mma / Reports

411’s UFC Fight Night 115 Report 9.02.17

September 2, 2017 | Posted by Robert Winfree

Hello everyone and welcome to 411mania’s LIVE coverage of UFC Fight Night (day?) 115. I’m Robert Winfree and I’ll be your host for this event. While the UFC took the entire month of August off to get out of the way of Mayweather vs. McGregor they’re back at it early now that September is here. The main event has top ten heavyweights in action as Alexander Volkov and Stefan Struve face off to possibly keep moving up the ladder, both men are strikers first but can hang on the mat if things get there. I believe this is also the tallest fight in UFC history, Volkov is 6’7 while Struve is an even 7′ tall. The rest of the card is decent, we lost the original co-main event was to feature former women’s featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie before she got injured and had to pull out. There’s also some lightweight prospects on the prelims, Rustam Khabilov is in action as is Mairbek Taisumov. This event is the UFC’s return to The Netherlands, hence the Dutchman Struve in the main event, comes to us from the Ahoy Rotterdam in Rotterdam, The Netherlands with the UFC’s European commentary duo of John Gooden and Dan Hardy calling the action.

And in your regularly scheduled update on which rules are being implemented, we do have the new rules in effect here. So you need either both palms or fists or a knee on the mat to be downed, you can’t extend your fingers towards an opponent regardless of contact being made, and the scoring criteria has been made clearer.

Andrew Holbrook is 2-2 in the UFC and coming off of a first round knockout loss. Both of Holbrook’s UFC wins are by split decision, he’s trying to get an emphatic win and avoid the first losing streak of his career. Thibault Gouti is really on his last legs here in the UFC, he’s 0-3 with them and has been finished in all of those bouts and if he can’t break that streak here I can’t imagine the UFC keeping him around. The odds lean towards Holbrook at -175 against +145 for Gouti.

Lightweight Bout: Thibault Gouti (11-3, 155 lbs.) vs. Andrew Holbrook (12-2, 156 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Holbrook is an inch taller while Gouti has two and a half inches of reach on him. Both men open southpaw, Gouti to orthodox quickly. Both men flashing hands, Holbrook trying to draw his hands up to open up the hips for a double leg. Holbrook tries a low single leg, Gouti able to avoid it. Gouti lands a right to the body. Gouti lands a knee as he blocks a takedown, Holbrook lands a couple of knees from a brief clinch. Holbrook tries another single leg, Gouti slips a bit but regains his feet before Holbrook can get on top. Holbrook lands a couple of leg kicks, they trade punches. Holbrook lands a left then a right and a body kick. Gouti lands a solid enough left and avoids a takedown. Holbrook lands a body kick and a bit of a left. Gouti lands a right and a body kick, Holbrook responds with a body kick of his own. Gouti lands a couple of jabs and avoids a double leg. Gouti lands a right while exiting a clinch. Gouti lands an elbow. Holbrook eats a right to the body, then a head kick that floors him. Gouti has the ride position trying to finish, Holbrook grabs a kimura to stall out the action and regain himself. Holbrook back up but Gouti is swarming him along the fence. Gouti lands a series of punches, uppercuts drop Holbrook and the ref has seen enough.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Thibault Gouti via TKO, punches, at 4:28 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Gouti for his work this morning. Gouti on the mic now. He says he’s had a hard time in the UFC but he knows he’s talented and belongs in the UFC and is happy to have shown that here. He talks us through the head kick and thinks that his power surprised Holbrook and he never let him recover. He says his new camp has helped him a lot in terms of calming down in the cage, building a fight and finding the right spots to attack from rather than being overly emotional.

This is the head kick, Holbrook gets one arm into defensive position but you really need both up to block a power kick especially against an opposite stance opponent. Holbrook regained his feet off of that double wrist lock but was still on the fence and Gouti patiently swarmed him until he dropped a second time.

Bojan Mihajlovic has yet to get his first win in the UFC, he’s 0-2 but it’s worth noting that his UFC debut was on short notice up at heavyweight against Francis Ngannou. Mihajlovic is trying to get that all important first UFC win out of the way and prove he’s worth keeping around. Abdul-Kerim Edilov is a pretty significant prospect for light heavyweight, he’s making his UFC debut but hasn’t lost since 2013 and has an overall ten fight winning streak. Edilov is looking to prove he can continue his winning ways under the bright lights of the UFC. Edilov is a prohibitive favorite here at -650 against +425 on Mihajlovic that has to tempt any gamblers who just like playing long shots.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Abdul-Kerim Edilov (16-4, 204 lbs.) vs. Bojan Mihajlovic (10-5, 205 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Mihajlovic is twelve years older while Edilov has three and a half inches of height and five inches of reach on him. They touch gloves to get things going, Edilov fighting southpaw. Edilov lands a powerful inside leg kick then a powerful left body kick. Edilov pressuring Mihajlovic back towards the fence. Edilov lands a couple of stepping knees to the chest. Edilov lands a right uppercut, he’s switching his stance now, and gets the clinch. Edilov with knees to the body, drops for a double leg, switches to a single and spins Mihajlovic to the mat away from the fence. Edilov working to posture up, he’s landing short blows to the body and head. Mihajlovic keeping a closed guard, he’s bleeding from the nose and around the left eyebrow. Edilov not really trying to pass, he’s content to beat up his man from this position. Hard couple of rights from Edilov. Edilov lands a series of lefts, now rights, Mihajlovic tries to kick free but winds up giving up the ride position. Edilov lands some punches but Mihajlovic will survive the round.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Edilov

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves again. Edilov slips a right but misses the counter. Edilov goes orthodox, lands a knee to the body. Edilov likes orthodox at the moment, he seems adept from either stance so far. Edilov lands a knee, gets a single leg and is back in the guard of Mihajlovic. Edilov working body to head with punches. Edilov thinks about passing, Mihajlovic blocks but eats some hard punches for his trouble. More rights from Edilov, Mihajlovic is pinned on the fence and the ref has to save him.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Abdul-Kerim Edilov via TKO, punches, at 2:32 of Round 2

That was a mugging. Edilov looked really solid, and he’s very excited after the win. No interview though, might be an issue of translation. Here’s the finish, he found good leverage from top position, pinned Mihajlovic to a position he couldn’t defend from, and forced the stoppage.

Mike Santiago was last seen on episode seven of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, he won his fight but wasn’t awarded a contract. He also took this fight on short notice, and I think he might be the first guy featured on that show to show up in the UFC after it aired. Santiago is on a significant winning streak of eleven fights and he’s trying to make a good first impression to the wider UFC audience. Zabit Magomedsharipov is also making his UFC debut, he brings an eight fight winning streak with him and is likewise trying to make the best first impression possible. Magomedsharipov is a significant favorite here, -450 to +325 on Santiago.

Featherweight Bout: Zabit Magomedsharipov (12-1, 146 lbs.) vs. Mike Santiago (21-9, 145 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Magomedsharipov is three and a half inches taller and has four inches of reach on Santiago. Santiago fighting southpaw. Magomedsharipov lands a side kick to the body then a spinning back kick to the body. Santiago lands a body kick, Magomedsharipov returns it. Santiago backing Magomedsharipov towards the fence, they trade kicks to the leg and body. Santiago gets a clinch and has Magomedsharipov on the fence. Magomedsharipov tries a judo toss, uses that to separate and regain distance. Magomedsharipov lands a right to the body. Santiago still moving forward but eats a hard left uppercut, Magomedsharipov lands a hard right to the body and tries a Showtime kick even. That man is wild, Santiago tries a single leg that stalls on the fence. Magomedsharipov spins Santiago, lands a couple of knees to the body then an elbow as he separates. Standing elbow from Magomedsharipov as Santiago clinches up again. Santiago has a body lock but he’s struggling to do anything with it. Magomedsharipov digs an underhook, spins Santiago, lands a knee to the body then an elbow and breaks. Santiago lands a body kick, eats a side kick. Santiago lands another body kick and clinches again. Magomedsharipov spins Santiago into the fence and pulls free. Magomedsharipov lands a body kick then a side kick to the chest. Magomedsharipov lands a spinning back fist then has a high kick blocked. Magomedsharipov lands a right uppercut. Santiago tries a takedown, Magomedsharipov moves towards the ride position as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Magomedsharipov

ROUND TWO: Magomedsharipov lands a side kick to the thigh. Santiago is coming forward again, trying to work body kicks. Magomedsharipov lands an inside leg kick and they clinch again. Magomedsharipov has Santiago on the fence quickly. They both miss after separation. Santiago pushing forward, tries a double leg and gets Magomedsharipov to his seat but Magomedsharipov pulls free and steps over into the ride position as Santiago was on his knees. That was slick. Magomedsharipov lands some rights, Santiago trying to turn into him and try a single leg but Magomedsharipov has an underhook and has control of one of the legs. Magomedsharipov lands a short right. Magomedsharipov threatening with the choke, he’s not really in position to finish that but he’s threatening all the same. Santiago tries to scramble, keeps Magomedsharipov from getting hooks in but he’s still on his back. Magomedsharipov has a cradle grip, goes for the choke without hooks and nothing comes of it. Santiago back up, Magomedsharipov rides him back down and lands in half guard this time. Santiago has a double wrist lock but he’s not got control anywhere else. Magomedsharipov gets the ride position, drags Santiago back down and gets one hook in. Magomedsharipov lands a few short rights and is after the choke. Magomedsharipov is under the chin but no control, Santiago gives up the mount then shrimps to his knees. Magomedsharipov back under the chin, gets hooks this time and Santiago has to tap.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Zabit Magomedsharipov via Submission, rear naked choke, at 4:22 of Round 2

That was really great stuff from Magomedsharipov, definitely someone to keep your eye on. Magomedsharipov on the mic now. He says he was nervous because of the layoff but he wanted to show all of his skills and prove that he belongs in the UFC. He talks us through the finish, he wanted to prove that he isn’t just a striker but a true mixed martial artist and calls out Artem Lobov.

In case you want a taste of that man’s insanity, here’s a quick highlight from the first round.

Here’s the finish, lightning quick hooks after the arms are in position to choke. I think he was drawing the hands up to fight his choking arm to open up his legs for hip control, really nice stuff.

Francimar Barroso (19-5 1 NC) has had a solid UFC run to this point, he’s 4-2 with 1 No Contest with them, but despite the shallow nature of light heavyweight he’s struggled to really get any traction. He’s trying to get some of that here with what would be his second UFC winning streak. Aleksandar Rakic (8-1) is on an eight fight winning streak coming into his UFC debut, and while Barroso isn’t the biggest name he’s a proven UFC caliber fighter and if he can take him out here it’ll be a great way to start off his UFC run. Rakic is actually a slight favorite here, -150 to +120 on Barroso.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Francimar Barroso (19-5 1 NC, 204 lbs.) vs. Aleksandar Rakic (8-1, 205 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Rakic is two and a half inches taller, has three inches of reach on Barroso, and is twelve years younger. They touch gloves and we’re fighting. Rakic lands a leg kick. Rakic lands a short uppercut after Barroso reached for a single leg. Barroso lands a jab. Rakic misses an overhand right, he’s showing a long jab to keep Barroso at bay. Rakic lands a leg kick. Barroso lands a bit of a right. Barroso lands a left hook but eats a right uppercut. Barroso bulls forward and lands a glancing right. Rakic lands a leg kick. Rakic lands a series of rights to counter a naked leg kick from Barroso. Rakic lands a leg kick but nearly gets countered because he didn’t set it up. Rakic lands a significant right uppercut after a feint. Rakic avoids a takedown attempt, eats a loose left hook from Barroso. Rakic lands a left body kick. Rakic showing the oblique kick now, Barroso is switching to protect his left leg a bit. Barroso dives into a clinch and has Rakic on the fence. Rakic able to spin him, drops for a single leg, can’t get it and the round ends in the clinch.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Rakic

ROUND TWO: Barroso has some swelling around his right eye and his left calf is visibly red and damaged. Rakic lands a leg kick, avoids a counter. Rakic lands a hard right, Barroso tries southpaw but eats a hard inside leg kick. Barroso switching his stance but Rakic is content to kick either leg. Rakic pressuring Barroso, lands a left body kick and avoids a rush from Barroso. Rakic jabbing Barroso into the fence, lands a right to the body. Barroso lands a leg kick. Rakic avoids a left hook, he lands a short combination. Rakic lands a calf kick again and avoids a clinch attempt. Rakic misses an uppercut, they clinch and Barroso hits an inside trip into the guard. Barroso just holding on, and he passes to half guard. Rakic shrimps to full guard again. Barroso lands a short elbow, Rakic looking to wall walk. Rakic hits a switch and is up then wobbles Barroso with an uppercut. Rakic coming forward again, lands some punches but his hands are getting low and Barroso is throwing back. Barroso hits a single leg into the guard as the round ends.

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

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves for the last round. Rakic lands a jab. Rakic moving forward, he’s measuring Barroso along the fence. Barroso’s face is swelling and he’s bleeding from under the left eye I think, I can’t see the cut. Rakic avoids a double leg attempt. Rakic lands a right to the body. Rakic lands a body kick. Rakic lands a leg kick and a jab. Rakic with some thrust kicks to the thigh now, and a right to the body. Rakic lands a punch to the eye, Barroso backing up trying to clear his vision. Rakic lands a right to the body. Rakic kind of let Barroso off of the hook there. Rakic lands a right to the body, takes a kick to the groin on the counter though. Rakic walks it off in less than a minute, I don’t think he wants to give Barroso a breather. Rakic blocks a double leg and lands a bit of a left hook. Rakic avoids a double leg and lands a couple of punches. Rakic misses a high kick, Barroso circles away, lands a right just as the round ends.

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

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Aleksandar Rakic via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Disciplined performance but Rakic pitched a shutout against a proven veteran. No interview for him though.

Rustam Khabilov has only lost twice in the UFC, he’s 7-2 overall and on a four fight winning streak. Khabilov wants to extend that streak to five here and earn another crack at the top fifteen of the division. Desmond Green had a successful UFC debut when he defeated Josh Emmett, he’s taking a step up in competition here against Khabilov but if he can beat him and extend his overall winning streak to six he could be the one knocking on the door of the top fifteen rankings. Khabilov is the favorite here at -300 while Green would pay out at +230.

Lightweight Bout: Desmond Green (20-5, 155 lbs.) vs. Rustam Khabilov (21-3, 156 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Green is two and a half inches taller but their reach is identical. They touch gloves, Green fighting southpaw. Green circling, Khabilov probing with the right. Khabilov lands a bit of a right then a right to the body. Green bulls forward and eats a right uppercut. Green’s striking is very loopy so far. They clinch up and Khabilov hits a belly to belly suplex, Green back to his feet and they separate. Khabilov lands a right to the body then a right hook but eats a right. Green lands a bit of a right hook, Khabilov goes for a single leg against the fence. Khabilov elevates and slams Green. Green back to his feet against the fence but Khabilov has a rear waist lock and elevates then slams but Green is back up. Green gets ridden down again, he’s back up and turns into Khabilov but eats an elbow as they break. Green lands a looping left. Khabilov lands a glancing uppercut, Green lands a left. Green lands a body kick, slips but regains his feet before Khabilov could get on him. Khabilov lands a bit of a head kick. Green tries a double leg, switches to a single but can’t get the takedown and Khabilov separates. Green lands a bit of a leg kick as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Khabilov

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves again for the second round. Khabilov lands a counter right that drops Green for a second. Green circling, avoids an upward elbow strike. Green blocks a right. Khabilov lands a body kick. Green misses a left. Khabilov lands an overhand right, not much on it. Green lands a leg kick. Khabilov lands a right. Khabilov tries a single leg, Green avoids it and lands a right as they disengage. Khabilov lands a right. Green avoids a single leg attempt. Khabilov lands a body kick, eats a leg kick. They trade rights that land. Khabilov lands a bit of a right, Green avoids a single leg attempt. They both miss rights. Khabilov tries a single leg, Green goes to his seat but scrambles back up immediately. Green blocks a high kick and misses some counters. Green circles away from a takedown attempt. Green lands a leg kick and avoids a spinning back fist. Khabilov lands a body kick, eats a leg kick, and the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Khabilov but that one could go either way, 20-18 Khabilov overall

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves for the last round. Khabilov lands a knee to the body, Green clinches up but can’t get a takedown and Khabilov lands a bit of a left as they separate. They trade some lead hand work. Khabilov lands a body kick, eats a bit of a counter left though. Khabilov lands a right to the groin, Green basically waves the ref away. Green sprawls away from a double leg. Green lands a left, eats a right to the body. Khabilov lands a counter right then a left. They clinch, Green misses a right as he gets free. Khabilov lands a bit of a right then a body kick. Green lands a leg kick. Khabilov lands a right, fails on a takedown though and eats a short left. Khabilov has a right blocked and avoids a counter hook. Green lands a leg kick. They both miss hooks. Green tries a single leg, elevates and trips but Khabilov is back up, rolls towards top position as the round ends.

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

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

Khabilov continues to be solid but he’s struggling to really get upward momentum with performances like that.

Michel Prazeres has only lost once since dropping to lightweight, he lost a decision to top contender Kevin Lee, and has a four fight winning streak going. Prazeres is also trying to move up in class and maybe get a crack at the top fifteen. Mads Burnell is making his UFC debut here replacing Islam Makhachev on short notice. Burnell has a three fight winning streak going and could make serious waves with a win here over a recognized veteran like Prazeres. Prazeres enjoys favored status at -325 against +250 on a possible Burnell win.

Lightweight Bout: Mads Burnell (8-1, 155 lbs.) vs. Michel Prazeres (22-2, 159 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Prazeres is thirteen years older, two inches shorter but has an inch and a half of reach on Burnell. They touch gloves, Prazeres circling early and Burnell pushing forward. Prazeres lands a knee to the body and they clinch. Burnell pushes Prazeres into the fence, they jockey for position, Prazeres hits a trip and gets on top in guard. Burnell trying to elevate with butterfly hooks, Prazeres passes to half guard. Prazeres to side control then hops to the other side for side control. Burnell gets half guard back and is still trying to get some motion going. Prazeres trying to step over again, Burnell blocking and making him work. This is some really fun guard play from both guys looking for passes and sweeps. Prazeres into side control again. Burnell trying to elevate, Prazeres lands a right as he tries for knee on belly but Burnell is able to turn and regain his feet. Prazeres dives for another double leg and lands on top in half guard. Prazeres passes to side control again and is trying to set up a double wrist lock. Prazeres bails to get mount, Burnell shrimps to half guard but eats a couple of elbows. Burnell to full guard as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Prazeres

ROUND TWO: Burnell lands a leg kick to start the second round. They clinch up in open space, trade knees to the body and Burnell pulls free. Burnell lands a short right. Prazeres lands a short uppercut. Burnell lands a couple of short uppercuts in close as they clinch. Burnell lands a knee to the body and they push apart. They trade in close, Prazeres hits a double leg after eating a left hook and lands in guard again. Prazeres lands a right and passes to half guard. Burnell on a hip looking for a sweep but the fence is going to cause problems with that. Prazeres into side control again, Burnell sits up and is trying to wall walk but Prazeres is able to push him back over. Prazeres moves into full mount now. Burnell trying to get some motion going, he actually forces Prazeres back to side control. Prazeres now caught in half guard, passes to side control again. Prazeres trying to set up a north-south choke, Burnell is able to block it. Prazeres holds an arm in head lock to control Burnell as the round ends.

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

ROUND THREE: They hug to start the third round. Burnell lands a front kick to the body. Prazeres trying to bull forward, they trade short hooks in close and Prazeres lands a knee. Prazeres hits a double leg into the guard of Burnell again. Prazeres passes to side control almost immediately. Prazeres again setting up a north-south choke, Burnell blocking so far. Prazeres switches his grip, is able to pivot all the way around to get the necessary pressure and Burnell has to tap. I think he’s the only guy in the UFC to have more than one north-south in the UFC now.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Michel Prazeres via Submission, north-south choke, at 1:26 of Round 3

The Final Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Prazeres for his work on this event. Prazeres on the mic now with his translator. He talks us through the finish, says he’s got a set up for that choke that’s all his own and says he feels like a cobra in terms of snatching it up.

Here’s the finish. Some good work from Prazeres here, gets the arm around the back of the neck for control, moves the other for the grip and most importantly he is able to spin his hips out to walk backwards with his toes then drive forward once his arms and torso are in position. Really nice, nearly textbook stuff.

Mairbek Taisumov has a solid UFC record of 5-1 and is on a four fight winning streak. Injuries and visa issues have kept Taisumov out of action since April of 2016 but he’s been putting together a case as a top twenty or top fifteen fighter, if he can keep winning impressively here it’ll be hard to deny him a step up in class if nothing else. Felipe Silva is undefeated including a successful UFC debut when he defeated Shane Campbell, he’s trying to prove he can hang with the truly elite by taking out the highly touted Taisumov. Despite the layoff Taisumov is the favorite, -280 in fact against a payout of +220 for Silva.

Lightweight Bout: Felipe Silva (8-0, 155 lbs.) vs. Mairbek Taisumov (25-5, 155 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Silva is three inches taller and has four inches of reach on Taisumov. They touch gloves to get us going. Silva backing up and circling early, both men feinting early. Silva feints his way forward but doesn’t pull the trigger. Taisumov misses a right, lands a leg kick though. Taisumov ducks a right, lands a MASSIVE counter right hook, Silva face plants and Taisumov walks off Mark Hunt style.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Mairbek Taisumov via KO, punch, at 1:24 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Taisumov for his work on this card. Good Lord that was wicked, Taisumov is really really good for everyone who forgot that. Taisumov on the mic after that thunderous return to action. He says he’s happy to be back in the cage. He’s said before that he’s not here to talk, he’s here to smash and calls out anyone in the top ten. He says he’s called out the entire top ten and none of them want to fight him. He says he’s finished his last five opponents and deserves a shot at the top. He thanks his coaches by name, he says Michael Chiesa, Anthony Pettis, and Nate Diaz have all turned down fights with him and jokes about Diaz smoking too much weed.

Here’s the finish. Silva gets too aggressive with a right hook and more importantly dropped his left after he missed leaving himself vulnerable to that counter right, Taisumov ducks the punch and lands that perfect counter right to the exposed chin and that’s all she wrote.

Darren Till is undefeated with only a draw to blemish his record, he’s won twice in the UFC and is looking to extend that record to three here and possibly earn a shot at a bigger named opponent. Bojan Velickovic is 2-1-1 in the UFC, he’s showed some promise but needs to find consistency at the highest levels. Velickovic is coming off of a win and is looking to get his first UFC winning streak up and running tonight. The odds lean towards Till here at -205 to +165 on Velickovic.

Welterweight Bout: Darren Till (14-0-1, 170 lbs.) vs. Bojan Velickovic (15-4-1, 171 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Velickovic has an inch and a half of reach on Till but their height is the same. They touch gloves, both men are southpaws. Circling and feinting from both guys, Till misses a leg kick. Velickovic lands a bit of a jab and a leg kick but eats a counter left. Till lands a leg kick. Velickovic lands a leg kick, Till returns it. Velickovic lands a leg kick. Velickovic lands another leg kick, Till trying to goad him into more prolonged exchanges. Till lands a jab. Velickovic lands another leg kick. Till’s chin is really high in the air, but he lands a stepping elbow that drops Velickovic against the fence. Lovely elbow, Till trying to swarm for the finish but Velickovic has full guard and is working to tie him up. Velickovic bleeding from the head, he’s back up but eats an elbow as he does so. They hug after enticing the crowd, then Till lands a leg kick. Till avoids a poorly executed double leg attempt. Till lands a left. Velickovic just misses a right hook, Till lands a jab. Velickovic lands a leg kick. Till moving forward, he’s jabbing now. Till avoids a jab, they both get the crowd going as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Till based on close that was to being stopped

ROUND TWO: That cut is on the right side of Velickovic’s head, above the temple by an inch or so. They touch gloves for the round and Till lands a couple of stiff jabs. Velickovic lands a bit of a right then a leg kick. Till lands a leg kick then a left. Velickovic tries a single leg, Till avoids it without much problem and lands a straight left. Till catches a leg kick and trips Velickovic down then lands a left as he moves into the guard. Till lands a left. Till lands an elbow, Velickovic trying to set up a wall walk. Velickovic able to wall walk off of a guillotine threat and we’re at distance again. Velickovic lands a leg kick but that’s really the only blow he’s landing consistently. Velickovic lands another leg kick, those are starting to add up a bit. Till lands a left and checks a counter leg kick. Velickovic lands a leg kick. Velickovic with some better defense now. I think Till is bleeding from the nose, not sure what caused that. Velickovic lands a left then a leg kick. They stare away the final few seconds.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Till but could go the other way based on effective activity, 20-17 Till overall

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves for the last round. Velickovic lands a leg kick. Another leg kick from Velickovic but Till counters with a left. Till lands a leg kick. Till avoids a high kick. Till misses a left and eats a counter right. Till lands a left, Velickovic pushes into the clinch and they start fighting for position. Velickovic on the fence, and they separate. Till lands a jab. Till avoids another high kick. Velickovic avoids a few jabs. Till lands a left. They trade lefts but Velickovic lands a right as well. Till lands a straight left that drops Velickovic again, Till makes him stand after he defends on the mat. Till coming forward, lands a left elbow. Till avoids a right hook. Till lands a spinning elbow. Till misses a head kick. Velickovic lands a leg kick, Till circles away for the last couple of seconds.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Till, 30-26 Till overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Darren Till via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Fun fight, Till has a lot of upside and room to grow. Till on the mic now. He says he doesn’t worry about game plans, he let’s his coaches do that because he’s the greatest fighter on Earth so he focuses on the training. He says that if you call him on he’s gonna kill you as a lead up to that first elbow, he puts over Velickovic. He says he likes to fight because he knows that fans pay hard money to be here and he wants to put on a show for them. He calls out Santiago Ponzinibbio to find out who the best striker in the division is, he speaks Portuguese which he’s fluent in, does his own translation which was related to Brazilian politics and he jokes that the fans in attendance don’t care that much.

That does it for preliminary action, though we’ll still be on Fight Pass for the main card.

Leon Edwards is riding a three fight winning streak including impressive wins over Albert Tumenov and Vicente Luque. Edwards is trying to make a case for a bigger opportunity next if he can keep winning here. Bryan Barberena is 4-2 in the UFC and coming off of a win, he’s trying to play spoiler to Edwards and steal some of his momentum. As mentioned Edwards is the -270 favorite against a +210 payout on a Barberena upset.

Welterweight Bout: Bryan Barberena (13-4, 170 lbs.) vs. Leon Edwards (13-3, 168 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height but Edwards has an inch and a half of reach on Barberena. Both men fighting southpaw, and they touch gloves to get us going. Edwards pressuring forward early, Barberena flashing the jab and circling. Barberena misses a leg kick. Edwards lands a leg kick. Barberena lands a low leg kick, already going for the calf. Edwards has a head kick blocked. Barberena lands a leg kick, Edwards lands a front kick to the body. Edwards lands a leg kick. Edwards lands a jab. They both miss lefts. Barberena lands a body kick, Edwards catches it and gets a takedown into half guard. Edwards moves to side control quickly and looks to take the back. Edwards has one hook in, Barberena has his back on the fence. Edwards prevents a wall walk by attacking the posting leg. Edwards trying to get the back and is after the choke. Edwards gets the other hook in, Barberena hand fighting to prevent the grip to finish the choke. Edwards after the choke again, Barberena breaks the grip and gets one of the hooks free. Barberena back to his feet as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Edwards

ROUND TWO: Edwards has a small mouse under his right eye. They touch gloves for the second round. Barberena coming forward now, lands an inside leg kick. They clinch up and trade knees to the body. Edwards tries for an outside trip, Barberena on the fence and is blocking it. Barberena lands a couple of knees to the thigh and spins Edwards into the cage. They trade some knees. Barberena lands a bit of an elbow as they break. Edwards lands a right hook. Barberena lands a jab then a calf kick. Barberena tries a jumping knee, caught and Edwards gets a takedown against the fence. Edwards again has the back with one hook in, Barberena wall walks while Edwards holds him. Barberena fighting for an underhook, Edwards tries to switch for a double leg but Barberena breaks his grip and settles into the clinch again. Edwards for another double, Barberena lands some elbows to the head while defending. Edwards back towards the clinch, Barberena lands a knee to the body. Barberena lands a knee to the body as they break. They trade lefts, Barberena just plowing forward. Barberena lands a left uppercut that drops Edwards. Barberena landing punches, spins to the ride position, Edwards spins to his back to try for guard. Barberena lands elbows from top position. Edwards able to tie up his posture and he just rides out the last fifteen seconds.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Barberena, might be a 10-8 argument somewhere in there, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves again. Barberena coming forward, lands a jab but eats a counter left. Edwards lands a leg kick. Another leg kick from Edwards, Barberena still pressuring him. Barberena lands a body kick. Barberena blocks a head kick. Edwards circling, lands another leg kick. Edwards lands a hard left, tries a double leg and has to really fight into a trip and finally gets Barberena down in half guard against the fence. Edwards with some short arm punches. Barberena to his knees, Edwards into the ride position. Edwards gets a body triangle and is after the choke. Edwards really after the choke, Barberena defending well. Edwards after the choke again, he’s not really under the chin though. Barberena breaks the triangle, Edwards gets both hooks in but Barberena wall walks. Edwards holding a rear waist lock, Barberena breaks it, looks to block a single leg with elbows. Barberena grabs a double wrist lock and tries to sit for the submission, can’t get the angle and he walks up again. Edwards holding, Barberean tries to roll for a knee bar, uses that to get up and land a knee to the body as the round ends.

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 thought he had the choke in the first but Barberena defended well. He says the game plan was to stick and move, use his range, then puts over Barberena as a tough guy. He says he wants a top fifteen guy next. He adapted using the takedown because he knew Barberena would come forward hard.

Marion Reneau was to face former featherweight champion Germaine De Randamie here before de Randamie suffered a hand injury. Reneau is coming off of a draw with Bethe Correia, a draw Correia was lucky to get, and she’s trying to stay on the winning side of things to maybe get the de Randamie fight rescheduled down the road. Talita Bernado took this fight on short notice but she brings a three fight winning streak with her and has a significant opportunity here in her debut to take out a top fifteen opponent. Reneau is a notable -305 favorite to +230 on Bernado.

Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Talita Oliveira (4-1, 135 lbs.) vs. #11 Marion Reneau (7-3-1, 135 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Reneau is ten years older, has two inches of height on Bernado but their reach is the same. They touch gloves, Reneau pushing forward quickly. Bernado falls short with some rights. Reneau lands a right after taking a leg kick. Reneau lands a right as she backs Bernado towards the fence. Reneau lands a leg kick, Bernado catches it and gets a takedown into the guard of Reneau. Reneau fighting for wrist control to try and set up something. Bernado lands a right, eats an up kick as she stands then tries to pass but winds up back in guard. Bernado stands, eats another up kick then gets hit with an ankle pick sweep. Bernady after a knee bar, the knee of Reneay is mostly passed the fulcrum point but Bernado spins to top position. Reneau gets a triangle choke position, switches towards an armbar but Bernado gets free. Bernado tries to pass, Reneau active with her legs and Bernado finally passes towards north-south. Bernado spins to the back as Reneau got to her knees. Bernado has both hooks in, Reneau bucks one of them free and spins to get full guard. Reneau has good defense from the bottom, Bernado’s offense is being stifled so far. The round ends in that position.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Bernado

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves again, Reneau back to forward pressure. Bernado breathing a little heavy. Reneau jabs the body. Reneau avoids a right, lands a counter right. Hard right from Reneau lands. Reneau lands a right, Bernado tries a double leg but Reneau stuffs it and makes Bernado stand back up. Reneau pushing forward again, jabs the body. Reneau lands another right. Reneau lands a left to the body. Reneau lands a bit of a right. Reneau blocks a bad double leg attempt and makes Bernado stand again. Bernado hits a double leg as Reneau got too aggressive and she lands in the guard of Reneau. Reneau grabs a head lock to stand then lands a knee to the body. Reneau lands a right to the body. Reneau lands a right. Reneau pushes for the clinch, lands an elbow as they jockey for position. Reneau lands a couple of knees to the body then an elbow. Reneau blocks a trip, lands a knee to the body then a right as they separate. Reneau lands a right, Bernado tries a double leg, winds up just holding a single leg as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Reneau, Bernado only got a takedown that did nothing, 19-18 Reneau overall

ROUND THREE: Reneau comes out fast again, lands a right. Reneau lands a jab. Bernado tries a double leg, blocked and they wind up in the clinch again. Reneau spins Bernado into the cage. Bernado gets a trip from double under hooks. Reneau lands some rights while trying to get to a hip. Bernado lands an elbow that cut Reneau. Reneau after the triangle choke again, she’s got the position and is going to hit a sweep if nothing else. Bernado stands and is nearly out of the position. Reneau switches to an armbar, Berando defends but gives up the triangle again. Bernado finally pulls completely free. Reneau looks to stand, Bernado dives back on top. Reneau sits up with guard, grabs at the neck and uses that to stand then spins to the back. Bernado just on her knees, Reneau pulls her over to get on top in half guard. Reneau lands an elbow. Bernado tries to spin to top, Reneau steps over to take the back and is after the choke with both hooks in. Reneau only has a crank at the moment but she’s committed. Bernado tries to spin for top position, Reneau rides with her and starts pounding from top position. Reneau after another choke, she’s not got the right angle though. Reneau postures up from the back and lands punches. Hard flurry from Reneau gets the stoppage with less than ten seconds left to go.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Marion Reneau via TKO, punches, at 4:54 of Round 3

The Final Round Finish Club thanks Mrs. Reneau for her work on this card. Reneau on the mic now, says she wasn’t feeling well coming into this fight but doesn’t use that as an excuse. She says she was trying to prove that 40 is the new 20, she’s 40 this year and says this felt really good. She puts over Bernado’s grappling and talks us through the finish.

Siyar Bahadurzada has gone 2-2 in the UFC and last fought in March of 2016, he defeated Brandon Thatch, and needs a win here if he wants to mount any kind of move now that he’s moved to the middleweight division. Rob Wilkinson is undefeated and making his UFC debut here, he’s trying to remain perfect and capitalize on the biggest opportunity of his career this far. Bahadurzada is a slight -150 favorite while Wilkinson would pay out at +120.

Middleweight Bout: Siyar Bahadurzada (22-6-1, 186 lbs.) vs. Rob Wilkinson (11-0, 185 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Wilkinson is four inches taller and has a whopping seven and a half inches of reach on Bahadurzada. They touch gloves to get us going. Wilkinson trying to fight long early, lands an inside leg kick. Bahadurzada trying to pull Wilkinson in so he can counter. Bahadurzada blocks a kick and just misses a couple of hooks. They trade punches, then Wilkinson misses a kick. Wilkinson lands an inside leg kick. Bahadurzada lands a couple of looping hooks. Wilkinson pushes into the clinch, they trade knees to the body then Wilkinson gets a double leg. Bahadurzada wall walks immediately, they trade knees to the body as they resume clinching. Some knees to back and forth, Wilkinson fails on a double leg then eats a left hook as they break. Bahadurzada lands a hard left body kick, he grabs a d’arce choke as Wilkinson dropped for a takedown. Wilkinson defending the choke, Bahadurzada bails on it and regains his feet. They clinch again, Wilkinson holding the position. Bahadurzada lands a knee to the body, gets taken down for that but he stands without much issue. Wilkinson lands a hard knee to the head as the last blow of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Bahadurzada

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves for the second round. Both guys visibly fatigued now. Bahadurzada avoids a left, and misses with the right counter. They both miss, Bahadurzada lands a glancing left hook. Bahadurzada lands a bit of a right. They both miss rights, distance management isn’t much of thing for either guy at this point. Wilkinson lands a jab. Bahadurzada lands a looping right, Wilkinson wobbled. Bahadurzada avoids a takedown attempt and resumes stalking forward. Bahadurzada lands a left and shrugs off of a clinch attempt. Left then a right from Bahadurzada, Wilkinson is down, back up but gets clobbered again. Wilkinson back up again, a left from Bahadurzada drops him again, again he’s trying to stand but he’s done and the ref waves this one off.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Siyar Bahadurzada via TKO, punches, at 3:10 of Round 2

Bahadurzada on the mic now. He says no one can beat him when he’s healthy, calls himself the best fighter in whatever division he’s in. He talks about the injuries that derailed his career recently but promises to come for the belt, dedicates the fight for the fans as he’s been living in the Netherlands for years now. He speaks some Arabic, not sure if it’s Dari or Pashto or Farsi but it was for his friends and family in Afghanistan so it was likely one of those.

Here’s the finish, Wilkinson was over matched in terms of fire power and just got walked down.

Alexander Volkov is a longtime top level heavyweight, he’s riding a four fight winning streak including two successful UFC bouts. Volkov has earned a top ten berth and is trying to better that spot towards the top five. Stefan Struve has been with the UFC since 2009, he’s won his last two bouts and has a top ten ranking of his own. Struve needs to win here if he wants to try and mount a run towards the title, he’s one of only two men to defeat current heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, before time and damage catch up with him. The odds here are nearly event but favor Volkov at -130 against +100 on Struve.

Heavyweight Bout: #7 Alexander Volkov (28-6, 251 lbs.) vs. #8 Stefan Struve (28-8, 264 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Struve is five inches taller and has four and a half inches of reach advantage. They touch gloves to get us going. Volkov lands a couple of inside leg kicks. Leg kick from Volkov. Struve misses a left. Volkov lands a right to the body then a left to the head. Struve lands a jab. Struve lands a jumping knee to the body. Volkov goes southpaw, pushes close and lands a right uppercut then a front kick to the body after a brief clinch. Struve working the jab now, Volkov lands a jab. Struve lands a left high kick but Volkov catches it, takes him down then makes him stand back up. Struve lands a couple of rights, Volkov fires back and they exchange then clinch. Volkov lands a knee to the body before they separate. Volkov lands a left body kick. Volkov doing some stance switching, lands a right to the body. Volkov lands a bit of a right uppercut. Struve lands a short uppercut. They clinch again, Volkov lands a hard knee to the body as they break. Struve tries a jumping knee, it cut Volkov but Volkov takes him down and lands elbows. Volkov into half guard and looking to tee off. Volkov lands a few rights and an elbow of his own. Volkov lands onee more right as the round ends. That cut is under the left eye, it’s not pretty but he should be OK to continue.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Volkov

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves again. Both guys probing with jabs, Volkov lands a bit of a right. Volkov misses a left, Struve has an interesting extended arms defense to mitigate lopping punches. Volkov takes the base out of Struve with an inside leg kick but Struve is back up. Volkov takes an eye poke and we’ve got time and the doctor is in to check the eye of Volkov. Replay confirms the eye poke, Struve’s been doing a lot of open hand reaching. No point deduction but if it happens again he’ll almost have to take one. Volkov lands a bit of a left, Struve lands a right and eats a counter right. Volkov lands a right to the body. Uppercut lands for Volkov, Struve lands one of his own. Volkov lands a couple of inside leg kicks. Volkov lands a right then a left. Another right from Volkov, he’s got Struve covering up along the fence. Struve circles away from the fence. Volkov takes another eye poke so there’s time again. The replay confirms the poke, and the ref doesn’t take a point. I’m surprised by that, I’d have taken one myself. Struve apologizes as they restart. Volkov lands a few jabs to the body. A few leg kicks go back and forth. Volkov lands a knee to the body after Struve misses on a takedown attempt. Volkov lands a long left then a right uppercut. Struve eats a combination to the body. Volkov lands a right. Right from Volkov lands, Struve got hurt a little there. Struve backing up, Volkov lands another left, another quick combination and a leg kick from Volkov close the round.

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

ROUND THREE: Both guys a little busted up in the facial area after two rounds. They touch gloves again. Struve jabs the body. Struve eats a right uppercut, he’s being predictable with his left hook. We get a double eye poke, the ref pulls them together and admonishes them both. Still surprised he didn’t take one from Struve just for repeated violations. They restart and Struve is circling. Volkov lands a right to the body. Struve lands a right. Volkov pushing forward, lands a right. Volkov lands another right then a combination. Struve is covering up well but he’s eating at least two out of a three or four punch combination when he does. Volkov lands a leg kick. Left then a right from Volkov. Volkov lands a couple of inside leg kicks, Struve lands a body kick. Volkov jabs the body again. Volkov lands a bit of a right. Volkov lands a body kick, Struve eats a left then a combination. Struve eats a combination, drops, Volkov swarms him and the ref jumps in to stop this one.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Alexander Volkov via TKO, punches, at 3:30 of Round 3

Good stuff from Volkov, his distance management was superior and Struve constantly paid for not finding the right range. Volkov gets an interview now. He says he feels great, thanks the people for their support and everyone for coming out. He thanks Struve for the entertaining fight, he did that in English then switches to Russian. Volkov speaks English at least conversationally but he struggles to understand it, he goes to Russian for the more in depth questions. He says he and Struve are very similar fighters and he had to adjust what he was doing because it wouldn’t necessarily work on bigger guys. Asked who he’d like next he says he doesn’t care, let the UFC choose but he plans on winning and climbing to the top.

Struve gets an interview as well now. He says Volkov was the better man who landed the better shots, puts him over for getting the finish. Struve says he needs a little break, switches to Dutch for the home audience then declines to do his own translation.

Here’s the finish, Volkov did a good job of finding angles around the defense of Struve and the accumulation just seemed to finally have gotten the best of him.

Alright guys, that does it for me. Thanks for being here live for the odd start time, and thanks if you’re reading after the fact. I’ll be back next Saturday for UFC 215, it’s a really solid card including two title fights where Demetrious Johnson goes for the record for consecutive title defenses and the rescheduled bout between Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko goes down. I hope you’ll come back for that event. We’ll give UFC 215 a full preview this Sunday at 8pm eastern standard time on the 411 Ground and Pound Radio Show, which I hope you’ll listen to as well. Until next time guys, thanks again for being here and keep checking 411mania for all of your pop culture needs.

More Trending Stories

article topics :

UFC, UFC Fight Night 115, UFC Reports, Robert Winfree

More Stories

loading