Round 1 – The morning fights are underway. Alvarez comes out with a leg kick. Both fighters are tentative early, feeling one another out. Yakovlev shoots for a takedown and Alvarez drops for a guillotine. Yakovlev looks like his head is slipping out but Alvarez is cranking. He’s squeezing so hard he’s physically shaking. I’m not sure that’s a smart move. He could gas himself. Yakovlev pops his head out and is in Alvarez’s guard. Yakovlev lands some short punches. Alvarez shoots up for an armbar. He has a good grip. Yakovlev is reacting like he’s in trouble. He’s sitting back. Alvarez is almost on top of him now, still cranking. There’s the tap! Another first-round submission for Joel Alvarez.

Result: Joel Alvarez def. Alexander Yakovlev via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:00
Records: Joel Alvarez (18-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Alexander Yakovlev (25-11-1 MMA, 3-6 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Jason Herzog

Round 1 – The fighters come out and exchange right away. Both women are in orthodox stances. Jojua lands a good right hand counter – and again. She’s looking sharp early. Maverick tries a stepping sidekick to the stomach. Maverick lands a leg kick and Jojua feeds her another combination. A hard left-hand lands for Maverick as the two fighters exchange. Jojua is bleeding. “Hut, hut, hut,” says Maverick on each combination. Maverick is finding her range here but Jojua is still having success as well. Maverick lands another hard combination. Jojus continues to push forward. Maverick comes flying in with a leg kick. Jojua lands a punch and Maverick answers with a body kick. Maverick lands another leg kick. Jojua lands another punch. Maverick lands a nasty lead elbow that connects. That was slick. The sidekick has become a factor. Maverick is doing an excellent job of using it to keep Jojua at bay. Another elbow lands for Maverick. That one sliced Jojua wide open. It appears the cut is coming from the bridge of the nose. The round ends. 10-9 Maverick. Actually my scorecard is for not. The doctor has waived off the fight after taking a look at the cut. That’s it. Miranda Maverick wins in her promotional debut.

Result: Miranda Maverick def. Liana Jojua via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 1, 5:00
Recap: Miranda Maverick wins after wicked elbow slices open bridge of Liana Jojua’s nose
Records: Liana Jojua (8-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC), Miranda Maverick (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Lukasz Bosacki

Round 1 – Jung comes flying out of the gate. He meets Alvey three-quarters of the way across the cage. Alvey shakes off a glove-touch and smiles. Jung lands a kick. Alvey is circling around the outside of the cage. Jung pursues him. Jung falls over trying to throw a kick. Alvey fires a leg kick. Jung answers with one of his own – and another. Alvey fires a combination. Jung connects with a combination of his own. Alvey wings a wild series of punches. They miss. Alvey lands a leg kick. A hard left-hand connects for Alvey. Jung smiles and clinches him against the cage. They break. On the next exchange, Alvey holds his eye. He may have gotten poked but the action continues. Alvey blindly throws. Alvey is bleeding but lands a leg kick. Alvey lands a combination, then a jab. Alvey connects on a right hand. Jung pokes Alvey in the eye again but there’s still no timeout from the referee. The round ends. 10-9 Alvey.

Round 2 – Jung comes out aggressive again. Alvey is still on the retreat. He looks like he’s tiring. Jung lands a combination. Alvey throws back. Jung lands a leg kick. Alvey is having success counter-punching, exploding from time-to-time. Jung comes in and lands a left hook. Alvey returns with a leg kick. That strike has been money for him thus far. Alvey’s nose is busted. He fires a combination at Jung, who puts his hand up. Alvey connects on a hard uppercut. Alvey lands a combination. The round ends. 20-18 Alvey.

Round 3 – Jung floors Alvey with an elbow to start Round 3. Alvey falls over backward and Jung pounces. Jung lands some follow up punches. Alvey rolls to his stomach to get up. Jung grabs hold of his back as Alvey scoots to the fence. Alvey gets Jung off of him and lands an uppercut. In the next exchange, Alvey lands a massive combination that sends Jung backward. Alvey is unloading but Jung throws back. They separate and Jung lands another hard standing elbow. Alvey is all sorts of wobbled but he survives again. This is an awesome round of action. With 30 seconds left, Jung breaks the clinch with a vicious elbow. Alvey goes flying backward again but stays standing. Alvey fires back. The round – and the fight – ends. MMA Junkie scores it 28-28 even.

Result: Sam Alvey vs. Da Un Jung ends in split draw (28-29, 29-28, 28-28)
Records: Sam Alvey (33-14-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC), Da Un Jung (13-2-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN2/ESPN+
Referee: Anders Ohlsson
Judging: Darryl Ransom (29-28 Jung, scoring Round 2 for Alvey); David Lethaby (29-28, scoring Round 3 for Jung); Ben Cartlidge (28-28, scoring Round 1 and Round 2 for Alvey and a 10-8 in Round 3 for Jung)

Round 1 – Rakhmonov throws a huge punch early, which Oliveira (to his benefit) avoids. Rakhmonov lands a leg kick. Oliveira lands a body kick. Rakhmonov connects with an overhand right. A knee from Rakhmonov cranks Oliveira, who steps back. Rakhmonov guns a series of punches at Oliveira. They clinch and Oliveira reverses position. Oliveira lands a knee to the body. Rakhmonov almost escapes the clinch but Oliveira strong-arms him back to the fence. Oliveira ducks in for a takedown and Rakhmonov grabs hold of his neck. Rakhmonov drops for a guillotine. This looks tight – and from Oliveira’s reaction, it is. There are only 30 seconds left on the clock but Oliveira is struggling. There’s the tap. What a debut for Rakhmonov!

Result: Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Alex Oliveira via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 4:40
Recap:
Records: Alex Oliveira (22-8-1 MMA, 11-6 UFC), Shavkat Rakhmonov (12-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN2/ESPN+
Referee: Lukasz Bosacki

Round 1 – Both fighters sprint to the center. Wood lands a leg kick followed by a boxing combination. Kenney comes in and Wood lands a right hand. The pace is furious here early. Kenney catches a Wood kick and shoves the foot away. Kenney slips on a head kick and pops back up. Both fighters trade kicks. They are trading. Kenney lands a combination. Wood hits an inside leg kick – and again. Kenney returns with a leg kick and a body kick. They trade kicks again. The right side of Wood’s body is already swollen and red. Kenney lands. Wood returns – and lands a leg kick. Kenney lands a one-two combination and tries to clinch but Wood shoves him away. Wood lands a kick. Kenney bashes him with a left hand to the face. Kenney lands a left-hand counter. That’s his punch thus far. Kenney lands a leg kick. Kenney is seemingly landing his left hand at will. Right on cue, Wood eats a major punch. What a chin. Kenney feints and lands a side kick. Kenney lands a leg kick. Kenney checks a leg kick from Wood. Kenney lands a pair of body kicks. Wood tries a spinning back kick which misses. Wood connects on a pair of punches. The round ends. 10-9 Kenney.

Round 2 – The second round is starting much like the first round ends. Both men come out chucking knuckles. Wood shoves Kenney, who stumbles backward. Wood lands an inside leg kick. Kenney cracks him with a right hand. Wood smacks the inside leg of Kenney with a kick. Kenney shoots for a takedown but Wood avoids. Kenney is pushing the pace. Wood feeds him a jab. He’s looking sharper here. Wood lands a combination. Kenney has slowed but is still throwing at a ridiculous clip. The volume in this fight is insane. Kenney lands a left hand and then punches Wood’s body. They trade kicks. Kenney throws a three-piece combination. Wood fixes his hair and smacks Kenney with a left hand. Wood circles away and resets. Kenney ties up Wood, who shoves him off. Kenney lands a punching combination followed by a body kick. Wood pumps the jab. Kenney grabs hold of the clinch. Wood pushes him off. Then Wood goes for the clinch. Kenney avoids and lands a leg kick. Wood lands a leg kick and a punch. Wood is having a better round but Kenney is still landing frequently. Kenney gives up on a takedown. The round ends. 19-19.

Round 3 – A big high-five touch-of-gloves signals the start of the final round. Both fighters throw punches and miss. Kenney closes the distance and Wood avoids. Kenney lands a punch to the body. Wood throws a punch which whiffs. Kenney rushes in and ties Wood up. Wood shoves him away. Wood connects with a left-hand. Kenney shoots and circles to Wood’s back against the fence. Wood falls to one knee but stands back up. Kenney leans on him and lands a knee to the stomach. Wood flips and tries to throw Kenney off. Kenney stays tight to Wood, who stands up to his feet. Kenney drags him back down. Wood threatens a guillotine to get back up and break the clinch. Wood fires a combination and shoots for a takedown of his own. Kenney defends it successfully. Wood lands a combination. Kenney tries to return with punches of his own but he’s visibly exhausted. Wood shoots for a takedown and Kenney shoves him away. Kenney shoots for a takedown but Wood escapes. Kenney cranks Wood with a straight-left down the pipe. Wood counters Kenney with a hard left hand. Kenney, who is bleeding from near his left eye, lands a body kick. With 10 seconds left, Kenney shoots for a takedown. Woods shoves him off. The round (and the fight) ends with the buzzer. What a fight! That’s the best one we’ve seen tonight for sure. MMA Junkie scores it 29-28 Kenney.

Result: Casey Kenney def. Nathaniel Wood via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Records: Casey Kenney (16-2-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), Nathaniel Wood (17-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
Division: 140-pound contract weight
Broadcast: ESPN2/ESPN+
Referee: Anders Ohlsson
Judging: Ben Cartlidge (29-28, scoring Round 2 for Wood); Derek Cleary (29-28, scoring Round 3 for Wood); David Lethaby (30-27)

Round 1 – The big boys are up – and potentially fighting for their jobs. They touch gloves. Struve is always taller than his opponents – but the height differential in this one is particularly noticeable. Tuivasa swings and misses at Struve’s head. Tuivasa shoots for a takedown and ties Struve up against the cage. While tying up Struve, Tuivasa lands short punches to the body and head. Struve briefly threatens a guillotine choke but Tuivasa avoids and breaks the clinch. Struve lands a kick-punch combination. Tuivasa lands a right hand. Struve leaps in and lands a high kick. It seemed like it took forever from the windup until the time in landed and there wasn’t much steam behind it when landed. Tuivasa ties up Struve against the fence again. They separate and trade leg kicks. In the final 10 seconds, Tuivasa starts landing punches on Struve’s head. Struve looks hurt. He drops down, gets back up, and eats another series of punches. Struve falls again and referee Jason Herzog dives in to save him. That’s it! Tuivasa jumps outside the cage. Someone throws him a shoe but there is no beer in sight. No shoey – for now.

Result: Tai Tuivasa def. Stefan Struve via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:59
Recap: Tai Tuivasa knocks out Stefan Struve in last second of first round
Records: Stefan Struve (29-13 MMA, 13-11 UFC), Tai Tuivasa (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN2/ESPN+
Referee: Jason Herzog

Round 1 – Here we go. The rematch we’ve all been waiting for is underway. Cutelaba throws a front kick to the body. Ankalaev returns with a kick of his own. This fight has already lasted longer than the first one. A front kick to the face lands for Ankalaev. Cutelaba counters an inside leg kick with a hard overhand punch. The two fighters exchange in the pocket. Ankalaev rips a body kick. Cutelaba returns with a kick of his own shortly thereafter. This is a much more measured fight than the first one. Cutelaba comes in and Ankalaev lands a knee. Cutelaba is chasing Ankalaev in a circle. Round and round they go. Ankalaev sits Cutelaba down with a left-hand. Cutelaba pops up. Moments later, Ankalaev and Cutelaba exchange. Ankalaev floors Cutelaba with a left hand. Cutelaba hits the mat and his head snaps back. Cutelaba covers up but Ankalaev sneaks in two hard punches that put Cutelaba out cold. Wow, that was violent.

Result: Magomed Ankalaev def. Ion Cutelaba via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 4:19
Records: Magomed Ankalaev (14-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), Ion Cutelaba (15-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Anders Ohlsson

Round 1 – Shakirova extends her hand for a glove touch. Murphy shakes her head, ‘No.’ Shakirova comes out kick-heavy. Murphy is pressuring her, clearly the bigger fighter in there. Shakirova using a lot of movement. Murphy lands a combination. Shakirova connects with a spinning backfist. Murphy gets really aggressive and Shakirova ducks down for a single-leg. Murphy defends successfully. Shakirova is doing an excellent job with her footwork. She’s a funky, quick fighter and is making the most of this short-notice opportunity. Shakirova shoots for a single-leg. Murphy defends and lands some Travis Browne elbows. Murphy shoves Shakirova away and they’re off the cage. Murphy throws and misses at the horn. 10-9 Murphy.

Round 2 – Murphy misses on a high kick. Shakirova misses on a left hand and a head kick. Murphy accelerates her pressure and lands a combination. Shakirovais circling the cage with her back almost against the cage. Murphy grabs hold of a plum clinch and knees Shakirova in the body – twice. Murphy ties Shakirova up against the fence and drags her to the canvas. Murphy is in Shakirova’s guard. Shakirova shoots for a leg submission. Murphy defends and lands ground-and-pound. Murphy passes into side control. Shakirova rolls and Murphy gets her back. Almost immediately, Murphy gets the arm under the chin and gets the tap. Lauren Murphy picks up her first career submission and does so by rear-naked choke.

Result: Lauren Murphy def. Liliya Shakirova via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:31
Recap: Lauren Murphy dominates, finishes and then uses her mic time perfectly at UFC 254
Records: Lauren Murphy (14-4 MMA, 5-5 UFC), Liliya Shakirova (8-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Lukasz Bosacki

Round 1 – They touch gloves. Hawes pressures right away and connects with a right hand. Malkoun is hurt. Hawes swarms Malkoun and absolutely flattens him with a series of punches. Faceplant. That’s it! What a debut!

Result: Phil Hawes def. Jacob Malkoun via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:18
Records: Phil Hawes (9-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Jacob Malkoun (4-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Jason Herzog

Round 1 – The big boys touch gloves and we’re off. Harris throws a combination and a head kick. Volkov returns with a kick. Harris throws a series of leg kicks. Volkov counters with a punching combination. Both fighters kick simultaneously. A left jab backs Harris up. That hurt. Both fighters land punches. Volkov connects with a three-punch combination. Harris connects with a left hand. Harris fires a combination. Volkov digs a kick to the body and follows it up with a leg kick. Harris resets and Volkov takes advantage of it by landing a combination. Volkov tags Harris. He’s hurt. Volkov is teeing off and the referee is warning Harris. After covering up, Harris starts throwing back. Volkov’s onslaught slows and the two return to the center. The round ends. 10-9 Volkov.

Round 2 – Harris feints and Volkov bites. Harris recognizes this and lands a combination high. Harris shoots for a takedown. Volkov stuffs with relative ease. Volkov lands a right hand. Volkov front kicks Harris in the midsection. He’s hurt. Harris turtles and Volkov finishes the job with punches against the fence.

Result: Alexander Volkov def. Walt Harris via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:15
Recap: Alexander Volkov stops Walt Harris with body kick
Records: Walt Harris (13-9 MMA, 6-8 UFC), Alexander Volkov (32-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Lukasz Bosacki

Round 1 – The middleweight co-main event starts off with a touch of gloves. Both fighters are utilizing their movement and footwork early. Whittaker lands an outside leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Whittaker slips and Cannonier almost takes his head off with a kick, which whiffs. Cannonier wipes out at the end of the kick. Cannonier throws a leg kick – and another. Whittaker tries a high kick but it’s blocked. Whittaker jabs. Cannonier moves out of the way of a Whittaker high kick. Whittaker checks a Cannonier leg kick but Cannonier follows it up with two more. Cannonier lands a punch. Whittaker connects with a right hand that sends Cannonier backward. Cannonier comes back forward and absorbs a leg kick. Both fighters load up but don’t throw. Cannonier lands a right punch. Whittaker connects with an inside leg kick and misses on a punch. Cannonier feints and Whittaker bites. Cannonier lands leg kicks then a body kick. The round ends. 10-9 Whittaker.

Round 2 – Whittaker lands a right hand. Cannonier throws but is met by a Whittaker jab which sends him backward. Whittaker jabs. Cannonier responds by sticking his tongue out. Cannonier goes high with a kick. Cannonier connects with a two-punch combination. Whittaker lands another jab. Cannonier responds with a leg kick. Whittaker lands a crisp jab again. Cannonier resorts back to his leg kicks. Whittaker is just one step ahead here. Cannonier lands a pair of leg kicks. Whittaker answers back with his jab. Whittaker still looks loose. Cannonier looks a little tired – maybe confused, too. Whittaker is looking great, landing another right hand. Another right-hand sneaks through for Whittaker. The round ends. 20-18 Whittaker.

Round 3 – Cannonier likely needs a finish here. Let’s see if he can find it. Whittaker sticks his jab and moves. Whittaker lands a jab followed by a head kick. Cannonier is stunned and on rollerskates. Cannonier rubber-legs his way across the cage. Whittaker chases him and lands a punch. Cannonier falls and Whittaker lands on top of him. Whittaker attempts ground-and-pound but Cannonier ties him up. Whittaker is in Cannonier’s guard. Whittaker works his way to Cannonier’s back. Cannonier is bloodied. There’s still half a round left. Cannonier squirms up to his feet and reverses Whittaker against the fence. What an incredible recovery. Whittaker shoves him away. Cannonier’s right eye area is swollen. Both fighters land jabs. Whittaker lands a left hand. Cannonier lands a leg kick and Whittaker lands a punch. With 30 seconds left, Cannonier tags Whittaker. That looked like it hurt him. Whittaker shoots for a takedown and shoves Cannonier against the fence. Whittaker slips, gets up, and pushes Cannonier against the fence again. The horn sounds. MMA Junkie scores it 30-27 Whittaker.

Result: Robert Whittaker def. Jared Cannonier via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Recap: Robert Whittaker outlasts Jared Cannonier in hard-hitting scrap
Records: Jared Cannonier (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC), Robert Whittaker (22-5 MMA, 13-3 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Anders Ohlsson
Judging:

Round 1 – Ohhhh, yes. The moment we’ve all been waiting for is here. Both fighters come out in the orthodox stance. Gaethje is the first to land a strike – an inside leg kick to the lead leg of Nurmagomedov. Gaethje is using a lot more movement than Nurmagomedov, who is standing relatively still. Gaethje thinks about another leg kick but pulls back. Moments later, he pulls the trigger on a leg kick. Both Gaethje and Nurmagomedov let go of their hands and connect. Nothing serious but the shots definitely hit the mark. Gaethje wings a combination, which misses. Nurmagomedov suddenly is aggressive. He’s running at Gaethje. Nurmagomedov tries to tie Gaethje up for a takedown but Gaethje avoids. Nurmagomedov is still pursuing it. Gaethje lands a right hand. Nurmagomedov eats it and moves forward. Nurmagomedov lands a body kick and a jab. Nurmagomedov tries a jumping knee. Gaethje blocks it but that was explosive. Gaethje looks uncomfortable. Nurmagomedov has made this fight a crazy pace. Gaethje is having trouble nullifying this pressure. Nurmagomedov pops Gaethje with a series of jabs. Gaethje has a low stance, perhaps anticipating the takedown. Gaethje lands a nice combination followed by a leg kick. Gaethje winds up for a right hand which misses. Nurmagomedov lands a body kick. Gaethje counters with a punch. Nurmagomedov shoots for a double-leg takedown and gets it. Nurmagomedov quickly mounts Gaethje and pulls for an armbar – but he runs out of time. The horn sounds. 10-9 Nurmagomedov.

Round 2 – Gaethje tells his corner that Nurmagomedov’s leg is already hurt. In Nurmagomedov’s corner, his team iced his leg. So perhaps those leg kicks are taking their toll already. Gaethje lands a left hand. Nurmagomedov is pressing again. Nurmagomedov half-shoots for a takedown and Gaethje shoves him aside. Gaethje lands a leg kick which gets a big reaction out of Nurmagomedov. It almost spun him around. After absorbing another leg kick, Nurmagomedov gets Gaethje down and hops into mount. He’s going for a submission again. This time, it’s a triangle. Nurmagomedov locks it in. Gaethje taps but referee Jason Herzog misses it. Gaethje goes out and the fight is stopped. 29-0. Nurmagomedov wins again. Wow!

Result: Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Justin Gaethje via technical submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 1:34 – to defend lightweight title
Recap:
Records: Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC), Justin Gaethje (22-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Jason Herzog