Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson Round 2

Loads of kicks to open the round from Jones, hammering the legs and body. Gustafsson is stalking forward, but continues struggling to land anything of note. Jones shoots for another takedown but it’s easily stuffed by Gus.

Gustafsson is starting to open up with punches and lands a good uppercut, followed by a combo. Another hard body kick slows Gustafsson down but the action is paused once again as Gustafsson pokes Jones in the eye.

The action is reset and Gustafsson starts opening up in a big way, peppering Jones with jabs and looking for a spinning elbow of his own. Jones is avoiding almost everything Gustafsson throws, but is slow to return fire until a hard leg kick lands. That seems to have Gustafsson limping a bit and it opens up shots to the body and oblique.

This was a razor-thin round, but Jones’ strong work in the final 90 seconds definitely sealed it up for him.

10-9 Jones

Cris Cyborg vs. Amanda Nunes Official Decision

Amanda Nunes def. Cris Cyborg by TKO via punches at 0:51 of Round 1

Nunes is now the undisputed best female fighter in MMA history. No question, bar none. Her list of scalps includes champions Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, Germaine de Randamie, Valentina Shevchenko, Julia Budd and now? Cris Cyborg.

That’s just too spectacular a resume to deny.

As for Cyborg…wow. It was somewhat strange seeing her even get challenged by Holly Holm, but watching her get steamrolled like that? That’s a lot to digest.

It will be interesting to see what comes next for both women.

Carlos Condit vs. Michael Chiesa Official Decision

Michael Chiesa def. Carlos Condit by Submission via Kimura at 0:56 of Round 2

Very, very good performance by Chiesa. Size-wise, he looked solid as a welterweight and technique-wise, his frenetic grappling skills will benefit from a boost in bulk and cardio. There’s a lot to like about him and he made a solid call-out in his post-fight interview, challenging Neil Magny for his sophomore welterweight bout.

Condit, meanwhile, looked better than he has in recent years. He’s still on a five-fight losing streak but this one was much more competitive than his last outing against Neil Magny. Much like BJ Penn, I’m not feeling as terrified at the thought of him returning.

Carlos Condit vs. Michael Chiesa Round 2

Chiesa seems to be working his striking game early, but gets hold of a single and drags Condit down. He grabs hold of a kimura and locks it up. There’s the tap. Chiesa wins.

Ilir Latifi vs. Corey Anderson Official Decision

Corey Anderson def. Ilir Latifi by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Not really a great win for Anderson, as a stoppage could have hypothetically put him in position for a crack at the light heavyweight title. Still much better than the alternative, though!

Though he could have called out somebody bigger, he shouted out Anthony Smith as the man he’d like to face next. Not especially ambitious, but hey! There’s something to be said for staying realistic.

Ilir Latifi vs. Corey Anderson Round 3

Latifi does not look like he got much wind back in his sails from the break between rounds. He is still huffing, still puffing and still flat-footed. He musters up the energy to drill Anderson with another leg kick that has him limping. They clinch up but Latifi manages to land a great combination on the break.

Anderson is starting to gas a bit himself, but is still commanding the center of the cage and keeping Latifi from planting and throwing anything hard. He finds a big right hand in the final seconds, but Latifi starts opening up himself. He lands another that Latifi brushes off and the horn sounds on the end of the fight.

Close final frame, but we’ll give it to Latifi based on landing the cleaner shots. This is a coin flip, though.

10-9 Latifi
Bleacher Report scores the fight 29-28 Latifi

Ilir Latifi vs. Corey Anderson Round 2

Anderson is starting to open up with kicks, landing a hard shot to the body. He starts pulling back on that, though, and Latifi takes that opportunity to clinch up with him and work for a takedown. Latifi is starting to look tired, which lets Anderson plod forward and throw more shots.

Latifi tries to turn things around with a flurry but can’t land anything of note. That leaves him looking even more winded, once again allowing Anderson to walk Latifi down and pepper him with strikes. He doesn’t land much of note, but he is clearly in control of this fight at this point and just needs to keep this ball rolling to take the win.

10-9 Anderson

Chad Mendes vs. Alexander Volkanovski Official Decision

Alexander Volkanovski def. Chad Mendes by TKO via Punches at 4:14 of Round 2

Volkanovski is the biggest winner of the night thus far. The Australian looked utterly excellent, showing a strong chin, solid striking and excellent defensive grappling. This firmly cements him as a top-10 featherweight and arguably a member of the top five. He might just be a win away from a title shot, depending on how things shake out.

Chad Mendes vs. Alexander Volkanovski Round 2

Volkanovski looks to reestablish his positioning but Mendes finally lands one of those massive right hands. Mendes batters him but Volkanovski manages to plant his feet and crack Mendes in return, halting his momentum and actually wobbling him. Mendes gets a big takedown that lets both men recover, but Volkanovski pops right back up.

Volkanovski gets back up again, but gets taken down again and gives up his back. He manages, once again, to scramble back to his feet and staggers Mendes with punches once again! Mendes is wounded and crumbles after eating a massive uppercut to the body. He turtles up and the referee steps in. What a win!

Andrei Arlovski vs. Walt Harris Official Decision

Walt Harris def. Andrei Arlovski by Split Decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)

This fight wasn’t a blowout for Harris by any stretch of the imagination, but 30-27 Arlovski is an impressively horrible score card.

Decent win for Harris, who is now coming off back-to-back wins. It wasn’t impressive by any means, but a winning streak in the super-shallow heavyweight division is always good.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Walt Harris Round 3

Harris is controlling the center of the cage and cracks Arlovski with a big left hand. He’s growing more and more confident in that straight left, but Arlovski is starting to land shots in response (albeit after absorbing them). Both men return to energy-saving mode, though, and the clock ticks down to the final minute.

Arlovski turns up the volume a bit but doesn’t land anything of note. And with that, the last fight of the UFC on Fox era ends, with fans booing and nobody feeling particularly great about what they just watched.

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

Andrei Arlovski vs. Walt Harris Round 2

Arlovski makes a strong protest in regards to eye pokes but Harris claims his hands were closed. It happens again, though, and the referee steps in to pause the action.

The fight is reset and Harris scores a big takedown on Arlovski after a striking exchange. He can’t do much with it, though, and Arlovski works his way back up in just a few seconds. They stay at range for the remainder of the round, with neither man really landing anything of note. Uneventful round there which is tough to score.

10-9 Harris

Cat Zingano vs. Megan Anderson Official Decision

After looking over the replays, it seems as though Anderson’s head kick grazed Zingano’s eyeball, which is what led to her stepping away from the fight. She was still in her corner as the decision was read.

This is a good win on paper for Anderson, who bounces back from a ugly loss to Holly Holm. Still, it’s an ugly situation and hopefully Zingano’s eye is ok.

Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Petr Yan Official Decision

Petr Yan def. Douglas Silva de Andrade by TKO via Retirement at 5:00 of Round 2

Between the second and third rounds, de Andrade’s corner threw in the towel. That’s rare and commendable.

But boy, Petr Yan looked amazing.

Yan entered the UFC as the toast of the Russian regional circuit and has lived up to any expectations pinned on him thus far. Now 3-0 in the UFC, with a win over a ranked fighter in de Andrade, he should be lined up for some big fights in the near future.

Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Petr Yan Round 2

Yan picks up right where he left off in Round 1, dominating the center of the cage and ducking everything de Andrade throws in response. Yan gets a front headlock and starts throwing some hard knees, forcing de Andrade to relinquish side control the ground.

De Andrade works his way back up but gets dragged right back down. Yan gets into mounted crucifix and smashes him up with elbows. De Andrade survives to the horn…but just barely.

10-8 Yan

Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Petr Yan Round 1

Yan is pressing the action early, moving forward on de Andrade with impunity. The Brazilian’s power is enough to keep Yan honest, but the difference in pure technical accumen is obvious as Yan walks him down.

De Andrade starts dialing up the volume but just can’t land anything. That prompts Yan to start landing to the body and that pays immediate dividends as de Andrade starts breathing deeply. Yan seals up the scorecards with a big takedown in the final seconds, and that’s an easy 10-9 for the Russian.

10-9 Yan

BJ Penn vs. Ryan Hall Official Decision

Ryan Hall def. BJ Penn by Submission via Heel Hook at 2:46 of Round 1

Ryan Hall is just on another level when it comes to his submission skills. He is uniquely dangerous and that makes him incredibly interesting to watch.

Pulling off this kind of technique? Against somebody as skilled on the ground as BJ Penn? What a win.

Also worth noting is that Penn, despite losing, looked pretty darn good for a little while! If he comes back once again, I’ll actually be interested to see what he looks like.

Andre Ewell vs. Nathaniel Wood Official Decision

Nathaniel Wood def. Andre Ewell by Submission via Rear-Naked Choke at 4:12 of Round 3

Really solid performance by Wood. He stayed disciplined, scored points and got the finish when he got the opportunity. One could make the case that he should have been able to handle Ewell sooner, but that’s neither here nor there!

He calls for a spot on the London UFC event in March, and he will hopefully get it!

Andre Ewell vs. Nathaniel Wood Round 3

Ewell kind of seems done with this fight in Round 3. Wood is in command of this fight, moving forward and walking Ewell down. He converts that into a takedown and, once again, Ewell doesn’t seem to know what to do. He tries to explode out, but Wood takes his back and sinks in a rear-naked choke.

Andre Ewell vs. Nathaniel Wood Round 2

Ewell seems to have found life once again after a minute on the stool, but his over-aggression once again pays off for Wood. He scores a big takedown and Ewell just doesn’t seem to know how to deal with that. Wood keeps the pressure on, looking for better position and light ground-and-pound, and just eats up time on top, taking another 10-9 in the process.

10-9 Wood

Uriah Hall vs. Bevon Lewis Official Decision

Uriah Hall def. Bevon Lewis by KO via Punch at 1:32 of Round 3

Ah, yes. Uriah Hall. He’s lethargic, indifferent and generally disinterested in fighting…until he knocks somebody out cold with one shot. It’s a standard-issue Hall performance that shows all that’s good about him in the cage and all that’s really, really bad.

Ultimately a good win for him, but not one that changes his career trajectory on any level.

Uriah Hall vs. Bevon Lewis Round 3

Lewis comes off the stool quickly and ties Hall up in the clinch, but can’t do much. He keeps pressing forward but Hall starches him with a right hand. That’s it!

Uriah Hall vs. Bevon Lewis Round 2

Once again, Lewis comes off the stool on offense and once again it doesn’t really keep up for long. That said, Hall continues to look trigger-shy and that’s opening up opportunities for Lewis. Hall eventually goes for a fancy head kick, but slips and gets tied up by Lewis.

Lewis starts firing knees in the clinch, but can’t do much damage. Hall breaks free and starts pressing forward to try and steal the round, landing a hard spin kick to the body. That’s all he lands, though, and that just isn’t enough to steal the 10-9.

10-9 Lewis

Curtis Millender vs. Siyar Bahadurzada Official Decision

Curtis Millender def. Siyar Bahadurzada by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

This was a fun fight, but not one that really inspires confidence in somebody that had the look of a serious prospect. Millender showed strong physical tools and good discipline, but also less-than-excellent cardio and questionable abilities to adjust to pressure.

He’s not done by any means, but this does slow his momentum a bit.

Curtis Millender vs. Siyar Bahadurzada Round 3

Millender is tiring a bit and Bahadurzada knows it, pressing forward and slinging hard punches. Millender catches him coming in with a big punch, though, and nearly finishes things standing. Somehow, Bahadurzada weathers the storm and lands a big takedown on Millender!

Millender turtles up for a time, but works his way free. Bahadurzada lands a massive shot and presses forward, looking for a round-stealing takedown. He can’t quite get it, though, and gets reversed onto his back with just a few seconds left on the clock.

That’s a wrap and Millender should have this one.

10-9 Millender
Bleacher Report scores the fight 29-28 Millender

Curtis Millender vs. Siyar Bahadurzada Round 2

Bahadurzada comes off the stool like a rocket but doesn’t crowd Millender for very long. He lands a good shot but Millender reestablishes distance and Bahadurzada just doesn’t do anything to keep things at a favorable distance.

Still, Millender is visibly less comfortable. He isn’t throwing as much and Bahadruzada is making the most of that, pressing forward and scoring a much-needed takedown with 90 seconds left. Millender doesn’t try to get up, but just ties Bahadurzada up en route to the horn.

10-9 Bahadurzada

Brian Kelleher vs. Montel Jackson Official Decision

Montel Jackson def. Brian Kelleher by submission via d’Arce Choke at 1:40 of Round 1

Excellent showing by Jackson here, ever-so-slightly mired by coming in overweight. He looked massive, powerful and quick in a division that will soon be overflowing with under-sized competition. Jackson is only 18 months deep into his pro career so it’s too early to slap the “champ in the making” label on him…but man, it looks like he has a high ceiling.

Brian Kelleher vs. Montel Jackson Round 1

Kelleher is immediately looking out of his depth as Jackson looks much larger and considerably quicker. Jackson lands some hard punches and Kelleher looks to clinch up. That proves to be a bad move, though, as Jackson scores a clean knockdown with a hard elbow.

Jackson lands some ground and pound, then starts fishing for a d’Arce choke. Kelleher tries to spin his way out but can’t get free and taps out!

UFC 232 Full Card

Main Card

Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Cris Cyborg vs.Amanda Nunes
Carlos Condit vs. Michael Chiesa
Ilir Latifi vs. Corey Anderson
Chad Mendes vs. Alexander Volkanovski

Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1)

Andrei Arlovski vs. Walt Harris
Cat Zingano vs. Megan Anderson
Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Petr Yan
B.J. Penn vs. Ryan Hall

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)

Andre Ewell vs. Nathaniel Wood
Uriah Hall vs. Bevon Lewis
Curtis Millender vs. Siyar Bahadurzada
Brian Kelleher vs. Montel Jackson

Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson Round 2

Loads of kicks to open the round from Jones, hammering the legs and body. Gustafsson is stalking forward, but continues struggling to land anything of note. Jones shoots for another takedown but it’s easily stuffed by Gus.

Gustafsson is starting to open up with punches and lands a good uppercut, followed by a combo. Another hard body kick slows Gustafsson down but the action is paused once again as Gustafsson pokes Jones in the eye.

The action is reset and Gustafsson starts opening up in a big way, peppering Jones with jabs and looking for a spinning elbow of his own. Jones is avoiding almost everything Gustafsson throws, but is slow to return fire until a hard leg kick lands. That seems to have Gustafsson limping a bit and it opens up shots to the body and oblique.

This was a razor-thin round, but Jones’ strong work in the final 90 seconds definitely sealed it up for him.

10-9 Jones

Cris Cyborg vs. Amanda Nunes Official Decision

Amanda Nunes def. Cris Cyborg by TKO via punches at 0:51 of Round 1

Nunes is now the undisputed best female fighter in MMA history. No question, bar none. Her list of scalps includes champions Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, Germaine de Randamie, Valentina Shevchenko, Julia Budd and now? Cris Cyborg.

That’s just too spectacular a resume to deny.

As for Cyborg…wow. It was somewhat strange seeing her even get challenged by Holly Holm, but watching her get steamrolled like that? That’s a lot to digest.

It will be interesting to see what comes next for both women.

Carlos Condit vs. Michael Chiesa Official Decision

Michael Chiesa def. Carlos Condit by Submission via Kimura at 0:56 of Round 2

Very, very good performance by Chiesa. Size-wise, he looked solid as a welterweight and technique-wise, his frenetic grappling skills will benefit from a boost in bulk and cardio. There’s a lot to like about him and he made a solid call-out in his post-fight interview, challenging Neil Magny for his sophomore welterweight bout.

Condit, meanwhile, looked better than he has in recent years. He’s still on a five-fight losing streak but this one was much more competitive than his last outing against Neil Magny. Much like BJ Penn, I’m not feeling as terrified at the thought of him returning.

Carlos Condit vs. Michael Chiesa Round 2

Chiesa seems to be working his striking game early, but gets hold of a single and drags Condit down. He grabs hold of a kimura and locks it up. There’s the tap. Chiesa wins.

Ilir Latifi vs. Corey Anderson Official Decision

Corey Anderson def. Ilir Latifi by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Not really a great win for Anderson, as a stoppage could have hypothetically put him in position for a crack at the light heavyweight title. Still much better than the alternative, though!

Though he could have called out somebody bigger, he shouted out Anthony Smith as the man he’d like to face next. Not especially ambitious, but hey! There’s something to be said for staying realistic.

Ilir Latifi vs. Corey Anderson Round 3

Latifi does not look like he got much wind back in his sails from the break between rounds. He is still huffing, still puffing and still flat-footed. He musters up the energy to drill Anderson with another leg kick that has him limping. They clinch up but Latifi manages to land a great combination on the break.

Anderson is starting to gas a bit himself, but is still commanding the center of the cage and keeping Latifi from planting and throwing anything hard. He finds a big right hand in the final seconds, but Latifi starts opening up himself. He lands another that Latifi brushes off and the horn sounds on the end of the fight.

Close final frame, but we’ll give it to Latifi based on landing the cleaner shots. This is a coin flip, though.

10-9 Latifi
Bleacher Report scores the fight 29-28 Latifi

Ilir Latifi vs. Corey Anderson Round 2

Anderson is starting to open up with kicks, landing a hard shot to the body. He starts pulling back on that, though, and Latifi takes that opportunity to clinch up with him and work for a takedown. Latifi is starting to look tired, which lets Anderson plod forward and throw more shots.

Latifi tries to turn things around with a flurry but can’t land anything of note. That leaves him looking even more winded, once again allowing Anderson to walk Latifi down and pepper him with strikes. He doesn’t land much of note, but he is clearly in control of this fight at this point and just needs to keep this ball rolling to take the win.

10-9 Anderson

Chad Mendes vs. Alexander Volkanovski Official Decision

Alexander Volkanovski def. Chad Mendes by TKO via Punches at 4:14 of Round 2

Volkanovski is the biggest winner of the night thus far. The Australian looked utterly excellent, showing a strong chin, solid striking and excellent defensive grappling. This firmly cements him as a top-10 featherweight and arguably a member of the top five. He might just be a win away from a title shot, depending on how things shake out.

Chad Mendes vs. Alexander Volkanovski Round 2

Volkanovski looks to reestablish his positioning but Mendes finally lands one of those massive right hands. Mendes batters him but Volkanovski manages to plant his feet and crack Mendes in return, halting his momentum and actually wobbling him. Mendes gets a big takedown that lets both men recover, but Volkanovski pops right back up.

Volkanovski gets back up again, but gets taken down again and gives up his back. He manages, once again, to scramble back to his feet and staggers Mendes with punches once again! Mendes is wounded and crumbles after eating a massive uppercut to the body. He turtles up and the referee steps in. What a win!

Andrei Arlovski vs. Walt Harris Official Decision

Walt Harris def. Andrei Arlovski by Split Decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)

This fight wasn’t a blowout for Harris by any stretch of the imagination, but 30-27 Arlovski is an impressively horrible score card.

Decent win for Harris, who is now coming off back-to-back wins. It wasn’t impressive by any means, but a winning streak in the super-shallow heavyweight division is always good.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Walt Harris Round 3

Harris is controlling the center of the cage and cracks Arlovski with a big left hand. He’s growing more and more confident in that straight left, but Arlovski is starting to land shots in response (albeit after absorbing them). Both men return to energy-saving mode, though, and the clock ticks down to the final minute.

Arlovski turns up the volume a bit but doesn’t land anything of note. And with that, the last fight of the UFC on Fox era ends, with fans booing and nobody feeling particularly great about what they just watched.

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

Andrei Arlovski vs. Walt Harris Round 2

Arlovski makes a strong protest in regards to eye pokes but Harris claims his hands were closed. It happens again, though, and the referee steps in to pause the action.

The fight is reset and Harris scores a big takedown on Arlovski after a striking exchange. He can’t do much with it, though, and Arlovski works his way back up in just a few seconds. They stay at range for the remainder of the round, with neither man really landing anything of note. Uneventful round there which is tough to score.

10-9 Harris

Cat Zingano vs. Megan Anderson Official Decision

After looking over the replays, it seems as though Anderson’s head kick grazed Zingano’s eyeball, which is what led to her stepping away from the fight. She was still in her corner as the decision was read.

This is a good win on paper for Anderson, who bounces back from a ugly loss to Holly Holm. Still, it’s an ugly situation and hopefully Zingano’s eye is ok.

Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Petr Yan Official Decision

Petr Yan def. Douglas Silva de Andrade by TKO via Retirement at 5:00 of Round 2

Between the second and third rounds, de Andrade’s corner threw in the towel. That’s rare and commendable.

But boy, Petr Yan looked amazing.

Yan entered the UFC as the toast of the Russian regional circuit and has lived up to any expectations pinned on him thus far. Now 3-0 in the UFC, with a win over a ranked fighter in de Andrade, he should be lined up for some big fights in the near future.

Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Petr Yan Round 2

Yan picks up right where he left off in Round 1, dominating the center of the cage and ducking everything de Andrade throws in response. Yan gets a front headlock and starts throwing some hard knees, forcing de Andrade to relinquish side control the ground.

De Andrade works his way back up but gets dragged right back down. Yan gets into mounted crucifix and smashes him up with elbows. De Andrade survives to the horn…but just barely.

10-8 Yan

Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Petr Yan Round 1

Yan is pressing the action early, moving forward on de Andrade with impunity. The Brazilian’s power is enough to keep Yan honest, but the difference in pure technical accumen is obvious as Yan walks him down.

De Andrade starts dialing up the volume but just can’t land anything. That prompts Yan to start landing to the body and that pays immediate dividends as de Andrade starts breathing deeply. Yan seals up the scorecards with a big takedown in the final seconds, and that’s an easy 10-9 for the Russian.

10-9 Yan

BJ Penn vs. Ryan Hall Official Decision

Ryan Hall def. BJ Penn by Submission via Heel Hook at 2:46 of Round 1

Ryan Hall is just on another level when it comes to his submission skills. He is uniquely dangerous and that makes him incredibly interesting to watch.

Pulling off this kind of technique? Against somebody as skilled on the ground as BJ Penn? What a win.

Also worth noting is that Penn, despite losing, looked pretty darn good for a little while! If he comes back once again, I’ll actually be interested to see what he looks like.

Andre Ewell vs. Nathaniel Wood Official Decision

Nathaniel Wood def. Andre Ewell by Submission via Rear-Naked Choke at 4:12 of Round 3

Really solid performance by Wood. He stayed disciplined, scored points and got the finish when he got the opportunity. One could make the case that he should have been able to handle Ewell sooner, but that’s neither here nor there!

He calls for a spot on the London UFC event in March, and he will hopefully get it!

Andre Ewell vs. Nathaniel Wood Round 3

Ewell kind of seems done with this fight in Round 3. Wood is in command of this fight, moving forward and walking Ewell down. He converts that into a takedown and, once again, Ewell doesn’t seem to know what to do. He tries to explode out, but Wood takes his back and sinks in a rear-naked choke.

Andre Ewell vs. Nathaniel Wood Round 2

Ewell seems to have found life once again after a minute on the stool, but his over-aggression once again pays off for Wood. He scores a big takedown and Ewell just doesn’t seem to know how to deal with that. Wood keeps the pressure on, looking for better position and light ground-and-pound, and just eats up time on top, taking another 10-9 in the process.

10-9 Wood

Uriah Hall vs. Bevon Lewis Official Decision

Uriah Hall def. Bevon Lewis by KO via Punch at 1:32 of Round 3

Ah, yes. Uriah Hall. He’s lethargic, indifferent and generally disinterested in fighting…until he knocks somebody out cold with one shot. It’s a standard-issue Hall performance that shows all that’s good about him in the cage and all that’s really, really bad.

Ultimately a good win for him, but not one that changes his career trajectory on any level.

Uriah Hall vs. Bevon Lewis Round 3

Lewis comes off the stool quickly and ties Hall up in the clinch, but can’t do much. He keeps pressing forward but Hall starches him with a right hand. That’s it!

Uriah Hall vs. Bevon Lewis Round 2

Once again, Lewis comes off the stool on offense and once again it doesn’t really keep up for long. That said, Hall continues to look trigger-shy and that’s opening up opportunities for Lewis. Hall eventually goes for a fancy head kick, but slips and gets tied up by Lewis.

Lewis starts firing knees in the clinch, but can’t do much damage. Hall breaks free and starts pressing forward to try and steal the round, landing a hard spin kick to the body. That’s all he lands, though, and that just isn’t enough to steal the 10-9.

10-9 Lewis

Curtis Millender vs. Siyar Bahadurzada Official Decision

Curtis Millender def. Siyar Bahadurzada by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

This was a fun fight, but not one that really inspires confidence in somebody that had the look of a serious prospect. Millender showed strong physical tools and good discipline, but also less-than-excellent cardio and questionable abilities to adjust to pressure.

He’s not done by any means, but this does slow his momentum a bit.

Curtis Millender vs. Siyar Bahadurzada Round 3

Millender is tiring a bit and Bahadurzada knows it, pressing forward and slinging hard punches. Millender catches him coming in with a big punch, though, and nearly finishes things standing. Somehow, Bahadurzada weathers the storm and lands a big takedown on Millender!

Millender turtles up for a time, but works his way free. Bahadurzada lands a massive shot and presses forward, looking for a round-stealing takedown. He can’t quite get it, though, and gets reversed onto his back with just a few seconds left on the clock.

That’s a wrap and Millender should have this one.

10-9 Millender
Bleacher Report scores the fight 29-28 Millender

Curtis Millender vs. Siyar Bahadurzada Round 2

Bahadurzada comes off the stool like a rocket but doesn’t crowd Millender for very long. He lands a good shot but Millender reestablishes distance and Bahadurzada just doesn’t do anything to keep things at a favorable distance.

Still, Millender is visibly less comfortable. He isn’t throwing as much and Bahadruzada is making the most of that, pressing forward and scoring a much-needed takedown with 90 seconds left. Millender doesn’t try to get up, but just ties Bahadurzada up en route to the horn.

10-9 Bahadurzada

Brian Kelleher vs. Montel Jackson Official Decision

Montel Jackson def. Brian Kelleher by submission via d’Arce Choke at 1:40 of Round 1

Excellent showing by Jackson here, ever-so-slightly mired by coming in overweight. He looked massive, powerful and quick in a division that will soon be overflowing with under-sized competition. Jackson is only 18 months deep into his pro career so it’s too early to slap the “champ in the making” label on him…but man, it looks like he has a high ceiling.

Brian Kelleher vs. Montel Jackson Round 1

Kelleher is immediately looking out of his depth as Jackson looks much larger and considerably quicker. Jackson lands some hard punches and Kelleher looks to clinch up. That proves to be a bad move, though, as Jackson scores a clean knockdown with a hard elbow.

Jackson lands some ground and pound, then starts fishing for a d’Arce choke. Kelleher tries to spin his way out but can’t get free and taps out!

UFC 232 Full Card

Main Card

Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Cris Cyborg vs.Amanda Nunes
Carlos Condit vs. Michael Chiesa
Ilir Latifi vs. Corey Anderson
Chad Mendes vs. Alexander Volkanovski

Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1)

Andrei Arlovski vs. Walt Harris
Cat Zingano vs. Megan Anderson
Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Petr Yan
B.J. Penn vs. Ryan Hall

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)

Andre Ewell vs. Nathaniel Wood
Uriah Hall vs. Bevon Lewis
Curtis Millender vs. Siyar Bahadurzada
Brian Kelleher vs. Montel Jackson