UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2 play-by-play and live results

Round 1 – Bruce Buffer is back, as is Joe Rogan. People are trickling in for the first of 14 fights. Let’s do this thing. Remember, CJ Vergara missed weight for this one. This is the second straight fight Ode Osbourne has fought someone heavier than they should be. Vergara lands a jab. Osbourne winds up and just misses with a flying knee. Both fighters land lefts. A audible left hand glances Osbourne’s head but he doesn’t seem worse for the wear. Osbourne dives for a leg. Vergara drops back and Osbourne doesn’t even touch him. One body kick lands by Osbourne, then another. Vergara lands a left hand – and another. After a lot of misses from both guys, Vergara has found his range. Vergara hooks Osbourne’s body. Osbourne misses another flying knee. Osbourne catches Vergara’s kick and walks his opponent back to the cage. Vergara keeps his balance and slips his leg out. Vergara lands an outside leg kick. Vergara connects on a high kick, then a left hand to close out the round. 10-9 Osbourne.

Round 2 – The fighters trade and Vergara lands a left hand. A couple of boos drift down from the rafters. New York crowd is still tough after all these months off. Osbourne connects on a short, punching combination. Vergara throws, misses, and is tagged by an Osbourne punch. Osbourne eats a left and lands a right. They trade in the pocket and Vergara wins that exchange. Osbourne looked hurt for half a second but they reset. Vergara lands an outside leg kick. Osbourne throws a tired left hand. Vergara lands a right to the body. That’s become his target. Vergara keeps looking for a front kick a la Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort, but he’s missed by a wide margin on all of his attempts. Vergara lands a jab. A hard head kick from Vergara hits the mark, but Osbourne catches the kick and takes him down. Osbourne finishes the round on Vergara’s back. 19-19.

Round 3 – Vergara lands a stiff jab. He’s fighting with a sense of urgency here. He rips a body kick and eats a right jab. Vergara lands a right hand and eats a big counter. Vergara runs right at him and lands three or four knees to the body in an impromptu plum clinch. Osbourne shoves Vergara to the canvas. Vergara gets up and Osbourne shoots for a double leg. Vergara easily avoids and misses on a bunch of punch attempts. Vergara denies another takedown attempt. Vergara looks like the fresher fighter but Osbourne is still landing at a solid clip. Vergara ties him up but Osbourne circles him around and separates. Osbourne lands a left hand. They tie up again and Osbourne lands a sneaky punch in the clinch. Three minutes left on the clock and Vergara is still pushing, though exhausted. The two fighters tie up and tumble to the mat. It’s anyone’s moment but Vergara capitalizes it by scrambling and landing on top. Vergara looks to move to half guard but Osbourne has a very tightly closed guard. Vergara is throwing some ground-and-pound but nothing is really landing. Osbourne briefly threatens a submission. Vergara lands some elbows finally. The crowd oohs. Osbourne tries to cage-walk but Vergara advances to half guard. The round, and the fight, ends with Vergara on top. First and third rounds were close. MMA Junkie scores it 29-28 Osbourne.

Result: Ode Osbourne def. CJ Vergara via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)Photos: Ode Osbourne def. CJ VergaraRecords: Ode Osbourne (10-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC), CJ Vergara (9-3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)Division: FlyweightBroadcast: ESPN+Referee: Mike BeltranJudging: Dave Tirelli, Derek Cleary, Eric Colon (29-28, scoring Round 3 for Vergara)

Round 1 – This one should be a banger. Did I just jinx it? Maybe. We’ll find out. Both fighters come out in karate stances. They’re fighting from a long distance. In and out they go. Melsik Baghdasaryan lands the first leg kick – and the second one. He misses on a third. Bruno Souza, who missed weight yesterday, has a very wide stance. He’s nothing throwing much while on the retreat – much like his mentor Lyoto Machida. The fans are booing. So maybe I did jinx this a tad. Whoops. Anyway, Baghdasaryan is moving forward with Souza rotating around him. Souza lands a counter left hand. Souza hits him in the body with a kick. Baghdasaryan jabs the body. Tap-tap Souza touches Baghdasaryan’s body with two short body kicks. Baghdasaryan responds with a kick of his own. It didn’t look like Souza liked that. He shot immediately. He’s pushing Baghdasaryan against the fence. Baghdasaryan defends and knees Souza to the body. They’re still clinched, though, and Baghdasaryan turns him around. Baghdasaryan is warned about a fence grab. The fighters separate. Baghdasaryan lands a punch and Souza stumbles, though it may have been the result of a slip rather than damage. Baghdasaryan misses on a high kick, then lands on a high kick. The horn sounds. 10-9 Baghdasaryan.

Round 2 – Souza lands a solid punch to start the round. He could use more of those. Inactivity is hurting him right now. Baghdasaryan ducks out of the way of another combination and stalks Souza all the way across the cage. Souza’s back touches the cage and he circles away. Baghdasaryan misses on a Dennis Siver-esque spinning back kick to the body. Baghdasaryan lands a leg kick, then another, and another. Souza dashes in and eats a right hand. Baghdasaryan jabs the body. They both miss. Souza is wearing some redness on the outside of his left leg. He switched stances briefly. Souza shoots for a takedown, gives up on it, and lands a nice knee. Referee Todd Anderson has issued warnings to seemingly both fighters about open hands and head clashes in the last 10 seconds. Baghdasaryan lands a left hand. The two fighters are opening up now. They exchange in the most action-packed sequence of the fight. The round ends. 20-18 Baghdasaryan.

Round 3 – Souza lands a kick to the body. Baghdasaryan tries an axe kick, which misses by a slim margin. That would’ve been something. Souza lands a three-punch combination. Not sure where that has been all night but he needs more of it. Souza lands a leg kick and blocks a Baghdasaryan kick. Souza is much more aggressive this round. Again, very Machida-esque. Baghdasaryan lands an outside leg kick. Souza tries another jumping knee. Souza connects on a stepping back elbow. That was sneaky and landed. Both fighters have slowed. Baghdasaryan cracks a wild overhand right. Souza lands a combination. The fight ends with a horn. MMA Junkie scores it 29-29 Baghdasaryan.

Result: Melsik Baghdasaryan def. Bruno Souza via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)Photos: Melsik Baghdasaryan def. Bruno SouzaRecords: Melsik Baghdasaryan (7-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Bruno Souza (10-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)Division: FeatherweightBroadcast: ESPN+Referee: Todd AndersonJudging: Sal D’Amato, Doug Crosby, Eric Colon (29-28, scoring Round 3 for Souza)

Round 1 – Dustin Jacoby lands a leg kick to start off this one. He’s aggressive early with his jabs. The two fighters continue to jab way. The action is stopped after an inadvertent eye poke by Jacoby. After a brief break, the action resumes. John Allan blasts forward with a combination and eats a jab. Jacoby tries a head kick but it’s blocked. The point-fighting continues. Jacoby lands a combination and tries a spinning elbow before the round ends. 10-9 Jacoby.

Round 2 – Allen lands a leg kick and tries to go high. This has been essentially a kickboxing match thus far. Jacoby flails his arm in the air for a distraction and tries a knee. There’s a lot of missing going on, but Jacoby lands a leg kick. They trade punches. Jacoby pokes Allan in the eye again. That one looked worse. The doctor comes in to examine and gives the OK. Referee Marc Goddard warns Jacoby but no point is taken. The action resumes. Jacoby misses on a flying knee. He tries again. No dice. The round ends. 20-18 Jacoby.

Round 3 – The jabbing, kicking match continues with, you guessed it, jabs to the head and kicks to the leg. Allan isn’t getting blown out of the water by any means, but Jacoby just seems to be doing what they’re doing a little bit better. Allan pushed the action and lands a leg kick. Jacoby comes over the top with a right hand, then kicks the leg. Allan grabs Jacoby and throws a knee to the head. That looks like it was blocked. Now, Jacoby is the one moving forward. Jacoby tries a head kick, a weapon he’s thrown all night to no avail. It’s blocked. Jacoby jabs. There’s a minute left in the fight. Allan connects on a straight right, then a jab to the body. Jacoby flicks his hand to the sky and throws a combination. They clinch and break. The round ends. MMA Junkie scores it 302-7 Jacoby.

Result: Dustin Jacoby def. John Allan via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)Photos: Dustin Jacoby def. John AllanRecords: John Allan (13-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC), Dustin Jacoby (16-5-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC)Division: Light heavyweightBroadcast: ESPN+Referee: Marc GoddardJudging: Dave Tirelli, Michael Bell (29-28, scoring Round 3 for Allan); Doug Crosby (30-27)

Round 1 – Gian Villante makes his final walk to the cage with close friend Chris Weidman and coach Keith Trimble. It’s cool he gets to do this in front of his home state crowd. The fight kicks off with both men hesitant and tentative. The kicking battle from the last fight. These are some big boys. Chris Barnett tries a multi-punch combination. Most of the strikes are being blocked. Barnett lands a spinning back kick to the body. Villante ties up Barnett against the fence before the round ends. I have no idea on that one. Let’s say 10-9 Villante.

Round 2 – Barnett chops a leg kick. This is a low output fight, as many may have anticipated. Barnett tries a jumping spin kick. It whiffs. Barnett kicks Villante’s body and tries a huge overhand right that misses. Villante tires a head kick though he doesn’t have the same dexterity. It’s blocked. A superman punch misses for Barnett. Moments later, Barnett crumples Villante with a spinning wheel kick to the head. No, I am not kidding. Villante tumbles to the canvas. Barnett covers up on all fours and Barnett rains down punches. That’s it. What an unexpected sequence of events. Holy moly. Knockout of the Year candidate.

Result: Chris Barnett def. Gian Villante via TKO (wheel kick) – Round 2, 2:23Recap: Chris Barnett spoils Gian Villante’s retirement with incredible spinning wheel kickPhotos: Chris Barnett def. Gian VillanteRecords: Chris Barnett (22-7 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Gian Villante (17-14 MMA, 7-11 UFC)Division: HeavyweightBroadcast: ESPN+Referee: Dan Miragliotta

Round 1 – There’s a lot of hype behind Ian Garry, but apparently Jordan Williams hasn’t heard it since he just landed a nice two-punch combination. Garry retreats. They meet again and Williams gets the better of that exchange. Garry is trying to gauge his distance with his jab. He looks a tad more timid inside the UFC cage than he did on the regional scene. Williams shoots for a takedown against the fence. They’re clinching. Garry turns him around and they break. His nose is busted. Williams throws a head kick, which is blocked. Garry ducks out of a Williams combination. Williams lands an overhand left. Williams dives in and eats a massive Garry right hand. He’s out on his feet. Garry lands another massive right that folds Williams over backward. The man has heat in his hands. After a sketchy first few minutes, Garry has made his mark in the UFC.

Result: Ian Garry def. Jordan Williams via knokcout (punches) – Round 1, 4:59Recap: Ireland’s Ian Garry scores first-round KO in debut at UFC 268Photos: Ian Garry def. Jordan WilliamsRecords: Ian Garry (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Jordan Williams (9-6 MMA, 0-3 UFC)Division: WelterweightBroadcast: ESPN+Referee: Mike Beltran

Round 1 – The two fighters touch gloves. After a few brief exchanges, Nassourdine Imavov lands a right hand and then a leg kick. Imavov jumps in and eats a counter right from Edmen Shahbazyan. As Imavov closes, Shahbazyan grabs hold and pushes him against the fence. Imavov tries pushing Shahbazyan away, but the grip is tight. Shahbazyan drops for a single leg. Imavov pogo-sticks on on leg and keeps his balance. Shahbazyan lifts Imavov’s leg and dives for a takedown. Imavov snatches a guillotine choke. The grip looks deep but Imavov doesn’t have control of the body and Shahbazyan scrambles out and up. Imavov ties up Shahbazyan against the fence. They separate, exchange, and clinch again. Imavov lands an elbow on the break, then a nice uppercut. They tie up again and Imavov tries a takedown. Shahbazyan ties up Imavov against the fence and complains of a groin strike. The referee did not see it and the final 10 seconds wind down. 10-9 Imavov.

Round 2 – Imavov is bleeding from his right eye area. He tries a combination but Shahbazyan answers with a better one. A right hand lands for Imavov and he ties up Shahbazyan. More fence pushing. Shahbazyan reverses position and goes for a single leg again. Coach Fernand Lopez, in the corner of Imavov is barking instructions. As that’s going on Imavov sinks in a deep high-elbow standing guillotine. Shahbazyan appears to panic but he wiggles his way out of it. Now, he’s one again shooting for a takedown on Imavov against the fence. Imavov snatches the neck for a third time. You’d think Shahbazyan would learn. He escaped danger twice. Will he be able to a third time? His face is red as they hit the canvas. He escapes but doesn’t protect his neck yet again. Another guillotine attempt from Imavov, but Shahbazyan breaks out again. Now Shahbazyan jumps for a guillotine. These two are going guillotine-for-guillotine. Imavov appears to be out of danger. He pops his head out and is in Shahbazyan’s guard. A slicing elbow from Imavov busts Shahbazyan up. Imavov works to the crucifix position and lands some short punches and elbows to his crimson opponent Shahbazyan. There are 30 seconds on the clock. Shahbazyan is trying to buck his way out but he can’t. That’s it! Imavov finishes him with strikes in Round 2!

Result: Nassourdine Imavov def. Edmen Shahbazyan via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 2, 4:42Recap: Nassourdine Imavov TKOs Edmen Shahbazyan into third straight lossPhotos: Nassourdine Imavov def. Edmen ShahbazyanRecords: Nassourdine Imavov (11-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Edmen Shahbazyan (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC)Division: MiddleweightBroadcast: ESPNews/ESPN+Referee: Keith Peterson

Round 1 – Phil Hawes is putting on a striking clinic early. He lands a bunch of punches to the head of Chris Curtis, who is defending by backing up with his hands over his head. Hawes rips a body kick. Curtis is bleeding. Hawes cranks a straight right hand on Curtis’ face. That hurt. Curtis did not go down and continues to circle. Hawes lands another combination. I’m not sure what Curtis’ gameplan was coming into this fight but he’s got to figure it out as soon as possible. Hawes lands another right hand and follows it with a knee. Hawes fakes a takedown and lands again. For a guy who was thought, at one point, as a grapple-only fighter, he’s sharp. Curtis lands a combination. Finally. Hawes returns. Curtis is targeting Hawes’ body now. I guess he’s trying to slow this onslaught down. Oh! Curtis catches him with a left hand. Hawes is wobbled. He lands another combination and a knee to the body. Hawes crumples. Curtis pounces and puts him out. Holy moly! Chris Curtis has done it.

Result: Chris Curtis def. Phil Hawes via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:27Recap: Chris Curtis pulls off upset, stops Phil Hawes to win long-awaited debut at UFC 268Photos: Chris Curtis def. Phil HawesRecords: Chris Curtis (27-8 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Phil Hawes (11-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC)Division: MiddleweightBroadcast: ESPNews/ESPN+Referee: Todd Anderson

Round 1 – Al Iaquinta finally gets to fight in front of the Madison Square Garden crowd. Very cool – and you know MMA Junkie superfan Bobby Green always brings it, too. So this should be good. Iaquinta hasn’t fought in two years but he comes out as confident as ever. He heads right at Green, who avoids Iaquinta’s powershots. The “Iaquinta” chants have begun. Green feeds him a crisp one-two combination. Iaquinta misses on an overhand left. Green busts a jab in Iaquinta’s face. Green’s hands are as low as ever. It’s why fans love him, but he’s got to watch out. Iaquinta lands a jab and Green drops him with a punch. Iaquinta is hurt and Green is pounding away. That’s it. Green gets the finish, much to the dismay of the New York City crowd. That’s Green’s first finish in eight years!

Result: Bobby Green def. Al Iaquinta via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:25Recap: Bobby Green drops, hammers Al Iaquinta for first-round TKOPhotos: Bobby Green def. Al IaquintaRecords: Bobby Green (28-12-1 MMA, 9-7-1 UFC), Al Iaquinta (14-7-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC)Division: LightweightBroadcast: ESPNews/ESPN+Referee: Marc Goddard

Round 1 – On any other card Ian Garry might’ve been the most highly-anticipated debut. On this one, I think that crown belongs to Alex Pereira, the man who knocked out Israel Adesanya in kickboxing. Let’s see how the kickboxer does in high-level MMA. His opponent Andreas Michailidis starts things off with a leg kick, which Pereira quickly returns. Michailidis is keeping his distance, trying to figure out the puzzle, it seems. Pereira throws a combination, which misses. There it is: Michailidis shoots for a takedown. He’s squishing Pereira against the fence. He turns and plants Pereira to thee canvas. Pereira scoots to the fence but Michailidis is still leaning on him. Pereira stands up and threatens a kimura but Michailidis dumps him back to his knees. Michailidis climbs onto Pereira’s back and gets one hook in. There are three minutes left in the round. The crowd boos, but this is great for Michailidis. When you take way the kickboxer’s kickboxing, what’s left? We shall find out. Pereira stands and threatens a kimura again. He lets go but it was effective in forcing Michailidis to give up the takedown attempt. Michailidis is still clinching. He briefly elevates Pereira but the Brazilian lands back on his feet. After a few more moments, referee Dan Miragliotta breaks the action due to inactivity. Michailidis, who’s eye is swollen from something (not sure what), grabs hold of Pereira again and walks him to the fence. Boos rain down and the round ends. 10-9 Michailidis.

Round 2 – Michailidis looks beat. Back on the feet, let’s see how long it takes for him to grab Pereira again. OH! He won’t get the chance. Pereira drops him with a jumping knee and finishes him with punches. What. A. Knockout. Glover Teixeira in the corner of Pereira is amped for his fighter.

Result: Alex Pereira def. Andreas Michailidis via knockout (flying knee and punches) – Round 2, 0:18Recap: Alex Pereira KOs Andreas Michailidis with insane flying knee to win debutPhotos: Alex Pereira def. Andreas MichailidisRecords: Andreas Michailidis (13-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC), Alex Pereira (4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)Division: MiddleweightBroadcast: ESPNews/ESPN+Referee: Dan Miragliotta

Round 1 – Here we go. The fight that needs no introduction. The energy is palpable. Justin Gaethje opens with a leg kick. Michael Chandler misses on a big combination. There was some serious heat behind that. He tries again and Gaethje feeds him a big right hand. Gaethje keeps leaning forward. Chandler is bouncing around. Gaethje keeps leg kicking Chandler. Those are hard. Oh my goodness. They’re trading in the pocket with no regard. Both men are firing. Chandler hits a good combination. Gaethje lands a leg kick. Chandler returns with a massively powerful leg kick. Chandler jabs Gaethje, who returns with a leg kick. Chandler misses with a hard right hand. Gaethje’s lead leg appears to be bothering him. The crowd chants “Gaethje, Gaethje, Gaethje.” Another leg kick lands for Gaethje, right before he eats a two-punch combination from Chandler. Oh! Chandler rocks Gaethje. He’s getting tagged. He’s hurt. Chandler tries a flying knee but it’s a follow-up punching combination that staggers Gaethje backward. This might be exceeding expectations. Gaethje fires back and connects on Chandler, who is now busted open. They tie up. Gaethje looks weathered or hurt or both. They separate. Gaethje lands a left. Chandler answers with an uppercut. A big right hand connects for Chandler, who is putting everything he has behind every punch. There’s no way he can keep this pace up for three rounds. Gaethje gets Chandler’s attention with a combination. Chandler wipes his face and walks back into the pocket. Badass. Gaethje is landing now. Two combinations send Chandler backward. Gaethje lands a leg kick. The end-of-round horn signals. We still have 10 more minutes of this? My word, that was one of the best rounds of the year. 10-9 Chandler.

Round 2 – Henri Hooft in the corner of Michael Chandler in between rounds told his fighter he needs to fight smart, not tough. The pace has slowed early in Round 2, but who knows when things will pop off again. Leg kicks are traded. Chandler punches Gaethje in the body. Gaethje returns with a leg kick. Gaethje lands a right hand and Chandler awkwardly backpedals. I don’t know if that was a possum attempt or what but he appeared to be hurt. He moves forward. Moments later, Gaethje floors Chandler with a punch. Chandler is covering up. He flips to his belly as Gaethje fires away. Referee Mike Beltran gives a warning for Chandler to protect himself. Chandler does just that. Gaethje has hold of Chandler’s next as Chandler goes for a leg. Rather than go to the back, Gaethje stands up. Chandler follows his lead and they’re back up. Chandler lands an uppercut. Gaethje returns with a lead uppercut that snaps Chandler’s head back. Chandler tries a superman punch. They both smile, covered in blood. Savages. A loud Gaethje grunt accompanies a clattering right hand. Chandler eats it. They both exchange. Chandler looks like the output is taking its toll. His punches don’t have the same zip behind them. Just as I say that, Chandler whacks Gaethje. Wait. Or does he? Gaethje signals for a timeout, indicating an eyepoke. Referee Mike Beltran calls timeout but does not get between the fighters. As Gaethje turns, Chandler whacks him with a punch. Both fighters look at Beltran. Gaethje is pissed. I understand why. It was indeed an eyepoke. Beltran needs to get in there. Gaethje says he’s fine, however, and the action resume. The round ends. 19-19.

Round 3 – Gaethje starts off with a leg kick – and another. Chandler hobbles and switches to southpaw. Gaethje lands a jab. Every time Gaethje throws, Chandler picks his leg up. He has him thinking. Gaethje connects with another leg kick. Gaethje bobs and weaves and walks into a short Chandler left. Chandler lands a one-two. Gaethje clunks another leg kick and whacks a two-punch combination on Chandler’s head. The crowd pops and Chandler waves him on. They exchange. Chandler waves him on again. They exchange again. Chandler shoots for a takedown and flips Gaethje head over heels. But somehow Gaethje ends up on top. After a brief moment on the ground, they get back up and Chandler is waving him on again. Chandler stuns Gaethje, who retreats against the fence. Gaethje looks tired but he batter Chandler, who is now wobbled. This is hard to keep track of. Chandler waves on Gaethje. Wow these guys are ridiculous. This is a classic. Chandler walks with his hands down straight at Gaethje and eats a massive combination that staggers him. I’m not sure that was smart. But Chandler is having fun. He points to someone in the front row, then to the ceiling. Chandler zigs and zags with exaggerated movement in the final 20 seconds. He tries a leaping kick, which misses. The round and the fight ends. What. A. Fight. That was nuts. Too bad we don’t have another round. MMA Junkie scores it 29-28 Gaethje.

Result: Justin Gaethje def. Michael Chandler via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)Recap: Justin Gaethje outlasts Michael Chandler in an incredible three-round warPhotos: Justin Gaethje def. Michael ChandlerRecords: Michael Chandler (22-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC), Justin Gaethje (23-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC)Division: LightweightBroadcast: Pay-per-viewReferee: Mike BeltranJudging: Sal D’Amato, Derek Cleary (29-28, scoring Round 1 for Chandler); Doug Crosby (30-27)

Round 1 – Man, that last fight felt like the main event but here we are. We still have four more and this one is a goodie. Billy Quarantillo is the first to land something significant. He lands a series of uppercuts on Shane Burgos, who breaks the clinch and resets. Quarantillo is throwing a lot of volume early. To slow the tempo and halt the pressure, Burgos ties him up and clinches him on the fence. They separate. Burgos is bleeding. Burgos connects with an overhand right, then a leg kick. Quarantillo swings for the fences and whiffs. They land simultaneous jabs. Quarantillo lands an overhand right and Burgos answers. Burgos’ nose is leaking like a faucet. The fighters strand in the pocket and trade before Quarantillo shoots for a takedown. Against the fence, Burgos turns Quarantillo, who shoves him away. Back striking, Quarantillo lands a right. Burgos answers with a violent punch. Quarantillo falls to one knee and eats another big shot. He gets up like nothing happened and they’re back swinging. Quarantillo’s jab is working. He hits Burgos with a few short ones and then ties him up in the clinch against the fence, seconds before the end-of-round horn. 10-9 Quarantillo.

Round 2 – Burgos comes out firing with a hard combination. That seemed to annoy Quarantillo, who fired back a bit recklessly and misses on a spinning backfist. An overhand lands for Quarantillo. They exchange jabs. A perfectly timed leg kick sweeps Quarantillo to one knee. Quarantillo pops up and shoots for a takedown on Burgos against the fence. Burgos once again reverses and lands a knee. They separate. Burgos is pushing the pace now. He ties Quarantillo up against the fence. Quarantillo briefly threatens a standing guillotine before circling his back off the fence. Another trip is successful for Burgos, who kick Quarantillo to one knee. Quarantillo gets up and plods forward. Quarantillo shoots and Burgos avoids. They trade short shots. A leg kick lands for Burgos. Quarantillo grabs hold of a leg and tries for a takedown but gives up on it. The crowd is quiet but I think it’s more a result of that last fight because this one has been really, really solid. Quarantillo lands a good combination and another. Burgos stuns Quarantillo, who is hurt bad. Quarantillo waves Burgos on but he looks punch drunk. He’s wobbled and essentially a sitting duck. Burgos lights him up with a violent series of punches. Quarantillo absorbs and absorbs but somehow survives long enough to see Round 3. 19-19.

Round 3 – Quarantillo comes out limping. His right leg appears to be jacked up. He had a bad knee injury on the regional scene before his UFC signing so I’m wondering if that has reoccurred. Quarantillo is trying his best but Burgos is beginning to land more and more. I feel like it’s only a matter of time. Quarantillo whipes out and Burgos tries to land some punches. Quarantillo gets up and shoots for a takedown. He nearly gets it but Burgos scrambles away. Quarantillo shoots again but eats a big knee to the body – then one to the head. Burgos switches Quarantillo around and shoves him into the fence. They separate. Quarantillo is exhausted and dinged up but he throws a big overhand. They tie up again and then separate. Quarantillo lands a standing elbow. Burogs responds with two right hands. Quarantillo shoots again and rotates to the back in the clinch against the fence. Quarantillo pulls for a heel hook. Burgos scrambles away but Quarantillo gets a hold again and shoves him into the fence. A leg kick lands for Burgos. The crowd is a bit more lively now and the fighters are feeding off the cheers. After a give-and-take exchange, Quarantillo shoots again. They separate and wing until the final bell. MMA Junkie scores it 29-28 Burgos.

Result: Shane Burgos def. Billy Quarantillo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)Recap: Shane Burgos edges Billy Quarantillo in a hard-fought unanimous decision winPhotos: Shane Burgos def. Billy QuarantilloRecords: Shane Burgos (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), Billy Quarantillo (16-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC)Division: FeatherweightBroadcast: Pay-per-viewReferee: Keith PetersonJudging: Derek Cleary, Doug Crosby, Michael Bell (scoring Round 1 for Quarantillo)

Round 1 – Marlon Vera comes out Jon Jones-like, scoot-crawling across the canvas. No touch of gloves. Frankie Edgar shoots. Vera stuffs it. Edgar connects with a two-punch combination. Vera answers with a leg kick. Edgar lands over the top. Edgar shoots and gets a takedown. Vera threatens a guillotine but Edgar pops his head out. Vera scoots the position from half guard to full guard. Edgar postures up with his feet on the canvas and lands some elbows. After some ground-and-pound, Edgar is back up on his feet. Vera throws upkicks as Edgar tries to dive back into the guard. One of which appears to connect, but Edgar took it and ended up where he wanted to be, back in full guard. The round finishes with Edgar on top. A half second after the round, Vera lands another upkick. Edgar didn’t like it but they go to their corners. 10-9 Edgar.

Round 2 – One might think Vera would be hesitant to throw leg kicks after being taken down and controlled in Round 1, but nope. Vera taps and taps Edgars legs with a series of kicks. Edgar lands a combination. There it is. Edgar shoots again and gets it with ease. Nicely timed. You can sense a little more desperation from him this time around. I’m sure he knows he can’t just sit here. He briefly threatens a submission before firing off upkicks. Edgar, who briefly stood up, dives back into guard. Vera sees his opening and capitalizes on it. He scrambles up to his feet and pursues Edgar, who grabs Vera’s leg. Vera wiggles it away from danger and they’re back to striking. A sneaky knee from Vera connects on Edgar’s head. That was slick. Vera is definitely fresher at this point. Edgar is on the retreat. Vera connects with a jump knee that rattles Edgar briefly. Another primary weapon for Vera this fight has been his teep kick to the body. It’s sneaky but I think it’s taken its toll. Edgar misses on a punch and wipes out. Vera lands a knee when Edgar gets up and the round ends. The two fighter exchange words after the bell and Vera flips off Edgar. 19-19.

Round 3 – Vera is very aggressive here early. Edgar, who is looking to counter, returns a combination. A front kick to the body digs Edgar, who comes forward with labored jabs. After a solid first round, Edgar has been slowing gradually. His footwork is still there but his volume has diminished to nearly nothing. Vera lands low on Edgar. Referee Todd Anderson calls timeout and Vera turns to the crowd. He then shrugs his shoulder and make a crass hand signal. The action resumes seconds later and Edgar shoots for a takedown. Vera successfully defends and separates. A left lands for Edgar. OHHH! A front kick lands for Vera, but it wasn’t to Edgar’s body. It was to Edgar’s face. Edgar topples over and faceplants. Vera gives him one hammerfist and that’s it. Edgar sits up, peeved, but I don’t think he’s with it. That was a good stoppage. Wow. What a head kick. This card stays violent.

Result: Marlon Vera def. Frankie Edgar via knockout (head kick) – Round 3, 3:50Recap: Marlon Vera KOs Frankie Edgar with sick front kickPhotos: Marlon Vera def. Frankie EdgarRecords: Frankie Edgar (24-10-1 MMA, 18-10-1 UFC), Marlon Vera (20-7-1 MMA, 12-6 UFC)Division: BantamweightBroadcast: Pay-per-viewReferee: Todd Anderson

Round 1 – Referee Marc Goddard claps his hands and we’re off. Cheers for Rose Namajunas in the introductions; boos for Zhang Weili. They trade. Weili lands a leg kick. Namajunas lands a series of punches, finished with a leg kick. The crowd chants “F*ck Joe Biden” and then the usual “U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A.” Weili connects with a hard leg kick but Namajunas connects with a left hand. Weili shoots for a takedown and gets it. Weili is in Namajunas’ guard. Weili postures up and lands some ground-and-pound. Namajunas scrambles and gets to her feet but Weili won’t let go. Namajunas lands to the body in order to break away. Back in the center of the cage, the USA chants resume again. Weili lands a head kick. As Namajunas moves forward slowly, Weili circles near the fence. A front kick to the face (Vera-esque) puts Weili on her butt. She pops up and the two exchange before the round ends. 10-9 Weili.

Round 2 – Not a lot going on here early. Weili is circling around Namajunas. The ice is broken when Namajunas lands a multi-strike, multi-level combination. She’s had a few of those very complete, full combos. Very nice. Now they’re letting their hands go. Both fighters landed good ones. Weili lands a leg kick. She’s done a nice job targeting Namajunas’ lead leg. Weili and Namajunas tie up and separate. Upon the break, Namajunas displays some swagger by putting her hands up. They trade. Weili stuns Namajunas, who stumbles backward. That definitely hurt her. Weili senses it and plods forward. Namajunas lands a head kick but Weili catches it and dumps her to the ground. Namajunas lands upkicks but Weili dives into guard. After a brief sequence on the ground, Namajunas escapes to her feet. They clinch again. Neither can get the other down in a 50-50 clinch. After a stalemate, Namajunas trips Weili to the canvas and scoots into mount. Namajunas lands one good ground-and-pound punch before the round ends. 20-18 Weili.

Round 3 – The target is clear for Weili this round. She’s goes right after Namajunas’ lead leg with a series of kicks. They trade kick for kick. A bit of a staring contest ensues. When strikes are thrown, they are missed. Namajunas finally lands an outside leg kick, then an overhand right. Weili throws a seemingly desperate combination that misses. Namajunas moves in and lands a left hand. The fighters exchange and Weili whipes out. As she rises to her feet, she eats a Namajunas combination. They tie up against the fence. Weili is shoving Namajunas into the chainlink. Namajunas throws shoulder strikes from clinch that seem to catch Weili off guard. That was much like Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone. Anyway, they separate. More leg kicks. Namajunas comes over the top with a boxing combo. They slip and rip. Looked like Namajunas got the worst of it. Weili shoots for a single leg and gets it. She moves to the back of Namajunas but she’s running out of time. Namajunas rolls but Weili maintains position and spins into mount where she lands some ground-and-pound until the bell. She may have stole the round with that. 30-27 Weili.

Round 4 – Namajunas lands a leg kick and Weili answers with a punch. Namajunas gets a better one on Weili, who nods. Namajunas is beginning to find her range. Weili shoots for a takedown and gets Namajunas down. But before Weili can get her top position, Namajunas shoves her off and they get back to their feet. They scramble and Weili gets Namajunas’ back – sort of. She doesn’t have hooks in. Weili is controlling Namajunas’ wrists. She sneaks one hook in and rolls Namajunas. There’s the second one. There’s just under three minutes left in the round as Weili seeks for a rear-naked choke. As Weili adjusts her hands, Namajunas rolls and ends up on top. They roll some more but end up in the same position: Namajunas in Weili’s guard. For the second half of the round, Namajunas remains on top unable to do much damage. 39-37 Weili.

Round 5 – The final round is underway. Or not. After about 10 seconds wind off the clock, Namajunas runs back to her corner. She forgot her mouthpiece. That’s unusual. The mouthpiece is handed to referee Goddard who gives it to Namajunas to put in. With the plastic where it should be the fight resumes. Both fighters trade but nothing significant lands. Namajunas scores a takedown. That’s huge. She’s in half guard. Weili is looking for a leg. Namajunas makes her pay with two punches to the head. Weili goes butterfly guard and Namajunas passes to half guard. Weili returns her to full guard. Namajunas keeps trying to shove Weili’s legs aside and move to side control. Weili is doing a good job of blocking that, however. Neither fighter is able to really do much here. It’s kind of yin and yang. This round was all Namajunas and she lands some ground-and-pound to signify. It’s really going to come down to how the judges scored Round 1 in my opinion. Could be 3-2 either way, but MMA Junkie scores it 48-47 Weili.

Result:Recap:Photos:Records: Rose Namajunas (10-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC), Zhang Weili (21-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC)Division: Women’s strawweightBroadcast: Pay-per-viewReferee: Marc GoddardJudging:

Round 1 –

Result:Recap:Photos:Records: Kamaru Usman (19-1 MMA, 14-0 UFC), Colby Covington (16-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC)Division: WelterweightBroadcast: Pay-per-viewReferee:Judging: