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411’s UFC Fight Night 110 Report 6.10.17

June 11, 2017 | Posted by Robert Winfree
Mark Hunt

Hello everyone and welcome to 411mania’s LIVE coverage of UFC Fight Night 110, and of course welcome to all of you reading after the fact as well. I’m Robert Winfree and I’ll be updating you on the fights this evening. Let me apologize a bit in advance for the quality tonight, I’ve got a couple of annoying but short term health issues that might effect things. I hurt my back, which sucks, and my right eye is tearing up rather constantly. All of this is short term and will resolve itself, but just a heads up in case you find the quality for this event a little lacking on my part. Tonight the UFC brings us a heavyweight showdown in the main event as Mark Hunt and Derrick Lewis battle things out, the winner could be in the title picture sooner rather than later while the loser returns to the faceless pack of heavyweights. This is especially big for Hunt as a loss here would be three in a row and couple that with his law suit against the UFC and he could easily find himself looking for work in Bellator, which has no heavyweight champion as of this writing, or ONE FC. The co-main event has four time Olympian Dan Kelly taking a massive step up in competition against Derek Brunson, Brunson is trying to erase a Clucky influenced loss to Anderson Silva his last time out and prove he’s still one of the best middleweights in the world. The UFC returns to the Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand for his event with John Gooden and Brian Stann on commentary, might be a first for that pairing.

Because we do this every time now, the New Zealand athletic commission has adopted the changes to the Unified Rules. Specifically this tends to reference the definition of a downed opponent, language regarding the nature of a 10-8 round, and making extending the fingers towards the opponent a foul regardless of if they actually result in an eye poke.

Also of note, at around 6:30 pm eastern time the first prelim between Thibault Gouti and Dong Hyun Kim was called off due to illness on Gouti’s part. This event is off to a great start.

JJ Aldrich lost her UFC debut against Juliana Lima after a really good streak through Invicta, she needs to rebound from that loss here to prove she’s ready to compete at the UFC level even in a developing division like strawweight. Chan Mi Jeon is undefeated so far but is very young at just 19 years old and missed weight for this fight, not the best look for her UFC debut. Jeon needs a win to help get by the issue of missing weight as a bad loss combined with missed weight could make her a one and done in the UFC. The odds lean towards Aldrich at -175 to +145 for Jeon.

Strawweight Bout: J.J. Aldrich (4-2, 116 lbs.) vs. Chan-Mi Jeon (5-0,118 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height, Aldrich has a slight reach advantage of half an inch. Aldrich fighting southpaw. Aldrich showing the jab early, Jeon lands a body kick. Aldrich lands a right hook, she’s trying to pressure forward to mitigate the kicking game of Jeon. Jeon lands a body kick, eats a right counter. Jeon lands a glancing leg kick. Jeon lands a right. Aldrich lands a bit of a head kick but eats a hard right then a left counter. They punch into the clinch, trade knees, then break. Jeon lands another long right then a follow up left. Aldrich lands a bit of a left then a hard right. Aldrich lands a right to counter a body kick. Jeon avoids a high kick, drops Aldrich with a knee and lands a hammer fist before Aldrich regains her feet. Aldrich lands an inside leg kick. Aldrich with more forward pressure but she’s not cage cutting enough. They trade briefly, Aldrich lands a solid one two combination. Aldrich lands a one two to counter a thrust kick to the body. Aldrich lands an inside leg kick. Another inside leg kick from Aldrich, Jeon counters but then eats a right hook. They stare away the final seconds.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Aldrich but could go either way really

ROUND TWO: Aldrich back to forward pressure showing the jab. Aldrich lands a jab. Aldrich lands a flush straight left. Jeon lands an inside leg kick. Aldrich has a much better feel for the range in this fight, she’s mostly avoiding the offense of Jeon and then sliding into range to land counters. Jeon lands a body kick. They trade rights after a clash of shins. Aldrich lands another inside leg kick, Jeon lands one of her own. Jeon lands a jab, Aldrich lands a couple of counters then exits the pocket with an inside leg kick. Jeon lands a body kick, Aldrich lands a left. Aldrich is really starting to find the timing as well now, Jeon’s lack of output is starting to let Aldrich pull away numerically. Aldrich lands a good couple of jabs. Aldrich lands another inside leg kick. Jeon lands an inside leg kick. Jeon lands a stiff one two counter, then a right to follow up, Aldrich backs up a bit and avoids a few wild elbow strikes as the round ends.

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

ROUND THREE: Jeon misses a right to start the final round. Aldrich trying to keep things technical, lands a bit of a right hook. The biggest issue I have with Aldrich right now is her lack of head movement, Jeon is able to land a few counters on her that shouldn’t really land. Jeon is bleeding from the nose and they trade body kicks. Aldrich lands a solid right hook that stumbles Jeon for a second. They trade lefts, Aldrich is still keeping the right distance to avoid most of Jeon’s offense. Aldrich lands a straight left. Jeon lands a body kick. Aldrich again with that straight left then an inside leg kick. Aldrich barely misses a wheel kick but the crowd popped for it. Aldrich again lands a straight left to counter a leg kick. Aldrich again lands a straight left, she’s really got that one dialed in. Aldrich lands a body kick. Jeon lands a bit of a left. Aldrich with another one two, Jeon’s lack of adjustment is kind of sad. They go a little RoadHouse for the last couple of seconds but time will run down.

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

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – JJ Aldrich via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

No interview due to timing moving to Fox Sports 1, but Aldrich looked as good as she’s ever looked.

Kiichi Kunimoto is coming off of the first loss of his UFC run that snapped an overall seven fight winning streak when he was submitted by Neil Magny, Kunimoto is trying to bounce back with a win here and avoid what would be the first losing streak of his professional career. Zak Ottow is 1-1 in the UFC and just snapped a five fight winning streak when he lost a split decision to Sergio Moraes, he’s trying to bounce back as well as avoid his first losing streak. Ottow is a notable -350 favorite against a +265 payout on Kunimoto.

Welterweight Bout: Kiichi Kunimoto (18-6-2 1 NC, 170 lbs.) vs. Zak Ottow (14-4, 171 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Ottow is an inch taller and has half an inch of reach on Kunimoto. Ottow opens southpaw but will change that frequently. They trade leg kicks. Kunimoto lands an inside leg kick. Another couple of leg kicks from Kunimoto land. Ottow lands an inside leg kick, Kunimoto returns it. Ottow staying in the center of the cage, Kunimoto circling around the outside. Some more leg kicks going back and forth, both men still just figuring out the range and timing. Ottow lands a straight right. Kunimoto lands a left hook, Ottow lands a stiff jab then a left body kick. Kunimoto lands a leg kik, tries a double leg but they wind up clinched and Ottow has him on the fence. Kunimoto lands a knee to the body and Ottow pulls out of the clinch. Ottow clearly wants nothing to do with the fence in this fight. Ottow lands a right hook into a straight left. Ottow lands another straight left. Kunimoto catches a kick and drives Ottow into the fence, surprised that Ottow defended that inital attempt. Kunimoto tries to drop for a single leg, Ottow defends but Kunimoto has a body lock now. Ottow lands a few short lefts, Kunimoto trying to get a trip going but Ottow is doing a good job of using the fence as another point of balance. Kunimoto lands a right as they break. Ottow lands a bit of a body kick. Ottow misses a few punches, Kunimoto circles, and the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Ottow

ROUND TWO: Kunimoto trying more forward movement this round. Ottow lands a counter right, that one landed hard. They trade some more kicks, Kunimoto circling again. Ottow lands a leg kick. Kunimoto lands a counter right. Kunimoto grabs a single leg attempt, has to sweep the far leg but lands in half guard. Ottow quickly to full guard now. Kunimoto lands a few body to head combinations, not much on them just yet. Ottow spins free, Kunimoto gets too zealous trying to get him back down and Ottow takes him down against the fence. Kunimoto sitting on the fence, Ottow is able to get the back with one hook in when Kunimoto posted on an arm. Ottow has both hooks in now. Ottow after the choke, Kunimoto defending so far. Kunimoto looking to spin into Ottow but he can’t find an angle he likes. And as I type that he does spin in and wind up in top position. Kunimoto lands a couple of rights, threatens with a choke when Ottow tries to hip up. Kunimoto passes to half guard. Kunimoto tries to sit for a guillotine, bad idea as Ottow gets free immediately and ends the round on top.

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

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves for the last round. Kunimoto lands a right to the body. Ottow just misses a high kick. Kunimoto lands a leg kick. Ottow lands a right hook that wobbles Kunimoto but as Ottow resets his hips to try and follow up Kunimoto dives on a well timed double leg and gets Ottow down. Kunimoto working short blows and trying to pass. Kunimoto lands a right. Kunimoto looking to pass, Ottow defends that attempt so far. Kunimoto is in half guard, more butterfly guard now and Ottow is trying to keep him tied up in guard. Ottow tries to threaten with a triangle choke, Kunimoto blocks it and passes to half guard then lands a few rights. Ottow to butterfly guard yet again, he gets to his knees and Kunimoto is in the ride position. Kunimoto has both hooks in now with his back on the fence. Ottow just hanging out trying not to get finished. Ottow able to spin into him as Kunimoto didn’t switch to an arm triangle choke. Ottow lands a few punches then a knee to the body, Kunimoto up and they trade body shots, Kunimoto drops for a guillotine as the clock runs down.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Kunimoto, 29-28 Ottow overall

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

Not sure I agree with Kunimoto getting either of the first two rounds, he had a good second round but Ottow had a better one from where I sit. No interview for Ottow.

John Moraga was thought to be a possible fixture of the flyweight division, but he’s hit a really bad skid recently dropping three fights in a row. Moraga needs a win badly as the UFC apparently sees little value in the entire division and if he goes on an 0-4 run he’ll likely find himself plying his trade on a much smaller scale. Ashkan Mokhtarian is making his UFC debut here but brings a six fight winning streak with him as well. Mokhtarian could make a significant statement with a win over a top fifteen opponent here. The odds lean towards Moraga at -185 while Mokhtarian sits at +150.

Flyweight Bout: Ashkan Mokhtarian (13-1, 125 lbs.) vs. #11 John Moraga (16-6, 126 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height while Mokhtarian has an inch of reach on Moraga. Mokhtarian fighting southpaw, and they touch gloves to get us going. Both men showing the jab, Moraga lands an inside leg kick. Moraga avoids a couple of punches, Mokhtarian avoids a left. Mokhtarian tries a double leg, Moraga jumps for a guillotine and is really after it. Mokhtarian trying to defend, Moraga adjusting the angle but Mokhtarian powers back to his feet and Moraga holds the head in the clinch. Mokhtarian pulls his head all the way free and settles into the clinch. Moraga able to spin Mokhtarian for a second and lands a knee to the body. Mokhtarian can’t really control Moraga and Moraga breaks free. Moraga lands a body kick. Moraga lands a one two combiantion, Mokhtarian tries another double leg and Moraga sprawls, hits a crucifix, spins to the back and tries for the choke. Mokhtarian spins into him, tries for a heel hook but Moaga spins free and lands an elbow from half guard. Mokhtarian trying to hip sweep, Moraga threatening with another guillotine to keep him on a hip. Moraga moves to the ride position and lands a few rights. Moraga has one hook in, lands a few elbows and gets both hooks in. Moraga switches to an armbar, Mokhtarian holds on for the final few seconds of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Moraga

ROUND TWO: Mokhtarian comes out quickly, and gets tagged with a right. Moraga lands an inside leg kick. Mokhtarian lands an inside leg kick, then another that drops Moraga to a knee for a second. Mokhtarian lands another inside leg kick, just avoids a right from Moraga. Mokhtarian lands another couple of inside leg kicks then a front kick to the body. Mokhtarian misses a leg kick, Moraga lands a right then a jumping knee. Moraga lands a short left hook, Mokhtarian really needs to figure out how to angle when entering for combinations because he’s far too linear. Moraga lands a right to the body, Mokhtarian lands an inside leg kick. Moraga lands a left hook, Mokhtarian wobbles a bit but recovers. Mokhtarian lands a front kick to the body but Moraga catches it and takes him down. They trade some elbows, Moraga landed the better blows there and passes to half guard. Moraga to side control, nearly has the mounted crucifix. Mokhtarian tries to spin free, Moraga moves to the ride position and lands a knee to the body. Moraga into full mount now and lands a few blows before Mokhtarian gives up his back. Moraga back to full mount now, just ten seconds left and Mokhtarian gives up his back, Moraga tries the armbar again but again has no time.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Moraga, 20-17 Moraga overall

ROUND THREE: Moraga has been putting on a clinic so far. Mokhtarian lands an inside leg kick, pretty much the only offensive weapon he’s had. They clinch, Moraga tries for a lateral drop, can’t execute it as planned but he does land on top in the guard of Mokhtarian. Moraga lands an elbow and a couple of rights. Moraga looking to pass and does so straight into side control. Moraga into the mounted crucifix, he’s got one leg over the head Nurmagomedov style and he spins all the way around for the armbar but loses the grip. They’re up, Mokhtarian tries to get a takedown but Moraga uses some head control to belly down and forces Mokhtarian back to the mat. Mokhtarian holding a single leg from his knees, Moraga riding and threatens with a d’arce variation. Moraga bails on that to get full mount again. Moraga riding between mount and back mount, he’s landing some lefts as he does so. Moraga riding well and finding openings for punches. Moraga to the back again, Mokhtarian tries to stand but can’t and Moraga lands another elbow. Moraga for the arm again, Mokhtarian defends and winds up on top in the guard of Moraga. Moraga just ties him up for the final ten seconds.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Moraga, 30-25 Moraga overall

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

That was essentially a tune up fight for Moraga in execution, Mokhtarian was way out of his depth there. Incidentally not giving Moraga a 10-8 in the first or third, either would work, under the new criteria just seems wrong as he won by a significant margin. Moraga on the mic now, says he feels blessed. He talks about working harder to improve his grappling game recently then when asked who he wants next he says he had to rush for this fight because it was do or die but he plans to heal up and come back even better.

Luke Jumeau is making his UFC debut here on the back of a six fight winning streak and hoping to make a good first impression on the UFC audience. Dominique Steele is just 1-3 in the UFC and is on a two fight losing streak. Steele has a reputation for exciting fights but even that might not save him if he hits a three fight skid with his lone UFC win being against a natural lightweight who took that fight on short notice. Steele is favored to get back on track at -170 to a +140 payout on Jumeau.

Welterweight Bout: Luke Jumeau (11-3, 170 lbs.) vs. Dominique Steele (14-8, 170.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Jumeau is an inch taller but Steele has two inches of reach advantage. Steele circling early. Steele lands a left hook after taking an inside leg kick. Jumeau lands a bit of an inside leg kick. Steele lands a bit of a spinning back fist, not much on it given the angle he threw it at. Both men are swinging wide in the pocket so far, neither landing all that well. Steele misses a couple of hooks but gets the clinch on the fence. Jumeau spins free quickly. Jumeau lands a counter righty. Jumeau lands a left to the body. Jumeau lands an inside leg kick to the rear leg. Jumeau is backing Steele up now, lands a left body kick. They trade body shots, Jumeau content to counter strike and Steel can’t bait those out. They both miss, Steele gets a rear waist lock and trips Jumeau down landing in side control. Steele lands a knee to the body as Jumeau shrimps to full guard. Steele has a few elbows blocked. Steele lands a couple of lefts, passes to half guard just as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Steele

ROUND TWO: Some plodding to start the second, Steele lands a bit of a jab. Steele lands a jumping body kick and tries a double leg but Jumeau defends and spins him into the fence. They both miss on the break. Steele starting to breathe through his mouth a little, Jumeau has a combination mostly blocked. Jumeau lands a left body kick. Jumeau lands a left to the body then a right behind the ear that drops Steele to a knee but Steele grabs a clinch and has him on the clinch to buy himself time to recover. Jumeau spins him into the fence and they both miss some offense. Jumeau lands a knee to the body along with a foot stomp. Another knee to the liver from Jumeau, he’s placing those quite well. Steele drops for a double leg, spins Jumeau and switches to a single leg then back to a double leg. Jumeau breaks the grip and spins Steele into the fence then knees him in the body again. They separate but Steele looks slower and maybe still a bit off balance. Steele blocks a high kick and misses a comical spinning back fist. Jumeau blocks a double leg attempt and misses a right but gets Steele on the fence again with a clinch. They jockey for position a bit, Steele lands a knee to the body and tries a double leg that Jumeau blocks. Steele lands a short elbow, tries for another double leg but Jumeau is blocking. Jumeau spins Steele, a few knees to the thigh close out the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Jumeau, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves for the last round. Jumeau lands a left body kick and misses the follow up. Steele misses a right, Jumeua lands a short left but Steele gets him on the fence again. Steele has the body lock this time but can’t break him down just yet. Jumeau spins Steele into the fence. Jumeau misses a spinning elbow and Steele puts him back on the fence. Steele has the body lock again but doesn’t do anything with it and the ref separates them. A little fast on that restart for my taste. Jumeau lands a couple of counter rights that wobble Steele. Steele eats a couple more rights then a combination, Steele barely hangs on. Jumeau lands another one two combination. Steele lands a bit of a right but his technique, whatever he had, is pretty much gone. Jumeau lands a stiff jab. Steele tries another double leg that stalls out on the fence. Steele switches towards a single leg, can’t finish it though. Steele lands a couple of short rights. Jumeau lands a knee to the body. Steele after the single leg, bails and Jumeau spins free. Jumeau lands a hard one two combination. Steele tries another double leg, Jumeau sprawls free. Jumeau lands another right then a jab to close the round.

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

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Luke Jumeau via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Jumeau gets an interview. He says this moment is massive and he thanks everyone there live or watching around the world as he wouldn’t be there without them. He says it’s gonna be a ride and invites the fans to come along with him. Asked about adjustments between rounds he says self belief and afew minor adjustments were key but he’s still not happy with his performance. He plans on getting better and on being here for the long haul, he’s still very happy to be in the UFC.

Here’s a few highlights from Jumeau’s performance. Please take note of just how bad Steele’s head position is on these combinations, he’s either leading with his chin or keeping his hands way out of defensive position, or both in some cases.

Damien Brown is 2-1 in the UFC and on a two fight winning streak, he’s looking to move from just another body towards being a fighter of note in the division. Vinc Pichel had a bit of hype behind him despite his most memorable UFC appearance being suplexed into unconsciousness by Rustam Khabilov, he rebounded well and has a two fight winning streak going. Unfortunately Pichel hasn’t fought in a little over three years when he defeated Anthony Njokuani in 2014, he needs to remind people why they were excited about his future here. The odds closed dead even at -115 for each man.

Lightweight Bout: Damien Brown (17-9, 155 lbs.) vs. Vinc Pichel (9-1, 156 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height but Pichel has a notable three and a half inches of reach on Brown. Pichel lands a jab to the chest. Both men showing the jab early, trying to get a feel for each other mostly. Brown blocks a bit of a one two combination. Pichel blocks a jab. Brown lands a bit of a counter left hook. Brown just misses a right then lands a leg kick. Brown just misses a right, eats a right for his trouble though. Brown backing Pichel towards the fence, Pichel lands a leg kick but eats a counter right. Brown lands a right then another right but Brown takes an eye poke. Pichel gives him a second to recover, acknowledging the foul. Brown slips a left and lands a bit of a combination. Brown lands a leg kick, Pichel returns it. Brown trying to counter with flurries but he’s got to close a little more distance as he does so as Pichel is just leaning away and circling free. Brown ducks a left and lands a bit of a right. Pichel lands a jab, eats a leg kick. Brown lands a right to the body then a right to the head. They trade in close, both men landed well in there. Pichel lands a left hook and eats a leg kick. They both have rights blocked. Pichel slips a leaning combination, lands a wicked short counter right that FLOORS Brown, Pichel lands a few more blows on the mat to prompt the stoppage.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Vinc Pichel via KO, punches, at 3:37 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Pichel for his work this evening. Big return for Pichel after a three year layoff. Pichel gets some mic time after that one. Stann references that Pichel almost retired, he says the nerves got to him but once the cage was locked he felt free and comfortable. He talks us through the finish, noting that Brown has a habit of walking in like that and he could land a hook or an uppercut to punish him for it. Asked what’s next, he plans more violence, knockouts, and mayhem while he unleashes hell.

Distance management ladies and gentlemen, Pichel knows Brown’s offense is going to fall short, fades back, times a left into a right uppercut as Brown is marching into the power and that’s all she wrote.

Alexander Volkanovski is riding an impressive eleven fight winning streak including a successful UFC debut when he finished Yusuke Kasuya, he’s trying to prove that he’s a fighter worth paying attention to and a possible contender at featherweight. Mizuto Hirota is enjoying a minor career resurgence and is coming off of a win over Cole Miller, he also hasn’t lost since 2013 and is looking to prove that Volkanovski isn’t quite ready for this step up in competition. Volkanovski’s run has him as a significant -750 favorite while the +475 comeback on Hirota has to tempt a few gamblers who love to play long shots.

Featherweight Bout: Mizuto Hirota (18-7-2, 146 lbs.) vs. Alex Volkanovski (14-1, 145 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Hirota is an inch taller while Volkanovski has a significant four inch reach advantage. Touch of gloves to get things going. Volkanovski circling early. Feinting from both men, still gauging each other. Volkanovski lands an inside leg kick, just misses a right hook as well. They punch into the clinch and Volkanvoski has Hirota on the fence. Volkanovski working knees to the thigh while fighting for head position. Volkanovski lands a right hook that floors Hirota as they break. Volkanovski into half guard landing rights and elbows to Hirota. Hirota fighting for guard, I’m shocked he recovered as well as he did. Volkanovski stands, Hirota sweeps but regains his feet. Hirota lands an uppercut in close but Volkanovski trips him down. Volkanovski lands an uppercut then a knee as Hirota regains his feet. Volkanovski lands a spinning elbow as Hirota gets free. Volkanovski lands a leg kick. Hirota lands a jab. Hirota lands a leg kick, Volkanovski lands an inside leg kick. Volkanovski just misses a couple of hooks, tries a double leg then trips Hirota down against the fence. Volkanovski misses an elbow, Hirota wall walks and eats a knee to the body. Hirota avoids a left hook but Volkanovski gets the clinch agian. Volkanovski lands a knee to the body as they break. Volkanovski lands another right, they both miss rights as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Volkanovski

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. Hirota lands a short left, Volkanovski struggling with the distance at this point. They clinch, Volkanovski can’t control him though and they break. Volkanovski lands a right, they clinch and he lands a knee to the body. Volkanovski lands another spinning elbow that stumbles Hirota, he lands a follow up right but Hirota is still upright. Volkanovski hits a double leg, Hirota wall walks with surprising ease. They break without incident. Volkanovski lands another overhand right, Hirota has a heck of a chin. Volkanovski is getting a little predictable with his one twos, Volkanovski slips on a spinning attack, Hirota jumps on him, Volkanovski sweeps and they wind up standing in the clinch again. They break without incident. Volkanovski lands a leg kick. Both men miss with some lead hand attacks. Hirota checks a leg kick. Hirota lands a bit of a right. Volkanovski lands a right, eats a pretty solid jab in return. Volkanovski lands a right then a left hook. Hirota lands a short right, they clinch then break. Volkanovski lands an inside leg kick. They trade rights, Volkanovski trips Hirota down after landing one and moves to half guard. Volkanovski lands a few punhces then an elbow just at the end of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Volkanovski, 20-17 Volkanovski overall

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves for the final round. Hirota lands a bit of a left hook. Hirota checks a leg kick, they trade punches then Volkanovski gets Hirota on the fence. They jockey for position in the clinch for a bit, Volkanovski lands another spinning elbow as they break. Hirota lands a right at distance. They clinch, Hirota hits an outside trip but never gets position and they separate again. Hirota lands a right to the thigh. They clinch again, Hirota has the body lock now and gets Volkanovski on the fence. Hirota can’t finish a takedown and they break. They trade lefts, Hirota lands a short uppercut but eats a counter right. Volkanovski hits a double leg but Hirota wall walks immediately. Volkanovski lands some short knees and they break without incident. They both miss rights, Volkanovski lands a knee to the body. Hirota lands a bit of a right, Volkanovski has visibly slowed by this point. Hirota lands a right and clinches again. Hirota can’t finish a takedown from the body lock and they separate. They trade into the clinch and separate again. Volkanovski lands an overhand right, I wish he’d straighten that out at this point. Volkanovski lands an inside leg kick. Hirota lands a right, they clinch again as the clock winds down for the final round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Hirota, 29-27 Volkanovski overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Alexander Volkanovski (30-27 x3)

I can see Volkanovski taking the third, it was a close round. A little surprised at no 10-8 in the first, that could have been stopped. Volkanovski on the mic, says he’s surprised Hirota survived and he puts him over. He says he prides himself on being one of the good guys in the fight game and then asks to be fed the bad guys which everyone seems to be playing and asks for a bonus as well. He says he wants a top fifteen guy next as well, gives a shout out to his family back in Australia and then gives some love to the New Zealand crowd.

Tim Elliott is coming off of a win over Louis Smolka, his first UFC win since 2013, and is looking to continue that momentum en route to possibly earning another title fight with flyweight overlord Demetrious Johnson. Ben Nguyen is coming off of a win as well, he’s long been recognized as talented by has struggled to take the next step up in competition. The last time he did he got finished by Louis Smolka, he’s trying to move from talented gatekeeper towards contender status here at the expense of Elliott. The odds are with Elliott at -225 to +175 for Nguyen.

Flyweight Bout: #8 Tim Elliott (14-7-1, 126 lbs.) vs. #12 Ben Nguyen (16-6, 126 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Elliott is two inches taller and has an inch of reach on Nguyen. Touch of gloves, Elliott will switch his stance frequently. Nguyen lands a couple of early head kicks. Nguyen lands a right, Elliott tries a takedown but Nguyen rolls through and has the back now with just one hook. Nguyen has both hooks in now, Elliott standing and Nguyen in the backpack position. Nguyen is under the chin, Elliott taps!

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Ben Nguyen via Submission, rear naked choke, at :49 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Nguyen for his work this evening. Damn, Nguyen looked like a million bucks for as long as that fight lasted. Nguyen on the mic after easily the biggest win of his career. He says there was a lot of pressure and puts over Elliott. Stann asks him about his wife fighting last night, he jokes that put more pressure on him because his wife won and if he lost she’d lock him out. He talks us through the finish, he feels one of the left head kicks rocked Elliott to set up the scramble sequence. Asked who he wants next, he references the threats to blow up the division so he doesn’t know what’s next, the crowd pops as he asks if that was an exciting fight, then dedicates the win to a friend who recently passed away.

Here’s the finish, of course it cuts off the scramble that set up the back take which was awesome. Elliott tries to fight the hooks without protecting his neck, must have been rocked because that’s a very rookie style mistake, and Nguyen gets under the chin in a hurry.

Ion Cutelaba is just 1-2 in the UFC and coming off of a loss to Jared Cannonier, he needs a win here as even in the talent starved light heavyweight division going 1-3 in your first four could easily earn him a pink slip. Henrique da Silva had some hype building as a budding prospect in the division, but he recently hit a two fight skid and now needs to rebound in the worst way as the dreaded three fight losing streak has ended many a UFC run. Cutelaba enjoys favored status to the tune of -300 against +230 on da Silva.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Ion Cutelaba (12-3 1 NC, 204 lbs.) vs. Henrique da Silva (12-2, 206 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Da Silva is two inches taller and has an inch and a half of reach on Cutelaba. Cutelaba moving forward early, eats a bit of a jab. They trade rights, Cutelaba lands a right in close and gets on top in guard, he’s got the Wanderlei Silva choke and punch thing going, da Silva can’t weather the storm and this one is over.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Ion Cutelaba via KO, punches, at 22 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Cutelaba for his work this evening. Cutelaba on the mic now, he says he was in a rush to put da Silva to sleep. He says he was ready for a fifteen minute fight but he knows in his heart that he can beat anyone in the first.

In case you missed that one, and if you blinked you might have, here’s the fight again. Note how da Silva lets his shoulders go slack in the clinch, doesn’t protect his chin and Cutelaba cracks him with a left over the shoulder that sets up a prison style beat down finish.

Dan Hooker has traded wins and losses while going 3-3 in the UFC, he’s coming off of a loss to Jason Knight and is hoping that his recent trend remains in tact long enough to win here and avoid his first UFC losing streak and add what would be the most recognizable name to his resume. Hooker is also debuting at lightweight in the UFC here after a middling featherweight run. Ross Pearson has been with the UFC since 2009 and while he’s had hot streaks at times he’s been plagued by poorly timed losses and now the years and miles seem to be catching up to him. Pearson has lost his last three fights and even that veteran status might not save his job if he goes to 0-4 here. Hooker is a slight -140 favorite to +110 on Pearson.

Lightweight Bout: Dan Hooker (13-7, 156 lbs.) vs. Ross Pearson (19-13 1 NC, 155 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Hooker is four inches taller and has six inches of reach on him. Circling to startin, Hooker more on the outside thus far. Hooker lands a leg kick. Pearson lands a bit of an overhand right, Hooker lands another leg kick. Pearson slips a right and lands a left uppercut. They both miss jabs, Hooker lands another leg kick and just leans away from a head kick. Hooker lands another leg kick. Hooker lands another leg kick then a jab. The punching distance seems to favor Pearson’s hand speed while at kicking range Hooker is starting to chew up that lead leg. Hooker lands a leg kick then has a head kick blocked. Pearson lands a leg kick. Pearson lands a lunging left then eats a leg kick. Another leg kick from Hooker then a front kick to the body and another leg kick though Pearson tries an overhand right to counter that last one. Hooker fakes a punch and lands another leg kick. Hooker jabbing then throwing leg kicks at distance now, Pearson still trying to reliably close the distance. Hooker has a head kick blocked but his lead leg is pretty dexterous. Hooker lands a leg kick, Pearson lands a left and they clinch. They spin, Pearson lands an uppercut as they break then Hooker lands a leg kick. Hooker lands a front kick to the face. Pearson lands a leg kick. Hooker lands a heavy leg kick, Pearson misses a spinning back kick. Hooker lands a front kick to the body to close out the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Hooker

ROUND TWO: Feinting to start the second, both men showing the lead hand early. Hooker lands another leg kick. Pearson lands a jab then a bit of a left hook. Hooker needs to keep his right hand in a better position, Pearson just needs to find the range on that left hook. Hooker lands a couple of jabs as Pearson tries to back him into the fence. Hooker lands a leg kick after slipping a right. They trade lefts, Pearson is starting to read that jab and counter with a lunging left hook. Pearson lands another left, basically a bolo punch. Hooker lands a leg kick then a right but Pearson counters with a couple of hard shots. Pearson is bleeding under the right eye and Hooker is bleeding from the nose. Hooker lands a leg kick then a right. Pearson has started digging that left to the body since Hooker is leaning away from him. Hooker lands a brutal intercepting knee as Pearson was ducking and weaving to close distance and Pearson is out COLD.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Dan Hooker via KO, knee, at 3:02 of Round 2

Hooker on the mic, tells the crowd to stand up, those who weren’t already do so to cheer him briefly. He puts over his coaches and team saying this has nothing to do with him and everything to do with them. He gets the crowd to cheer for Pearson as he puts him over. He talks us through the finish, noting he drilled that sequence a million times in preparation. He appreciates winning in Auckland, he’s a home town boy, then asks for a fighter who’s name I missed to get a shot in the UFC.

Here’s the finish, in slow motion from multiple angles. The set up is important here, Pearson has a bad habit of bending at the waist and hoping that moving his head laterally will protect him, properly timing a hard knee when someone is bending to close distance has taken out plenty of high level fighters over the years. Really well read sequence from Hooker here.

Derek Brunson had a good run going for a while in the UFC, losses to Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker the only blemishes on a 7-2 record but then he lost a Clucky decision to Anderson Silva his last time out and despite the disputed nature of the scoring, he can’t afford a three fight losing streak here if he wants to assert himself as a possible title contender. Dan Kelly is riding a four fight winning streak and has an overall UFC record of 6-1, the strength of that streak landed him a top fifteen ranking. Kelly has a big opportunity here to take out a top ten opponent and score the biggest win of his career. Recent records aside the odds favor Brunson at -275 to +215 on Kelly.

Middleweight Bout: #8 Derek Brunson (16-5, 186 lbs.) vs. #15 Daniel Kelly (13-1, 186 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Brunson is an inch taller and has six and a half inches of reach on Kelly. Both men fighting southpaw, and we get a touch of gloves. Brunson showing the jab, lands an inside leg kick. Kelly just avoids an overhand left. Brunson avoids a left. Brunson lands an inside leg kick. Brunson lands a straight left, Kelly face plants, Brunson hits him a few more times and this one is over.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Derek Brunson via KO, punches, at 1:16 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Brunson for his work this evening. Brunson on the mic now. He puts over his new coaches for getting him better than his last fight and he plans on keeping that going. He talks about working hard on his striking, then mentions getting robbed against Anderson Silva and that he plans on finishing guys going forward. Asked who he wants next, he says Antonio Carlos Silva talked trash and he wants that fight, he meant Antonio Carlos Junior. Brunson wishes his kids a happy birthday to close out his time on the mic.

Kelly bites too hard with his lead hand on the fakes or skipping stone jabs of Brunson and Brunson makes him pay for leaving half of his face exposed. Note how open Brunson’s chin is for a counter though, he still almost leads with it and needs to close up that hole in his game pretty quickly.

Derrick Lewis (18-4 1 NC) is on one of the better winning streaks at heavyweight, currently six, but this represents a significant step up in competition as the best name on his current streak is Travis Browne, who’s only wins since 2014 are over Brendan Schaub and Matt Mitrione. If Lewis can take out a veteran like Hunt here he’ll not only extend an impressive winning streak, he could enter himself into title contention. Mark Hunt (12-11-1 1 NC) is a veteran and has been fighting near the top of the heavyweight division for a few years now, but he’s also on a two fight skid and was recently knocked out by Alistair Overeem, Hunt needs a win pretty badly if he wants to maintain relevant status. The odds here are close but favor the recent streak of Lewis at -150 to +120 on Hunt.

Heavyweight Bout: #6 Derrick Lewis (18-4 1 NC, 265 lbs.) vs. #7 Mark Hunt (12-11-1 1 NC, 265 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Lewis is a much larger man, six inches taller and has seven inches of reach on him. Touch of gloves for the main event. Hunt trying to slide forward, Lewis faking to keep him at distance. Hunt slowly backing Lewis towards the cage, Hunt checks a leg kick attempt. Lewis lands a jumping left body kick. Lewis lands a leg kick. Hunt lands a lunging left hook. Lewis tries a couple of left high kicks that are blocked. Lewis tries that left high kick again, again blocked but it’s a pretty fast kick for a heavyweight. Hunt checks a leg kick and lands a right. Hunt still backing up Lewis towards the fence. Lewis lands a right uppercut. Lewis lands a bit of a left body kick. Hunt lands a right and Lewis fails on a bad double leg attempt. Hunt lands a right uppercut, Lewis lands a right and finally gets off the fence. Hunt resumes walking Lewis towards the cage. Hunt lands another right, they clinch up then break without incident. Hunt just misses a couple of left hooks. Lewis lands a jab. Hunt lands a hard leg kick. Lewis misses a jumping knee, poor energy management. Hunt lands another leg kick, Lewis misses a high kick as the last real sequence of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Hunt

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves again. Hunt blocks another head kick, his right forearm is almost certainly compromised at this point. Hunt lands a leg kick. Lewis lands a kick to what looked like the hip of Hunt. Lewis lands a bit of a right. Lewis lands a leg kick. Lewis tries a hopping knee that partially lands. Hunt lands a glancing right. Hunt lands another leg kick. Another leg kick from Hunt. Hunt takes an eye poke and we’ve got time for him to recover. Replay confirms the eye poke, under the new rules they could take a point from Lewis. No point deduction and we’re back to fighting. Lewis has a high kick blocked. Hunt just being patient and stalking Lewis so far. They trade rights, both men landed there. Hunt checks a leg kick. Lewis tries a jumping switch kick, nothing comes of it though. Hunt lands a glancing leg kick. Lewis lands a jumping knee to the body and a bit of a left to follow up. Hunt lands a hard right and Lewis is backing up now, he’s hurt. Hunt lands a left hook, Lewis still upright though. Hunt lands another right after slipping a couple of jabs. Hunt lands a couple of lefts. Lewis lands a right uppercut, Hunt just eats it. Lewis lands a winging right, Hunt just eats it. Hunt lands a left hook. Hunt blocks a head kick, lands another left hook that off balances Lewis and the round ends.

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

ROUND THREE: I’m thinking Hunt’s right forearm is broken, he’s being very judicious with that punch and it’s visibly swollen. Hunt backing Lewis up again. Hunt misses a left hook, eats a knee to the body and just avoids a couple of uppercuts. Lewis backing himself towards the fence. Hunt ducks a couple of wide hooks. Lewis lands a left. Hunt just misses a right. Hunt avoids a couple of punches, Lewis backs up again. Hunt lands a left hook then a bit of an uppercut. Hunt lands a leg kick. Lewis lands a jab. Hunt lands a left hook. Lewis lands a right uppercut. Lewis tries a double leg, nothing doing though. They trade lefts. Hunt has Lewis on the fence again, lands an inside leg kick but misses the follow up blows. Lewis has his hands on his hips now. Hunt lands a right to the body, Lewis visibly reacts. Hunt again to the body. Hunt lands a left body kick. Hunt with another left to the body. Hunt just misses an overhand right. Hunt lands a left. Hunt lands a right and a body kick to close the round.

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

ROUND FOUR: They touch gloves again. Lewis resumes getting backed into the fence. They both show jabs to the body. Hunt lands a leg kick. Hunt lands a right to the body. Hunt avoids a right and they trade lefts. Lewis tries a left high kick that misses. Lewis lands a leg kick. Hunt lands a hard leg kick. Hunt lands a double jab then a right that wobbles Lewis. Hunt jabs the body. Lewis lands a left hook, Hunt jabs the body again. Hunt lands a right to the body. Hunt avoids a right then lands a right to the body. Hunt just misses a couple of punches. Lewis is pretty dead tired at this point, he’s conserving for bursts. Hunt lands to the body again a couple of times. Hunt lands a left then a right that staggers Lewis. Lewis lands a hopping knee, Hunt doesn’t care and walks him back to the fence. Hunt lands a flurry and Lewis bends at the waist, the ref finally ends this.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Mark Hunt via TKO, punches, at 3:51 Round 4

Hunt gets the heroes ovation, it’s his first ever MMA fight in his birth place. Hunt on the mic now with one of his sons in the cage with him. He says this feels pretty good, says that Lewis might be from the hook but this is his hood and he runs it. Stann interviews one of Hunt’s sons, who says this feels incredible. He puts over Lewis as an opponent. He calls for the fighters to band together to stomp out steroid use and level the playing field. He thanks the crowd for all of their support over the years. Asked who he wants next, he says anyone ranked above him as he’s only got a few fights left and if it ends tonight so be it because he had a great time and this was a great moment but it looks like things are still rolling on.

Just for the record Mark Hunt’s right wrist doesn’t look like it’s in alignment with his forearm, I wont be shocked at all if it turns out to be broken looking like that.

Lewis is limping a little, he says his lower back is hurt not his leg but he’s had that injury since 2011 and tweaked it again leading to this. He says this is probably his last fight as he’s getting married and he doesn’t want to put his family through this going forward.

Well that got ugly as sin down the stretch but Hunt’s cardio held up better and he found the openings in the defense of Lewis. Those clubbing elbows to the upper back were just mean, they hurt for quite some time going forward. Lewis wasn’t fighting back for much of that fourth round, fair stoppage from my vantage point.

Alright everyone, that wraps up UFC Fight Night 110. Thanks for being here and reading, I’m always humbled that you guys choose my work when I’m well aware of just how many other outlets there are for this kind of thing. We’ll be reviewing this card Sunday at 8pm eastern standard time and previewing next week’s UFC Fight Night 111. Yeah, I’m not looking forward to that one. Anyway I’ll be back here for that, I hope you’ll join me. Until then thank you again for being here, stay safe out there, and keep checking 411mania for all of your pop culture needs.

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