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411’s UFC Fight Night Report: Vieira Splits Holm

May 22, 2022 | Posted by Robert Winfree
UFC on ESPN+ 64 Image Credit: UFC

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
#2 Holly Holm (135.5 lbs.) vs. #5 Ketlen Vieira (136 lbs.)
Michel Pereira (170 lbs.) vs. #14 Santiago Ponzinibbio (170.5 lbs.)
Chidi Njokuani (185 lbs.) vs. Dusko Todorovic (185.5 lbs.)
Tabatha Ricci (115 lbs.) vs. Polyana Viana (116 lbs.)
Eryk Anders (186 lbs.) vs. Junyong Park (185.5 lbs.)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)
Alen Amedovski (186 lbs.) vs. Joseph Holmes (185 lbs.)
Jailton Almeida (224 lbs.) vs. Parker Porter (265 lbs.)
Uros Medic (156 lbs.) vs. Omar Morales (155.5 lbs.)
Jonathan Martinez (135.5 lbs.) vs. Vince Morales (136 lbs.)
Felipe Colares (145 lbs.) vs. Chase Hooper (145 lbs.)
Sam Hughes (115.5 lbs.) vs. Elise Reed (115 lbs.)


Hello there everyone and welcome to 411mania’s LIVE coverage of UFC on ESPN+ 64, I’m Robert Winfree and I’ll be your host for the evening. Tonight’s card isn’t all that compelling on paper, but there are a couple of potential gems as well. The main event could easily crown the next title challenger at women’s bantamweight when former champion Holly Holm battles rising contender Ketlen Vieira. Women’s bantamweight isn’t exactly flush with new talent so the winner here getting a shot at the winner of the Julianna Pena and Amanda Nunes rematch makes sense. The co-main event is a rather compelling welterweight fight when ranked fighter Santiago Ponzinibbio tries to fend off the surging wild man Michel Pereira. Ponzinibbio has shown hints of real brilliance but he could also be on the downside of his career, and Pereira is looking to crash into the official rankings with a win. Chidi Njokuani vs. Dusko Todrovic is solid middleweight fight as well. Beyond that I’ve got Uros Medic vs. Omar Morales and Jonathan Martinez vs. Vince Morales both circled as potential action fights. As for the rest of it, let’s hope the fights are compelling.

UFC on ESPN+ 64 comes to the world from the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Nevada uses a hybrid rule set, they adopted most of the changes from a few years back but you still only need one hand on the mat to be considered downed. There is instant replay available, and the fight can be restarted after replay is used if that’s applicable to the situation. Keep in mind we’re in the smaller 25 foot diameter cage. Lastly we’ve got Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier, and Paul Felder on commentary.

Elise Reed has gone 1-1 in the UFC but is undefeated at strawweight and coming off of a win a couple of months ago, now she’s trying to build her first UFC winning streak. Sam Hughes has gone 1-3 in the UFC but did win her last fight and is likewise trying for her first promotional winning streak. Reed is your favorite at -150 to +130 on Hughes.

Strawweight Bout: Sam Hughes (6-4, 115.5 lbs.) vs. Elise Reed (5-1, 115 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Hughes is two inches taller with one inch of reach advantage. Hughes starts circling right away. Both women feint with kicks, then Reed lands a right hand. Reed lands a combination of punches, then Hughes lands a left. Reed lands another right and follows up before Hughes forces a clinch. Hughes is looking for a takedown out of the clinch but things are just kind of stalling out. They start trading knees while fighting for position. They break and both women miss punches. Reed misses a head kick then lands a side kick to the body. Bit of a body kick from Hughes but she eats a couple of counters. Reed lands a combination, then Hughes tries a single leg but they hit the fence where Hughes is able to finish the double leg. Hughes passes to half guard, but Reed quickly gets full guard back. Reed is sitting on the fence and looking to wall walk, Hughes postures up and lands punches. Hughes passes to side control, Reed hip escapes to full guard. A few elbows from Reed land, Hughes happily returns them. Reed is able to stand, and Hughes immediately forces a clinch. A few knees from Hughes, she’s not working too much but her control is solid as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Hughes but could go the other way

ROUND TWO: Reed with a blitz attack, Hughes is able to get a clinch and takes Reed down into side control. Bit of an elbow from Hughes. Reed is able to tie things up from side control, she’s looking to stall for a stand up but Hughes gets her arm back and lands a hammer fist. Reed shrimps to half guard. Hughes starts working some strikes from top position while Reed gets full guard. Now Reed starts fishing for a double wrist lock but Hughes defends and passes to half guard. Reed doesn’t seem terribly well versed defensively on the ground. Hughes passes into full mount now and lands a few punches. Hughes postures up and lands punches and elbows as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Hughes but a marginal one, 20-17 Hughes overall

ROUND THREE: Reed sets for a side kick but Hughes bull rushes her to the fence and gets a body lock takedown. Hughes moves to side control, Reed is trying for a guillotine but there’s nothing there at this angle. Some elbows to the body from Hughes as she tries to set up an arm triangle choke. Hughes lands some elbows then moves towards full mount but has to bail for side control when Reed tries to scramble. Reed gets half guard, Hughes attacks the arm triangle choke again. Hughes moves to side control again and lands some short punches then gets full mount. Some punches from Hughes, then she starts mixing in elbows. Reed is trying to buck but she can’t address the mount and Hughes keeps landing elbows until the ref stops the fight.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Sam Hughes via TKO, elbows, at 3:52 of Round 3

The Final Round Finish Club thanks Ms. Hughes for her work this afternoon. Mic time for Hughes, she and Daniel Cormier argue about the time he called her a quitter when she fought Tecia Torres. Hughes puts over Reed as a tough opponent and she knew she had to drown Reed with pressure. She talks us through some highlights and thanks her coaches for helping her with her wrestling and comments on how much she’s grown since moving to her camp at Fortis. To close she feels unstoppable now and thinks the sky is the limit for her.

Chase Hooper has traded wins and losses while going 2-2 in the UFC, he’s coming off of a loss though and is trying to avoid his first ever losing streak. Felipe Colares has traded wins and losses while going 2-3 in the UFC, he’s coming off of a loss and is also trying to avoid his first ever losing streak. The odds are with Colares at -190 to a +160 comeback on Hooper.

Featherweight Bout: Felipe Colares (10-3, 145 lbs.) vs. Chase Hooper (10-2-1, 145 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Hooper is five inches taller with four and a half inches of reach advantage. Southpaw for Hooper, and they touch gloves. Body kick from Colares. They trade power hand punches then clinch up and Colares hits a whizzer kick. Hooper wall walks and starts working from the clinch. They break with a left from Hooper. Colares lands another body kick. More body kicks from Colares but Hooper catches one and off balances him then jumps on his back. Hooper lands punches but Colares is able to spin into him and get on top. Colares unloads with hammer fists as Hooper looks to invert but Colares has grabbed the fence to stall the position. The ref stops the action and resets them on the feet in penalty for Colares grabbing the fence. Hooper tries a double leg, Colares counters into another whizzer kick. On the mat Hooper threatens a guillotine and is able to spin to the back again when Coalres moves to his knees. Body triangle now for Hooper but he can’t maintain it. Hooper lands hammer fists as he’s riding Colares. Colares comes up on a double leg and they hit the fence. Hooper gets a takedown and lands some punches from top position. Coalres is looking to invert through half guard and come up on the back but Hooper is able to ride him and land punches. Short elbows from Hooper, he tries for a d’arce choke and sits back with it but he can’t finish it. Hooper lands more punches as Colares stands and the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Hooper

ROUND TWO: Colares tries another whizzer kick but this time Hooper counters and gets on top. Hooper threatens an armbar, Colares defends then blocks a triangle choke and lands some punches from top position. Now Hooper is in 50-50 guard and starts looking for the leg of Colares. Colares blocks the leg attack and they fight up in the clinch. Hooper lands some knees to the leg and body then tries a sacrifice throw but Colares stifles that and gets on top in full guard. Colares is trying to get around the butterfly guard of Hooper but Hooper keeps threatening sweeps. Colares passes to half guard, then side control. Hooper is able to invert on the ground and attack the legs again, but Colares lands hammer fists. Hooper completes a sweep and gets on top. Colares hits a headlock takeover into side control and lands elbows. Hooper is able to use his legs to tie up the arm of Colares then he slips out and into the ride position. Armbar attack from Hooper, then he tries to switch to a triangle choke but Colares postures through it and lands an elbow. Hooper tries a heel hook, Colares is able to step over the body and release the pressure but Hooper comes out on top. Hooper moves to full mount and lands some punches as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Hooper but a close one, 20-18 Hooper overall

ROUND THREE: Hooper quickly forces a clinch and gets a takedown against the fence. Colares is able to wall walk, but Hooper trips him back down and look for the ride position. Colares uses a headlock to roll through and get on top briefly before Hooper scrambles into top position and land hammer fists. More punches and elbows from Hooper as he’s on top in half guard and looking to pass. Hooper gets full mount and unloads punches as Colares gives up the back. Hooper keeps landing punches from the back then grabs the choke but Colares is able to hand fight and break it. More punches from Hooper as he’s got Colares belly down. Hooper is riding well and just keeps landing punches until the ref has seen enough.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Chase Hooper via TKO, punches, at 3:00 of Round 3

The Final Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Hooper for his work this afternoon. Mic time for Hooper, he says the past 11 months have been hard coming back from a loss but he’s been working hard to shore up his game and get better at various skills. He expected Colares to have good cardio for this fight but kept the pace high and got to show his improvements. He talks about gaining confidence in the fight and no longer feeling like he was being walked to his execution when he gets to the cage.

Jonathan Martinez has gone 4-1 in his last five fights and is on a two fight winning streak, he’s hoping to get to three in a row and start making the difficult transition from prospect to contender. Vince Morales has gone 3-3 in the UFC but he’s on a two fight winning streak and is looking to prove he’s finally found his footing in the promotion. Martinez is a pretty solid favorite at -275 while the +220 payout on Morales might tempt a few bettors.

Bantamweight Bout: Jonathan Martinez (15-4, 135.5 lbs.) vs. Vince Morales (11-5, 136 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Martinez is an inch taller but the reach is identical. They touch gloves, both men will do a fair bit of stance switching. Martinez lands a calf kick. A lot of feinting and stance switching from both men, then Martinez lands a front kick to the body. Bit of an inside leg kick from Martinez. Morales lands a jab then blocks a high kick. Stiff jab from Martinez. Martinez lands a calf kick. There’s some swelling on the left shin of Morales. Martinez lands a front kick to the body. Martinez lands an inside leg kick, he’s backing Morales up now. Another body kick from Martinez then a calf kick behind it. Morales lands a couple of left hands. Inside leg kick from Martinez. The leg kicks from Martinez are starting to add up, he’s got solid offensive weapons at every range and Morales is struggling to get into boxing distance. Bit of a right to the body from Morales. Morales blocks a high kick then lands a right to the body. Martinez lands another calf kick. Jumping knee from Martinez, Morales counters with a right hand as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Martinez

ROUND TWO: That swelling on Morales’s shin is pretty gnarly. Morales lands a right to the body. Martinez lands a calf kick. Some forward pressure from Morales but he’s still struggling to get inside the kicks of Martinez. Martinez lands an inside leg kick. Stiff left from Martinez, he’s pressuring forward again and lands a couple of more calf kicks. Martinez will kick either leg and seems adept at going inside or outside, and Morales is starting to feel those calf kicks. They punch in close then break apart. Martinez lands another leg kick. Solid left hand from Martinez lands. Inside leg kick from Martinez. Morales lands a left hook. Martinez lands a jab. Both men land lefts then Martinez lands a body kick. Martinez lands another calf kick, Morales didn’t like that one. Bit of a knee from Martinez as Morales fakes his way in close. Martinez lands another leg kick. Another calf kick from Martinez, that left leg of Morales is seriously beat up. Another body kick from Martinez then a calf kick. Martinez lands a jab, then a knee and a left hook. Martinez avoids a few punches, then Morales forces a clinch to end the round.

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

ROUND THREE: Martinez lands a bit of a head kick. Morales is trying to force his way forward and get a fire fight going. Martinez lands an inside leg kick then a left uppercut. A left from Martinez lands in close as he angles away from a Morales rush. Jab from Martinez then a left that stuns Morales. Martinez lands a front kick to the body. Morales avoids a left hand. Martinez lands a knee then a left hand. Another body kick from Martinez then a left hand to follow up. Morales lands a right hook but eats a leg kick in response. Bit of an uppercut from Martinez. Both men land punches in close. Front kick to the body from Martinez. Martinez lands a left hand then has a high kick blocked. Martinez avoids a punch and hits a single leg to get on top in half guard. Morales looks to wall walk, he’s back up and they’re fighting in the clinch. Martinez hits a double leg, Morales sweeps through and gets on top in full guard as the round ends.

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

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Jonathan Martinez via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Mic time for Martinez, he expected this fight to play out this way and notes this was the first time he spent a fair amount of time orthodox. He talks about training his kicking game. Asked what he’d like next he would love to fight Frankie Edgar. That’s a pretty serious call out, I’d be down for that fight.

Omar Morales has gone 3-2 in the UFC but after a 1-2 stretch at featherweight now he’s back at lightweight where he’s undefeated and is looking to begin his move through a very crowded division. Uros Medic has gone 1-1 in the UFC and is coming off of his first professional loss, he’s going to try and rebound with a win here and avoid his first losing streak in the process. The odds are close but lean towards Morales at -145 to a +125 comeback on Medic.

Lightweight Bout: Uros Medic (7-1, 156 lbs.) vs. Omar Morales (11-2, 155.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Medic is two inches taller while Morales has two inches of reach advantage. Southpaw for Medic, and they touch gloves. Medic lands a front kick to the body. Morales blocks a high kick then lands a right hand. Medic lands a left to the body. Morales has a few punches blocked then Medic lands another front kick to the body. Medic lands a jab then both men miss punches. Morales misses a head kick. They trade power hand punches, then trade side kicks to the leg. Inside leg kick from Medic. Bit of a right from Morales then he has a high kick blocked. Stiff jab from Medic. Morales lands an inside leg kick. Medic lands a jab. They trade body kicks. Both men avoid punches. Medic lands an inside leg kick. Morales misses a right hand then blocks a body kick. Some body shots from Morales land. Medic lands a stiff right that wobbles Morales, then lands a follow up left just before the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Medic

ROUND TWO: Medic lands a front kick. Morales lands an inside leg kick. Inside leg kick from Medic lands, then a left hand and a leg kick. Medic is working his jab, there’s some swelling around the left eye of Morales because of it. Left from Medic lands then a front kick to the body. Morales tries a combination and partially lands a head kick. Medic lands a leg kick. Front kick from Medic then another inside leg kick. Morales avoids a hook kick. Medic drops Morales with a left hand, Morales is back up but Medic drops him with another left. Again Morales regains his feet but Medic swarms him with punches and when Morales drops for a third time the ref steps in to stop the fight.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Uros Medic via TKO, punches, at 3:05 of Round 2

Mic time for Medic after that one, he notes that coming off of his first loss he had ups and downs but overcame mental hurdles and puts over his team for keeping his head up and preparing him. He talks us through the finish and knew that if they got into exchanges he could catch Morales with the left hand, then thanks Morales for the fight.

This doesn’t include the left hand that started things, but you can see Medic measure for his left as Morales is already hurt. A really nice finishing sequence from Medic.

Jailton Almeida is on a 10 fight winning streak that includes a successful UFC debut back in February, he’s looking to extend that streak here despite a late notice change of weight class and opponent. Parker Porter took this fight on relatively short notice but has won his last three fights and could get a bigger opportunity his next time out if he gets to four in a row here. Almeida is the biggest favorite on the entire card at a whopping -600 while a Porter win would payout at +435.

Heavyweight Bout: Jailton Almeida (15-2, 224 lbs.) vs. Parker Porter (12-6, 265 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Almeida is three inches taller with four inches of reach advantage while Porter is 40 or so pounds heavier. They touch gloves to get us going. Almeida fires a kick then tries a double leg but Porter is defending against the fence. Almeida is able to finish the double leg and get on top in half guard. Some lefts from Almeida as Porter is trying to set up a wall walk. Almeida lands hammer fists and punches, nothing too damaging but he’s staying busy. Porter is looking for a wall walk but Almeida pulls him off the fence then mounts the legs. Almeida lands a left hand as Porter gets half guard back. Some more punches from Almeida then he passes to full mount. Porter gives up the back and Almeida grabs the choke and forces the tap.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Jailton Almeida via Submission, rear naked choke, at 4:35 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Almeida for his work this evening. Mic time for Almeida and his translator, he says he’d like to rebook the fight with Maxim Grishin and notes he took this at heavyweight because no light heavyweight could be found in time. He talks us through the finish then thanks his training partners for their work and support.

Here’s the finish. Ideally the choking arm is under the chin and around the neck, but if you’ve got enough of a squeeze it’s entirely possible to get around the jaw like this and compress everything back enough to still compress the relevant blood vessels. Pay attention to Almeida, that man is going to be a real problem at light heavyweight.

Joseph Holmes had a seven fight winning streak snapped in his UFC debut earlier this year, now he’s trying to bounce back from that loss and get that all important first UFC win. Alen Amedovski has gone 0-2 in the UFC and has been out of action since 2019, he needs a win rather badly as an 0-3 start could easily end his time in the UFC. The odds are with Holmes at -200 to +170 for Amedovski.

Middleweight Bout: Alen Amedovski (8-2, 186 lbs.) vs. Joseph Holmes (7-2, 185 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Holmes has a significant six inches of height and reach over Amedovski. They touch gloves. Holmes starts showing the jab then lands a calf kick. Amedovski is pressing forward and looking to engage. More leg kicks from Holmes as he circles. Stepping knee from Holmes drops Amedovski, he jumps on top looking for the finish but Amedovski fights his way up. Mat return from Holmes, then he grabs a no hook rear naked choke and Amedovski has to tap.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Joseph Holmes via Submission, rear naked choke, at 1:04 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Holmes for his work this evening. Mic time for Holmes, he knew he could perform like this because he’s been working hard ever since he started to get here. He talks us through the finish and knew the fight would be over once they hit the mat, he feels he’s got the best grappling in the division.

The knee that sets everything off here is really well placed and timed, Holmes maximized the length advantage on that one.

That does it for the prelims, but we’re still on ESPN+ for the main card.

Eryk Anders has gone 1-1 with 1 No Contest in his last three fights, he’s coming off of a loss and is trying to avoid his first losing streak since 2018. Jun Yong Park has gone 3-2 in the UFC and is coming off of a loss, he’s trying to avoid his first UFC losing streak and reestablish himself as a rising force in the division. Park is your -205 favorite against +160 on Anders.

Middleweight Bout: Eryk Anders (14-6 1 NC, 186 lbs.) vs. Junyong Park (13-5, 185.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Andres is three inches taller with two inches of reach advantage. Southpaw for Anders. Anders punches into a clinch and moves Park against the fence. Park wraps the head, he fires a knee that hits the groin of Anders and we break. They reset at distance. Bit of a left from Anders. They trade power hand punches then Anders gets another clinch on the fence. Park spins off the fence rather quickly but Anders slowly moves him back to it. They jockey for position along the cage and trade some knees. Anders lands a left in close then clinches again. Park is able to slip out of the clinch and reset. Bit of an inside leg kick from Park. Another inside leg kick from Park. They trade lefts. Bit of a body kick and left from Park. Anders lands a left hand then tries a single leg then Park wraps the head as they hit the fence. Park uses the guillotine threat to land knees, but Anders takes him down in space then fires a head kick as Park regains his feet. A body kick from Park lands to more or less close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Anders

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves again. Park lands a few inside leg kicks as he circles. Bit of a left hook from Park. Anders tries a double leg, he gets it against the fence but Park wall walks immediately. Park spins out of the clinch, and he’s gone southpaw now. Anders lands a stiff jab then a one two. Park fires back with his own jab then an inside leg kick. Park lands a couple of punches in close. Now Park is orthodox again, guess he didn’t like the way Anders could line up his one two from same stance. Anders tries another single leg, Park defends and separates. Park lands a right hand then an uppercut as Anders keeps pressing forward. Anders forces a clinch and fires a knee that hits the groin, Park collapses from that and we get a time out. That was a pretty bad one. The ref warns both men about groin shots and says he’ll take a point on the next one from either man. Park is good to continue and we’re back to fighting. A right from Park lands. Anders punches into a clinch but Park separates quickly. Another inside leg kick from Park, then he lands a right hand. Anders misses a combination of strikes. Bit of a right from Park but Anders is able to force a clinch. Park slips free and they reset. Bit of a left from Anders then he forces another clinch. Both men land punches in the clinch then Anders gets a takedown. Park quickly bases up and drops Anders over the top then gets on top position. Anders forces his way up and Park lands a few knees as the last meaningful offense of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Park but could go either way, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Park starts pressing the action this round, he might need a finish. Park lands a right hand. More rights from Park then he digs body shots. Anders is in retreat mode and Park keeps digging the body. Another uppercut from Park and he avoids a single leg. Bit of a left from Anders but Park lands a counter. Park just wont stop coming forward, he lands a knee to the body then breaks from a clinch. Anders forces a clinch but again he can’t keep it. Park eats a left hand. Another left from Anders lands. Park lands a left hook then avoids a single leg. Park should go back to the body, he’s got Anders very worried about his head. Both men land power hand punches. Anders tries a single leg and they hit the fence. Park lands a knee to the body then an elbow as he slips free. Inside leg kick from Park. Anders is the one coming forward now but he keeps eating leg kicks. Park lands a right hand. A one two from Park lands then he avoids a single leg. They trade some jabs then Park lands a right hand. Jabs from Park land then a right hook. Anders grabs a single leg but can’t keep it. Park lands one more right hand along the fence as the clock runs out.

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

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

No issues with 29-28 either way. Mic time for Park and his translator, he was nervous going to the judges but he’s happy he got the win. He knew he needed to fight more controlled and intelligent here and makes a joke about using ice baths to keep cool.

We get an update on the Hall of Fame ceremony, this years Forrest Griffin Community Award will go to Giga Chikadze for his charitable work combating cancer in the name of his mother who passed away in 2013 due to cancer. He and his sister founded a charity to help knockout cancer. Chikadze joins past winners Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier.

Polyana Viana has gone 3-3 in the UFC but is on a two fight winning streak and could earn a shot at a bigger name next time out if she can get to three in a row tonight. Tabatha Ricci has gone 1-1 in the UFC but she’s coming off of a win and is looking to remain undefeated at strawweight. The odds are close but lean towards Ricci at -125 against +105 for Viana.

Strawweight Bout: Tabatha Ricci (6-1, 115 lbs.) vs. Polyana Viana (12-4, 116 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Viana is four inches taller with six inches of reach advantage. They touch gloves, Ricci is fighting southpaw. Viana lands a body kick. Viana lands a combination of punches, Ricci forces a takedown but Viana grabs a guillotine on the way down. Ricci is able to get her head free, then Viana kicks her off. Ricci stands over Viana, they trade some kicks but nothing is coming of this. Viana keeps kicking the knees of Ricci, some of those look unpleasant then Ricci makes Viana stand back up. Both women land punches in close. Ricci lands a jab. Viana lands a body kick, and grabs a guillotine when Ricci forces a clinch. Viana jumps guard for the choke but loses her grip as they hit the mat. Ricci looks to posture through the high guard of Viana, Viana lands elbows from her back while trying to set up some kind of attack. Viana keeps trying to work her guard high while working some strikes from her back. Both women land some hammer fists. Viana kicks Ricci off just before the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Viana

ROUND TWO: Ricci is showing the lead hand as she tries to gauge distance. Viana lands a couple of jabs then a body kick. They trade rights. A couple of leg kicks from Viana then she avoids a clinch. They clash on a kick, that hurt. Both women miss punches, Ricci is still struggling with the range of Viana. Viana falls short with a few punches. Ricci lands a calf kick. Viana punches into a clinch and then lands an elbow as they break. Spinning back fist from Viana mostly lands. Ricci lands a body kick. Bit of a right from Viana. Front kick from Viana lands, Ricci then hits a double leg against the fence. Ricci passes to half guard and lands a left hand then stands out of the guard. Viana resumes kicking the knees of Ricci as Ricci tries to pass the guard. Ricci returns to the guard and Viana closes it. Ricci avoids a triangle attempt and stands over Viana again. More kicks are traded as Viana waits on her back. The ref resets them on the feet. Viana lands a right hook then a body kick. Ricci hits a double leg into full guard again and the round ends there.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Viana but could go either way, 20-18 Viana overall

ROUND THREE: They trade punches then Viana avoids a takedown and they hit the fence. Viana lands a knee before they break. Ricci is almost always still falling a couple of inches short with her offense. Viana lands a right hand. Ricci lands a jab. Ricci forces a clinch while looking for a double leg, Viana again tries to threaten a guillotine choke as Ricci gets an inside trip to land on top. Ricci looks to pass but Viana keeps kicking her away. The ref really should be more active here as they’re not doing anything, and here’s the ref to reset them on the feet. They trade punches, Ricci tries a double leg but Viana counters and lands on top. Ricci scrambles back up and hits a double leg into full guard. Viana closes her guard again. Ricci stands free and we’re back to wasting time trading kicks with Viana on her back. Viana kicks the knees of Ricci a few times. Ricci can’t get around the legs of Viana, she’s landed almost nothing all round. They end the round in that spot.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Ricci I guess, 29-28 Viana overall but who knows

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Tabatha Ricci via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

I can see that, but boy did that fight suck. Mic time for Ricci, because this broadcast isn’t going long enough, and she calls the Octagon the shark tank and baby shark is hungry. Asked what she’d like next she wants to fight soon and will fight whoever the brass want.

Chidi Njokuani is on a three fight winning streak including a quick first round stoppage in his UFC debut, now he’s trying to keep that momentum going and firmly establish himself as a prospect of note. Dusko Todorovic has gone 2-2 in the UFC but he’s coming off of a win and is trying to build his first UFC winning streak at the expense of the budding hype around Njokuani. Njokuani is an unsurprising favorite at -275 while the +220 comeback on Todorovic might tempt a few bettors out there.

Middleweight Bout: Chidi Njokuani (21-7, 185 lbs.) vs. Dusko Todorovic (11-2, 185.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Njokuani is two inches taller with a significant six inches of reach advantage. They touch gloves to get us going. Todorovic has a head kick blocked. Both men are doing a lot of feinting and checking leg kicks. Njokuani misses a punch then Todorovic tries a single leg. Njokuani sprawls away from Todorovic and use a front headlock to control then he rolls for an anaconda choke. Todorovic defends and gets on top as Njokuani bails on the choke attempt. Njokuani tries to wall walk, Todorovic lands punches then pulls his legs together and away from the fence. Todorovic moves to the ride position, Njokuani is able to stand but Todorovic is on his back and drags him to the mat. Another stand up from Njokuani but he can’t get away from Todorovic. Todorovic keeps the back in the clinch, Njokuani starts fighting his grip but he’s struggling to break it. Njokuani is finally able to turn more chest to chest, Todorovic lands punches then they trade knees to the body. Todorovic’s control in the clinch is impressive, he drops for a single leg but Njokuani is able to spin away and separate. Njokuani lands knees to the body and gets a clinch of his own. Njokuani is on the back in the clinch but Todorovic is able to spin in though as he does Njokuani lands an elbow that FLOORS Todorovic and the ref waves this off.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Chidi Njokuani via KO, elbow, at 4:48 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Njokuani for his work this evening. Mic time for Njokuani after that one, he knew he was capable of doing this and he’s happy to be doing his thing. He expected the wrestling attack early and worked hard to be capable there and jokes about his submission attempt before talking us through the finish. Asked who he’d like next he says anyone can get it, he’s mostly looking at the Dallas card as a location and date.

This is a brutal elbow from Njokuani, he only needs a little bit of space to bring that right elbow over the left arm of Todorovic. A lot of guys lately have been finding offense during these little spaces in the clinch or on the clinch break and it’s paying big dividends.

Santiago Ponzinibbio was a rising contender back in 2018, but injury and the pandemic derailed a lot of that momentum and now he’s just 1-2 in his last three fights. Poniznibbio is coming off of a loss and is trying to avoid his first ever losing streak while defending his top ranking. Michel Pereira is on a four fight winning streak which earned a shot at ranked opposition, if Pereira can extend that streak here he could easily crack the top fifteen rankings and continue his upward momentum. Despite the ranking disparity the odds like Pereira at -145 while the +125 payout for Ponzinibbio is a very tempting value bet.

Welterweight Bout: Michel Pereira (27-11 2 NC, 170 lbs.) vs. #14 Santiago Ponzinibbio (28-5, 170.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Pereira is an inch taller but the reach is identical. They touch gloves to get us going. Ponzinibbio starts pushing forward right away, Pereira is circling. Bit of a right from Pereira, I’m always surprised by just how big Pereira is. Ponzinibbio pokes Pereira in the eye, Pereira takes a little over 30 seconds then we’re back to fighting. Ponzinibbio lands a calf kick. Pereira lands a right hand. Some stance switching from Pereira now. More leg kicks from Pereira as he circles. Pereira lands a knee to the body. Bit of a jab from Ponzinibbio. Ponzinibbio lands a calf kick. A couple of front kicks from Pereira land to the body. Ponzinibbio lands a left hook. Pereira avoids a left hook. They trade jabs. Pereira’s defense is on point, he clocks Ponzinibbio with a right hand and Ponzinibbio is backing up. A right to the body from Pereira lands. Inside leg kick from Ponzinibbio, who has recovered from that right hand. Pereira lands a front kick to the body. Ponzinibbio lands a right hand. Pereira blocks a right hand to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Pereira

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves for the second round. Bit of a right from Pereira then a front kick to the body. Ponzinibbio jabs the body. Calf kick from Ponzinibbio then he avoids a right hand. Pereira lands a couple of more front kicks then a right to the body. Ponzinibbio didn’t like that body work, it’s starting to add up. Another right to the body from Pereira then a left hook. Ponzinibbio avoids a right hand. Pereira lands a left hook. Another left hook from Pereira lands. Pereira lands a front kick then a calf kick. Ponzinibbio lands a jab. Pereira lands a left hook. Ponzinibbio lands a left hand then a leg kick. A left hook from Ponzinibbio lands. Pereira is starting to brawl just a bit with Ponzinibbio and it’s working for Ponzinibbio. They trade jabs. Ponzinibbio lands a calf kick. They trade punches in close, Ponzinibbio is bleeding from the bridge of the nose. Pereira lands a front kick to the body. Both men look a little bloodied up. They trade left hooks, then Ponzinibbio hits a double leg and gets the ride position. Pereira moves to his base and they ice the last seconds in that spot.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Ponzinibbio, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Ponzinibbio checks a leg kick. Bit of a right from Pereira then a front kick to the body. Pereira with a bit of a head kick then a right hand and a knee to the body. Pereira lands a calf kick then a right to the body. Ponzinibbio lands a jab. One two from Pereira staggers Ponzinibbio for a second. Pereira avoids a left hook and lands a leg kick. Bit of a left uppercut from Ponzinibbio. Pereira lands a leg kick. Ponzinibbio lands a calf kick. Glancing right from Pereira but Ponzinibbio is stalking forward. Ponzinibbio lands a calf kick. They split jabs and Pereira starts coming forward. More jabs go back and forth. Ponzinibbio lands a calf kick, and Pereira counters with a right hand. A right from Ponzinibbio lands, Pereira misses some punches but lands a front kick to the body. Ponzinibbio lands a calf kick. Ponzinibbio tries a takedown but Pereira defends. They trade jabs then Pereira digs a couple of body shots. Pereira lands a front kick to the body. Pereira starts coming forward and we get a bit of a brawl. They trade leg kicks then trade lefts. Pereira defends a double leg. Ponzinibbio lands a right hand but takes a counter left. Technique is gone, we’re just in a dog fight now. They trade in close, Ponzinibbio gets the better of this but Pereira responds and they swing for the final few seconds.

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

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

I don’t agree with 30-27 for Pereira, but 29-28 either way is perfectly fine. Mic time for Pereira who thanks his team and family, then thanks Ponzinibbio and puts him over. He says he’d like to fight top welterweights, specifically Jorge Masvidal and a couple of other names I didn’t quite catch.

Holly Holm is a former UFC bantamweight champion and multiple time title challenger, she’s on a two fight winning streak currently. At the age of 40 if Holm wants to make one more run at the title she can’t afford a loss here. Ketlen Vieira looked like the next title contender in 2018 but she’s suffered a couple of key losses that have prevented her from reaching the title picture. Now Vieira is coming off of a win over former champion Miesha Tate and if she can add another former champion to her resume she could easily be the next title challenger. Holm is your favorite at -225 against a +185 comeback on Vieira.

Women’s Bantamweight Bout: #2 Holly Holm (14-5, 135.5 lbs.) vs. #5 Ketlen Vieira (12-2, 136 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height while Holm has an inch of height, Holm is also 10 years older. Holm is fighting southpaw per usual, and they touch gloves. Both women probe with the lead hand, just range finding right now. Bit of a leg kick from Holm, Vieira responds with an inside leg kick. Vieira forces a clinch and they hit the fence. Holm spins Vieira into the fence and lands some lefts. Vieira tries a whizzer kick, can’t complete the takedown though. Holm keeps Vieira on the fence and lands some more punches. Some knees to the body and leg from Holm score but things are stalling just a bit. Holm lands an elbow after avoiding a whizzer kick. More punches from Holm, she’s got Vieira pretty well controlled at the moment. Vieira lands a knee to the body but her offense is few and far between thus far. Holm lands another knee then tries a single leg but can’t finish it. More knees are traded, Holm is just a bit busier. Vieira tries the whizzer kick again but again can’t finish it and is still stuck on the fence. Holm lands a few more knees to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Holm

ROUND TWO: Holm lands a leg kick, then a side kick to the leg. Vieira misses a high kick, then Holm side kicks her leg again. Both women miss power hand punches. They punch into a clinch then break without incident. Vieira lands an inside leg kick. Holm lands a leg kick. Another leg kick from Holm then she avoids the counters from Vieira. Holm lands a side kick to the body and avoids a right hand from Vieira. They tie up and Vieira hits her judo toss in open space. Holm scoots to the fence and looks to wall walk right away. Vieira lands a few rights but Holm is up though still clinched. They break without incident. Bit of a head kick from Holm. Holm tries a double leg but she doesn’t have any drive behind it and switches to a single leg as they hit the fence. Vieira is fishing for a guillotine but bails on that. Vieira avoids a takedown and nearly gets a standing rear naked choke but Holm is able to turn into her and break the choke. Holm starts working knees again as they’re clinched. Elbow from Holm, then another one. A few more punches from Holm land to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Vieira, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves again. Both women land lefts. Holm lands a leg kick. Vieira lands an inside leg kick. Bit of a combination from Holm. Vieira lands a glancing head kick then Holm gets another clinch and forces things to the fence. Holm gets back to landing knees to the leg and short punches. They break without much incident. Holm lands a leg kick then a side kick to the body. Vieira falls short on an attack. Bit of a combination from Holm. Vieira blocks a high kick. Holm lands a front kick to the body. Vieira lands a right. They trade punches then clinch again and hit the fence with Holm in control. Holm lands some punches and they trade knees. Vieira lands a few knees to the body. Holm lands a few more punches. Vieira lands a right hand and they break. Vieira avoids a clinch attempt, then lands a right in close. Holm lands a couple of side kicks then Vieira lands a right hook in close. They end the round in the clinch with Holm landing knees.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Vieira but a close one, 29-28 Vieira overall

ROUND FOUR: They touch gloves. Holm lands a side kick. Bit of a blitz from Holm. Vieira lands a left hook. Holm lands a leg kick. Vieira lands a right hand after avoiding a blitz attack. Holm lands a body shot. Holm with a front kick to the face. Vieira lands a right hand. They trade punches, Vieira definitely has heavier hands. Holm lands a leg kick, Vieira responds with a body shot. Right then a left hook from Vieira. They trade rights in close. Bit of a left from Holm. Side kick from Holm drops Vieira then she tries a head kick that’s blocked. Vieira eats a left and lands a counter right. Holm punches into a clinch and gets Vieira on the fence. This time Vieira is able to spin free very quickly. They trade rights. Holm lands a front kick to the body. Vieira lands a left hook, Holm lands a body kick in response. Another couple of body kicks from Holm. Bit of a blitz from Holm. Holm avoids a head kick then lands a flurry before they clinch and end the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Holm but another close one, 38-38 DRAW overall

ROUND FIVE: Vieira lands an inside leg kick. Head kick from Vieira mostly lands. Holm gets a clinch, then lands a right hook. Vieira lands a right hand after they break the clinch. Another clinch in space then they break without incident. Holm lands a side kick to the body. They clinch up, Vieira fights to stay off the fence then Holm lands an elbow as they break. Vieira lands a right hand. Holm lands a left and gets another clinch, she forces things to the fence this time and lands a few knees to the body. Vieira is able to spin free and misses an elbow. Holm lands a front kick to the face, then another one. Vieira avoids a head kick. Holm lands a leg kick. Vieira lands an uppercut. Holm lands another couple of side kicks to the body. Holm uses a single leg to force things to the fence again and starts landing short punches. They break and Holm lands a bit of an uppercut. Holm lands another side kick. Vieira catches a body kick and they clinch again, Holm forcing things to the fence. Bit of a flurry from Holm as she breaks the clinch. Vieira tries a takedown, that just hits the fence then Holm spins her into the cage and lands more punches. Holm lands some punches in the clinch as the clock runs down.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Holm, 48-47 Holm overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Ketlen Vieira via split decision (47-48, 48-47 x2)

No issues with that, 3-2 either way is defensible though the crowd doesn’t agree with the decision. Mic time for Vieira and her translator, she’s very emotional. She says she came to get a finish while Holm came to stall, but she still respects Holm. She spent her camp trying to grapple but Holm surprised her with the grappling. Asked about the fight between Julianna Pena and Amanda Nunes she switches to English to say she’s the next champion.

Holm gets an interview as well, she feels she won the fight 4-1 only giving Vieira the second and doesn’t understand the scoring here. She wanted to be a bit more active in the clinch but Vieira made that difficult. Asked about the future she has to figure out what’s next as she still feels she won.

Well on that note UFC on ESPN+ 64 comes to a close. We’ll be unpacking all of the fallout tomorrow on the 411 Ground and Pound podcast. A rare week off next Saturday, but I’ll be back in a couple of weeks for UFC on ESPN+ 65 headlined by Alexander Volkov taking on Jairzinho Rozenstruik and I hope you’ll be back as well. Until next time thank you for reading, stay safe out there, and keep checking 411mania for all of your pop culture needs.

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UFC Fight Night, Robert Winfree