body. Calderwood evades a high kick and lands a leg kick. Calderwood blocks a takedown attempt and lands a leg kick. Calvillo lands a right to the body but she’s just chopping with the follow up left, not actually committing to it. Calderwood misses a few high kicks. Calvillo misses some punches but lands a leg kick. Calderwood lands a leg kick. Calderwood lands an elbow as Calvillo was charging forward. Calderwood lands a head kick, Calvillo lands a glancing right. Calderwood just misses a spinning back kick. Calderwood lands a bit of a left. Calderwood blocks a takedown attempt. Calvillo lands a bit of a left. Calderwood lands a body kick. Calvillo reaches for a single and trips Calderwood down. Calvillo into the ride position, gets the back with both hooks in during a quick scramble. Calvillo after the choke, she’s under the chin but time runs down and prevents the tap.

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

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

I disagree with 30-27 but it’s hardly criminal. Calvillo on the mic now, the crowd booing relentlessly. She says this was a fight she needed to win, that she’ll fight to win on her own terms, then says that she loves Scotland despite them not liking her right now. She puts over Calderwood and says she’s here and will only get better.

And that would be the danger of putting the hometown attraction in the co-main, especially if the main doesn’t have defined stakes or a ton of promotion, a lot of people might try to beat the traffic and head out.

Gunnar Nelson has only lost twice in the UFC and is currently on a two fight winning streak, despite holding a top ten ranking he hasn’t generated a ton of upward mobility in the division. Nelson needs a win here to potentially enter his name into the title picture, or at least into a title eliminator type of fight. Santiago Ponzinibbio is on a four fight winning streak and has a big opportunity here, Nelson is the highest ranked opponent he’s faced in the UFC and a win would launch him into the top rankings. Nelson is a slight -175 favorite to +145 on Ponzinibbio.

Welterweight Bout: #8 Gunnar Nelson (16-2-1, 170 lbs.) vs. #14 Santiago Ponzinibbio (24-3, 171 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Ponzinibbio is an inch taller and has an inch of reach on Nelson. They touch gloves to get us going. Circling from both men. Nelson lands a bit of a right uppercut, Ponzinibbio backs up to regain his wits. Nelson lands a hopping left. Nelson lands a leg kick. Ponzinibbio rocks Nelson with a right, a left follow up floors him and this one is over.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Santiago Ponzinibbio via KO, punches, at 1:22 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Ponzinibbio for his work this evening. Ponzinibbio on the mic after that one, biggest win of his career. He puts over Nelson and says this was a big test for him. He showed up to do his job and take on the best fighters in the world. He trained hard for this, puts over Nelson again, says he was patient and found his shot. He thanks his team for getting him here, thanks the fans for believing in him as well. He says finishing with the power jab was important, as well as just taking his time and finding his distance. Asked who’s next, he says he’s the best striker in the division and he will be the next champion, he says he’s ready for anything and everyone in the UFC. He switches to Spanish to thank some people back home, specifically his family and a few people by name. He does his own translation, mostly thanking people in Argentina and USA for their support. He talks about living on the street but working hard to get to this spot, switches to Portuguese I think to finish up. Might have still been Spanish, his accent makes it hard for me to tell.

Here’s the finish to that one, Ponzinibbio reads the wide guard of Nelson and lands a good straight right as he tried to lunge forward. After that he pinned him on the fence, again read the wide guard and landed straight punches to drop him and end his night.

Alright everyone, that’s it for Fight Night 113. Thank you for being here, be that live or after the fact. I know just how many outlets you have for this kind of content and am eternally grateful for your support. I’ll be hosting the 411 Ground and Pound Radio Show in a couple of hours at 8pm eastern standard time, we’ll review this card and preview Saturday’s UFC on FOX 25 card. I’ll be back on Saturday for that event, I hope you’ll all be there as well. Until then thanks again for being here, stay safe out there and keep checking 411mania for all of your pop culture needs.

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