Conor McGregor Returns at UFC 229 for Grudge Match with Khabib Nurmagomedov

Main card time!

We’re getting close, folks. Real close. We’re now on the pay-per-view leg of the card which has five really solid fights. Kicking us off is Michelle Waterson vs. Felice Herrig.

Sergio Pettis vs. Jussier Formiga Official Decision

Jussier Formiga def. Sergio Pettis by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 29-28, 29-28)

Not an emphatic win, but a big one for Formiga. Pettis was sitting at No. 2 in the official rankings and this win, theoretically, puts him right in the title hunt.

Pettis, meanwhile, continues to be a frustrating fighter to watch. He has all the tools to succeed, but seems to lack the pure killer instinct to take these kinds of fights.

Sergio Pettis vs. Jussier Formiga Round 3

Pettis finally comes out looking aggressive but Formiga makes him pay for it. They go into a clinch and Formiga takes his back and sinks in the body lock. Pettis stays upright, but doesn’t really do much to fight out of the position.

Formiga starts tying up a rear-naked choke but Pettis hand-fights his wayout of danger. He stays insistent on it, though, and looks to soften him up with punches.Pettis just can’t shake Formiga off and even walks away from the cage with Formiga backpacking across the cage! The horn sounds and that should be an easy decision win for the Brazilian.

10-9 Formiga
Bleacher Report scores the fight 30-27 Formiga

Sergio Pettis vs. Jussier Formiga Round 2

Formiga is dancing around Pettis and isn’t landing much…but Pettis isn’t really doing anything that would suggest he’s actually getting the better of these exchanges. He stuffs one takedown, but can’t stuff two and Formiga settles into guard.

He looks for some big ground-and-pound but can’t manage to land anything. He settles into guard and advances to half guard. Formiga doesn’t do much, but he manages to once again do more than Pettis.

10-9 Formiga

Vicente Luque vs. Jalin Turner Official Decision

Vicente Luque def. Jalin Turner by KO via Punches at 3:52 of Round 1

This was a big mismatch on paper and, to his credit, Luque made it look like one. He is now 7-2 in his UFC career and has the look of a top-10-caliber welterweight.

Worth noting is that this is yet another fairly late stoppage which saw Turner on the canvas, staring into space for an extended length of time. The referees have been slow to halt the action tonight and that’s a bit worrisome.

We had two stoppages on Fox Sports 1. You know what that means…

Lots of stalling for time. Here are a couple of free fights for you to burn your time on!

Aspen Ladd vs. Tonya Evinger Official Decision

Aspen Ladd def. Tonya Evinger by TKO via Punches at 3:26 of Round 1

While Evinger isn’t widely appreciated, she’s quietly been a top-five-caliber bantamweight for years now. Beating her is an accomplishment in its own right but mauling her the way Ladd just did? That’s something else entirely.

For the sake of comparison, Evinger went three hard rounds with Cris Cyborg in her UFC debut. Big things ahead for Ladd, who could jump right into title contention with one more win.

Scott Holtzman vs. Alan Patrick Official Decision

Scott Holtzman def. Alan Patrick by KO via Elbows at 3:42 of Round 3

Excellent work by Holtzman. Patrick is a tough fighter to look good against and he managed to adjust as the fight went on and finesse his way into the lead. From there? He ugly’d his way to the win.

In a deep lightweight division, it’s tough to really expect much to come of any one win. Still, this is a great win for him, no matter how it’s sliced.

Scott Holtzman vs. Alan Patrick Round 3

Patrick’s corner implores him to go crazy in the third. He’s not necessarily going crazy, but he is pressing forward much more in the final frame after a passive 10 minutes.

Holtzman has his timing down pat, though, and lands some good straight rights, including one that leads to a huge knockdown. He pours on some ground-and-pound and settles into full mount position with three minutes on the clock. Huge elbows land but Patrick hip escapes back to full-guard. Holtzman continues throwing, though, and gets back to mount. Vicious elbows land and the ref steps in. Brutal ending to the fight.

Scott Holtzman vs. Alan Patrick Round 2

Right back where we left off. Patrick is darting around looking for hard shots and Holtzman plods ever-forward. Patrick gets a takedown but can’t secure top position, leading to another stiff leg kick.

Holtzman finally initiates some grappling of his own, getting a nice double-leg takedown before opening up with some solid ground-and-pound. He can’t hold the position for too long, however, as Patrick bucks his way free and gets back to backpedaling.

Holtzman again takes advantage of that in the closing moments, tying him up and landing some good shots in the clinch. After a tossup in the first round, this one feels much clearer.

10-9 Holtzman

Lina Lansberg vs. Yana Kunitskaya Official Decision

Yana Kunitskaya def. Lina Lansberg by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Finally it’s over.

Clean win for Kunitskaya but a slog of a fight. A win is a win in the anemic women’s bantamweight division…but yeesh.

Lina Lansberg vs. Yana Kunitskaya Round 3

Lansberg comes out showing much more urgency in the third but once again gets tangled up and pushed to the cage. She frantically tries to escape but Kunitskaya grabs hold of a leg and gets the single. Lansberg eats some punches but gets back up and slips free.

Not for long, though! Kunitskaya gets the underhooks and drives her back to the cage. Lansberg gets back to range but, alas, is put on the ground where she stays until the final horn.

10-9 Kunitskaya
Bleacher Report scores the fight 30-27 Kunitskaya

Lina Lansberg vs. Yana Kunitskaya Round 2

Kunitskaya has Lansberg mentally shook. Lansberg backpedals and basically hands her inside clinch position. She makes minimal effort to try and escape, eventually resulting in a referee separation.

They trade hands with Lansberg landing her first good punch of the night, but Kunitskaya ties her up and pushes her back to the cage. Lansberg locks up some sort of bulldog, rear-naked choke combination but can’t complete it. She forces Kunitskaya down but can’t do anything to save the round.

10-9 Kunitskaya

Gray Maynard vs. Nik Lentz Official Decision

Nik Lentz def. Gray Maynard by TKO via Kick and Punches at 1:19 of Round 2

This is kind of a shocking outcome. Not because Lentz won but because he won by something other than a slog of a decision. Anybody with dignity feeling good about his win ends up squirming a little bit as he gives a big shout out to Brett Kavanaugh in his post-fight speech.

Good win for him, but he remains trapped in the 155 pound quagmire. Look for him to continue fighting on the prelims going forward.

Gray Maynard vs. Nik Lentz Round 2

Maynard looks steady coming off the stool but he immediately eats an eye poke. That’s a blessing in disguise, though, as it gives him more time to recover.

Maynard comes out swinging and wounds Lentz with a punch but Lentz returns the favor, rocking Maynard with a punch before tagging him with a huge head kick. The ref is quick to step in and that’s that.

Gray Maynard vs. Nik Lentz Round 1

Lentz coming ut hard early, slinging haymakers and leg kicks. A big punch lands and Maynard is visibly wobbly. Lentz ties him up and pushes him to the cage.

He slings some punches and fishes for a choke, but Maynard esapes. Another big right hand lands and Maynard is back on baby deer legs. More punches come, followed by a guillotine. Maynard escapes but is bloody and battered at this point. Maynard is in survival mode, just trying to tangle up limbs but he’s not doing a great job of it.

He does manage to survive…but sheesh. That fight should have been stopped.

10-8 Lentz

Ryan LaFlare vs. Tony Martin Official Decision

Tony Martin def. Ryan LaFlare by TKO via Kick and Punches at 1:00 of Round 1

Excellent performance by Martin. While LaFlare is completely under the rader, he’s a solid all-around fighter that poses a threat to the vast majority of 170-pounders. Martin, for the most part, dominated him and managed to nail a slick finish.

He’s got a lot of work ahead of him in the welterweight division but there’s some real potential there.

Ryan LaFlare vs. Tony Martin Round 3

Martin’s punches look much slower after failing to secure that choke. That doesn’t say anything about his kicks, though! Martin slings a massive head kick that drops LaFlare hard.

A bit more ground-and-pound seals it.

Ryan LaFlare vs. Tony Martin Round 2

LaFlare comes out hard and eats a huge right hand. Martin lays on some ground and pound and makes LaFlare go limp. The ref doesn’t step in for whatever reason and Martin settles into half-guard instead of tiring himself out.

Martin moves from full- to half-guard repeatedly and LaFlare tries to post and explode out. He gives up his back in the process and gets caught in a d’Arce choke. Somehow, he survives and gets back to hiss feet with 40 seconds. LaFlare is content in just coasting to the horn and concedes the round in the process.

10-9 Martin

We are live!

It’s that time, folks! I’m Steven Rondina and I’ll be in charge of the UFC 229 live stream.

30 minutes and counting…

We’re just 30 minutes away from the start of UFC 229. Though the night ends with Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor, it starts with Ryan LaFlare vs. Tony Martin. Buckle in, folks. It should be quite a night of MMA.

UFC 229 Full Fight Card

Main Card (Pay Per View)

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor
Tony Ferguson vs. Anthony Pettis
Ovince Saint Preux vs. Dominick Reyes
Derrick Lewis vs. Alexander Volkov
Michelle Waterson vs. Felice Herrig

Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1)

Sergio Pettis vs. Jussier Formiga
Vicente Luque vs. Jalin Turner
Aspen Ladd vs. Tonya Evinger
Scott Holtzman vs. Alan Patrick

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)

Lina Lansberg vs. Yana Kunitskaya
Gray Maynard vs. Nik Lentz
Ryan LaFlare vs. Tony Martin