UFC Fight Night 162 ‘Askren vs. Maia’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Jeff Hughes vs. Raphael Pessoa

Round 1

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the Sherdog.com UFC Singapore play-by-play. Our first fight of the morning, for those of you on the Western Hemisphere, is one of three heavyweight battles on the card, between Hughes (10-2, 1 NC; 0-1, 1 NC UFC) and Pessoa (9-1, 0-1 UFC). The referee for this card opener is Thomas Fan. The two big men touch gloves, and it's time to throw down! Hughes starts out stomping the canvas to try to make Pessoa bite on a fake, but the Brazilian does not fall into it and throws a leg kick. Pessoa whiffs on a spinning wheel kick, so Hughes scores a leg kick of his own to follow that. Pessoa tries another spinning strike, this time in the form of a back kick, and this sparks a furious exchange of looping hooks that elicit cheers from the early crowd. As they back off, Pessoa throws a heavy leg kick, and then comes up short on a two-hook combination. A spinning back kick from Pessoa digs Hughes straight in the breadbasket, and as he comes about he continues with a loud calf kick. "Bebezao" charges forward with vicious punches, and Hughes largely avoids most of the attack but gets dinged in the process. As Pessoa resets, he proceeds to leap in again and rams a knee straight to the midsection of the American. A huge right hand from Hughes rings off the jaw of Pessoa, who takes a moment to adjust as this stung him. He shakes it off and proceeds to blitz at Hughes again, "Lights Out" dances away as he checks the immediate swelling of his right eye. As Hughes sits down on a body kick, Pessoa smiles at him, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pessoa
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Pessoa
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Pessoa

Round 2

Touching gloves again to start the round, we notice the swelling has grown around Hughes' right eye. Seeing the damage, Pessoa tries to load up on a left hand, but Hughes evades the attack and resets. The Brazilian flicks out a left jab, and he continues his assault with two serious leg kicks that get Hughes' attention. Rushing in again, Pessoa swarms Hughes with wild punches, but the American stays out of harm's way as he covers up. Although he backs away for a moment, Pessoa quickly dives back in with a kick and punches, but it is Hughes that tries to counter. Missing on a spinning back fist and a body kick after the spin, Hughes tries to lead the dance for a moment. The Brazilian slams a spinning back kick to the torso of his adversary, and then a massive right hand that drops Hughes. The American is able to recover, but his face is showing increasing damage. Hughes ducks down to wing two hooks, and then he drops down for a single leg takedown as Pessoa hammers an elbow to the side of his head. With his back against the fence, Pessoa brings up a knee, and this forces Hughes to back away momentarily. As Hughes looks for an angle, he throws an unusual spinning kick out of the arsenal of Michael "Venom" Page, and in the confusion, he gets Pessoa down. With the Brazilian against the canvas, Hughes drops several punches to the body of his downed foe, but the round is over before he can really capitalize on the position.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pessoa
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Pessoa
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Pessoa

Round 3

Between rounds, Hughes expresses concern for his vision, but he is able to continue. Pessoa opens up with a spinning wheel kick, and Hughes is out of the way before the kick finds its home. Hughes returns fire with his own spinning strike in the form of a back fist, but the Brazilian is clear from danger as well. A potential eye poke lands from Hughes, but the action does not pause as Pessoa blinks it out. "Bebezao" goes to the well with another spinning back kick, and it glances off the body of his opponent, but in the subsequent combination a right hand is more effective for Pessoa. The two men trade leg kicks as Hughes changes levels with several long punches to the body. Once more, Pessoa scores a spinning back kick that Hughes wears well, and he tries to make his man pay with a few big right hands that Pessoa walks through. Pessoa stings Hughes with another right -- his best weapon of the fight -- but the American shows quite a chin on him. As Pessoa rushes in for another assault, this time he blasts Hughes with a sharp left hook, and Hughes eats it like a traditional Singaporean dish. The two men trade leather as the round wraps up, and although they both score, neither hurt the other, and the fight is now over.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pessoa (30-27 Pessoa)
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Pessoa (30-27 Pessoa)
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Pessoa (30-27 Pessoa)

The Official Result

Raphael Pessoa def. Jeff Hughes via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Aleksandra Albu vs. Konklak Suphisara

Round 1

We next go from the highest weight class in the promotion to the lowest, dropping down to strawweight between a pair of 3-1 prospects in Russian Albu (3-1, 2-1 UFC) and Thailand's Suphisara (3-1, 0-0 UFC) -- with the latter more commonly referred to as "Loma Lookboonmee." Serving as the referee is Daniel Movahedi. The two women touch gloves, and Suphisara starts up with a kick right up top. The two women clash together, and the Thai immediately raises up a knee in instinct. A few powerful knees come up for Suphisara, but Albu slams an elbow right on the chin to her opponent and in while swinging, tears Suphisara's shirt. Albu holds on tight to Suphisara's shirt, and she pulls on it as the referee stops the action and gives "Stitch" a stern warning. When the action begins again, Albu leads forward with a few punches and a head kick, causing Suphisara to bounce off the cage. Suphisara fires a teep kick that backs off Albu, and Albu tries to gather herself and then bull rushes her opponent, but misses with her strikes. Clinched back up again, the Thai stings Albu with an elbow and dumps her to the canvas, and then backs away. When they crash together again, they trade elbows, and a teep kick catches Albu right on the chin. Albu shakes it off and leaps forward with a right hand, but the Thai ducks out of the way. Albu continues to grab her opponent's clothing, but the referee does not notice. They separate and trade leather some more, and after a few exchanges, Albu starts leaking from her nose. Any time Albu tries to clinch up, Suphisara is ready with a knee or elbow to halt the aggression of her opponent. Albu comes in again, gets warned for grabbing her opponent's shirt, and takes a few fierce knees to the midsection. "Loma Lookboonmee" digs in one final knee as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Suphisara
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Suphisara
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Suphisara

Round 2

Before the second stanza begins, Movahedi again warns Albu about grabbing clothing. Suphisara has discarded that loose and torn top, and we begin the action again. Albu tries to charge in to attack, and Suphisara is ready to counter. As they clinch up, this time Albu surprises her opponent by pulling guard, and as she falls to her back, she pursues an ankle lock, but Suphisara rolls out and the two stand back up. Although they keep their distance for a moment, they come together once more as they trade elbows, but Suphisara gets the better of these Muay Thai exchanges. When Albu tries to come at her again, Suphisara is ready with a counter leg kick and a few knees. Albu still closes the distance to try to grab hold of Suphisara, but the Thai is prepared for the aggression, using her opponent's momentum against her as she dumps Albu to the canvas again. "Stitch" springs back to her feet, and lands a stern right hand across the bow. Clinched up against the fence, Suphisara tries to fire some knees, but it is Albu landing heavy punches in the form of a few powerful hooks. "Loma Lookboonmee" returns fire with a strike that bloodies up the nose of her opponent more, and she uses the angle to dump Albu down once more. As Suphisara walks away, Albu gets back up and walks her fighter down, but Suphisara stings her with a right. Jockeying for position in the middle of the cage, the two women trade knees until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Suphisara
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Suphisara
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Suphisara

Round 3

Between rounds, Albu might have had her thumb readjusted, as it could have popped out of joint during the last period. The final round begins, and Albu stalks down Suphisara with punches early on. Albu then jumps in the air with a switch kick, and partially lands on the Thai. Suphisara backs away and scores a teep kick straight to the midsection, but Albu prefers to crowd her adversary into the clinch. Suphisara does not mind, and cracks the Russian with an elbow, forcing Albu to back away. The two go back and forth in the clinch, and Suphisara sits down with a left hook that jostles the mouthpiece of Albu. She resets it and walks Suphisara down, but the Thai again is ready with knees. On the break, "Loma Lookboonmee" scores with another powerful elbow, and as Albu wings punches, Suphisara dodges and weaves to avoid any harm. The knees and elbows continue to land for Suphisara in the clinch, and as they break apart, Suphisara tags Albu with a teep kick up the middle before tossing Albu to the cage floor. In the traditional Muay Thai style, Suphisara walks away after tossing her opponent down instead of following her down to the ground, so Albu jumps back up and tries to fire back. As Albu clinches to land strikes, Suphisara brings up more knees that force a break. Suphisara lands another sharp teep, so Albu runs toward her adversary to clinch and land strikes. Surprisingly, Albu hits an unusual scissor sweep to put the Thai on her back, and with 10 seconds left, Albu tries to drop down heavy punches. Suphisara survives the attack, and the fight is now in the hands of the judges.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Suphisara (30-27 Suphisara)
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Suphisara (30-27 Suphisara)
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Suphisara (30-27 Suphisara)

The Official Result

Konklak Suphisara def. Aleksandra Albu via Split Decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)

Sergei Pavlovich vs. Maurice Greene

Round 1

Back up to heavyweight, we get a "classic battle of Russia vs. the U.S.A." as Pavlovich (13-1, 1-1 UFC) collides with Greene (8-2, 3-0 UFC). Drawing the assignment for this 503-pound matchup is referee Herb Dean. Greene rushes out from his corner, and there is no touch of gloves as he throws two heavy leg kicks in rapid succession. Greene goes up top with a head kick, but Pavlovich blocks it in time, so Greene goes low with another kick. As Greene throws a naked kick, Pavlovich counters with a huge right hand over the top that staggers Greene. The American does this again, and again Pavlovich rings home a right hand that sends Greene crashing to the canvas. He does not appear to be hurt, as the punch may have been more impactful than damaging, as he gets right back up without any visible ill effects. Pavlovich sits on the counter, ready for Greene to throw those long kicks. A serious left jab from Pavlovich snaps Greene's head back, and the Russian follows it up with a swarm of punches that do some damage. Although Greene survives, he is on wobbly legs, and Pavlovich pours it on with several more punches that make Greene topple over. Dean stops the contest, and Greene immediately protests, and continues to do so loudly. His cries fall on deaf ears, as the fight is over and Pavlovich has recorded another knockout win -- the 11th in his 14 wins, and all in the opening round. He becomes the first fighter to finish the durable "Crochet Boss."

The Official Result

Sergei Pavlovich def. Maurice Greene R1 2:11 via TKO (Punches)

Enrique Barzola vs. Movsar Evloev

Round 1

Changing course and heading to the ever-entertaining featherweight division, Pervian Barzola (16-4-1, 6-2 UFC) looks to hand unbeaten Russian Evloev (11-0, 1-0 UFC) the first loss of his career. In charge of the Octagon is referee Leon Roberts. The two men touch gloves, and Evloev starts out by slowly walking forward towards Barzola. It is the Peruvian that fires first, slapping a leg kick, but Evloev responds with a jab that bothers the left eye of Barzola immediately. Evloev hops backwards and then jumps forward again with a right hand. Another big jab from Evloev makes Barzola blink it out, and we can see some immediate damage forming under that eye. The Russian sends a right hand down the pipe, and Barzola replies in kind, marking up the eye of Evloev as well. As the two come together with an exchange, Evloev drags Barzola down and takes his back. As Barzola spins out, he almost gives his neck up, but escapes and sticks his tongue out. As they break, Evloev scores a huge right that wobbles Barzola, and Evloev crashes in with more punches before shooting in for a low takedown. The Peruvian stuffs it and breaks the clinch, but eats another stiff left jab for his efforts. Evloev leads with a three-punch combination, and his striking looks sharp. As Barzola ducks down, he eats an uppercut, and then Evloev scores with a right hand that causes "El Fuerte" to goad him on. Evloev obliges, landing a left hand and throwing up a head kick that partly gets blocked. As the Russian catches a kick, he times it perfectly to take Barzola down and grab his back. As Barzola stands up, Evloev throws him against the cage as the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Evloev
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Evloev
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Evloev

Round 2

Once again they touch gloves to start the round, and Evloev leads the dance with a one-two that Barzola dodges. Seeing his uppercut landing in the first round, Evloev commits to the strike again, and in a scramble, Evloev gets his man down briefly, but Barzola pops back up and they separate. Evloev scores a strong right hook over the top, while Barzola looks like he wants to brawl as he throws his own right hook. As Evloev shoots in, Barzola drops down a 12-6 elbow on his opponent's spine, and Roberts is quick to warn Barzola. They break apart and take to the center of the cage and trade leather. Straight punches from Evloev are landing to some significant effect, but Barzola is committing to hook instead that appear to be more powerful. Willing to eat punches in order to land his own, Barzola presses the pace with these hooks and even a head kick that gets blocked. Barzola gets a body kick caught and gets his planted leg kicked hard, so he spins out, but Evloev presses the pace and looks to get Barzola down again. Barzola separates, and tries to land a counter jumping knee as Evloev comes in, but Evloev stops his attack in time. The Russian finds that uppercut once again, snapping Barzola's head back like a Pez dispenser. Barzola did not like that, so he drops down, lifts up Evloev and slams him down with 20 seconds left in the round. With time ticking away, Barzola unleashes a barrage of ground-and-pound, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barzola
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Barzola
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Barzola

Round 3

A final touch of gloves leads to a leaping exchange from the two men, as Barzola nails Evloev with a right hand but is countered along the way. Evloev loads up with a right and whiffs, nearly falling over in the process. As the two swing on each other, Evloev shoots in for a takedown, but Barzola nearly reverses the position and ends up with the advantage. Barzola nearly lands an illegal knee, and he is careful not to break the rules as he attempts to lift his opponent's hand up to score one. The two get separation, so Evloev opens up with a spinning back kick. The two trade with reckless abandon, both scoring effectively, and Barzola is loading up with more power punches. Barzola nearly hits a takedown on Evloev, but the Russian breaks free. As they throw kicks and knees at each other, one knee finds Evloev in the peninsula south of the equator, so the action pauses. After a momentary break, we continue with two minutes left, and they are quick to start out with long punches. Barzola rings a few punches home and punctuates it with a head kick, while Evloev tries and fails to land a couple takedowns. The technique is largely out the window as these men are throwing everything into their punches. Both attempt a takedown, and neither are successful, so they continue to swing wildly as the fight comes to an end. This is a close one, and it's anyone's guess who will take home the "W."

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Evloev (29-28 Evloev)
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Barzola (29-28 Barzola)
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Barzola (29-28 Barzola)

The Official Result

Movsar Evloev def. Enrique Barzola via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Rafael Fiziev vs. Alex White

Round 1

We keep things moving at the lightweight division, as once-beaten Fiziev (6-1, 0-1 UFC) tries to rebound from the first loss of his career against White (13-5, 4-5 UFC). Keeping a watchful eye on this bout is referee Kevin Sataki. We touch gloves, and it's straight to business as Fiziev stalks his opponent down while switching stances. Fiziev slaps in a heavy leg kick, but does not follow it with anything as he adjusts his shorts. As White crashes in, Fiziev just misses a huge overhand counter, and White backs off. A left hook from Fiziev nearly bends over White, and a right that follows is barely short of the target. A huge two-punch combination rocks White, and he is hurt but still able to counter with his back against the fence. White ducks down possibly to fake a takedown attempt, but Fiziev spins out and starts to land powerful knees in rapid succession. White eats them all without issue or damage, and even fires a body kick on the break. Faking for another takedown to try to land strikes, White dodges most of the blitz from Fiziev but eats a right for his troubles. White stings Fiziev with a left hand, and then another that makes "Ataman" stumble backwards. As they come together, Fiziev nails his opponent with an elbow, and scores a few more punches over the top that White wears well. White shoots in for a low takedown but in doing so, falls into a guillotine choke, but Fiziev instead chooses to blast White with a knee that slices up White's eyebrow and starts an immediate flow of blood. White charges forward with a slew of punches, but Fiziev is out of the way before anything finds its home. As they clinch, the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Fiziev
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Fiziev
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Fiziev

Round 2

A touch of gloves kicks off the second round, which begins with a wild exchange of punches on both sides. Fiziev presses forward, and whiffs a spinning wheel kick but cracks White with a left that nearly take the legs out of from the American. To buy himself some time, White drops down for a single leg takedown, but it is nothing doing as Fiziev stands upright and lands a strong knee with his back to the cage. Fiziev throws a body kick at close range that White catches, but he cannot take advantage of it. "Ataman" hammers the body of his adversary with a series of punches, and White grimaces but defends well enough to continue. Taking deep breaths, White is still trying to get his bearings, as he took some damage in that exchange. Fiziev buries a low leg kick, so White throws a right over the top that nearly catches Fiziev flush. White chases Fiziev around the cage with a takedown attempt, but Fiziev stuffs it all the way through. The two trade kicks, and White barely misses a high kick, but the action has slowed considerably. As White comes in, Fiziev lands a few punches to the body, and time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Fiziev
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Fiziev
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Fiziev

Round 3

The last round opens with White trying to press the pace, and as Fiziev throws a low kick, White finally checks it. When they come together, Fiziev opens a cut on White's other eye, and in the ensuing melee, Fiziev takes White down. In his opponent's guard, Fiziev drops down short strikes until White pulls up a high guard, causing Fiziev to back off and get back to his feet. White charges in for a takedown attempt but cannot land it, so he throws a front kick. In true Dan Hardy fashion -- Hardy is on commentary -- the two men trade right hooks that land flush on their chins, but there is not enough on them to make either fall over. A few vicious kicks from Fiziev make White's leg buckle, and White smiles at him as they crash together. White sits down on a multiple-punch combination, but eats a left hand that disrupts it. Fiziev digs a kick to the body, and then a few right hands come that give White pause. "Ataman" stuffs yet another takedown attempt, and then one more for good measure, before making White pay with a right hand. Fiziev shouts and points at the ground, so like Max Holloway and Ricardo Lamas, the two men throw leather until the fight ends. When the horn sounds, Fiziev screams with all he has left, and the two men embrace after a fun battle.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Fiziev (30-27 Fiziev)
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Fiziev (30-27 Fiziev)
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Fiziev (30-27 Fiziev)

The Official Result

Rafael Fiziev def. Alex White via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Ashley Yoder vs. Randa Markos

Round 1

A pair of women's strawweights looking to even their Octagon records to .500 are up next, as Markos (9-7-1, 5-6-1 UFC) locks horns with Yoder (7-4, 2-3 UFC). Referee Daniel Movahedi is on top of the action. We begin with a touch of gloves, and Yoder walks towards Markos but does so to put her back against the cage. Markos leads with a body kick and then follows it with a few punches, before clinching up and searching for the takedown. Yoder reverses the position and hip tosses Markos to the canvas, where she holds a headlock position until she hops over to take an unorthodox side control. Markos defends well off her back, tying up Yoder and avoiding any damage from strikes. Yoder hooks her left arm under Markos's leg, but Markos throws her legs up for an inverted triangle or leg scissor choke. As Yoder pulls her head out, Markos tries to set up the choke again, but Yoder avoids it and advances position while hunting for a straight armlock. Yoder fishes for a kimura, while landing some powerful strikes to the body and a few elbows on top. Markos does not like this, and she stands back up, but immediately drops back down to set up an arm-triangle choke. The choke is deep, but Yoder spins out, so Markos hunts for a guillotine choke briefly before bailing on it and pursuing a double wrist lock. Yoder tries to roll over to escape the position, and she bucks Markos off her. The two women trade serious leather, with both nailing each other in the face with looping hooks, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Markos
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Markos
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Markos

Round 2

The two women come together immediately to start the second stanza, and although Markos tries to throw a front kick to back her opponent off, she instead winds up in the clinch. From there, Markos lands some powerful strikes, elbowing Yoder in the face, but Yoder fires back in kind. A series of vicious uppercuts from Markos forces a break, and Yoder looks to set up a right jab. Markos lands a flush right hand that snaps Yoder's head back, and seeing the success, she fires a few more to great effect. As Markos rushes in with punches, Yoder shoots in and hits a double leg takedown. Yoder immediately takes side control before hopping into half guard, and in doing so keeps Markos on her back. Several elbows from Yoder score while on top, and Markos tries to take guard back before pushing Yoder away and possibly landing an illegal upkick. As Yoder tries to stand back up, Markos aims for a few short uppercuts with Yoder on her knees, stunning the American briefly. Markos takes top position, and steps over Yoder's guard as she drops down some punches and elbows of her own. Back to full guard, the two women trade punches, but Markos lands the more successful shots as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Markos
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Markos
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Markos

Round 3

One last touch of gloves begins the final round, where on the feet they sling straight right hands at one another. Markos slaps a low kick, and then evades the counter until she lands another. The Canadian presses the action with a string of punches, and although she lands, Yoder is ready to score a few short uppercuts as Markos comes in. "Quite Storm" tags Yoder with a three-punch combination, but Yoder wears it well until she forces a takedown. As Markos scrambles, she gives up her back, and "The Spider Monkey" sinks the hooks in. Yoder briefly pursues a rear-naked choke, but Markos defends it well so Yoder hops over into mount, until getting back to half guard. Yoder tries to apply pressure and set up an arm-triangle choke, but Markos pushes off the cage to get out of the bad position. Not wanting to stay on her back for long, Markos wills herself back to her feet by walking up the cage, but she absorbs a flush body kick while getting up. Having scored that kick successfully, Yoder triples up on it, before throwing a head kick that is blocked. Markos cracks Yoder with a left hook, and Yoder walks through it. With 10 seconds left, these women throw with reckless abandon until the last horn sounds to conclude the fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Yoder (29-28 Markos)
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Yoder (29-28 Markos)
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Markos (30-27 Markos)

The Official Result

Randa Markos def. Ashley Yoder via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Muslim Salikhov vs. Laureano Staropoli

Round 1

To open up the main card, we are treated to a potentially thrilling matchup of two strikers as "The King of Kung Fu" Salikhov (15-2, 2-1 UFC) crosses paths with "El Matador" Staropoli (9-1, 2-0 UFC). The third man in the cage is referee Thomas Fan. The two men touch gloves, but neither man engage for the first 30 seconds. Suddenly, Salikhov bursts forward with a big right hand, and as Staropoli ducks out of the way, he tries to throw a spinning back fist. The crowd is not amused by their lack of engagement, so Salikhov tries to placate the masses with a spinning wheel kick that barely misses. Salikhov digs in a body kick, so Staropoli switches stances to not be open to that kick. The two men clash together with punches, and as they back away, Staropoli tries to throw a spinning wheel kick of his own but is nowhere near the target. A head kick is blocked just in time from Salikhov, and as Staropoli tries to fire back, Salikhov catches him with a right hand on the way in. Salikhov hammers a spinning back kick to the Argentinian's body, and then backs away to avoid a reply. Staropoli sneaks up a head kick that surprises Salikhov, and he follows that with a spinning back kick that Salikhov parries. As Salikhov comes in, Staropoli throws an unexpected spinning back elbow, but it does not land flush as Salikhov disengages. Salikhov fires a lightning-quick spinning wheel kick and Staropoli is just able to get out of the way in time. As he tries to go spinning kick for spinning kick with Salikhov, Staropoli is rarely able to land with these strikes while Salikhov is at least connecting in some capacity. The round ends, thereby setting a recent record for the most uses of the word "spinning" in a single round of Sherdog.com play-by-play.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Salikhov
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Salikhov
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Salikhov

Round 2

The second round opens with a ferocious spinning kick from Salikhov that lands right on the arm of Staropoli, whose forearm reddens immediately. Not to be outdone, Staropoli tries to load up with a spinning back first that Salikhov ducks. Staropoli nails Salikhov with a head kick, but the Russian eats it without issue and stoically nods at his opponent. As Staropoli tries to throw another high kick, he is blocked and falls to his back as Salikhov rushes in. Not wanting to deal with a prolonged grappling exchange, Salikhov backs away to unload a heavy body kick. As Staropoli tries to set up another spinning wheel kick, Salikhov is easily out of the way. The Argentine fighter throws a kick that gets caught, allowing Salikhov to throw his man to the cage floor. Staropoli gets up and takes a spinning back kick to the midsection. A huge right uppercut hurts Staropoli, and smelling blood, Salikhov is unleashing fire and fury in the form of hellacious punches and kicks. Staropoli manages to circle out of danger and survive, although a big mouse has immediately appeared under his right eye. Salikhov cracks Staropoli with a right hand, and although he takes it, the right continues to land for the Russian. Staropoli whiffs with another spinning back kick, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Salikhov
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Salikhov
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-8 Salikhov

Round 3

One last touch of gloves opens the final stanza, and sensing he is down on the scorecards, Staropoli presses the pace with a bevy of punches until Salikhov closes the distance to clinch up. Staropoli breaks free and loads up on a right hand, but Salikhov has his guard up in time. The Russian digs to the body with a straight right, but he eats a right hook from Staropoli in the process. Salikhov pops Staropoli with a short right, and he follows that with a spinning wheel kick that buzzes the hair of his opponent. Salikhov blocks a spinning back fist, and the two swing wildly until Salikhov grabs hold of Staropoli and drags him down for a moment. "El Matador" pops back up and separates, landing two powerful punches to the body. Salikhov sinks in another spinning back kick to the body that would make Dennis Siver blush, but Staropoli absorbs it and tries to fire back with a spinning back elbow that is well short of the mark. As Staropoli winds up with a right hand, Salikhov is much quicker to stop the advancement, even throwing out yet another spinning back kick that lands flush. Staropoli scores a few more punches to the body, but his spinning strikes are nowhere near his intended target. He does land a head kick, but Salikhov catches it and thinks about a takedown before Staropoli backs off. Throwing with desperation, Staropoli gives everything he has into several looping hooks, but it is Salikhov that scores successfully with the counters until this fun fight comes to an end. This is the second time that Salikhov has ever reached the scorecards, but he should take home a clear-cut victory.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Salikhov (30-27 Salikhov)
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Salikhov (30-27 Salikhov)
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Salikhov (30-26 Salikhov)

The Official Result

Muslim Salikhov def. Laureano Staropoli via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-28)

Ciryl Gane vs. Don'Tale Mayes

Round 1

In the last heavyweight fight of the day, Gane (4-0, 1-0 UFC) searches for his fifth career win in five appearances as he clashes with Dana White's Contender Series three-time alum Mayes (7-2, 0-0 UFC). Our referee is Herb Dean. We touch gloves, and the fun is about to begin. As Mayes tries to commit to a front kick, Gane is ready to counter, and they test each other and try to find range as they block strikes from one another. Gane loads up with a left hand and tags Mayes, and then follows that with a head kick that is guarded. A big punch to the body from Gane gets his opponent's attention, so Mayes throws back wildly. The two men whiff on huge right hands that knock out audience members in the front row, but neither has connect with much of note yet. The American blocks another high kick, and tries to set up his own kick but Gane backs away before he can fire it. As Gane leads in with an uppercut, Mayes misses with the counter. Gane racks Mayes with a few heavy punches, and Mayes attempts a spinning back kick while being attacked. A massive body kick from Gane forces the American to immediately change stances so he will not take another, and Gane keeps the kicks going by landing a ferocious front kick to the chin of Mayes. The Frenchman slams home another body kick, and Mayes takes it flush without flinching. Mayes tries to load up on a right, but Gane ducks the punches and lands a counter that gives Mayes pause. Another body kick from Gane forces the American to backpedal, and a two-punch combination hurts Mayes badly. Mayes' right eye has taken some damage, so Gane unloads with a barrage of punches. Gane leaps into the air with a knee that catches Mayes square on the jaw, and Mayes crumples to the canvas. The Frenchman leaps on top of him to drop some hammers, but Mayes miraculously survives to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Gane
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-8 Gane
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-8 Gane

Round 2

Mayes opens up the round with a huge right hand that blows Dean's hair back, and Gane avoids the damage and counters effectively. In an exchange, Gane lands an inadvertent groin kick, and the action has paused. As Mayes is ready to return, the crowd roars its approval for this slugfest. Several times, Mayes continues after missing a strike by throwing a strange spinning strike, but none have ever been remotely close to landing. Gane throws a body kick, and to avoid the damage, the American throws a spinning back fist, but Gane is able to get his guard up in time. Mayes slams a heavy leg kick to Gane's lead leg, and Gane immediately reacts to it. Mayes wings punches but Gane is calm, evading the strikes and readying the counter. The two clash legs and shake them off, and as they record, Gane cracks Mayes with a big left hook. A long front kick scores for Gane, keeping him out of harm's way as Mayes looks to reply. Gane digs with a left to the body, and then a right to the head. As Mayes comes over the top, the Frenchman drops low and scores a takedown. Standing up in his opponent's guard, he comes down to try to land strikes, but Mayes throws his legs up in an effort to pursue a triangle. Gane spins out and takes north-south position, and the crowd bursts into laughter and applause at the position they hold briefly. As Gane pursues an arm, Mayes pulls himself back to his feet, but as the horn sounds, Gane gets him down one more time.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gane
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Gane
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Gane

Round 3

One final touch of gloves opens the third round, and it is Mayes that again uses that effective leg kick he scored in the previous stanza. Mayes whips his leg up with a kick, and Gane is just able to get his head out of the way. Gane thumps Mayes to the body with another kick, and then a front kick to the same spot that follows makes Mayes wince in pain. Mayes tries to stay light on his feet as he resets, but takes another front kick to the midsection as his right arm drops. Gane leaps in with a right hook, and then clanks a leg kick while Mayes does not throw back at him. The Frenchman aims at that same target on the body with another kick, and as Mayes takes it, he rushes in. Gane is prepared for this encounter, flicking a jab out there and disrupting the movement of the American. Somewhere, Bas Rutten is smiling, as Gane slams yet another kick to the liver. As Mayes backs away, Gane comes at him with a leaping knee, but unlike the first round, this one does not nearly have the same effect. A huge body kick from Gane makes Mayes double over, and Gane rushes at him with a knee to the body while Mayes tries to block knees to the head by putting his hand down. Gane keeps his attack solely focused on the body, so as Mayes lifts his arm up, "Bon Gamin" tags him in the head with a knee. As they are tied up, Gane pulls Mayes down to the ground, and Mayes is holding on for dear life. With seconds to go, Gane leans back and snatches hold of Mayes' ankle. He wrenches the heel with everything he has, and Mayes is forced to tap out with seconds to spare. Pulling off the heel hook, he is the first heavyweight to hit this submission in over ten years -- last coming from Mike Ciesnolevicz over Neil Grove at UFC 95 in 2009. Landing it with less than 15 seconds remaining, it will likely go down as one of the latest submissions in UFC heavyweight history.

The Official Result

Ciryl Gane def. Don'Tale Mayes R3 4:46 via Submission (Heel Hook)

Frank Camacho vs. Beneil Dariush

Round 1

Two fighters who rarely take a back step are coming head-to-head next, as Kings MMA standout Dariush (16-4-1, 10-4-1 UFC) comes up against the always-exciting Camacho (22-7, 2-3 UFC). The referee for this lightweight contest is Kevin Sataki. There is a touch of gloves, and Dariush is the first to strike, as he throws up a head kick that Camacho blocks. Dariush steps in with a knee, and then backs away to land several kicks to the leg and body. The American leaps in the air with a superman punch and tags Camacho right on the chin, but the ever-durable Camacho walks through it. Dariush starts to work the body heavily, mixing in several body kicks with punches. Just as Camacho is prepared to counter, Dariush takes Camacho down. "The Crank" pops back to his feet, but Dariush gets him down again and takes his back. From there, Dariush locks in a rear-naked choke, and the squeeze is incredibly tight. Although Camacho tries to hang tough, he has no choice but to tap out or get put to sleep. Making short work of Camacho, it is the first time that Dariush has strung together consecutive submission victories in his career.

The Official Result

Beneil Dariush def. Frank Camacho R1 2:02 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Michael Johnson vs. Steven Ray

Round 1

In the co-main event, we stay at lightweight, as Johnson (19-14, 11-10 UFC) makes his return to the division he started his UFC career at against proud Scottish fighter Ray (22-9, 0-0 UFC). Tempting fate is Ray, who walks out to "Till I Collapse" by Eminem ahead of his bout. To make this one official is referee Leon Roberts. There is a touch of gloves, and Ray starts things off with a low leg kick. Johnson responds with one, so Ray digs one in response. Ray shoots in for a takedown and Johnson sprawls and stuffs it easily. Ray tags Johnson with a right hand as the American comes in, and then lands another good leg kick. Johnson doubles up on straight rights, sending one to the body and the other up top. Ray tries to utilize a quick right jab, and is waiting on the counter when Johnson crowds him. A solid one-two scores from Ray, and when Johnson looks to reply, Ray hits him with a body kick. The two men are content to pick at one another at range, but as they close the distance, Johnson swings with wild hooks that miss on either side. Johnson flicks out a jab, and then strings together a combination up top as Ray looks to give it back at him. Another powerful jab snaps Ray's head back, but Ray wears a stiff upper lip as they continue to trade punches. As Ray throws a leg kick, Johnson replies with a solid right hook, and we hear the horn to end this very close round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ray
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Ray
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Ray

Round 2

Once more the two men touch gloves, and as Johnson rushes in, Ray retorts with a right hand counter. As Ray throws a leg kick, Johnson has it timed with a right over the top. Johnson works his right straight to the body repeatedly, so Ray throws a head kick to try to back him off, but Johnson blocks it. A stiff left counter from Ray catches Johnson coming in, but Johnson walks it off. The Scottish fighter scores two solid leg kicks that nearly kick Johnson's legs out from beneath him. Johnson keeps the jab flowing, and in the process, busts up the nose of his opponent. As Ray commits to another leg kick, Johnson launches a left hand that catches Ray right on his already damaged nose. Ray shoots in for a takedown, but Johnson is not interested in any ground battles, and pushes Ray off of him. Johnson cracks Ray with a one-two, and as Ray absorbs it, he waves his man on as they trade punches in the center of the cage. Johnson gets the better of the exchange, causing some damage and forcing Ray to take a look at the clock with 75 seconds left in the round. Ray presses the action and unloads a couple hooks, and ever interested in a brawl, Johnson lets some fists fly back at Ray. The damage continues to accumulate on Ray's face, with a cut on the eyebrow appearing as well. Johnson tries to get wild with a spinning kick, possibly having watched the Salikhov/Staropoli fight in the back, but does not land with it. The two trade until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Johnson
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Johnson
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Johnson

Round 3

A touch of gloves kicks off the last round, and these two men are ready to end the fight strong. Johnson starts off with another punch combination that Ray ducks out of the way of, but as he leans back, Johnson catches him on the end of one of his punches. As Ray closes in, Johnson slams a left hand right on the jaw, and a bloodied Ray takes it in stride. "Braveheart" looks to set up an elbow, but Johnson catches him on the way in. A few leg kicks briefly hamper the movement of Johnson, but Johnson continues to keep a counter right hand when a leg kick comes at him. Ray shoots in for a takedown, and finally, he gets it. Johnson falls face down on the canvas, and Ray drops down several stern punches as Johnson regains position. Johnson defends himself from ground-and-pound, and he is eating punch after punch as he tries to stand up. While getting back up, Johnson gives up his back, and Ray sinks his hooks in immediately. Although looking for a submission, Johnson keeps wrist control to break up any attempt, so Ray keeps punching to soften the American up. As Johnson tries to roll out, he ends up taking a plethora of punches while trying to improve his position. Taking mount, Ray rains down punches and vicious elbows to end the fight in style. With the horn sounding, he pushes Johnson off of him. It is not meant with ill intent, as the two men laugh and embrace after a hard-fought battle. The scorecards might be all over the map on this one.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ray (29-28 Ray)
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Ray (29-28 Ray)
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Ray (29-28 Ray)

The Official Result

Steven Ray def. Michael Johnson via Majority Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)

Ben Askren vs. Demian Maia

Round 1

We have reached the headlining portion of the card, where in the welterweight division, two-division title challenger Maia (27-9, 21-9 UFC) tries to get the better of former One Championship and Bellator MMA champ Askren (19-1, 1 NC; 1-1 UFC). The referee for the final fight of the morning is Herb Dean. The two touch gloves, and Maia comes out firing. He leads with several straight left hands, causing Askren to charge in and think about a takedown. Askren has now landed the first significant strike in his UFC career. After that success, he whiffs badly with a spinning back fist, and then absorbs another straight left for Maia. Askren lands an uppercut as he clinches up with Maia, and they break up and clinch back together again, before separating once more. Maia just misses with a looking right hook, and Askren ducks down to close the distance and consider another takedown attempt. After breaking apart, Askren scores on Maia with a right hand. Maia tags Askren with a left, and then a right as Askren looks slightly wobbly. The American keeps seeking the clinch, but he cannot do much with it aside from landing a handful of uppercuts. One of these uppercuts opens a cut up on the bridge of Maia's nose, so Maia responds to that attack with a hard body kick. As Maia aims several knees to the breadbasket, Askren grabs hold of Maia and manages to take him down. On his back, Maia looks for an armbar, and then a leglock, all while Askren circles around to evade the attempts. The round ends with a few light punches from Askren to the body.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Maia
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Askren
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Maia

Round 2

A touch of gloves leads to Maia backing off to fake and feint on Askren, but the American is not biting. Maia slaps a body kick in, and Askren practically ignores it. In an attempt to close the distance again, Askren leans in with feeler punches, but Maia just shoves him away. As they drift together again like passing ships in the night, Maia digs a knee to the body. The two men trade punches, and each land a solid shot, but it is Maia that has a cut under his left eye now. Maia rips a two-punch combination on Askren's chin, but the punches show no ill effect. Askren sneaks in an uppercut that catches Maia on the jaw, and then he aims a low kick on Maia. A few long punches from the American back away Maia, as he tattoos his fists on his opponent's face. The short little punches from Askren are surprisingly effective, not bringing his right hand back and just sticking it out there again and again while Maia ducks away. As Askren continues to press the pace, Askren takes him down, but is in the danger zone as Maia immediately throws up his legs for a triangle choke attempt. Askren turns away, but Maia latches on to the omoplata sweep, and successfully uses it to turn Askren over. The Brazilian takes full mount and rains down punches, all while Askren scrambles as best as he can. He manages to get out of a bad situation, and both he and Maia roll over one another. Askren ends up on top, and the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Askren
Cole Shelton scores the round: 10-9 Askren
John Brannigan scores the round: 10-9 Askren

Round 3

The third round opens with Maia pawing out the right jab, and uses it as a range finder to throw the straight left. He lands it a few times before Askren crowds him enough, and clinches up. Maia spins out and breaks free, and makes Askren pay with another left straight. Askren tries to hook the leg up in the clinch, and throws Maia down while landing in three-quarter guard. Askren drops down a few punches, but Maia practically ignores them, rolls over, and stands up. A few more straight rights from Maia have now opened a cut on Askren's left eyebrow. The two men claps hands and throw at one another, and Askren pulls his hand free to land one over the top. Maia replies with a knee up the middle, and Askren backs away for a moment. He does not stay far away for long, opting to clinch up and eat a few knees until they separate. Askren tries to trip up Maia again, and manages to get Maia down again, but Maia pulls for a heel hook and sweeps Askren. With Maia in three-quarter mount, Askren tries to turn out but gives up his back with 90 seconds left. Maia hooks in a body triangle, and he immediately pursues the rear-naked choke. Askren breaks the hands free, so Maia switches his arms and grabs hold of Askren's neck with the other arm. The American is in grave danger, as the submission master tightens the choke. Askren tries to tap out once, but gets put to sleep as Dean rushes in to stop the fight. What a remarkable win for Maia, who picks up his 22nd victory inside the Octagon and his 11th by submission -- the latter putting him alone at second place for the most submissions in company history, trailing only Charles Oliveira (13).

The Official Result

Demian Maia def. Ben Askren R3 3:54 via Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)