411’s UFC Fight Night 86 Report 4.10.16

Hello everyone and welcome to 411mania’s LIVE coverage of UFC Fight Night 86. I’m Robert Winfree and I’ll be your host for the morning. It’s been a while between events but thanks for being here. Fight Night 86 looks like a card Mark Radulich put together, the top four fights are all heavyweights so let’s all just hope for quick finishes. The main event is a relevant fight though as the surging Ben Rothwell takes on former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos, if dos Santos wants to remain relevant at the top of the division he needs a win here while a win for Rothwell would all but guarantee him a title shot next. In the co-main event former title contender Gabriel Gonzaga looks to build off of his last win while Derrick Lewis could take home the biggest win of his career if he can stop Gonzaga. This event is the UFC’s debut in Croatia and comes to us from Arena Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia with commentary duo of Jon Anik and Brian Stann.

Alessio Di Chirico is undefeated as a professional and making his UFC debut here, and there’s no better way to make your UFC debut than with a win. Bojan Velickovic is also making his UFC debut and brings a four fight winning streak into the cage with him, he’s also after what would be the biggest win of his career here.

Middleweight Bout: Alessio Di Chirico (9-0, 185 lbs.) vs Bojan Velickovic (13-3, 183 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Velickovic has two inches of reach, both men are the same height. Touch of gloves to get us going, Velickovic fighting southpaw. Velickovic lands a body kick but Di Chirico lands a couple of counter hooks. Both men flashing the jab while they look for openings. Di Chirico misses a high kick. Both men falling a little short with power punches, still getting a feel for the range. They trade inside leg kicks. Velickovic lands a couple of inside leg kicks. Di Chirico lands a right to the forehead of Velickovic. Di Chirico lands a glancing left hook. Di Chirico lands another left, once they start trading he’s got a feel for that punch. Inside leg kicks traded again, those kicks have some heat on them. Velickovic lands an outside leg kick. Velickovic lands a jab to the body then an inside leg kick. Velickovic lands a straight left to the chin of Di Chirico. Another inside leg kick from Velickovic. Both men miss high kicks, Velickovic doing a lot of circling now. Velickovic has a high kick blocked then lands a right to close out the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Velickovic

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. Velickovic has a high kick blocked. Di Chirico lands a right in close quarters. Di Chirico lands a short left hook then a right after he fell to a knee for a moment. Velickovic lands an inside leg kick, those are starting to take their toll. Di Chirico lands a right then a left hook. Di Chirico lands a straight right, he’s getting the distance dialed in this round. Di Chirico has a high kick blocked then lands a stiff right. Velickovic lands an inside leg kick then pushes a double leg takedown into the fence and takes Di Chirico down. Di Chirico back up quickly and they’re fighting in the clinch now. Di Chirico able to push free after eating some short blows to the body and head. Di Chirico just misses a looping right. Velickovic lands an inside leg kick. Velickovic misses a wheel kick then Di Chirico lands a left. Velickovic lands a left. Velickovic lands an inside leg kick but gets taken down, Velickovic grabs a kimura from bottom and uses it to sweep into north/south position, he’s holding the kimura but there’s just ten seconds left and Di Chirico guts it out until the end of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Velickovic based on that tight kimura to finish, 20-18 Velickovic overall

ROUND THREE: Velickovic working the inside leg kick to start the third round. Velickovic grabs a single leg attempt, Di Chirico able to get free quickly. Di Chirico lands a jab. Velickovic lands a straight left. Velickovic lands a body kick, Di Chirico lands a right to the body. Velickovic grabs another single leg, Di Chirico avoids it against the fence and lands a right hand as they separate. Di Chirico lands a right. Velickovic lands a high kick then eats a left hook from Di Chirico. Velickovic tries a double leg, stuffed by Di Chirico and Velickovic lands a couple of knees to the head before they break apart. Velickovic lands a knee as Di Chirico ducked down for a punch. Velickovic tries a single leg, Di Chirico stuffs it and lands some hard lefts as they do. Di Chirico lands a right, then just misses a right uppercut. Di Chirico gets a double leg, stands and lands a right. Di Chirico standing, he doesn’t want to play in the guard, lands a left as Velickovic stands. They trade in close as time expires on the fight.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Di Chirico, 29-28 Velickovic overall

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

30-27? Clucky’s here early it seems because that third should have gone to Di Chirico. Mic time for Velickovic, crowd boos a little as Di Chirico had a large cheering section. Velickovic says this is the culmination of a dream to be a UFC fighter and making his debut close to his home town was great. He says he fights to enjoy the battle and feels blessed.

In our first but not last heavyweight fight of the night Cyril Asker brings a five fight winning streak into his UFC debut and he’s looking to make a big impression here. Jared Cannonier lost his UFC debut to Shawn Jordan but was undefeated prior to that and a rebound win here is important for him to get his UFC career going in a positive direction.

Heavyweight Bout: Jared Cannonier (7-1, 241 lbs.) vs Cyril Asker (7-1, 241 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Cannonier has two and a half inches of reach on Asker though Asker has one inch in height on him. Touch of gloves to get us going. Asker flashing the jab early, lands a right that stumbles Cannonier for a moment. Cannonier lands a leg kick. Cannonier avoids a takedown but Asker gets him on the fence. Cannonier working some knees to the body while Asker looks for an outside trip. Cannonier able to land a knee to the head as they break. Cannonier lands a stiff right then a leg kick, Asker lands a right. These two are throwing with heat. Cannonier fighting southpaw now, lands a body kick. Asker lands a bit of a left hook then a stiff right that Cannonier rolled with a little. Cannonier lands a left to the body. Cannonier switching his stances, he’s comfortable from either, he lands a massive right then a left hook that FLOORS Asker! Cannonier follows him down and lands some elbows from side control until the ref stops this one.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Jared Cannonier via KO, punch and elbows, at 2:44 of Round 1

BOOM! Heavyweights. Mic time for Cannonier now. He says this first win in the UFC is the biggest of his career until he gets the belt, notes that he’ll probably be at light heavyweight because he’s not a big guy, puts over God for helping him get the quick stoppage and for answering his prayers. He mentions Asker wobbled him a bit but he recovered and once he got moving around he felt better. He says the hammer fists weren’t working on the mat so he went to the elbows and put all his weight into them.

Lucas Martins is coming off of a bit of a layoff and a two fight losing streak, though one of those losses was a somewhat Clucky decision to Darren Elkins and the other was to a seriously underrated guy in Mirsad Bektic, and tonight despite not fighting since May of 2015 he’s looking to come back with a big win here and to improve on his 3-3 UFC record. Robert Whiteford is also at .500 overall in the UFC with a 2-2 record and is coming off of a loss to Darren Elkins but a rebound win here would be ideal for him as he looks to move up the ranks at featherweight.

Featherweight Bout: Robert Whiteford (12-3, 145 lbs.) vs Lucas Martins (15-3, 145 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Martins has three inches of height and reach on Whiteford. Whiteford fighting southpaw, Martins will likely switch depending on where he feels comfortable. Both men land lead hand hooks. Martins lands a jab. Whiteford lands a right hook after landing a straight left. Whiteford trying to feint his way in to negate the reach of Martins. Both men land rights, Martins landed a little better. Whiteford lands a low inside leg kick after eating a couple of punches. Martins lands a body kick, Whiteford lands that low calf kick again. Quick punches traded, both men clearly looking for the finish. Martins lands a body kick. Whiteford lands a right hook then another calf kick that off balances Martins for a second. Martins lands a stiff counter right, lands a knee as he closes distance but Whiteford has the clinch now on the fence. Whiteford working some knees to the legs of Martins. The ref separates them. They circle the final ten seconds away.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Martins

ROUND TWO: Whiteford opens up with some body punches to start the second. Whiteford circling now, lands that low inside leg kick. Martins lands a body kick. Whiteford lands a right hook that landed flush. Whiteford lands a left to the body. Martins lands a body kick, Whiteford lands a right and they trade before Martins gets his leg free. Whiteford lands another calf kick. Whiteford still looking for an angle and keeping Martins from working his offense with movement. Whiteford lands a left and eats a bit of a left hook counter. Whiteford lands a left. Martins lands a right. Martins lands a jab. Martins lands a right again, he’s landing when he’s throwing. Martins lands another right. Whiteford hits a double leg and lands some lefts while Martins wall walks back to his feet. Whiteford still has the clinch, working some lefts to the body and head before Martins is able to spin free. They stare the last ten seconds away.

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

ROUND THREE: Whiteford lands a quick inside leg kick that takes the balance from Martins for a moment. Whiteford again lands that calf kick, that lead leg might be a bit compromised for Martins. They get close and trade punches. Whiteford lands a looping left. Martins lands a straight right, Whiteford landed a looping left. They trade inside leg kicks. Another inside leg kick from Martins lands. Whiteford shoots from way outside but is able to get Martins against the fence. Whiteford working some short lefts and knees before Martins is able to spin free. Martins lands an inside leg kick. Whiteford lands a bit of a left then they both miss close quarters hooks as time expires.

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

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

That was a tad underwhelming. I have no problems with the scores, all the rounds were close and rather uneventful. No interview for Martins. That wraps up the Fight Pass prelims, we’re on to Fox Sports 1 for the rest of the card.

Filip Pejic is riding an impressive nine fight unbeaten streak, eight wins and one draw with seven of those wins coming by some for of stoppage, coming into his UFC debut here and he’s after an impressive win here. Damian Stasiak lost his UFC debut but had a fight fight winning streak going before that and looks to get that all important first UFC win here to put the bantamweight division on notice.

Bantamweight Bout: Filip Pejic (10-1-1, 136 lbs.) vs Damian Stasiak (8-3, 134 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Pejic is the hometown fighter here, got a pretty big pop for a prelim fight. Pejic has three inches of height on Stasiak but the reach is identical. Pejic comes out quickly and starts backing Stasiak up. Stasiak catches a leg kick and takes Pejic down and lands in side control. Stasiak tries to take the back as Pejic regains his feet and Pejic gets Stasiak on the fence. They jockey for position in the clinch, Stasiak able to get an outside trip and land in the half guard of Pejic. Stasiak easily passes to side control then tries for the back again while Pejic is on a hip. Stasiak lands a hard right as he gets both hooks in and looks for the choke. Stasiak is under the chin looking for the choke and Pejic has to tap out.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Damian Stasiak via Submission, rear naked choke, at 2:16 of Round 1

Stasiak has a successful UFC bantamweight debut here, and now gets some mic time with his translator. He says he felt the fight, he felt better on the mat and went for it then thanks everyone who came out from Poland.

Mairbek Taisumov is a is 4-1 in the UFC and on a three fight winning streak with all of those coming by way of stoppage. A fourth consecutive win and finish here for Taisumov would likely get him into the top fifteen of the stacked lightweight division. Damir Hadzovic is making his UFC debut here but has a six fight winning streak going and an upset here over the highly skilled Taisumov would be a huge way to come into the promotion.

Lightweight Bout: Mairbek Taisumov (24-5, 154 lbs.) vs Damir Hadzovic (10-2, 155 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Taisumov has three inches of reach on Hadzovic but they’re the same height. Touch of gloves to get us going. Both men feinting early, showing the jab a lot. Taisumov lands a leg kick. Both men land jabs, Taisumov misses a high kick then lands a leg kick. Taisumov lands a jab. Hadzovic lands a left after eating another leg kick. Taisumov misses a spinning back kick and Hadzovic lands a sharp right. Hadzovic lands a jab. Taisumov lands a one two combination then a leg kick. Taisumov circling and landing, he lands a left hook in close then Hadzovic lands a left. Taisumov lands a right, these two are going at it. Hadzovic lands another right, Taisumov lands a wicked right counter. Taisumov lands another right, then a massive right uppercut that crumbles Hadzovic and this one is over.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Mairbek Taisumov via TKO, uppercut, at 3:44 of Round 1

BOOM! Lightweights. Really fun fight there, that’s Taisumov’s fourth consecutive win via (T)KO. Taisumov gets an interview. He says he’s happy to be in Zagreb and thinks Croatia is a nice country. He asks how many knockouts he needs before he gets a top ten opponent, valid question, then walks away to close the interview.

Ian Entwistle is 1-1 in the UFC and coming off of a win, he’s looking to get his first UFC winning streak going here. Alejandro Perez is 2-1 in the UFC and coming off of a big win over Scott Jorgensen and a third consecutive win for him here would put the rest of the division on notice that the TUF Latin America winner is here to make a run at the top of the division.

Bantamweight Bout: Ian Entwistle (9-2, 135 lbs.) vs Alejandro Perez (16-6, 135 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Perez has one inch of height and three of reach on Entwistle. Entwistle walks forward, tries a flying scissor sweep, Perez avoids it then Entwistle goes for a heel hook that Perez rolls out of. Entwistle complains of greasing, the ref pauses and checks, says there’s no grease and warns Entwistle about calling fouls. Perez lands a right as Entwistle tried another scissor takedown, Perez tries to flurry but Entwistle tries another heel hook that Perez rolls out of. Entwistle keeps 50/50 guard and gets another heel hook that Perez has to fight out of. Entwistle goes for another heel hook and sweeps to top position before sitting back for another leg lock. Entwistle just moving from heel hook to heel hook, now for a reverse heel hook while Perez tries to punch his way out of it. Perez lands a couple of hooks and gets to top position and starts working ground and pound. Entwistle just covering up and the ref stops it. Perez is wobbly standing after all those heel hooks but he’s the winner.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Alejandro Perez via Verbal Submission, punches, at 4:04 of Round 1

Apparently Entwistle verbally gave up. Mic time for Perez now, he’s asked about the greasing allegations. He says he trained very hard to defend leg locks for this fight and thanks the crowd. Asked if any of the leg locks were close, he ignores the question and shouts something exultant in Spanish that doesn’t get translated for those of us at home.

To kill some time, because all the first round finishes are forcing Fox Sports 1 to stretch even more than usual, they replay the Cannonier vs. Asker fight from earlier.

Nicolas Dalby is undefeated as a professional and coming off of a draw in what was a really fun fight, he’s looking to remain undefeated and advance up the rankings at welterweight with a win here. Zak Cummings is 3-1 in the UFC while he got submitted by Gunnar Nelson he rebounded with a finish win and is after his second UFC winning streak if he can give Dalby his first professional loss.

Welterweight Bout: Nicolas Dalby (14-0-1, 171 lbs.) vs Zak Cummings (18-4, 170 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Cummings has an inch of height and half an inch of reach on Dalby. Touch of gloves to get us going, Dalby flashes a switch kick high that just misses. Both men are fighting southpaw here. Dalby switching back and forth now while he circles. Dalby working some kicks, Cummings fades a cross and lands a left. Cummings still pressing forward but he seems to be struggling to get his offense really going. Cummings lands a rear hand uppercut then a stiff right that drops Dalby. Dalby able to recover on the mat, Cummings drops into side control. Dalby trying to spin free, Cummings setting up a d’arce choke. Cummings has the grip locked, Dalby able to spin and get on top and Cummings bails on the choke to regain his feet. Dalby lands a stiff left then an inside leg kick. Dalby lands a lead leg hook kick that Cummings just shrugs off but it looked good. Cummings pushes forward and lands a left. Left to the body from Cummings then a hard leg kick. Cummings lands another stiff left against the fence, Dalby hanging tough and lands a counter left after avoiding some offense. Dalby’s left eye is swelling as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Cummings

ROUND TWO: Dalby lands a leg kick and a thrust kick to the body then Cummings lands a left. These two are going for it. Both men have body kicks blocked. Dalby lands a right to the body. Cummings lands a left again then a right uppercut. Hard left to the body from Cummings after landing an uppercut. Dalby lands a body kick, Cummings lands an inside leg kick. Cummings lands another left to the body. Dalby using kicks to keep Cummings at distance but in close he’s struggling a little. Dalby lands a body kick and Cummings lands a couple of punches to the body. Dalby catches a finger to the eye after they got close and he’ll get time to recover. Dalby is good to continue and can see so we’re back to fighting. Cummings lands a stiff one two then an inside leg kick. Dalby misses a high kick. Dalby lands a body kick but Cummings lands a looping left to the body. He’s landing that body shot every time Dalby angles out of combinations. They trade body kicks then Cummings lands a lead shovel punch to close the round.

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

ROUND THREE: Dalby needs something big this round. Cummings backing up Dalby with punches then gets the clinch on the fence. Cummings with some knees to the legs before Dalby gets free. Dalby lands a head kick. Cummings just ate it but Dalby is throwing more kicks now, Cummings lands a straight left. Dalby lands an inside leg kick, Cummings lands a left uppercut. Dalby just misses another head kick and Cummings lands the left to the body again. Cummings checks a leg kick and Dalby falls off balance, may have hurt his foot. Cummings gets on top in Dalby’s full guard. Cummings trying to pass, Dalby using butterfly guard to keep Cummings in front of him. Cummings able to pass to side control when Dalby was looking for a sweep. Dalby able to scramble to his feet and lands a knee then a couple of rights. Cummings is backing up. They clinch and Dalby lands a couple of knees to the head before Cummings pushes him into the fence. Dalby lands another knee to the head but Cummings gets a takedown because of it and lands in half guard. Dalby trying to bridge out, they trade some punches on the mat as the fight comes to a close.

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

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Zak Cummings via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

The First Round Finish Club thanks those two for giving them a chance to restock on gift baskets. Mic time for Cummings now. He says he tried for some chokes and landed good punches, he puts over Dalby as a tough guy and says he knew he couldn’t really break him mentally so he had to keep pushing the entire time. He says he tries to finish but Dalby was tough. He mentions he worked on defending the kicks because he knew Dalby threw a lot of them, says he’s training all the time to get better.

Maryna Moroz is 1-1 in the UFC, she scored a big upset in her debut when she submitted Joanne Calderwood then dropped a decision to Valerie Letourneau and tonight she looks to get back on the winning side of things against a UFC debutante. Cristina Stanciu is undefeated as a professional and has a very successful Wushu background, placing at the world championship level, and a win over Moroz here would be the perfect way to get her UFC career going.

Women’s Strawweight Bout: #9 Maryna Moroz (6-1, 115 lbs.) vs Cristina Stanciu (5-0, 116 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Moroz has four inches of height and three of reach on Stanciu. Touch of gloves to get us going. Stanciu jumps in with a knee and a couple of punches that land to Moroz and pushes her into the fence. Stanciu lands a knee to the head from the clinch. Moroz able to spin Stanciu, Stanciu jumps for an arm in guillotine choke but Moroz is hand fighting. Stanciu adjusts to a triangle choke but slides off as Moroz remained standing. Stanciu now trying to transition for a leg lock, bails and tries a couple of up kicks as Moroz is still standing. Moroz drops into Stanciu’s guard to avoid those up kicks. Moroz is postured up and lands a couple of rights to the body. Stanciu lands a couple of kicks to the body, one might have been an illegal one to the face but the ref says nothing about it and they regain their feet. Stanciu lands a right. Moroz lands a left as Stanciu gets to the clinch then Moroz trips her down and lands in side control. Stanciu tries to explode but gives up her back and Moroz is looking for the choke. Moroz has a body triangle going, she lands a couple of lefts trying to open up the neck. Moroz still after that choke but time is against her and Stanciu survives the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Moroz

ROUND TWO: Stanciu visibly tired after that first round, Moroz stalking forward. Stanciu lands a body kick. Stanciu lands another body kick after eating a jab. Moroz lands a left. Stanciu lands a glancing high kick but she’s still fatigued and working to get her second wind going. Moroz lands a right, Stanciu lands a leg kick. Stanciu lands a right. Stanciu lands a couple of body kicks but Moroz catches one and Stanciu tries to transition to a knee bar, that gets pretty close but Moroz defends and gets the back as Stanciu goes to her knees. Moroz working some rights now while Stanciu tries to shrimp free but Moroz transitions to full mount and lands an elbow. Stanciu able to spin out of the mount and regain her feet. They stare away the final seconds of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Moroz but a closer round, 20-18 Moroz overall

ROUND THREE: Stanciu opens the third with an inside leg kick. Moroz lands a short left after Stanciu landed a body kick. Push kick lands for Stanciu. Stanciu lands another body kick then a leg kick. Stanciu lands another leg kick, then a right as Moroz was moving forward. Rights traded then they clinch and Stanciu reverses a takedown from Moroz and lands on top in the guard of Moroz. Moroz climbs up for an armbar, she’s got the arm and her legs in position but Stanciu is keeping good pressure to not let her extend it. Moroz shits her weight and starts looking to extend the arm again. Stanciu actually tries to get a reverse triangle choke going to keep the armbar pressure off. Moroz trying to pull out of the triangle and gets her head free and resumes going for the armbar. Moroz has the arm extended a bit now but Stanciu is keeping her arm out of the pressure by rotating it and time expires in that position.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Stanciu, 29-28 Moroz overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Maryna Moroz via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Yeah I was a tad generous with that last round for Stanciu. No interview for Moroz.

Igor Pokrajac got cut from the UFC after losing four in a row with a No Contest thrown in there but he’s won three fights since then and has earned his way back into the UFC, he’ll be looking to get his first UFC win since May of 2012 tonight. Jan Blachowicz is on a two fight losing streak and needs a win here to avoid the dreaded three fight skid that usually spells the end of a UFC run.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Igor Pokrajac (28-12 1 NC, 205 lbs.) vs Jan Blachowicz (18-5, 205 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Blachowicz has two inches of height and reach on Pokrajac. Touch of gloves to get us going. Blachowicz lands a body kick, they trade in close then Blachowicz gets a double leg and lands in Pokrajac’s guard. Blachowicz passes to half guard. Blachowicz lands a couple of rights. Pokrajac able to get back to full guard. Blachowicz lands some body shots while he works to posture up. Blachowicz passes to half guard again. Pokrajac rolls to his knees, Blachowicz has the back now but Pokrajac able to spin him off and get on top in the guard of Blachowicz. Pokrajac lands a couple of elbows. Blachowicz tries for an armbar, Pokrajac pulls free and eats an up kick before getting back to the guard of Blachowicz and landing another elbow. Pokrajac able to get to half guard. Pokrajac able to mount the legs of Blachowicz and lands some body shots while Blachowicz is sitting on the fence. Pokrajac thinks about a choke, decides against it and the round ends there.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Pokrajac

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. Blachowicz lands a counter left then a body kick. Pokrajac lands a wild right. Blachowicz lands a chopping left then an uppercut and Pokrajac gets the clinch, Blachowicz lands a left then a body kick as they break. Left hooks land for both men. Pokrajac lunges into the clinch but Blachowicz spins him into the fence and lands a knee to the body. Blachowicz drops for a double leg, Pokrajac widens his base so Blachowicz lands a hard flurry to the body and head before they break. They trade wild punches, full on drunken brawl then Blachowicz gets Pokrajac back to the fence and works punches to the body and head. Pokrajac absorbs the danage and fires back with a couple of hooks that get Blachowicz to back off for a moment. Blachowicz pushes a double leg attempt into the fence again. Pokrajac avoids the takedown so Blachowicz lands a right. They trade wildly again then Blachowicz gets a double leg into the guard of Pokrajac. Wild fight so far. Blachowicz lands a right then a left elbow. Pokrajac able to escape to his feet. Pokrajac lands a right, Blachowicz returns it. They clinch on the fence again, Pokrajac lands some uppercuts, Blachowicz returns with some body shots. Pokrajac lands an uppercut, Blachowicz lands a couple of knees to the body and head as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Blachowicz, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Blachowicz looks very tired, Pokrajac stalking forward but eats a left. Blachowicz lands a straight right. Blachowicz lands a check left hook then tries a jumping knee that just winds up with him holding Pokrajac on the fence. Blachowicz looking for a takedown, Pokrajac defending and Blachowicz bails on it. Blachowicz lands a hard uppercut then a left hook as they separate. Pokrajac lands a one two combination then Blachowicz hits a double leg and lands in half guard. Blachowicz lands an elbow. Blachowicz working to pass, lands a few more lefts. Blachowicz lands a couple of lefts to the body, Pokrajac lands an elbow from his back. Blachowicz with a flurry of lefts, Pokrajac letting this one get away from him. Elbows from Blachowicz land. Blachowicz lands a couple of weak hammer fists as time expires.

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

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Jan Blachowicz via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Not a bad brawl there. Blachowicz gets an interview now. He thanks everyone for welcoming him, he says it only matters that he won not so much how. He thanks the Polish fans for supporting him and promises that he’s coming back better and will win.

Timothy Johnson is 1-1 in the UFC and coming off of a loss to Jared Rosholt but had an eight fight winning streak going before that and he needs to rebound with a win here if he wants to make a move up the heavyweight ranks. Marcin Tybura is making his UFC debut here and won his last fight, a win over Johnson here would certainly set him up well for a UFC run.

Heavyweight Bout: Tim Johnson (9-2, 262 lbs.) vs Marcin Tybura (13-1, 247 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Tybura has half an inch of reach on Johnson. Johnson fighting southpaw. Tybura lands a body kick. Johnson trying to work lead hand counter hooks when Tybura moves forward. Both guys missing a lot early, still trying to get a handle on the distance and timing. Tybura lands a right to the body. They trade and clinch with Johnson getting Tybura on the fence. Johnson with some rights to the body. Johnson with some knees to the body, Tybura lands a knee to the body. The ref separates them and we’re back at distance. Tybura lands a right, his hands are obviously quicker than those of Johnson. Tybura lands a right, Johnson lands a right to the body. Johnson misses a wild left. Johnson pressuring forward now, just misses a couple of rights as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Johnson

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. Johnson lands a bit of a counter left. Tybura lands a jab. Johnson lands a left, he’s stalking forward and lands a couple of wild hooks. Tybura lands a hard counter right. They clinch, Tybura lands a knee to the body then Johnson pushes him into the fence. Tybura able to spin Johnson into the fence. Tybura with some knees to the thigh. Tybura drops for a double leg, Johnson able to widen his base and use an underhook to stall him out. Johnson able to push Tybura off of him. Tybura is bleeding a bit, Johnson still stalking forward. Lefts land for both men. Tybura lands a jab. Johnson trying to jab his way forward. Johnson lands a right hook. Rights traded. Tybura lands a front kick to the body. This fight has devolved quickly. Johnson lands a series of rights then tries to flurry before they clinch and stall the last ten seconds against the fence.

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

ROUND THREE: Touch of gloves for the last round. Tybura lands a body kick. Tybura ducks a right and gets a double leg takedown and almost immediately gets the back. Tybura is a little high as Johnson is on his knees. Johnson trying to roll him off and does to escape the position and he makes Tybura stand again. Johnson misses an uppercut then avoids a takedown and pushes Tybura into the fence. Johnson working some knees to the thigh. The ref separates them for inactivity. Tuybura lands a body kick then a high kick lands flush. Tybura pushing forward, they trade rights and Tybura lands an elbow. Johnson able to spin Tybura into the fence. Tybura lands a knee to the head, Johnson’s left eye is swelling from that high kick. They break without incident. Tybura misses another high kick. Tybura lands a body kick and time runs out.

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

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Tim Johnson via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

That was a heavyweight fight that went the distance, though not the worst heavyweight three rounder I’ve seen. No interview for Johnson.

Francis Ngannou won his UFC debut and is on a five fight winning streak overall, a second consecutive win here would get him a bigger fight next. Curtis Blaydes is undefeated as a professional and looking for a successful UFC debut here to get his UFC run off on the right track.

Heavyweight Bout: Francis Ngannou (6-1, 252 lbs.) vs Curtis Blaydes (5-0, 261 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Ngannou has three inches of reach on Blaydes but both men are identical in height at 6’4. Touch of gloves to get us going, Blaydes lands a jab and a heavy leg kick. Ngannou lands a clubbing right. Blaydes pushes for a takedown, Ngannou defends and they scramble in the clinch for a bit. Ngannou gets Blaydes on the fence and lands a couple of rights to the body. They push apart without incident. Ngannou fighting southpaw now. Ngannou lands a left. Ngannou misses a couple of left uppercuts, he’s hunting for that punch and trying to discourage Balydes from shooting a double leg. Blaydes lands an iniside leg kick. They clinch again and Ngannou gets Blaydes on the fence. They trade knees to the thigh. They separate, Blaydes looks a little wobbled from an earlier exchange. Ngannou lands a right then a left to the body. Blaydes lands a right but he barely covers up for a counter one two from Ngannou as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Ngannou

ROUND TWO: Circling to start the second round. Blaydes lands a bit of a jab. Jabs traded, Ngannou lands a hard right. Blaydes lands a bit of a left. Rights traded, these two are throwing heat. Ngannou avoids a takedown. The right eye of Blaydes is swelling pretty badly. Ngannou misses a couple of uppercuts and eats a stiff jab. Blaydes lands an inside leg kick then fights for a double leg and finally gets Ngannou down and gets to side control. Ngannou quickly spins to his feet and has the rear waist lock against the fence. Blaydes spins into him and Ngannou lands a short uppercut as they separat. That right eye of Blaydes is nearly closed, might be closed but the camera angle isn’t great to assess it. Blaydes lands a couple of jabs. Yeah that right eye is shut. Ngannou misses a right, the output here has slowed to a crawl from both men. Ngannou lands an inside leg kick. Blaydes reaches for a double leg, stuffed by Ngannou. Both guys breathing heavy now as well. They both miss punches, Blaydes lands a glancing knee to the body as time expires on the second round.

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

ROUND THREE: Some confusion about a stoppage between rounds, Blaydes is imploring to be allowed to fight but the doctor says Blaydes can’t see out of his right eye and if you can’t see you can’t fight.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Francis Ngannou via TKO, doctor stoppage, at 5:00 Round 2

Yeah that eye is swollen completely shut, right call. Some mic time for Ngannou. He says the fight went about as he game planned for, he wanted to box and keep the fight standing where he had an advantage.

Gabriel Gonzaga is coming off of a win but had lost three in a row before that and that win was the worst fight of last year, now he needs to get a win to avoid being a dismal 1-4 in his last five fights and right his career trajectory. Derrick Lewis is on a two fight winning streak and all of his wins have come via stoppage, a win here over a former title challenger in Gonzaga would be the biggest win of his career and set him up nicely for bigger things to come.

Heavyweight Bout: Derrick Lewis (14-4 1 NC, 264 lbs.) vs Gabriel Gonzaga (17-10, 262 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Lewis has an inch of height and three of reach on Gonzaga. Touch of gloves to get us going. Lewis has a high kick blocked but it wobbled Gonzaga anyway, they clinch and Gonzaga gets Lewis on the fence. Gonzaga looking for a takedown, Lewis defending so far. Gonzaga able to spin Lewis down and land in side control. Gonzaga gets to mount, Lewis tries to use that motion to escape but just gives up his back. Lewis breaks the hooks and gets back up but Gonzaga has a rear waist lock. Lewis lands an elbow then spins into Gonzaga and they’re on the fence again. Knees to the body traded. Lewis lands an elbow as Gonzaga drops for a takedown. Gonzaga holding the clinch and the ref separates them. Gonzaga pushes into the clinch again and they’re on the fence again. Gonzaga can’t get a takedown though, he tries for a trip but Lewis avoids it. The ref breaks them again and we’re striking. Lewis lands a wicked combination including a straight right that drop Gonzaga, Gonzaga is out and this is over.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Derrick Lewis via KO, punches, at 4:48 of Round 1

At least it was over quickly. The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Lewis for his work this evening. Interview time for Lewis now. He says he feels real good and that he wants to be a top fifteen fighter and he’s still on the hunt for the title, he thanks Gonzaga for stepping up. He puts over his team, gives a shout out to one of his head coaches who passed away last week and says that without him he wouldn’t be here. He calls out Roy Nelson to close the interview.

Longtime MMA veteran Ben Rothwell is currently surging with a four fight winning streak including finishes of Alistair Overeem and Josh Barnett. A fifth win here, this time over a former heavyweight champion, would all but guarantee Rothwell the next title shot making this a near must win for him if he wants a shot at the title. Former champion Junior dos Santos has been trading wins and losses over the last few years, and is coming off of a loss to Alistair Overeem. If dos Santos ever wants another crack at the title he once held he absolutely has to win here.

Heavyweight Bout: #4 Ben Rothwell (36-9, 264 lbs.) vs #5 Junior Dos Santos (17-4, 241 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Rothwell has an inch and a half of reach on dos Santos but the height is identical. The biggest difference is Rothwell being twenty three pounds heavier. Touch of gloves to get things going. Rothwell will switch his stance frequently. Dos Santos circling early, both men taking their time. Dos Santos just has a right blocked. Dos Santos lands a jab to the body. Right to the body from dos Santos. Dos Santos lands a left hook but Rothwell pushes forward and lands a couple of punches. Dos Santos lands another right to the body then a jab to the body. Rothwell trying to push forward, dos Santos doing a good job of fighting from the outside. Rothwell lands a leg kick. Right lands for Rothwell and dos Santos quickly circles away. Dos Santos jabs the body again, he’s playing the long game here. Rothwell misses an overhand right but lands a couple of short punches in close before dos Santos gets away. Another jab from dos Santos to the body then a wide hook lands for him as well. Short right lands for dos Santos. Dos Santos hits the body again, Rothwell lands a leg kick. Dos Santos lands a straight right to the body as the last blow of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 dos Santos

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves to start the second round. Rothwell moving forward again and dos Santos is circling. Both miss overhand rights. Rothwell lands a leg kick. Dos Santos lands a couple of body punches. Dos Santos lands a right. Rothwell really struggling to corner dos Santos and close the distance. Dos Santos lands to the body again, Rothwell lands a leg kick. Rothwell lands a superman punch, dos Santos tries one of his own that glances off of Rothwell’s forehead. Dos Santos jabs the body again then lands one to the head of Rothwell. Dos Santos lands a right, we get time after he got poked in the eye though. The ref warns Rothwell and we’re back to fighting. Dos Santos just misses a left hook. Rothwell lands a leg kick, dos Santos jabs the body again. Rothwell wings a couple of punches, the left lands but dos Santos avoids getting pinned on the fence by circling away. Dos Santos jabs the body again, and a right to the body as well. Dos Santos lands a wicked overhand right then a push kick that drops Rothwell as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 dos Santos, 20-28 dos Santos overall

ROUND THREE: Rothwell bleeding from the nose and swelling a little under the right eye. Dos Santos circling again, Rothwell trying to lumber forward. Dos Santos lands another right to the body. Dos Santos lands a one two combination. Rothwell misses a few lead leg kicks. Dos Santos lands another right to the body, Rothwell fires a combination but can’t pin dos Santos on the fence. Dos Santos jabs the body, Rothwell lands a leg kick. Dos Santos lands a right to the body again. More jabs to the body from dos Santos. Rothwell lands a short right. Dos Santos lands a hard couple of body punches then a stiff jab to the head. Dos Santos is just picking Rothwell apart striking, he lands another straight right. Rothwell lands a leg kick. Dos Santos lands a spinning back kick to the body. Hard right lands for dos Santos, Rothwell is ducking right into that now. Dos Santos lands another spinning kick to the liver. They circle the final seconds away.

SCORECARD: 10-9 dos Santos, 30-27 dos Santos overall

ROUND FOUR: Touch of gloves as we get to round four. Rothwell moving forward again, dos Santos content to play matador. Dos Santos lands a left hook, Rothwell lands one of his own. Side kick to the body from dos Santos, he’s really beating up the body. Rothwell lands a leg kick but eats a right hand for his trouble. Dos Santos lands a hard left hook then a right. Rothwell is a little wobbled from that, dos Santos working the jab more now. Rothwell trying to circle now, dos Santos lands another jab then a left hook. Rothwell moving forward now, dos Santos easily circling and jabbing. Dos Santos lands a couple of jabs to the body and head then a left hook. Hard jab from dos Santos lands. Rothwell lands a right, dos Santos lands a good right of his own. Quick series of jabs from dos Santos land. Rothwell misses badly with a right. Dos Santos jabs the body again, Rothwell lands a leg kick then dos Santos jabs his head. Quick one two from dos Santos lands. Rothwell lands a looping left. Rothwell misses a middle kick then lands a leg kick to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 dos Santos, 40-36 dos Santos overall

ROUND FIVE: They touch gloves for the last round, dos Santos then lands a jab to the body. Rights traded then dos Santos lands a right to the body. Rothwell just a little too slow and far too linear with his movement so far. Rothwell lands a left to the body. Dos Santos lands a jab to the body then one to the head. Right to the body from dos Santos lands. Stiff jab lands for dos Santos. Dos Santos circling away from Rothwell, Rothwell just seems out of his element. Dos Santos lands a knee to the head of Rothwell. More jabs to the body and head from dos Santos. Rothwell lands a leg kick. Dos Santos just the superior technician so far. Dos Santos jabs the body again. Rothwell lands a bit of a left but he’s lunging now and is way off balance when he does so. Dos Santos tries a wheel kick that’s blocked by Rothwell. Dos Santos lands a front kick to the body. Rothwell misses a high kick then has a lunging right blocked as time runs out.

SCORECARD: 10-9 dos Santos, 50-45 dos Santos overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Junior dos Santos via unanimous decision (50-45 x3)

Mic time for the former champion. He speaks a little Croatian to thank the crowd, who appreciate it then dos Santos admits he learned that last night. He says he’s happy to get a win for the crowd tonight. He says he feels he has the right strategy, he says he couldn’t trade with a guy that size so he moved a lot, he jokes to forget about wrestling and jiu-jitsu because he’s a boxing guy. He speaks one more phrase in Croatian that isn’t translated for the home audience but the crowd cheered it.

That wraps up our live coverage of UFC Fight Night 86, thanks for reading along. We’ll be talking about this event in a few hours at 8 pm eastern standard time on the 411 Ground and Pound radio show. That show takes live callers at [phone] if you’d like to call in and get your thoughts and questions on the air. I’ll be back in six days for UFC on FOX 19, hope you can all come back for that. Until then thanks again for being here and keep checking 411mania for all your pop culture needs.