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UFC Fight Night on ESPN is back at the promotion’s Apex facility in Las Vegas tonight, Saturday, July 25th. The card is headlined by middleweight #1 contender and former champion Robert Whittaker vs. Joseph Benavidez. In the co-main event it’s a battle of Brazilians as Mauricio “Shogun” Rua takes on Rogerio Nogueira at light heavyweight
There are seven fights on the main card and eight on the preliminary card for one of the busiest UFC events you’ll ever see. We’ll be tracking all the results tonight, providing the winner and how they secured their victory, and adding gifs and video of exciting moments or stoppages where we can. Follow along throughout the evening!
Robert Whittaker vs. Darren Till
Winner: Robert Whittaker
Winning Method: Robert Whittaker wins by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47).
It was a close fight, but certainly the right result. Whittaker led in significant strikes 76-44, in ground control 2:29-0:35, and a late elbow to the side of the head from Till likely came too late to make a difference. Whittaker maintains his #1 contender position, and wins as a -145 favorite.
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Rogerio Nogueira
Winner: Mauricio Rua
Winning Method: Mauricio Rua wins by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29).
It was an exciting and entertaining fight as two 40-year-olds can be, but Rua wins via split decision for the first time, as the others in this trilogy were unanimous decision. It was close, but Rua won on significant strikes 53-30 and 2:57-1:21 fight control.
Fabricio Werdum vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Winner: Fabricio Werdum
Winning Method: Fabricio Werdum wins by submission (armbar) at xx of the first round.
Once Werdum got his opponent on the mat, it was over. The back was taken early, and a clinical finish for the Brazilian to win the fight. Gustafsson’s move to the heavyweight division from 205 does not go well. Werdum wins as a +260 underdog, and he was +2000 to do it via submission!
Lo hace @FabricioWerdum quien somete a Gustafsson y le da una amarga bienvenida a los pesos completos! #UFCFightIsland3 pic.twitter.com/sfX2IGnKDc
— ufcespanol (@UFCEspanol) July 26, 2020
Carla Esparza vs. Marina Rodriguez
Winner: Carla Esparza
Winning Method: Carla Esparza wins by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27).
Probably the right decision, but anyone giving all three rounds to Esparza either doesn’t have two eyes or a rudimentary understanding of human physicality. The difference was an 8:54-1:04 ground control advantage for the winner. But she lost the first round. By a ton.
Paul Craig vs. Gadzhimurad Antigulov
Winner: Paul Craig
Winning Method: Paul Craig wins by submission (triangle choke) at 2:06 of the first round.
What a performance from his back by the Scotsman, who gets his 12th submission in 13 career victories.
"ANGLES. MAKE. STRANGLES."
— UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2020
@PCraigMMA with his FIFTH UFC sub.
The main card continues on @ESPN. #UFCFightIsland3 pic.twitter.com/NiU3ZKfAxZ
Alex Oliveira vs. Peter Sobotta
Winner: Alex Oliveira
Winning Method: Alex Oliveira wins by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Oliveira won on significant strikes 41-18, and Sobotta whiffed on three different takedown attempts.
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Rhys McKee
Winner: Khamzat Chimaev
Winning Method: Khamzat Chimaev wins by TKO at 3:09 of the first round.
For the second time in just 10 days an incredible performance from Chimaev. The final stats had it as total strikes 57-0, and all 57 were to McKee’s head after he got taken down in the first 20 seconds of the fight. MMA has a new superstar, and he has the quickest turnaround victory in UFC history.
Brutal trabajo de @kchimaev quien ha dominado desde el principio! #UFCFightIsland3 pic.twitter.com/6AeTKb5Cfl
— ufcespanol (@UFCEspanol) July 26, 2020
Francisco Trinaldo vs. Jai Herbert
Winner: Francisco Trinaldo
Winning Method: Francisco Trinaldo wins by knockout at 1:30 of the third round.
How the heck did referee Herb Dean not stop the fight as soon as Jai Herbert hit the campus? A very questionable non-stoppage from a respected official, but a clean right hand ended it. It was pretty close on the stats at 33-27 in strikes and 3:18-3:20 in ground control. But one punch sometimes is plenty, and it should have been the last one.
WHAT A KO
— Talkin Hands (@TalkinHands101) July 25, 2020
Good thing Trinaldo is classy and didnt pounce on him #UFCFightIsland3 pic.twitter.com/4VG331O9xU
Nicolas Dalby vs. Jesse Ronson
Winner: Jesse Ronson
Winning Method: Jesse Ronson wins by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:48 of the first round.
One of the unluckiest fighters in his first stint in the UFC finally gets his win in the octagon, and who can blame him for not trusting the judges after losing three split decisions from 2017-18. Congrats to him as a +240 underdog for cashing, and getting his ninth career submission win.
JESSE RONSON
— Connoisseur of Combat (@ConOfCombat) July 25, 2020
UP A WEIGHT CLASS
W #UFCFightIsland3 pic.twitter.com/wl0poXoXi0
Tom Aspinall vs. Jake Collier
Winner: Tom Aspinall
Winning Method: Tom Aspinall wins by TKO (punches) at 0:45 of the first round.
A massive debut for the Englishman in the octagon, overwhelming an inferior opponent. Terrific stuff for a fighter that moves to 8-2 career.
TOM ASPINALL WITH A HUGE DEBUT!! #UFCFightIsland3 #InAbuDhabi @VisitAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/JsVudF4lfU
— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) July 25, 2020
Movsar Evloev vs. Mike Grundy
Winner: Movsar Evloev
Winning Method: Movsar Evloev wins by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
Once he avoided an early near-submission during the first round, Evloev comfortably won the fight. His 72-15 advantage on significant strikes negated the ground game of Grundy, who did have a 2:35-0:48 control advantage. A good fight between two competitors that look to have a future in the featherweight division.
Tanner Boser vs. Raphael Pessoa
Winner: Tanner Boser
Winning Method: Tanner Boser wins by TKO at 2:36 of the second round.
Boser was showing effective aggression the entire fight, but he caught Pessoa with a knuckle in the eye. After that it was a matter of time as Pessoa turtled up against the side of the cage. Two big wins for Boser in 28 days, and he begins to make some noise in the heavyweight division.
Tanner Boser’s round two TKO #UFCFightIsland3 pic.twitter.com/nD612diUyd
— Blue Corner Fighting (@blue_fighting) July 25, 2020
Bethe Correia vs. Pannie Kianzad
Winner: Pannie Kianzad
Winning Method: Pannie Kianzad wins by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
Despite a weird celebration from Correia afterwards when she was clearly dominated, Kianzad comfortably won this fight. She landed 100 significant strikes to 66, and the power behind them left Correia’s face looking pretty brutal. A nice win for an up-and-coming fighter.
Ramazan Emeev vs. Niklas Stolze
Winner: Ramazan Emeev
Winning Method: Ramazan Emeev wins by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
The Russian led on significant strikes 36-34, but won this fight with his ground control. It was a 6:50-0:21 advantage on the mat, and the four takedowns from Emeev were the difference.
Nathaniel Wood vs. John Castaneda
Winner: Nathaniel Wood
Winning Method: Nathaniel Wood wins by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
It wasn’t close as Wood landed 136 significant strikes ahead of Castaneda’s 54. The only takedown of the fight also went to Wood on his three attempts.
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