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411’s UFC Fight Night 139 Report 11.10.18

November 11, 2018 | Posted by Robert Winfree

Hello everyone and welcome to 411mania’s LIVE coverage of UFC Fight Night 139. I’m Robert Winfree and I’ll be relaying all of the action just as I see it to you good people. Tonight is the UFC’s 25th anniversary card and what a strange journey this card has taken to get here. The original main event was supposed to be The Korean Zombie Chan Sung Jung against Frankie Edgar before Edgar got injured. Stepping in to replace Edgar is a man who was violently mauled by Edgar last year, Yair Rodriguez. Neither man is all that close to the title picture but the match up is fairly fan friendly on paper.

The co-main event is more interesting to myself and a lot of other people, Donald Cerrone tries to secure the most wins in UFC history as he takes on powerful brawler Mike Perry. Quite frankly if someone’s going to die in the Octagon it’s going to be in this fight. Also Raquel Pennington tries to rebound from her beating at the hands of Amanda Nunes, though she missed weight badly for this fight, against a woman who had a cup of coffee with a title in the form of Germaine de Randamie. Beyond that, it’s not a good card guys. The next most interesting fight was a fight between Ray Borg and Joseph Benavidez but that fell through and both men likely find themselves up at bantamweight once flyweight is dissolved early next year.

UFC Fight Night 139 comes to us from the city where it all started as they’re in the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, USA. As for commentary we have Brendan Fitzgerald and Paul Felder calling the action. When it comes to the rules, and boy do I miss the days when I didn’t have to put this disclaimer at the start of every card, Colorado has adopted the new rules. Specifically that means you need both palms or fists flat on the mat to be considered downed (or a knee of course), extending your fingers towards your opponent is a foul regardless of contact being made, and the scoring criteria is a bit more encouraging of 10-8’s scores.

We open with a historical retrospective piece, not bad and I imagine there will be another one for Fox Sports 1. They’re actually playing the old UFC intro music, which is a massive step up from Face the Pain of course. There’s also some throwback graphics for the pre-fight hype piece, kind of a nice touch but I hope they don’t stick with it all night as there’s a reason the sport has moved beyond them.

Mark de la Rosa had gone 1-1 in the UFC, he lost his UFC debut but is coming off of a win for this bout and is looking for his first UFC winning streak. Joby Sanchez is in his second UFC stint, he went 1-2 in his first, but lost his return bout. Sanchez is trying to get his first UFC win since 2015 here. The loser of this fight is in a really rough spot, bantamweight is about to be crowded once the UFC dissolves the flyweight division and roughly half of them move up to bantamweight so winning is of critical importance. They aren’t showing the odds for this fight, the old fighter intro graphic is in use and doesn’t have a spot for them. Some fun nostalgia all around I guess.

Bantamweight Bout: Mark De La Rosa (10-1, 136 lbs.) vs. Joby Sanchez (11-3, 135.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Sanchez is an inch taller and has three inches of reach advantage. They touch gloves, and de la Rosa lands a calf kick. Sanchez lands a left hook, and de la Rosa lands one of his own. De la Rosa lands another leg kick, both guys doing some sliding in and out of range looking to land punches. Sanchez lands a couple of punches then de la Rosa shoots a double leg into the fence. De la Rosa switches to a single leg and is looking to finish the takedown. Sanchez is able to break the posture of de la Rosa and forces the break. De la Rosa has some swelling around his left eye, not bad yet. They both land punches in the pocket, Sanchez seems to have more power in his punches and is moving well in addition to that. Body kick from Sanchez. Another calf kick from de la Rosa, and another. Those low leg kicks are the best offense de la Rosa has had, unfortunately it’s allowing Sanchez to get a read on his intent and land counter rights. They split jabs and de la Rosa kicks the calf again. Body to head combination from Sanchez, de la Rosa is getting out worked despite being the one pressing forward. They clinch up on the fence, de la Rosa lands a couple of knees to the body as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-10 DRAW

ROUND TWO: De la Rosa back to pressing forward but he walks onto a few jabs and eats a right. De la Rosa is looking to counter the head movement of Sanchez, Sanchez is constantly dipping to his own left and de la Rosa is looking to counter with an uppercut. Calf kick from de la Rosa and they clinch up, Sanchez has de la Rosa on the fence. Body shots from Sanchez then he drops for a double leg but de la Rosa threatens with a guillotine then tries to spin to the back and Sanchez bails on the sequence to get back to the clinch. Now Sanchez breaks free and resumes circling. De la Rosa kicks the calf again and lands a bit of a right in close. A couple of rights from de la Rosa land, he’s eaten some abuse but he’s still coming forward and that pressure is starting to get to Sanchez. Sanchez lands a left in close but he’s still struggling with the pressure and distance of de la Rosa. De la Rosa punches into the clinch and has Sanchez back on the cage. Single leg attempt from de la Rosa, he’s really after it but can’t finish it and settles for a bit of a rear waist lock before Sanchez digs an underhook and spins into him. They trade body work from the clinch, de la Rosa with knees and Sanchez with punches. Neither man lands on the break, and de la Rosa is back to walking Sanchez down. Right uppercut then a right from de la Rosa, Sanchez is getting worn down. De la Rosa lands another calf kick. One two from de la Rosa, he’s amping things up as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 de la Rosa, 20-19 de la Rosa overall

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves for the last round. We start trading almost immediately and de la Rosa is coming forward with hooks. Calf kicks from de la Rosa, those are wearing on Sanchez. Sanchez lands a right and they clinch up, de la Rosa lands an uppercut as they break. Bit of a combination from Sanchez. Body kick from de la Rosa but he ate a jab on the way in. Sanchez avoids a couple of rights but he’s starting to wear down a bit again. De la Rosa lands a couple of punches, but he’s doing a lot of following rather than cage cutting. They clinch up, nothing comes of it before Sanchez pulls free though. Sanchez lands a solid counter right, de la Rosa just eats it and resumes coming forward. They split jabs but Sanchez ate the harder punch. De la Rosa lands a calf kick, tries another single leg but that hits the fence. Now de la Rosa is looking for the single along the fence, Sanchez trying to stay upright and get free. It takes some effort but Sanchez does get free, and neither man lands anything of significance before the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Sanchez, 29-29 DRAW overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Mark de la Rosa via split decision (28-29, 29-28 30-27)

This had split written all over it given how the fight went. Mic time for de la Rosa, he puts over his teams in Denver as well as in Texas then says he’s someone to be reckoned with. He says he took this fight on two weeks notice that he and Sanchez only had five days or so to prepare and hopes the crowd enjoyed the show. Asked about his future he says he doesn’t care about 125 or 135, he’ll fight anyone he’s just happy to be in the UFC. Sucking up to the brass when a bunch of guys about your size and in your divisions are going to be looking for other promotions, not the worst idea in the world.

Joseph Morales has gone 1-1 in the UFC but is coming off of a loss to Deiveson Figueiredo, he’s trying to get his UFC record above the .500 mark in his bout. Eric Shelton has gone just 1-3 in the UFC and is coming off of a loss, so a win is incredibly important to him as well. With the UFC planning to dissolve the flyweight division the current policy seems to be that any flyweight who loses will be cut while the winners get a chance to move up, so we’re likely looking at a loser leaves town scenario.

Flyweight Bout: Joseph Morales (9-1, 125.5 lbs.) vs. Eric Shelton (11-5, 126 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height and have identical reaches. Both men looking for openings early, Shelton lands a jab and avoids the counters. Shelton sniping at the legs now, trying to provoke Morales into reckless action. Right to the body from Shelton as he avoided a rush. Morales misses a head kick. Shelton lands a bit of a combination, he’s got smoother hands so far. Morales lands a left to the body but can’t land the follow up offense. Shelton lands a right that off balances Morales but he recovers quickly. Double leg from Shelton is successful and he’s on top of Morales as Morales scrambles back to his feet and Shelton drags him back down from a rear waist lock. Shelton has the back but no hooks and that allows Morales to regain his feet and they separate this time. Knee tap this time from Shelton, Morales is after a guillotine this time to counter but he’s got no guard with his legs yet. They fight around and adjust, Morales is selling out for the guillotine but it’s arm in and he tries to sit back and stretch instead of compress leaving half of Shelton’s neck free and Shelton pulls free then ends the round with some short blows from top position.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Shelton

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves for the second round. Shelton misses an uppercut and a jab. Morales is still coming forward, lands a leg kick but Shelton takes him down off of it. Morales scoots to the fence and is looking to wall walk, Shelton holding a body lock looking to keep him grounded. They’re back up and Shelton decides to separate, and he avoids a spinning back fist along the way. Left hook from Shelton lands. Morales lands a right to the body but misses the left hook follow up. Shelton lands another left hook. Double leg from Shelton again, Morales defends thanks to the fence but Shelton hits a hip toss. Morales sweeps into top position holding a guillotine, he’s got a squeeze going but Shelton fights through and gets his head free. I’m a little worried about Morales’ arms after all those guillotine attempts, he’s breathing a little hard. Shelton lands a few rights as Morales moves towards the fence to wall walk. Shelton is keeping Morales on the fence, Morales wall walks up and they separate. Morales lands a bit of a head kick, Shelton lands a body kick in response. Shelton tries another double leg, Morales blocks this one, threatens with a guillotine, pushes over and then tries for a triangle choke off of the scramble but time runs out before he can get anything off of it besides some elbows.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Morales, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Shelton opens up with jabs and one two combinations. Morales is coming forward, he lands a body shot then a knee to the chest. Morales hits a takedown, a knee tap variant I think, and he’s on top in the guard of Shelton. Shelton kicks Morales off of him and he’s back on his feet at distance. Double leg from Shelton but Morales sells out for another guillotine attempt, again it’s arm in though and his grip fails him. Morales is trying to wall walk again, Shelton lands a solid knee to the head as they’re up and they break. Shelton tires a trip double leg, adjust to the defense of Morales and face plants him then gets on top in the guard of Morales. Shelton is trying to handcuff the right arm of Morales, he’s got it and is landing lefts to the body and head with near impunity. Morales gets his arm back. They’re scrambling but Shelton is keeping him down and landing short punches. Morales back up but Shelton has a rear waist lock and drags him back down, they bounce back up and trade punches then Shelton is after a single leg again. They scramble a bit on the mat, time ends with Shelton holding a body lock as Morales was on his seat.

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

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

30-27 for Morales is borderline indefensible. Shelton on the mic, he gives glory to God, puts over his team, family, and Colorado as a lovely state. He says once he knew he could get those takedowns he kept after them because they were relatively easy.

That’s it for Fight Pass, now to Fox Sports 1 for the rest of the prelims.

Devonte Smith brings a four fight winning streak into his UFC debut, he was last seen winning on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series and now he’s looking for a memorable UFC debut. Julian Erosa went 1-1 in the UFC back in 2016, now he’s back after a successful fight on the Tuesday Night Contender Series and looking for his first UFC win since a mediocre split decision in 2015. Minor production note, but even Buffers cards that he holds for intros have the retro graphics on them.

Lightweight Bout: Julian Erosa (22-5, 155 lbs.) vs. Devonte Smith (8-1, 156 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Erosa is four inches taller but Smith has an inch and a half of reach on him. They touch gloves to get us going, Erosa fighting southpaw. Body kick from Smith and a few jabs to follow that up. Erosa lands an inside leg kick but his follow up punches are looping and miss. Hard left from Smith wobbles Erosa, then a right floors him and he proceeds to pound Erosa out on the mat.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Devonte Smith via KO, punches, at :46 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Smith for his work this evening. Smith on the mic after that quick finish, he says this feels amazing as he’s from the area and says he’s always giving them his all in the cage. He says he wants everyone to know that “he’s not broke no mo'” and Felder shares a laugh with him, then he talks us through the finish. Asked who he wants next he says Ross Pearson, reasonable call out all things considered.

Davi Ramos is 2-1 in the UFC and coming off of back to back submission wins, now he’s looking to get three in a row and start making a case for himself deserving a top fifteen opponent. John Gunther won his UFC debut in one of the worst fights of the year at the TUF 27 finale, he’s looking to put that dreadful fight behind him and score a big win over a recognizable UFC level talent.

Lightweight Bout: John Gunther (7-0, 155.5 lbs.) vs. Davi Ramos (8-2, 156 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Gunther is three inches taller and has two and a half inches of reach on Ramos. Some jabs from Gunther but Ramos cracks him with a right then gets a knee tap takedown. Ramos is in side control, spins for the back as Gunther tries to roll and has one hook in. Ramos gets an arm near the neck of Gunther, gets the second hook in and starts for the choke. Gunther is drowning on the mat here. Ramos with body shots trying to set up the choke. The arm is under the chin, Ramos gets the squeeze and Gunther turns red in the face before tapping out.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Davi Ramos via Submission, rear naked choke, at 1:57 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Ramos for his work this evening. That fight was very reminiscent of UFC 1, so another nice call back with the booking there. Ramos on the mic now, says he feels amazing but has a lot of stuff to improve on specifically his striking. He talks us through the finish and says once he can use his jiu-jitsu his opponent is done. He notes that this is three in a row for him with three finishes, he wants to fight the best guys in the world but will keep improving along the way and predicts that he will be champion eventually.

Here’s the finish. Ramos is just miles better than Gunther on the mat, as soon as Ramos gets around the guard of Gunther it’s basically over.

To kill time after those quick finishes we head to the analyst desk. On the desk tonight is Karyn Bryant, Jimmy Smith, and former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.

Chas Skelly has been flying under the radar at featherweight a bit, he’s an impressive 6-3 overall in the UFC but he’s coming off of a loss and is trying to avoid his first ever losing streak. Bobby Moffett brings a three fight winning streak into his UFC debut, he’s another Contender Series winner and is trying to make a big statement by taking out a veteran like Skelly.

Featherweight Bout: Bobby Moffett (13-3, 146 lbs.) vs. Chas Skelly (17-3, 146 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Skelly is an inch taller while Moffett has half an inch of reach on him. They touch gloves to get us going. Feinting from both guys, Skelly looks more awkward overall so far. Moffett probing with the right hand. Skelly lands a jab then eats a leg kick. Leg kick from Skelly and both men land glancing rights. Double leg from Skelly, he can’t get it but uses the defense of Moffett to get the back standing. Skelly pushes off the cage to get Moffett down, Skelly has the back with just one hook but he’s after the choke. Moffett defends so far, but gives up his posture and drops to his knees to defend the choke for a moment. Skelly has both hooks in now looking to expose the neck. Moffett stands and Skelly has the backpack position, he’s landing some lefts to the head now. More punches from Skelly but Moffett has his right wrist tied up with two on ton control and he’s just riding out the round. Skelly bails on the position and they swing some ugly strikes as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Skelly

ROUND TWO: Moffett back to stalking forward, and lands a calf kick. Skelly has really skinny legs, dude’s been skipping leg day. Both men miss punches, Skelly lands a bit of an uppercut. Moffett punches his way into a double leg, then lifts Skelly and gets him down. Skelly is looking to wall walk but Moffett keeps him down and gets half guard. Now Skelly is looking for what I think is the Homer Simpson sweep but my jiu-jitsu nomenclature isn’t up to date. Skelly wall walks into top position but Moffett grabs a d’arce choke as Skelly gets top position side control. The ref stops this as he says Skelly was out, Skelly was immediately protesting that and clearly wasn’t unconscious. He was pretty close to being out but that was early from where I sit.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Bobby Moffett via Technical Submission, d’arce choke, at 2:43 of Round 2

We do have replay in effect so the refs will take a look at this one. The ref and commission official are talking through this while looking at the replay on a monitor. I wonder what the criteria is for over turning the original call, because that seems like a relevant thing in this case. Skelly clearly wasn’t out but that doesn’t necessarily mean the ref can’t have stopped it.

They announce it as a TKO win, as though technical submission isn’t a thing but the general stoppage stands. Moffett on the mic, he and Skelly were talking during the wait. Moffett walks us through the finish, he says it falls on the refs discretion and he feels a little bad about how it happened.

Felder also interviews Skelly who puts over Moffett and says the d’arce was good but he was still working through it and says he relaxed a bit to not burn himself out on the defense not because he was out. He doesn’t want to take anything away from Moffett then apologizes to the ref for what he might have said, says the sport is tough and thanks his family for all of their support. He promises to be back, and handled that about as well as you could ask him to.

Here’s the finish so you can decide for yourself. I find Skelly’s case compelling, the ref should have over turned his call. Making a real time mistake is understandable, screwing it up again with the benefit of replay isn’t.

Ashley Yoder has gone 0-3 in the UFC and is desperately trying to avoid an 0-4 streak that would certainly see her cut from the UFC. Amanda Cooper has traded wins and losses in the UFC, she’s hoping that pattern will hold true at least for this bout as she’s coming off of a loss and hoping to avoid a UFC losing streak.

Strawweight Bout: Amanda Cooper (3-4, 116 lbs.) vs. Ashley Yoder (5-4, 115.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Yoder is four inches taller and has five and a half inches of reach on Cooper. They touch gloves to get us going, Yoder is fighting southpaw. Inside leg kick from Cooper. Another inside leg kick from Cooper lands. Bit of a left from Yoder to counter a leg kick. Cooper lands a glancing right. Another inside leg kick from Cooper. A couple of counter rights land for Cooper then another inside leg kick. Cooper seems to be countering well, she’s pressuring forward but is baiting the offense from Yoder so she can counter. Body kick from Yoder and Cooper lands a couple of counter punches. They trade power hand punches then Cooper lands a body kick. Straight left from Yoder lands. Cooper lands a double right. Double leg from Cooper hits the fence and stalls out, well that’s one way to negate the reach disadvantage. Cooper gets an inside trip to finish the takedown and lands in the guard of Yoder. Immediately Cooper is looking to pass, she gets to side control and lands a couple of elbows. Yoder tries a reverse triangle from her back, not much there but it’s controlling Cooper’s head and preventing damage. Cooper gets her head free and lands more short elbows. Yoder rolls to her knees and hits an arm drag reversal, she’s standing over Cooper and looking to pass the guard. A few short punches from Yoder as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Cooper

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves for the second round. Yoder has a pretty big knot on her forehead over the left elbow from Cooper’s elbows on the ground. Cooper lands a left in close then lands an inside leg kick. Leg kick from Cooper then a body kick that makes Yoder wince. Yoder responds by stepping forward and landing a left hand. They clinch up on the fence, Yoder tries a trip but can’t finish it and Cooper lands a knee to the body. More knees from Cooper, then Yoder hits the hip toss into half guard. Yoder lands an elbow as Cooper gets full guard back. Cooper hip escapes to her feet and gets the clinch again, she’s got the back standing for a moment and lands knees to the body. Yoder gets chest to chest again but is struggling to get off of the fence. Cooper goes single leg to double leg and gets Yoder down again, this time into full guard. Elbows from Cooper. Cooper looking to pass, gets to knee on belly looking to knee slice pass into full mount. Punches now from Cooper as she moves to side control again. Now north-south from Cooper and Yoder tries the inverted triangle again as time runs out.

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

ROUND THREE: Yoder comes out punching, Cooper defending so far. Yoder looks more fatigued. Cooper lands a right to the body then one to the head. Front kick to the body from Cooper, Yoder is hurt to the body but I wonder if Cooper sees it. A couple more rights to the head from Cooper. Cooper lands a counter left hook. Bit of a knee from Yoder after they traded, and Cooper lands an inside leg kick. They trade power hand punches. Cooper lands a right at the end of a blitz, then hits a double leg that Yoder rolls through and gets on top. Cooper lands an up kick as Yoder stands over her then Yoder drops into her guard and moves to half guard. Now a kimura attempt from Cooper, not much there even for a sweep give her leg position but she’s after it. Cooper bails on that to kick Yoder upright and try to get up but Yoder stays on top. Rubber guard for Cooper, she tries an omoplata but Yoder rolls through for a knee bar, it’s pretty tight. Cooper is working her leg free slowly and gets the leg bent and spins on top. Full side control for Cooper, Yoder muscles through a sweep but leaves an arm behind and Cooper has an armbar but can’t get the elbow bent as Yoder rolls to the ride position and takes the back looking for a choke. Crazy sequence but Yoder’s attempt isn’t even close to the neck and Cooper will ride things out.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Yoder, 29-28 Cooper overall

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

There’s an argument for Yoder taking the second but I disagree with it. Mic time for Yoder and says she loves everyone but hasn’t been able to get a post fight interview because she hasn’t won yet. She loves her mom, puts over Cooper, thanks everyone who came out to support her and expresses more love. She says the fight was close and says the altitude was nuts especially since she lives at sea level then calls herself a work in progress. Asked about training with Rose Namajunas she puts her over, thanks more of her coaches to close her interview.

that’s it for prelims, though we’re still on Fox Sports 1 for the main card.

Mike Trizano won his weight class on the most recent season of TUF to remain undefeated as a professional, and while the finale fight was pretty awful but he’s hoping to put that behind him and get a more impressive win here. Luis Pena also competed on TUF 27 and won his UFC debut, I didn’t watch that season of TUF but I imagine this fight stems from some unresolved issues during that season.

Lightweight Bout: Luis Pena (5-0, 155 lbs.) vs. Mike Trizano (7-0, 155 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Pena is four inches taller which mirrors his four inches of reach on Triazno. Pena fighting southpaw, and Trizano opens up with inside leg kicks. More inside leg kicks from Trizano, Pena is heavy enough on that lead leg to make this dangerous for him to keep eating. Trizano is keeping distance better of the two, he lands a counter right then a body kick as Pena over extended himself. Right to the body from Trizano then another inside leg kick. Pena just misses a one two, he’s struggling with the distance so far. Another inside leg kick from Trizano. More inside leg kicks, Pena is limping a bit on that lead leg. Trizano catches a body kick and lands a leg kick, Pena has had enough of that and shoots a single leg that hits the fence. They jockey for position in the clinch, Trizano is landing knees to the body. Pena can’t keep control and they break. Missed flying knee from Pena but he gets the clinch again on the fence. Trizano defending, jumps for a guillotine but loses it trying to adjust it and winds up on his back. Pena moves to half guard, Triazno hip escapes up almost immediately and has Pena on the fence. Trizano gets the back standing, Pena tries a kimura counter and they hit the mat in transition as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Trizano

ROUND TWO: The inside of Pena’s lead leg is visibly red and swollen. Trizano lands a right to the body. Inside leg kick from Trizano lands. Both men avoid the power hand of the other. Another inside leg kick from Trizano, Ross lands a body kick. Trizano lands another inside leg kick. Right from Trizano lands and he avoids a takedown attempt. Pena misses a left and eats a right elbow, Trizano has to defend a takedown against the fence and lands elbows to the head. Now Pena gets the back standing and is looking to drag things down to the mat. Pena hops to the backpack position but Trizano might be able to shake him off as he’s at an odd angle. Now Pena gets a body triangle and gets this to the mat. Pena is after the choke, he’s going for it but can’t finish it and Trizano spins into him and gets on top in the guard of Pena. A few punches sneak through for Triazno as Pena tries to get his legs in play. Trizano stands and misses a punch, now he lands a few hammer fists. Omoplata attempt for Pena, it’s not close as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Pena, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Stiff right from Trizano lands to start the third round. Inside leg kick from Trizano lands. Bit of a right from Trizano in close lands. More inside leg kicks from Trizano. Bad shot from Pena and Trizano avoids it easily. Pena lands a body kick but eats an inside leg kick then a bit of a head kick. They clinch up on the fence and start fighting for arm position. Pena is after a single leg and spins Trizano down landing in his guard. Trizano escapes out the back and hits a double leg, now Pena back up and they break then Trizano gets a single leg and lands a right. Rights from Trizano land as he looks to pass but Pena gets a reversal. Pena has Trizano on the fence in the seated position but he’s just kind of hanging on. Trizano looking to wall walk and he’s up and free. PUnches from Trizano land, Pena is trying to coast the last thirty seconds. Leg kicks from Trizano land. Punches from Trizano and he off balances Pena just before the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Trizano but a close round, 29-28 Trizano overall

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

Decent fight. Trizano on the mic says he feels better about this than his last fight but there’s a lot of work still to do. He says he’ll likely stick around at 155, then declines to call out anyone and instead thanks all of his coaches and team mates who are there day in and day out. He thanks the veterans for their sacrifice and asks the crowd to take a deep breath with him to enjoy the taste of freedom.

Maycee Barber is another Contender Series winner making her UFC debut tonight, she’s undefeated as a professional and hoping to keep that streak alive. Barber had a difficult weight cut for this bout so that bears watching. Hannah Cifers is also making her UFC debut, she’s got a five fight winning streak behind her and she’s hoping to keep that alive here.

Strawweight Bout: Maycee Barber (5-0, 116 lbs.) vs. Hannah Cifers (8-2, 115.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Barber is four inches taller and has three inches of reach on Cifers. Barber fighting southpaw, Cifers lands a couple of leg kicks. Both women miss punches, Cifers lands a right to the body then one to the head. Barber lands a couple of rights then a head kick and punches. They clinch up and trade knees and punches, Barber tries a trip but Cifers counters with a hip toss and they wind up on the fence in the clinch. Some positional jockeying as knees go back and forth, Cifers lands a couple of elbows then a short right. Barber lands an elbow now, Cifers responds with rights as they break and reset in the middle of the cage. Cifers with another inside leg kick and Barber misses a head kick. Left high kick lands for Barber and they clinch up. Cifers gets Barber on the fence and they trade knees then Barber lands an elbow. Cifers lands a right and they trade knees, these two came to fight but I don’t think they can keep this pace up. Barber lands a couple of elbows, Cifers is avoiding trips or throws nicely so far. Barber fails on a trip attempt and Cifers gets free. Sharp right lands for Barber then she tries an ax kick that misses. Cifers lands a right in close then eats an elbow as they clinch. Another elbow from Barber, and another. That’ll be the last blow of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Barber

ROUND TWO: Cifers lands an inside leg kick and they trade punches. Head kick from Barber landed flush but Cifers just eats it. Another head kick from Barber then they clinch and Barber starts landing kenes and elbows. Cifers is bleeding from the left eye, they roll to the ground and Barber avoids an omoplata attempt and is on top in half guard, more 50-50 guard really. Barber is on top landing elbows and posturing through the heel hook attempt from Cifers. Cifers tries the heel hook again but Barber rolls through and lands punches from half guard, more of a leg drag position really, Cifers is a bloody mess and Barber tees off looking for a finish. More punches and elbows from Barber prompt the stoppage from the ref.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Maycee Barber via TKO, punches and elbows, at 2:01 of Round 2

Once Barber gets ahead in a fight she doesn’t give you an inch to get back into it. Cifers has some nasty cuts on her forehead and upper lip, Barber on the mic now. She plays with the crowd as she’s from Denver, then thanks her opponent for taking the fight on just three weeks notice. She feels awesome about the win, says she doesn’t fight not to lose but fights to win and feels she’ll be a champion in the future. As she talks us through the finish she mentions her love of elbows, Felder agrees, then asks her what she wants next and she wants Mackenzie Dern. Might be a waste as Dern is probably moving up to flyweight, then Barber says she wants to be on big cards.

This was pretty near the finish, Barber has some vicious elbows.

And here’s the full finish, nastry stuff from Barber.

Beneil Dariush was a top lightweight a few years ago but the division is a brutal one and now he finds himself without a win since 2016 as well as being finished in his last two losses with a draw between them. If Dariush wants to remain a relevant fighter in the division he cannot afford another loss here. Thiago Moises is on a two fight winning streak and is, you guessed it, another Contender Series related UFC debutante. Moises could make an immediate statement with a win over Dariush, similarly to how Alexander Hernandez did earlier this year.

Lightweight Bout: Beneil Dariush (14-4-1, 155.5 lbs.) vs. Thiago Moises (11-2, 156 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Dariush is an inch taller and has an inch and a half of reach on Moises. They touch gloves, Dariush is fighting southpaw. Body kick from Dariush lands. Another body kick from Dariush and he clinches up on the fence. Moises jumps guard for a guillotine choke, that’s pretty tight but Dariush is able to get his head free and land some punches and elbows. Moises throws up an armbar attempt but Dariush pulls free and gets the ride position as Moises looks to wall walk. Our first “woo’s” of the evening turn up, shame on them. Knees to the thigh from Dariush as Moises looks for a chance to stand up. They wind up clinched on the fence again. Dariush lands a knee to the body but ate an elbow for his trouble. Both men try throws but they nullify each other and they stay upright. Moises is trying for that over hook hip toss but Dariush is blocking it. Another jump guard for guillotine from Moises, this one isn’t nearly as close as the other and Dariush gets free and lands short elbows from top position. Moises back to his feet and they break this time. Moises lands a body kick but Dariush lands a left to counter and clinches again. Dariush has a body lock and finally gets an inside trip into top position. Dariush gets the ride position again as Moises went to his knees, full on turtle guard from Moises now as Dariush tries to get his hooks in. Elbows from Dariush, now he’s in full mount landing short punches as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Dariush

ROUND TWO: They trade head kicks to start the round, Dariush gets a body lock and takes Moises down very quickly this time. Half guard for Dariush and he’s sneaking through short punches trying to set up an arm triangle attack. Moises gets full guard back, but eats an elbow for it. Consistent work from Dariush, Moises seems just a little over matched at this point. Moises gets to his feet but can’t get free of the grip and Dariush gets a rear waist lock against the fence. Dariush rides Moises down to a knee and lands knees to the thigh. Moises is bleeding under the left eye, not badly but it’s still blood. Knees to the body and thigh from Dariush. Moises back up but he’s struggling to get free or find offense when they’re this close. Dariush hits a mat return and looks to take the back of Moises. That’s partial back control for Dariush, now both hooks and he’s after the choke. Moises is defending so far but Dariush is adjusting his grip and looking to stretch things out. Dariush bails on the choke and lands punches as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Dariush, 20-17 Dariush overall

ROUND THREE: Moises misses a wheel kick, Dariush lands a body kick and Moises responds with a right. Right uppercut from Moises as Dariush pushes into the clinch again and Dariush gets a body lock. Moises jumps for another guillotine, this one’s tight again but again Dariush gets his head free and looks to pass immediately. Half guard now for Dariush, he lands some lefts. Now Dariush gets the back without hooks, and slides Moises over to a hip and gets a body triangle out of it. Dariush after the choke again, full body triangle locked in and Dariush cranks this one, he’s across the jaw not under the chin but Dariush is cranking on his body with that body triangle as well. Moises gets the grip of Dariush off of his neck and resumes defending. Short elbows from Dariush and he’s after the choke again. Again Moises defends but he’s getting dominated from this position. Dariush tries to take mount, Moises reads it and gets half guard but he’s still on bottom. Elbows to the body from Dariush, Moises is trying to set up a desperation inversion for a knee bar but Dariush has read it and lands more elbows to the body. Dariuhs to the ride position, landing rights as the round ends.

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

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Beneil Dariush via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-25 x2)

Moises just couldn’t get anything going on the mat, or stop Dariush from getting it there. No interview for Dariush.

Raquel Pennington missed weight rather badly for this fight, a full three pounds over 135 and two over the one pound allowance they give out for non-title fights. Pennington was last seen being mauled and out classed into the fifth round in her failed bid to claim the title from Amanda Nunes, she’s hoping to avoid her first UFC losing streak here. Germaine de Randamie has only lost in the UFC to Amanda Nunes and is on a three fight winning streak but hasn’t been seen since February of 2017 when she won a somewhat controversial decision to become the first UFC women’s featherweight champion. Her refusal to fight Cris “Cyborg” Justino resulted in her being stripped of that title and injuries have kept her out of action since, now she’s looking to remind fans about her fighting ability and start a run at bantamweight.

Women’s Bantamweight Bout: #5 Germaine de Randamie (7-3, 136 lbs.) vs. #4 Raquel Pennington (9-6, 138 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: De Randamie is two inches taller and has three and a half inches of reach on Pennington. They touch gloves and Pennington immediately jabs and looks to push forward. De Randamie tries some front kicks. Both women working some inside leg kicks. Right from de Randamie and Pennington bulls into the clinch. De Randamie is on the fence and looking to pummel. Pennington is just looking for control at the moment. A few knees sneak through for Pennington, de Randamie returns them. Thai clinch now for de Randamie and she’s looking to unload knees to the body. Hard knee to the liver from de Randamie and Pennington tries to get in close to avoid those. Pennington lands an uppercut but she’s getting hammered with these knees to the body. A few short punches go back and forth, more control with little damage from Pennington. They break without incident and de Randamie is looking to jab. Stiff right from de Randamie and she avoids a double leg attempt. They’re clinched up again and Pennington can’t get a trip takedown as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 de Randamie

ROUND TWO: Both women flashing the lead had to start the second round. De Randamie avoids a takedown and gets a clinch then lands a couple of elbows as they break, Pennington is now bleeding from her nose. Hard one two from de Randamie snaps Pennington’s head back. Pennington fails on another takedown attempt, she needs a drastic change in action because she’s been on the wrong end of basically everything so far. De Randamie blocks a high kick and lands a leg kick. High kick from de Randamie is mostly blocked. Hard jab from de Randamie, Pennington lands a couple of leg kicks. Pennington ducks under a punch and gets a clinch on the fence. A few punches go back and forth but not much else is coming out of this. Bit of an elbow from Pennington but she can’t change levels and de Randamie lands a knee to the body. Another elbow from Pennington but de Randamie cracks her with a couple of punches as they break. Another right lands for de Randamie and she blocks a double leg until they stall out on the fence again. Pennington gets a body lock and stalls out the last of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 de Randamie, 20-18 de Randamie overall

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves for the last round. Leg kick from de Randamie. Another hard leg kick from de Randamie. De Randamie is backing Pennington up with a jab, Pennington looks almost shell shocked. Leg kick from de Randamie. Pennington just manages to avoid a head kick. Front kick to the body from de Randamie, then a right hand behind it. Left uppercut from de Randamie, and a right after she avoided a punch from Pennington. Chopping leg kick from de Randamie, Pennington gets a clinch on the cage. A few knees to the body from Pennington, she’s tryiing to up her output this round finally. Pennington drops for a double leg but has no drive and her hands aren’t together, so she tries to switch to a single leg but again de Randamie breaks the grip. Elbow from de Randamie and the ref calls time as Pennington took a knee to the groin. Pennington has time to recover, she’s good to continue and we restart standing. De Randamie apologizes, then they start trading punches. Pennington gets a clinch again but again we’re just kind of stalling out. De Randamie lands a few knees and elbows. Knees go back and forth now, de Randamie spins free and lands a hard leg kick as the last real blow of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 de Randamie, 30-27 de Randamie overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Germaine de Randamie via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Now let us never speak of this again.

Donald Cerrone has been in this sport seemingly forever, he’s been a top lightweight and a very respected welterweight but is on a bad run of just 1-4 in his last five fights right now. Cerrone was last seen losing a decision to Leon Edwards in June of this year. Of note is that Cerrone is fighting for some history, a win would give him the most wins all time in UFC history and if he does it via finish he’ll have the most finishes in UFC history as well. Mike Perry just broke a two fight losing streak by beating Paul Felder, now he’s after his second UFC winning streak while taking out a respected fan favorite fighter.

Welterweight Bout: #12 Donald Cerrone (33-11 1 NC, 170 lbs.) vs. Mike Perry (12-3, 170.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Cerrone is three inches taller and has two inches of reach advantage. Circling to start, Perry attacking the lead leg early. Perry misses a right and they clinch up in space. A few knees from Perry land, Cerrone returns one of them. They break without incident. Inside leg kick from Cerrone lands. Jab from Cerrone. Perry misses a couple of punches and they clinch again. Some knees go back and forth then they break. Jab to the body from Perry. Cerrone lands another inside leg kick. Perry blocks a takedown attempt, they clinch up and he takes Cerrone down with a body lock and lands in side control. Cerrone hits a sweep and lands on top in side control. Perry gives up his back, Cerrone gets on a hip and is looking to tie him up. Perry basically He-man’s Cerrone over his head and off of him but Cerrone grabs a triangle attempt. Now Perry postures through the triangle, Cerrone tries an armbar, Perry tries to slam out but doesn’t actually break the grip and Cerrone goes belly down to force the tap.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Donald Cerrone via Submission, armbar, at 4:46 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Cerrone for his work this evening. Cerrone gets his four month old son and grandmother in the cage with him for a great moment. That’s history for Cowboy, most wins (21) and most finishes (15) in UFC history. Mic time for Cerrone, he says he got ready too early and that he got really emotional over his son being here. He says now he knows what he’s fighting for and that no one will take food away from his son then celebrates his records and expresses love for the fans. Cerrone says he might go back to 155, says he doesn’t care who, only cares about when then tells Khabib he’s coming for the belt.

If Cerrone is going back to lightweight, book him against Justin Gaethje and let’s all just watch the carnage.

Here’s the finish, Perry tries to slam free but mostly just succeeds in extending his own arm and driving the elbow deeper into the body of Cerrone and tightening up the armbar.

Chan Sung Jung hasn’t fought since February of last year when he knocked out Dennis Bermudez, a fight that ended a layoff of over three years for his military service in his native South Korea. Jung was to fight Frankie Edgar here but Edgar got hurt, now Jung is looking for his first UFC winning streak since way back in 2012. Yair Rodriguez had a lot of hype behind him until he ran into Frankie Edgar in May of last year and was brutalized by the former champion, now Rodriguez is trying to avoid his first ever losing streak and prove he’s still a potential threat in the division.

Featherweight Bout: #10 Chan Sung Jung (14-4, 146 lbs.) vs. #15 Yair Rodriguez (10-2, 145.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Rodriguez is four inches taller but Jung has an inch of reach on him. They touch gloves to get us going. Rodriguez does a lot of stance switching, Jung eats a leg kick while landing a jab. Jung lands a leg kick of his own. They trade leg kicks again then Rodriguez lands a left. Bit of a right from Jung. Blitz from Jung is mostly successful then Rodriguez circles off of the fence. More leg kicks from Rodriguez, Jung lands some rights then uppercuts off of a quick collar tie. They trade, Jung is smothering Rodriguez when Rodriguez tries to get too fancy but when he’s fundamental Rodriguez is doing well. Rodriguez lands a couple more leg kicks. Leg kick from Jung is countered by a left hook from Rodriguez. A couple of punches land for Jung then a front kick to the body. Jung lands a leg kick and lands a glancing right. Jung lands a jab that wobbles Rodriguez and he pressures him but Rodriguez circles free and lands a side kick to the knee. Both men miss offense, they’re playing it measured so far. Jab from Jung and he avoids a takedown from Rodriguez, gets on top of Rodriguez just as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Jung

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves for the second round. Rodriguez lands a jab but eats a couple of counters. Spinning back kick to the body from Rodriguez, Jung lands a left hook then a body kick. Double leg from Jung, he settles for a body lock against the fence. They jockey for position and trade a few short punches. Rodriguez throws a knee to the groin of Jung and we’ve got time for him to recover. No ambiguity there, clear low blow though unintentional. Jung is ready to continue quickly and we restart with a touch of gloves. Body kick from Jung lands. Jung lands a glancing right then a jab. Rodriguez has a head kick blocked but that was a heavy kick. Leg kick from Rodriguez then Jung lands a jab. Left hook lands for Jung, Rodriguez lands a spinning elbow but they clinch up and hit the fence. JUng tosses Rodriguez down but Rodriguez is back up immediately. Right lands for Jung. Right from Jung lands. They trade rights, Rodriguez is loosening up a bit now. Side kick to the knee from Rodriguez then he tries a jumping kick that misses. They get close and trade, Jung gets a body lock and lands a right on the break. Elbow from Rodriguez and Jung lands a right. They brawl just a bit as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Rodriguez, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Rodriguez looks loose but he was sucking some wind between rounds. Jung avoids a high kick and eats a right. Short right from Jung in close lands. Jung lands a right. Body kick from Rodriguez then another one. Hard body kick from Rodriguez. Rodriguez avoids a couple of punches from Jung. Another body kick from Rodriguez and he avoids the blitz from Jung. A couple of punches wobbled Rodriguez but he avoids Jung’s follow ups. Another right lands for Jung. Jung’s right is landing and Rodriguez is bleeding from the nose I think. Jung catches a high kick and they brawl in the pocket for a bit. Left hook lands for Rodriguez. Jung lands a stiff jab. Another jab from Jung lands. Rodriguez shows half an Imanari roll, to the consternation of the crowd. Bit of a right from Jung, Rodriguez misses a rolling thunder kick and Jung lands counters.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Jung but a close round, 29-28 Jung overall

ROUND FOUR: They touch gloves for the round. Jung with a quick one two then an uppercut and a right. They trade left hooks. Jung checks a couple of leg kicks then Rodriguez evades some punches. Body kick from Rodriguez and Jung lands a right. Another right lands for Jung and Rodriguez misses a spinning back fist. Jung lands another couple of straight rights, Rodriguez is bleeding from the mouth and nose. They split jabs a few times anR Rodriguez lands a body kick. Jumping high kick from Rodriguez is blocked and Jung lands a right. Another bit of a right from Jung, then one wobbles Rodriguez and they clinch up. Jung nearly gets the back standing but lands a knee on the break. Another bit of a blitz from Jung is successful, Rodriguez is getting flat on his feet and Jung is finding the target. Right from Jung lands. Body kick from Rodriguez lands and he fails on an Imanari roll but regains his feet before Jung can get on top. Jung lands a straight right. They stare away the last couple of seconds.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Jung, 39-37 Jung overall

ROUND FIVE: They hug to start the last round. Jung lands a right and Rodriguez lands a side kick to the knee. Another right lands for Jung. Jung lands a counter right, Rodriguez tries a spinning elbow but Jung smothers it and lands a right. Now a left from Jung lands. Jung evades a superman punch and lands a right. One two from Jung lands after he ate a jab. Clubbing left from Jung lands. Jung lands a right. More splitting of jabs and Rodriguez tries a double leg but Jung stuffs it and lands a left hook. body kick from Rodriguez and Jung responds with a right. They pause and play with the crowd for a second then Jung lands a right and a jab. Left from Jung wobbles Rodriguez but he stays upright. Jung blocks a couple of kicks and Rodriguez evades a right. Now Rodriguez misses a spinning back fist and Jung lands a left hook. Jung starts swinging for the fences, he lands a right. Spinning back kick to the body from Rodriguez is mostly blocked. right and a left from Jung lands. Jung pushes forward and lands a left. Both men posture for the final ten seconds then start swinging for the last ten, Jung took a headbutt to the chin and fell over unconscious. Definitely an illegal blow from what I saw, commentary says it was an elbow so that’s nuts if true.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Yair Rodriguez via KO, at 4:59 of elbow, Round 5

The Final Round Finish Club thank Mr. Rodriguez for his work this evening, and hopes you all didn’t really think they’d miss this event.
Replay shows that was definitely an elbow, in the system I practice that’s called an obscure back elbow, but that’s just an absurd finish. Brendan Fitzgerald just obliterated any good will he had built up by saying this tied Frankie Edgar’s latest UFC finish, ignoring Demetrious Johnson. Rodriguez can’t even stand on his own, his corner is holding him up for the interview. He thanks his family for being here, thanks Cerrone for helping him prepare for this fight and thanks the UFC brass for this fight. Rodriguez says his feet are damaged from all the kicks Jung blocked, asked who he wants next he says whoever the UFC wants and he’ll get the title shot eventually and all he wants is to be happy and be in the UFC. To close he thanks Colorado in Spanish and has to be carried out of the cage.

That’s an absurd finish, big big front runner for Knockout of the Year and this fight will likely finish high in Fight of the Year rankings generally though I still think Romero vs. Whittaker 2 edges this one out. Here’s a GIF of the finish in case you missed it, better quality to follow shortly.

As promised here’s a better version. I’d have sworn that was a headbutt based on the angle it happened at live but Rodriguez dips under a looping punch, Jung leads with his chin, Rodriguez throws up a Hail Mary of an elbow strike that will miss 99 times out of a 100 but landed here, Jung face plants like he was shot and it’s all over.

On that insane note, UFC Fight Night 139 comes to a close. That was a drag at times but the top two fights delivered everything you want from a Fight Night card. We’ll be reviewing the good the bad and the ugly from this card Sunday on the 411 Ground and Pound Radio Show as well as previewing UFC Fight Night 140 when the UFC debuts in Argentina and brings the Argentinian Santiago Ponzinibbio to the cage to fight Neil Magny in the main event. I’ll be back for that card, and I hope you will as well. It’s a busy month, I’m here every Saturday and at least one of those starts at 4:30 am my time. Until then thank you all for being here, stay safe out there, and keep checking 411mania for all of your pop culture needs.

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