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411’s UFC Fight Night 107 Report 3.18.17

March 18, 2017 | Posted by Robert Winfree

Hello everyone and welcome to 411mania’s LIVE coverage of UFC Fight Night 107. I’m Robert Winfree and I’ll be your host for the duration, barring some entirely unforeseeable issues of course. Thanks for being here if you’re reading live for this late morning/early afternoon show, depending on which time zone you live in, as the UFC gives us this Fight Pass exclusive card. The main event is quite relevant to the light heavyweight landscape as the UFC has jettisoned high level light heavyweight’s like Phil Davis and Ryan Bader to try and get the younger generation of fighters closer to the title, because nothing improves your division like removing top fighters to make the path towards the top easier, as Jimi Manuwa takes on Corey Anderson and the winner could be relatively close to a title shot depending on how a few things shake out over the next few months. Also on this card Brad Pickett will retire and is trying to go out on a win, Joseph Duffy is hoping to end his current deal with a win to wind up in a better negotiating spot for a new one. I’m hoping for a good night of fights, even if there’s not a lot to get excited about on paper. This event comes to the world from the O2 Arena in London, England and has the underrated commentary duo of John Gooden and Dan Hardy calling the action. Of note is that the new Unified Rules of MMA are in effect here, so the new scoring language and definition of a grounded opponent are in play.

About an hour before the scheduled start time of 1:30pm ET the fight between Ian Entwistle and Brett Johns was called off after Entwistle had to go to the hospital. And at the top of the card they announce that the fight between Breese and Bamgbose is off as well as Breese was declared unfit to fight. WTF is up with this card? Due to those cancellations the first fight will start in about 10 minutes rather than at the original time. Let’s hope that’s the last fight to fall out, though guys have injured themselves warming up before.

Lina Lansberg had a six fight winning streak snapped when she made her UFC debut and was crushed by Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino. Lansberg is now back at bantamweight and hoping to return to the winning side of things against a fighter more her level. Lucie Pudilova is making her UFC debut and brings a three fight winning streak with her. These two fought back in 2015 and Lansberg emerged victorious, Pudilova is after some revenge as well as the first UFC win. Lansberg’s prior victory has her ahead in the odds at -350 against +265 for Pudilova.

Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Lina Lansberg (6-2, 135 lbs.) vs. Lucie Pudilova (6-1, 133 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Pudilova is an inch taller and has two inches of reach on her, Pudilova is also thirteen years younger. Lansberg moving forward and gets the clinch and they jockey for position along the fence. Lansberg has Pudilova on the fence and is trying to work knees to the body. Lansberg with some more knees but not enough action for the ref and he restarts them at distance. Pudilova lands a couple of jabs. Pudilova lands a right, she’s moving a lot more now. They both miss as Lansberg gets a clinch but Pudilova lands a knee to the body and gets Lansberg on the fence. Lansberg lands a knee then they break and Pudilova lands a body kick. Pudilova lands a right and they clinch again, Pudilova has Lansberg on the fence. They trade a few more knees and uppercuts then break. Pudilova lands a bit of a head kick and then follows up, Lansberg was a tad stunned there. Pudilova has a body kick caught, they clinch and more knees back and forth as Pudilova gets Lansberg on the cage. Pudilova lands a few rights but Lansberg spins her and lands a knee to the head then an elbow. Lansberg tries a foot sweep, Pudilova stays upright. Lansberg hits a few knees to the body. Pudilova lands a body kick as they break then a push kick at the horn.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Pudilova but a close round

ROUND TWO: Pudilova misses a leg kick and Lansberg falls short with a few counters. Lansberg catches a body kick, lands a knee to the body and they break. Lansberg lands a body kick then a glancing head kick. Pudilova lands a body kick. They clinch again, Lansberg lands a knee to the body and has Pudilova on the fence. Lansberg hits a couple of knees to the body, Pudilova spins her and then disengages. Lansberg lands a left hook then they trade jabs. Another clinch and some more knees traded. They break without incident. Lansberg lands a bit of a body kick then a front kick to the body. Pudilova trying to get her jab going, they clinch again and Pudilova breaks with a combination that makes Lansberg shoot a bad single leg attempt that stalls on the fence. Pudilova is holding the neck but Lansberg completes the single leg and lands in guard. Pudilova trying for a triangle position, Lansberg breaks that position and lands an elbow. Lansberg trying to work her posture, lands a right. Pudilova tries to elevate Lansberg, nothing comes of it, Lansberg lands a right as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Lansberg, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Both women are tiring a bit at this point. They trade some jabs and Lansberg lands a bit of a right. Lansberg lands an elbow, Pudilova lands a jab. Lansberg’s right eye is bruising from all the jabs she’s taken and I’m sure the head fighting in the clinch didn’t help that. They clinch then break and Pudilova lands a hard one two then another but Lansberg is after the single leg again. Pudilova is trying to defend against the fence, Lansberg is bleeding from the nose I think. Pudilova still defending and landing punches and short elbows. More of those elbows and Lansberg disengages then eats a jab. Lansberg’s face is swollen and she’s on the back foot. Pudilova eats a right but fires back with a right of her own. Lansberg tries for a double leg this time. Pudilova trying to defend but her base is too close together though Lansberg is bending at the waist and not at her knees to try and finish it. Lansberg bails on the double leg and settles for the clinch. Lansberg gets the rear waist lock but Pudilova breaks the grip and lands a body kick. Technique is going out the window and Pudilova is trying to break her down. Lansberg’s right eye is seriously swollen at this point, Pudilova lands a one two combination. They trade rights. Short right from Pudilova lands, Lansberg plodding forward but she’s getting countered and angled on. Pudilova lands a right then a one two as the last blows of the round.

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

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Lina Lansberg via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Whole thing hinges on round 1 as 2 and 3 were pretty obvious. I disagree, and the crowd boos, but it was all about one close round so there’s only so much complaining that can be done. Lansberg’s right eye is a mess, and the first thing she says on the mic is that she thinks Pudilova was the winner and she raises Pudilova’s hand. She puts over Pudilova as someone to watch going forward, Hardy asks if there might be a third fight and Lansberg seems somewhat agreeable. She says she enjoys getting into wars like this but she should probably be more technical. She reiterates that Pudilova has a brilliant future ahead of her. Pudilova is clearly very bummed about this one, don’t blame her as I thought she won and at a minimum she closed much stronger.

Just in case I didn’t mention it, Lansberg’s right eye was a mess after that last round.

Bradley Scott has been trading wins and losses in the UFC, going 2-3 in the process, and he needs a win tonight to get his UFC record back to .500 and avoid the first losing streak of his career. Scott Askham has also traded wins and losses while going 2-3 and is coming off of a loss. The loser here will have hit their first losing streak professionally. The odds are close but lean Askham at -155 to +125 on Scott.

Middleweight Bout: Scott Askham (14-3, 185 lbs.) vs. Brad Scott (10-4, 185 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Askham has two inches of height on Scott but Scott has a longer reach by one inch. Askham fighting southpaw, and they touch gloves to get things going. Scott flashing the jab and moving forward, Askham circling. Askham lands a body kick and a bit of a left. Another body kick from Askham lands. Scott lands a calf kick. Another low calf kick from Scott lands, he’s timing those when Askham’s movements so he takes the brunt of them. Askham lands a body kick and a bit of a left. Scott lands a counter right that drops Askham but Askham regains his feet quickly. Scott backing Askham towards the fence but can’t land yet. Askham lands a body kick and a bit of a right hook. Scott again with that low leg kick, Askham lands an inside leg kick. Scott kicks the calf again, Askham is limping a little on that lead leg now. Askham lands a body kick then another one but he’s much less mobile at this point. Askham misses a couple of blows, Scott lands a right then a right uppercut. Askham lands a left and Scott lands a left to the body. Scott lands an inside leg kick then a couple of heavy rights and they clinch. Askham avoids a misdirection takedown attempt but is still on the fence. Askham doesn’t let Scott get free and Askham lands a couple of hard knees to the body and Scott has to push him back to the fence and break the Thai clinch. Askham spins Scott into the fence and lands a knee to the body. They spend the last ten seconds jockeying for position in the clinch.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Scott

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves for the second round. Askham misses a couple of punches, Scott stalking forward. Askham fakes a knee tap takedown and misses an uppercut then lands a front kick to the body. Scott lands an inside leg kick and eats a bit of a counter left. Askham lands a body kick. Scott kicks the calf again and they trade in close quarters. Askham lands a right uppercut then a left. Scott tries another leg kick but Askham times a knee tap and trips Scott down. Askham on top in half guard but Scott is back up quickly and breaks free. Askham lands a jab then a glancing high kick. Askham lands a body kick then a left. Askham lands a leg kick, Scott returns it to the calf and Askham has to switch his stance. Askham is clearly compromised on that right leg. They trade lefts. Askham still fighting orthodox to protect that right leg. Askham lands a body kick. Scott is kicking the other leg now, he doesn’t care which one he lands on. Askham with a couple of body kicks but he’s not twisting his hips into them. Scott with another leg kick but Askham kicks his body. They trading in close, Askham lands a good punch and Scott is a little wobbled. Askham lands a head kick to wobble Scott, Scott swings wild but mostly misses as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Askham, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: They high five to get the final round going. Askham lands a body kick. Scott moving forward again, Askham using some push kicks to keep distance. Scott lands a bit of a leg kick. Askham lands a leg kick. Askham lands another body kick, Scott is struggling to close distance this round. Askham has a head kick blocked and Scott lands a one two. Askham lands a few jabs. Askham avoids a leg kick. Askham lands a left hook then a right. Jabs go back and forth. Scott blocks a head kick and lands a leg kick. Askham lands a bit of a body kick then a jab. Askham lands a head kick but there wasn’t much on it. Scott lands a left to the body then a right to the face. Askham lands another body kick. Scott lands a jab then a long right after a delay. Askham lands a long left. Another body kick from Askham, Scott responds with a left hook. Askham back to southpaw now. Askham lands a bit of a left, Scott just misses a wicked counter shot. Askham with another body kick. Scott lands to the body. They both land rights, Scott lands another right as time runs out.

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

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

No issues there really, fun little brawl. Scott on the mic now, he says he knew he could get Askham with the calf kick but he didn’t expect Askham to fight as well from orthodox as he did. He says he wanted a finish and hopes for a bonus then thanks the crowd and says they’re the reason they fight. He doesn’t care who he fights next and thanks his new camp for all the work in him they put in.

Marc Diakiese is unbeaten and has gone 2-0 in the UFC, he’s trying to make that 3-0 and get a step up in competition for his next outing. Teemu Packalen is 1-1 in the UFC and coming off of a win, if he can had Diakiese his first professional loss he’ll prove himself a fighter to watch going forward. Diakiese is the favorite here at -225 while Packalen would pay out at +175.

Lightweight Bout: Marc Diakiese (11-0, 155 lbs.) vs. Teemu Packalen (8-1, 155 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Packalen is three inches taller and has two and a half inches of reach on Diakiese. Diakiese opens up with a leg kick then a jumping back kick that misses. Diakiese lands a spinning back kick to the body, Packalen is moving forward now and trying to close distance. Diakiese lands a fade away right, Packalen is out on his feet for a few seconds then falls like a tree and this is all over.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Marc Diakiese via KO, punch, at :30 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Diakiese for his work this evening. Good grief what a finish for Diakiese. Diakiese on the mic now, Dan Hardy jokes that he gave him grief about the red mohawk and said he could only keep if if he got a faster finish in this arena than Hardy did back in the day, and he just did. Diakiese promises to go all the way to the top. He puts over his coaches and then warns that anyone who comes forward on him will get knocked out. He puts over American Top Team again and says again that he’s the best. Asked who he wants next he says that was too easy, he wants on the upcoming July card or the Stockholm card because he’s the best. Here’s basically that whole fight, there’s a bit of time to kill before the next fight so enjoy the replay.

Leon Edwards is 4-2 in the UFC and currently riding a two fight winning streak. He’s also coming off of a big win over Albert Tumenov, if he can extend that streak to three here he’ll be in prime position to challenge for a top fifteen spot in his next fight. Vicente Luque is on a four fight winning streak and has finished all of those, if he can get to five in a row tonight he’ll also be in a position to crack the top fifteen sooner rather than later. Luque is favored at -140 to +110 on Edwards.

Welterweight Bout: Leon Edwards (12-3, 169 lbs.) vs. Vicente Luque (11-5-1, 169 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Edwards is an inch taller but Luque has an inch and a half of reach on him. Edwards fighting southpaw. Some dancing around from both men, Luque lands a bit of a leg kick. They trade in close and both land hard lefts but Edwards landed better. Edwards lands a body kick and just avoids a right. Luque lands a bit of a left hook. Luque backing Edwards towards the fence, they clinch up and Luque avoids a takedown attempt and pushes Edwards over, Edwards wall walks very quickly but is still on the fence. Luque tries a single leg, Edwards sprawls out and spins Luque into the cage. Edwards looking for trips, Luque staying upright and he spins Edwards. They break without incident. Edwards sliding forward with the jab now, lands a body kick. Edwards has a head kick blocked, Luque lands a hook in close and Edwards reaches for a takedown but Luque counters and lands on top in half guard. Luque passes to side control, Edwards quickly scrambles to full guard. Luque passes to side control, settles for half guard after Edwards got his hips involved. Luque setting up for a choke of some kind, I can’t quite make out the hand position. Edwards is able to keep his neck safe. Luque is into side control now, Edwards to his knees and Luque looks towards a Peruvian necktie, settles for a knee to the body just as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Luque

ROUND TWO: Luque opens up southpaw this round. They both miss lefts, they clinch and Luque has Edwards on the fence. Luque is after a single leg, Edwards hits a switch to get a front head lock and he’s setting up for a d’arce choke. Luque keeping his neck out of danger though and Edwards can’t get him to a hip. Luque is able to spin Edwards into the fence and is after a takedown of his own. Luque holding a single leg, Edwards defending and the ref separates them after they stalled out a bit. Edwards lands a body kick. Edwards tries a jumping knee that’s blocked but he’s got the clinch now and is looking for a body lock takedown, he gets it and lands in half guard. Edwards lands a couple of lefts. The ref stands them up, not sure I agree with that one. Edwards lands a body kick. Edwards ducks a right and tries a double leg but Luque is able to defend against the fence. Edwards lands a knee to the body. The round comes to a close in the clinch.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Edwards, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Luque looks the more tired party coming into the third. Edwards lands a body kick, Luque pushing forward and they trade a bit before Luque gets the clinch and has Edwards on the fence. Edwards slips around to the back but can’t hold it and Luque spins into him and is after another takedown. Luque tries a single leg, Edwards hits another switch and spins towards the back. Edwards can’t secure the position, Luque turns into him and is after a double leg but Edwards posts and regains his feet then lands a couple of body shots and head shots then back to the body as they break. Edwards tees off for a moment then tries a double leg that Luque defends. Edwards digs the body again as they break and he keeps landing consistent one two combinations while Luque covers up, Edwards lands a body kick and backs off. Edwards lands a short right hook. Luque kind of plodding forward, Edwards tries a double leg again but can’t quite finish it. Edwards can’t finish a single leg and Luque spins free. Luque lands a looping right and starts digging lefts to the body as Edwards covers up on the fence. Edwards fires back and lands a body kick. Luque lands a body kick but Edwards catches it and gets a takedown into the guard of Luque where the fight will end.

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

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Leon Edwards via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Edwards on the mic now. He says he saw the opening for the body kick during tape study. He says he felt he was better on the ground and puts over his coaches. He reiterates that he felt he was better everywhere than Luque. He thanks the fans for being here and remembers being in the stands as a fan when Manuwa fought Gustafsson and promised himself he’d be in here one day. He wants a top fifteen guy on a July card, specifically says he’d like to fight Donald Cerrone in Glasgow.

Daniel Omielanczuk is 4-3 in the UFC but just had a three fight winning streak snapped when he was bested by Stefan Struve, he’s trying to stay above .500 here and prove he’s still a top caliber heavyweight. Timothy Johnson might have the best facial hair in the UFC he’s also just 2-2 in the UFC and coming off of a close split decision loss to Alexander Volkov. Johnson is trying to avoid the first losing streak of his career and defend his higher ranking from Omielanczuk. Johnson has a slight -185 edge in the odds to Omielanczuk’s +150.

Heavyweight Bout: #12 Timothy Johnson (10-3, 264 lbs.) vs. #15 Daniel Omielanczuk (19-6-1 1 NC, 240 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Johnson is three inches taller and has three and a half inches of reach on Omielanczuk, he’s also a little over twenty pounds heavier. Touch of gloves to get the big guys going. Omielanczuk lands a long right then a leg kick. Both men are southpaw at the moment, Johnson slips and lands a counter right. Omielanczuk lands a bit of a combination, he’s circling and looking to blitz with a combination and avoid counters. Omielanczuk lands a left to the body. Omielanczuk lands a leg kick. Johnson stalking forward, lands a bit of a right. Omielanczuk lands an uppercut and a leg kick. Omielanczuk is moving very well relative to his opponent. Johnson bulls forward and lands a right then gets the clinch on the fence. Johnson lands some knees to the thigh. Johnson lands a knee to the body. Johnson lands some rights. Omielanczuk lands a knee to the body. More knees to the thigh and hip from Johnson but the ref wants more action so he breaks them up. Omielanczuk lands a long left to the body. Leg kick from Omielanczuk but Johnson counters with a combination and has the clinch again. Johnson after a takedown, can’t finish it but he’s still got Omielanczuk on the cage. Johnson lands knees to the thigh, they both flurry a bit as they break and the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Johnson

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves for the second round. Omielanczuk lands a body kick. Johnson eats a leg kick, Omielanczuk circling a lot. They trade rights, Johnson landed better. Johnson pushes forward and lands a series of rights then a left before he gets the clinch. Johnson with some knees, one of those rights opened up around the nose of Omielanczuk. Actually that’s under the left eye, far enough down not to be a big issue as long as it doesn’t open up more. Johnson working short blows, Omielanczuk firing back but he can’t get free. Johnson lands a right elbow as they break. Omielanczuk lands a jab. Overhand left from Omielanczuk lands. Johnson lands a right, he’s doing a good job of slipping on his way in so far. Omielanczuk lands a leg kick but eats two or three counter punches and Johnson has Omielanczuk on the fence again. We get time after Johnson lost his mouthpiece, Johnson complains of fishhooking, the ref warns Omielanczuk and tells Johnson to keep his head up in those positions because he couldn’t see an actual foul. They touch gloves as they reset in the clinch. Johnson spins Omielanczuk to the mat and lands in half guard. Johnson lands some rights. Johnson with rights to the body and short left elbows to the head. Johnson lands a bit of a flurry, he gets the back as Omielanczuk regains his feet and Omielanczuk spins into him to kill the last few seconds in the clinch.

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

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves and we’re off for the third round. They both land jabs and Johnson pushes Omielanczuk into the fence. Johnson after a takedown, can’t finish it though and he keeps Omielanczuk on the cage. Johnson working short knees, there’s a lot of jockeying for position as well. Harder knees to the thigh from Johnson. Omielanczuk is able to spin Johnson and he’s looking for a takedown. Johnson defending so far and uses a front headlock to spin Omielanczuk but the ref has had enough of that and separates them. They trade a bit. Johnson lands a looping right. Johnson lands a stiff double jab and Omielanczuk is on a knee for a second, he’s back up and Johnson has him back on the fence. More knees going back and forth and the ref separates them again. Omielanczuk lands a leg kick. Johnson eats a left elbow then lands a bit of a left. Omielanczuk lands a left then a right and tries a double leg but Johnson defends against the fence. Johnson spins Omielanczuk into the fence but nothing will come of it before time runs down.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Omielanczuk, 29-28 Johnson overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Timothy Johnson via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)

I can see Johnson taking the third, I disagree but I don’t think it’s wrong. Johnson wants an interview but Hardy’s mic isn’t working at the start, but does kick in after the first question. He says he hoped Omielanczuk would be easier after fighting the very long Volkov but that wasn’t the case, he says his style isn’t very exciting but he loves to fight ugly. He puts over Omielanczuk’s overall game. Johnson says if he wants a top ten opponent he knows he needs to find another gear and promises to try and do so for his next opponent.

Up next is another rematch, though this one is of the immediate variety. Darren Stewart and Francimar Barroso fought to a No Contest in their last fight when an accidental clash of heads led to a finish for Stewart, now we’re running it back to get a more definitive outcome. Stewart hasn’t lost and is looking to keep that going here and pick up an emphatic win en route to bigger things in the UFC. Barroso is after his first win since he beat Elvis Mutapcic as since then he was finished by Nikita Krylov and then the No Contest with Stewart, he needs to reverse that trend here in a big way as another loss could see him cut. Stewart is the favorite at -185 against +150 for Barroso.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Francimar Barroso (18-5 1 NC, 204 lbs.) vs. Darren Stewart (7-0 1 NC, 206 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Barroso is an inch and a half taller with one inch of reach advantage, he’s also eleven years older than Stewart. Circling to start, Stewart is bouncing and Barroso is a little flat but stalking forward. Stewart lands a left hook. Stewart ducks a left and hits a double leg. Stewart into half guard, lands a right but Barroso gets his hips in play and Stewart stands while Barroso hangs out on his back until the ref forces the stand up. Stewart looking for openings, Barroso still a litte flat. They try kicks but Stewart’s hits the cup of Barroso and we’ve got time for him to recover. Barroso walks it off quickly and we’re back to fighting. Barroso lands an inside leg kick, Stewart lands a leg kick. Stewart keeps showing the side kick to the thigh, he’s looking for a reaction. They clinch up and Stewart has Barroso on the fence. They break without incident. Stewart wings some hooks and has the clinch again. They trade some knees to the thighs. Stewart lands a knee to the body. They break as Barroso spins free. Barroso goes southpaw and lands a straight left. Hard body kick from Barroso but Stewart catches it and drives him back into the fence. Barroso lands a short uppercut then is able to spin free. They both miss power hands and clinch again. Stewart lands a knee to the body but Barroso trips him, they scramble a bit and Barroso has him down for a second against the fence, and the round ends with Barroso trying to slide around for a rear waist lock.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Stewart

ROUND TWO: Barroso comes out southpaw, he seems to like that stance against Stewart. Barroso lands a body kick. Barroso with another body kick. Stewart lands a right and they clinch again. Barroso after a double leg, he’s got Stewart down but Stewart is back up while Barroso holds a rear waist lock, he elevats and dumps Stewart. Barroso lands a couple short lefts while Stewart is back up, Stewart lands a few elbows but Barroso slings him down again and has the rear waist lock as Stewart is back up. Barroso trips Stewart down and holds the ride position while Stewart fights back to his feet again. Barroso pushes him back to his knees, Stewart is back up again but Barroso trips him down, and holds the tight waist while Stewart is back up. Stewart turns into Barroso this time. Stewart lands a knee to the body but he’s pinned on the fence. The ref finally separates them, they had stalled out a bit. Stewart circling, both men a little flat footed now. Stewart lands a glancing windmill right. Barroso lands a body kick, they clinch again. Stewart lands a short elbow and a knee as he fights to get his back off of the fence. They break and both miss blows. That elbow from Stewart opened up a small cut around the right eyebrow of Barroso, and the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Barroso, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Both men still flat and a bit fatigued at this point. Stewart trying to find a rhythm again, lands a leg kick. They both miss rights, Barroso lands a bit of a left. Stewart lands a body kick. Stewart lands a bit of a right and they both trade rights from a half collar tie position then disengage. Barroso lands a right and gets the clinch. Barroso after a single leg, Stewart blocks it and they wind up spinning a bit while jockeying for position. Stewart lands a knee to the body, Barroso lands one to the head and they break. Barroso lands a bit of a head kick. Stewart lands a combination, the last rough off balanced Barroso for a moment. Stewart slips a hook and tries a double leg but can’t get the hips and Barroso has the clinch again. They push each other around a bit while trying to pummel. Stewart lands some knees to the thigh before Barroso is able to shuck him off. Stewart lands a one two combination, Barroso lands a right. Stewart lands a right, avoids a right and fails on a pretty bad double leg attempt. Stewart can’t keep the clinch and they break then Barroso has a head kick mostly blocked as the final horn sounds.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Stewart but could go either way, 29-28 Stewart overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Francimar Barroso via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Yeah no issues there. No interview for Barroso as we’re a tad short on time heading into the last prelim.

Joseph Duffy has gone a respectable 3-1 in the UFC and is coming off of a win over Mitch Clarke, his lone loss is to Dustin Poirier, and he’s trying to get another winning streak going here and put himself in a stronger negotiating position as this is the last fight on his current UFC deal. Reza Madadi has been trading wins and losses in the UFC, he’s coming off of a win though and is looking to buck that particular trend and get his first UFC winning streak. Duffy is a prohibitive favorite at -600 while Madadi’s +400 must have any degenerate gamblers drooling right about now. Also for you trivia junkies out there, this is the last fight that was booked by former matchmaker Joe Silva.

Lightweight Bout: Joseph Duffy (16-2, 155 lbs.) vs. Reza Madadi (14-4, 155 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Madadi is an inch taller but Durry has an inch of reach on him. Madadi misses an inside leg kick. Durry showing feints while backing Madadi up. Madadi tries a takedown, Duffy avoids it and Madadi lands a knee to the body. Duffy lands a left body kick. Madadi hits a takedown but Duffy is looking to wall walk quickly. Madadi picks up Duffy and moves him but Duffy uses that to reverse and get on top in half guard. Madadi to full guard and Duffy lands a right to the body. Duffy avoids an armbar and moves to side control. Duffy lands a knee to the body. Madadi to full guard and Duffy lands a short elbow. Duffy lands another couple of elbows. Madadi trying to set up a guillotine but Duffy is hand fighting to keep him from getting the necessary grip. Duffy lands a quick flurry. Hard couple of elbows from Duffy, Madadi is bleeding from the forehad now and Duffy lands one more elbow as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Duffy, arguable 10-8 in some ways

ROUND TWO: Duffy lands a side kick to the body then just misses one to the head. Duffy lands a bit of a right. Madadi backing up and Duffy is starting to slip his wide hooks and pick him apart with superior technical striking. Duffy lands some jabs. Duffy lands a combination, Madadi eggs him on but Duffy wont bite on getting wild. Duffy lands a leg kick. Duffy avoids a single leg attempt. Duffy blocks another single leg attempt. Hard one two from Duffy lands. Duffy lands a jab, that cut is bleeding steadily on the head of Madadi. Madadi lands a right to the body. Duffy lands a front kick to the body then a jab. Madadi is wiping at the blood which is starting to leak into his eyes. Duffy lands a left knee to the head. Madadi lands a bit of a left. And my internet died for a bit, thanks Comcast. That causes me to miss the last minute or so of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Duffy based on what I saw, 20-18 Duffy overall

ROUND THREE: And I’ve also missed the entire third round. Seriously, some enterprising ISP should come to Utah and offer reliable service at a competitive price.

SCORECARD: NA

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Joseph Duffy via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Apologies again for that, thankfully it came back on for the main card.

Arnold Allen is 2-0 in the UFC and hasn’t lost since 2014, tonight he could extend his overall winning streak to five and get a win over a somewhat recognizable name that could set him up for a bigger opportunity next time. Makwan Amirkhani is 3-0 in the UFC but hasn’t fought in over a year, though if he can avoid ring rust and get to 4-0 in the UFC he’ll almost certainly get a crack at the top fifteen next. The odds are even for these two young guns, a -115 pick ’em.

Featherweight Bout: Arnold Allen (11-1, 145 lbs.) vs. Makwan Amirkhani (13-2, 146 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Amirkhani has two inches of height and reach on Allen. Both men are southpaws. Amirkhani misses a jumping knee and Allen is trying to back him into the fence. Amirkhani tries a takedown, he can’t secure it but does get the clinch on the fence. Amirkhani hits a misdirection trip and lands in side control. Amirkhani lands a couple of rights, tries to grab a choke in transition, Allen rolls through it, Amirkhani has another guillotine attempt but Allen rolls over again and Amirkhani holds the front headlock. Allen back up and gets his head free then lands a knee to the body. Allen trips Amirkhani down and lands in half guard. Amirkhani lands a couple of elbows from his back. Allen lands a few body shots and a knee to the body. Allen lands an elbow. More knees to the body from Allen. Amirkhani back up and they fight in the clinch. Amirkhani after another single leg, spins Allen down but Allen elevates him quickly and is back up though still in the clinch. Allen lands a couple of rights and a glancing knee to the head. Amirkhani spins him, Allen spins him back, Amirkhani with another spin. The ref breaks them up. Allen walks into a jab. Allen lands a quick combination, tries to flurry and Amirkhani grabs a clinch as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Allen

ROUND TWO: Amirkhani catches a kick and gets a quick takedown. Amirkhani in the ride position, lands a few rights then slips around for a front headlock. He’s trying to set up a choke, a d’arce specifically, and they roll as he gets his arms locked. Amirkhani has to bail on it, Allen rolls him over and gets on top in half guard again. Allen lands a bit of an elbow. Allen passes to full mount, Amirkhani keeping a leg in play though. Allen lands an elbow and some rights. Allen now into full mount and lands an elbow. Amirkhani gets to half guard quickly but he’s struggling to get control. Allen lands a couple of short elbows. Amirkhani looking to wall walk now, Allen trying to flatten him back out. Amirkhani back up and they separate. Amirkhani lands a front kick to the body but he seems fatigued. Allen sprawls out of a takedown attempt, grabs a front headlock of his own, tries sitting for a front choke but Amirkhani gets to half guard and has his head free. Amirkhani can’t get much off, Allen to full guard now. Allen trying to set up a triangle choke, can’t get it and thinks about an omoplata, can’t get it and settles for controlling the posture for the last few seconds.

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

ROUND THREE: Amirkhani showing the lead hand early, Allen circling. Allen lands a bit of a jab. Amirkhani tries a double leg, sprawled out of and they’re clinched. Allen just misses a spinning elbow as they break. They trade some lead hand action. Allen lands a stiff left that wobbles Amirkhani. Allen lands a jab. Amirkhani tries a single leg, he can’t complete it and gets the rear waist lock as Allen is on his feet. Amirkhani tries to drag him backwards, Allen is up though and hits a hip toss that forces a break. Amirkhani tries another takedown that Allen sprawls out of. Amirkhani tries to switch to a single leg, Allen nearly mounts him though, hits a kimura sweep but Amirkhani rolls through and is on top now in half guard. Allen to full guard and the ref stands them up. A tad quick there from that ref. Allen misses a punch, blocks a double leg attempt and spins Amirkhani into the fence. Allen trying for a trip but can’t finish it. Allen lands a knee to the body then one to the head. Allen gets some motion and hits a takedown, he nearly lands in mount but Amirkhani gets half guard. Allen to full mount, spins to the back and grabs a choke but Amirkhani holds the far hand to prevent that attempt as the round ends.

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

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Arnold Allen via split decision (28-29, 30-27 x2)

I can see Amirkhani taking a couple of rounds, really closely contested fight. Allen on the mic, calls out the crowd to get behind him as a homegrown boy and admonishes everyone on facebook and twitter to stop telling him he’s going to lose. He says the plan was to fight on the feet because Amirkhani isn’t as good there but they wound up wrestling so it’s a good thing he can do it all. He puts over Amirkhani’s overall game and finishing style. Asked what’s next he says he owes his girlfriend at least a week of loving and he’s grateful to be back in England after training in Canada for this fight. He says he wants to be the best in the world, then asks Dan Hardy how he got the crowd to love him because he wants that kind of support, Hardy jokingly suggest talking crap but Allen says he’s too humble for that, Hardy then says to just keep performing like that and they’ll keep getting behind him.

This fight was originally Brad Pickett against Henry Briones but Briones fell out and Marlon Vera stepped in on short notice to replace him. In consideration of that late notice all parties agreed to a catchweight affair here. Pickett has announced this will be his retirement fight, he’s just 1-5 in his last six fights and on a two fight losing streak so the writing is somewhat on the wall there, but he’s got a golden opportunity to go out with a win in his hometown, something few fighters achieve. Vera is trying to spoil that party and elevate his UFC record from 2-2 as well as get his first UFC winning streak going. The odds are with Pickett by a margin of -150 to +120 for Vera.

Catchweight Bout: Brad Pickett (25-13, 139 lbs.) vs. Marlon Vera (8-3-1, 140 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Vera has two inches of height and two and a half of reach on Pickett, he’s fourteen years younger than Pickett. Touch of gloves to start things off. Vera fighting southpaw. Pickett just misses a right, Vera lands a body kick. Another body kick from Vera. Pickett backing Vera up, eats a knee to the body and gets the clinch. Pickett after a double leg and gets Vera down with a slam and lands in side control. Vera able to roll and scramble to his feet and they separate. Vera lands a leg kick but eats a right then a left. Vera lands an inside leg kick. Pickett lands a bit of a right hook. Vera lands a leg kick, Pickett is closing distance and lands a bit of a right. Pickett has a right then a left blocked. Pickett lands a low inside leg kick. Vera lands a knee to the head. Vera switching his stance frequently, he misses a knee and Pickett drops him to a knee with a left hook. Pickett lands a right and tries a double leg but can’t finish it and Vera lands a knee and an elbow before separating. Pickett lands a left to the body then a left to the head. Pickett lands a left hook, tries to flurry and lands a left to the body before eating a knee to the chest. Vera lands a body kick. Pickett lands a right and misses a follow up left as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Pickett

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves again. Vera lands a leg kick. Pickett still closing distance, has a left hook blocked. Vera lands a knee that Pickett ducked into, Vera’s timing on those knees has been nice so far. Another knee lands for Vera and he avoids some counters. Pickett is after a double leg now, he elevates Vera but can’t finish it, tries again and lands in half guard this time. Pickett lands an elbow as Vera gets to guard. Pickett lands another elbow. Pickett is moving Vera into the fence, he’s looking to smother him so he can posture and open up. Another couple of short elbows land for Pickett. Pickett lands some more blows and passes to side control, Vera to half guard quickly though. Vera able to scramble up, landed a few illegal kicks I think. Pickett lands a right. Pickett lands a calf kick. Vera lands a jab. Vera lands a couple of inside leg kicks and Pickett tags him with a left. Pickett blocks a head kick but Vera put some heat on that. Pickett lands a knee in close and eats an elbow. Vera misses a wheel kick as the round ends.

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

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves again. Vera lands a body kick. Pickett eats a counter left then a couple of straight lefts. Vera lands a jumping knee. Pickett lands an inside leg kick. Pickett eats an elbow. Pickett lands a couple of calf kicks. Vera misses a knee and lands a body kick. Vera lands a couple of jabs. Pickett lands a left hook. Vera lands a body kick then an inside leg kick. Pickett eats a knee to the chin and digs a couple of body shots. Vera lands an inside leg kick and a straight left. Vera lands a long left, eats a bit of an uppercut though. Vera lands a leg kick. Pickett really struggling to get anything really effective this round. Pickett lands a double jab. Vera lands a body kick. Vera lands a head kick, Pickett falls, Vera lands a couple of hammer fists and the ref stops this one. Pickett protests immediately but he had almost no defense to those punches on the mat.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Marlon Vera via TKO, head kick and punches, Round 3

The Final Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Vera for his work this evening. Pickett is very emotional after that, can’t blame him. Vera on the mic now, he asks the crowd not to boo him just yet. He says he watched Pickett fight when he was just 17 years old, he’s emotional too and puts over Pickett as a legend and says he’s been working his whole career for a big fight and finally got one. He puts over his team and then tells the crowd to cheer for Pickett, they oblige his request. Asked if he thought it was over with that head kick he says no, when he was in high school Pickett was beating the best fighter ever in Demetrious Johnson and again puts over Pickett’s toughness. He thanks his team for the ability to provide for his family fighting, then thanks the crowd who cheer him, he won them over with that bit.

Pickett gets an interview now. Dan Hardy puts him over hard and tells him it didn’t matter if he won or lost, these people love him and are all standing for him. He says he’s thankful to the UFC for the platform and says he loves the fans then chokes up and can’t continue just yet. Asked what’s next he says tonight basically sums up his career, he was winning he felt then it slipped away from him at the last moment. He says he’d rather have gone out stiff and dead than be finished but the ref has a job to do and he respects that. He thanks the UFC again as well as the fans and says that now it’s time to spend time with his family, thanks his coaches and closes by saying they’re not just fans to him, their his friends and he thanks them again. Classy final interview from Pickett, and he leaves his hat in the cage as a further sign of his retirement.

In case you missed it, here’s that heart breaker.

Gunnar Nelson has a pretty stellar overall UFC record but has traded wins and losses over his last four fights. Nelson is still ranked in the top ten though and he’s looking to defend that position and earn another chance to move up the ladder. Alan Jouban is on a three fight winning streak, his best in the UFC, and if he can oust the top ten Nelson he’ll finally crack the top fifteen and make the jump from prospect to contender. Nelson is favored to maintain the status quo by a notable -340 against the +260 on Jouban.

Welterweight Bout: Alan Jouban (15-4, 170 lbs.) vs. #9 Gunnar Nelson (15-2-1, 170 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Jouban is an inch taller and has an inch and a half of reach on Nelson. Touch of gloves to get us going, Jouban fighting southpaw. Jouban lands a leg kick after missing a left. Nelson bouncing, Jouban lands an inside leg kick. Nelson boucning closer to Jouban, he pushes into the clinch and has Jouban on the fence. Nelson lands a knee to the body. Jouban able to spin and force himself free then lands a leg kick. Nelson lands a right and clinches again, and they break without incident. Jouban blocks a head kick. Jouban lands a bit of a left then a body kick. Nelson lands a right and is in on a double leg right after that. Jouban blocks that against the fence, Nelson tries a trip and Jouban avoids it but Nelson keeps going and finally gets Jouban down. Nelson immediately passes to side control. Nelson to knee on belly looking to slide that to full mount, Jouban to a hip to try and block but when he tries to move again Nelson is into full mount. Jouban moves to a hip and has quarter guard now. Nelson to full mount, he’s after an arm triangle choke and Jouban gets his arm free. Nelson lands a couple of lefts. Nelson lands an elbow. Nelson lands a few more blows as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Nelson

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves for the second round. Jouban lands an inside leg kick. Jouban lands a blitz attack, Nelson fires back and Jouban backs off after landing a leg kick. Nelson moving Jouban towards the fence, he lands a right that wobbles Jouban, then a head kick, he grabs a guillotine as Jouban crumples and Jouban taps as Nelson gets a leg over the shoulder to give him no where to go in addition to being rocked.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Gunnar Nelson via Submission, guillotine choke, at :46 of Round 2

That was a beautiful grappling sequence set up by a hard right. Nelson on the mic, he says he tries to take his time in fights to find openings but he wants to finish and doesn’t want to win on points. He talks about needing a diverse attack because if you can only do one thing you’ll be in trouble. He puts over Jouban’s combination work and his Thai boxing background, he says he doesn’t do much tape study as he’d rather analyze in real time. Asked who’s next he says he just wants to improve himself and adapt what he learned in this fight. Hardy notes the crowd support regardless of location, he expresses love for the fans and says it might be because of how calculated he is and how surgical. He did that all with basically the same expression on his face, Nelson is one of a kind.

This is basically the finish, they rolled to the other hip and Nelson adjusted his grip a bit before the tap but in case you missed it this is what set that up.

Jimi Manuwa started off his UFC career going 3-0 but has gone 2-2 since then but is coming off of the biggest win of his career when he stopped Ovince Saint Preux, he’s looking to get his first UFC winning streak going since 2013 and prove that without the perennial roadblocks like Ryan Bader and Phil Davis in the promotion he can be a title contender. Corey Anderson is coming off of a win over Sean O’Connell, he’s spent the majority of his professional career in the UFC and if he can beat Manuwa here he could well make the jump from prospect to legitimate contender in the talent starved light heavyweight division. Manuwa’s high level experience has contributed to his favored status at -150 against +120 for Anderson.

Light Heavyweight Bout: #6 Corey Anderson (9-2, 205 lbs.) vs. #4 Jimi Manuwa (16-2, 205 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Anderson is two inches taller but Manuwa has half an inch of reach, Anderson is also a full ten years younger than Manuwa. Touch of gloves to get us going. Anderson circling early, feinting a lot as well while Manuwa slowly stalks forward. Manuwa lands a jab. Anderson fakes a takedown and misses a left hook. Manuwa lands a bit of a jab. Manuwa digs a left to the body. Manuwa lands another jab, he’s being very patient and precise with his offense thus far. Manuwa misses a left hook, lands a body kick and avoids a takedown attempt from Anderson. Anderson lands a bit of a right. Manuwa avoids a double leg attempt. Manuwa lands a left hook that drops Anderson to a knee for a second, Anderson backs up but circles right into another left hook that ENDS his night.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Jimi Manuwa via KO, punch, at 3:05 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Manuwa for his work this evening. Big big win for Manuwa, he’s only lost to the truly elite of the division thus far in the UFC and he’ll get another crack at one of them next. Manuwa on the mic now. He gets on the crowd for being a little sedate, they respond with more noise. He says the left hook is the one that always works and says he’ll take on anyone as he trains with the best. He wants the winner of DC and Rumble for a title shot. Then he jokingly calls out David Haye for a boxing match and asks the UFC to let it happen but plans on fighting for the UFC belt first and foremost.

Alright that does it for Fight Night 107. Not sure what I’ll do with the rest of my day, I’m used to these getting started right about now. There’s a few weeks before the next UFC event, which is UFC 210: Cormier vs. Johnson 2 on April 8th. We’ll be talking about this event Sunday at 8pm eastern 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’ll be back for UFC 210 for sure and might find an event between now and then worth covering, but until next time whenever it happens to be thanks again for being here and keep checking 411mania for all of your pop culture needs.

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