UFC 256 ‘Figueiredo vs. Moreno’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Chase Hooper (145.5) vs. Peter Barrett (145.5)

Round 1

We kick off this 10-fight card in the featherweight division, for a pay-per-view event ravaged by card shakeups earlier in the week that survived the dreaded fight day cancellations – barring a fighter slipping on a pipe backstage. Two men looking to get back in the win column cross swords first, as “The Teenage Dream” Hooper (9-1-1, 1-1 UFC) looks to shed that nickname against “Slippery Pete” Barrett (11-4, 0-1 UFC). Drawing the first assignment of the night is referee Chris Tognoni, and this bout between two men separated by 13 years of age begins with a glove touch. Barrett comes out in a low stance, backing Hooper up and avoiding a low kick that comes his way. Hooper nearly slaps his opponent in the face with his foot, but Barrett is able to roll with it and stuff a takedown from Hooper. “Slippery Pete” lands a punch over the top as Hooper kicks him in the body, and he scores a few leg kicks and hard right hand when Hooper comes at him. Barrett sneaks in a left hand, and Hooper dodges out of the way and gets kicked in the midsection. Both men trade long punches, and Hooper gets tagged but wears it well. Hooper hops forward with a kick to the knee, and Barrett stalks him down and swings a big left hand. Hooper is quicker to the punch and meets him with his own left hand, and they throw kicks at the same time. While Hooper lifts his leg up for a side kick, Barrett’s own foot comes up and clacks into Hooper’s cup, to pause the fight for a minute. The action resumes with Barrett chopping down his opponent’s leg. When Hooper throws a body kick, Barrett catches it and boots him in the gut for good measure. Hooper gets off a glancing blow with a kick to the torso, and Barrett walks him down and clubs him with an overhand right. Hooper tries to keep him at bay with a long jab, and Barrett swarms after him but cannot pin him down with strikes. Hooper swings and misses with a spinning strike when Barrett catches the kick, and when the two men both fire off kicks at the same time, this time it’s Barrett that gets his cup checked. “Slippery Pete” needs less than a minute to recover, and he is amped up and rushes towards Hooper. Barrett takes a few kicks low as he marches down Hooper to let loose a left hand. Hooper reaches out with a few long jabs, and Barrett ignores them and fires off a trio of punches. The fighter formerly known as “The Teenage Dream” changes levels and drops down for a deep single, but Barrett defends it and elbows Hooper on the side of his head repeatedly. Hooper transitions into a double, and Barrett continues to smack him in the side of his head with elbows before switching to punches to the ribs. Barrett pushes him over and Hooper is ready for him, with the Washington native instantly snatching up the leg to hunt for a leglock. Barrett sees it coming, and the round ends with him escaping.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barrett
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Barrett
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Barrett

Round 2

The two featherweights touch gloves to start the round, and Barrett continues his aggression as he walks down Hooper and catches a kick coming his way. When Barrett holds it in the air, he chops down hard with a leg kick to Hooper’s back leg, and he lets it go. Hooper rings Barrett’s bell with a big left hand, but “Slippery Pete” wears it well and tries to brawl with Hooper. Barrett continues to hammer the lead leg with kicks, and Hooper is visibly limping as he switches stances and hops out of the way. Hooper checks a kick, and the two men trade hard. Barrett nails that leg a few more times, and Hooper rolls for what looks like an Imanari roll when he can barely stand. Barrett pushes away and forces his younger opponent to stand up. Hooper does so, and he is compromised, but Barrett is not recklessly charging at him. Barrett lands a leg kick, and a straight right is followed by an overhand left that breezes past Hooper’s hair. Hooper shoots in for a takedown and he is easily stuffed. When Barrett marches towards him to finish the job, Hooper this time successfully lands an Imanari roll, and Barrett is on top but instantly in the danger zone. Hooper aims for a leglock, and when Barrett scrambles, he attacks an inverted triangle. Barrett stays calm to try to break the position, until Hooper lets it go to pursue a heel. Hooper attacks an inverted heel hook, but Barrett shoves him off and stands back up. Hooper clatters a few leg kicks off his opponent, but Barrett pays them no mind as he backs away from a spinning wheel kick. Barrett shakes his head as he misses with a few punches, and he catches a kick but cannot punish Hooper for it. Hooper keeps him away with a couple kicks to the stomach, but Barrett pops him with a right hand to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barrett
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Barrett
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Barrett

Round 3

The last round begins with a glove touch, and Hooper throws several kicks to the legs and body to stave off an advancing Barrett. “Slippery Pete” targets a leg kick, and Hooper checks it and rolls over. Barrett chases after him, and he clocks Hooper with a looping right hand. Hooper drops down to pursue a takedown, but he is well out of the way to get grounded, so Hooper gets back up. Hooper dives into a rolling submission attempt, allowing himself to fall to his back to ensnare Barrett’s leg and arm. Hooper has Barrett’s arm trapped and his left hand is free to punch Barrett in the face – when he lands several punches, Barrett mean mugs him like Frank Shamrock against Bas Rutten. Hooper stops punching to attack an inverted heel hook, and he is landing punches from his back until he switches to the other side and drops down for the heel hook. Barrett scrambles and his knee is in big trouble, as Hooper has it below his knee and torques the heel with all his might. Barrett cannot escape, and his knee is about to get torn to shreds, so he frantically taps out. Likely down two rounds, Hooper pulled a real rabbit out of the hat to hit the submission and land the win!

The Official Result

Chase Hooper def. Peter Barrett R3 3:03 via Submission (Heel Hook)

Tecia Torres (115.5) vs. Sam Hughes (115.5)

Round 1

Opening up the ESPN2 prelims is a women’s strawweight tilt, as “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (11-5, 7-5 UFC) gets to stay on the card against exciting newcomer Hughes (5-1, 0-0 UFC). The referee overseeing the action is Jason Herzog, and the two women touch gloves before the fun begins. Torres leads off with a one-two, and Hughes gives it right back to her. Hughes lands a leg kick, and Torres starts up a brief punching flurry that backs off Hughes. Torres follows her and tees off on “Sampage” marking up the newcomer’s face already. Torres spins with a back fist, cracks Hughes with it, and chains it into a long but fast stream of punches. Hughes grabs hold of her to slow her down, and presses “The Tiny Tornado” against the fence. Hughes works the body a few times as she considers a takedown, but Torres frames her up and absorbs a knee to the body before twisting Hughes around. Hughes pushes her back, but Torres breaks free and kicks her in the leg on the way out. Torres scores a pair of punches and a duo of front kicks to the body. Torres links a superman punch into several powerful strikes over the top to force Hughes to backpedal again. Torres backs away, and she nails Hughes with another superman punch and several shots to follow. Hughes throws a single strike, and Torres replies with four or five at once. Hughes tries to take a page out of her opponent’s book with a spinning back fist, but Torres sees it coming and lands a barrage of punches. Hughes tries to respond, but Torres rolls with them, hits a leg kick and avoids the strikes to fly at her face. Torres ducks out of the way from a superman punch from her opponent, and she boots Hughes in the head with a kick. Torres spams side kicks to the body and overhand rights, and Hughes can do nothing but back away as Torres advances with pep in her step. Torres narrowly misses with a few body kicks, and Torres staves off takedown and tosses Hughes against the fence. When Hughes stands up, Torres unloads on her with several powerful punches. Hughes escapes, but Torres follows her, lifts her up and slams her down to conclude the round emphatically. Between rounds, Hughes tells her corner that she cannot see, and the corner notices that her eye is significantly damaged. Her corner tells her that they are stopping it, and then motions to the commission that the fight is over for their fighter. The doctor comes in to check her out while Hughes’ face starts to swell up, and the bout is waved off.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Torres
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Torres
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Torres

The Official Result

Tecia Torres def. Sam Hughes R1 5:00 via TKO (Corner Stoppage)

Billy Quarantillo (145.5) vs. Gavin Tucker (146)

Round 1

Two featherweights each searching for their fourth win inside the Octagon come to blows next, when Canada’s own Tucker (12-1, 3-1 UFC) takes on Florida native Quarantillo (15-2, 3-0 UFC). The third man inside the cage is referee Jerin Valel, and a respectful touch of gloves clocks in the action. Quarantillo opens up with a kicks to the body from alternating legs, and Tucker crashes in on him to land punches. Quarantillo gets loose and gets clipped when he throws and errant kick, but he recovers and avoids a looping left hand. Tucker lands a leg kick and steps in with a booming right hand, but Quarantillo wears it well and fires back at him. Quarantillo scores a huge right hand that skims past the guard and rings Tucker’s bell, forcing the Canadian to clinch up, pursue a takedown and hit the trip. The Floridian bursts back to his feet, and he start up his kicking game again. Landing two body kicks and a low kick, Tucker grabs the third and tries to counter with a heavy overhand right. Tucker backpedals and gets jabbed to the body with a kick, and he clinches up to drill his opponent in the chest with a few knees. Tucker pushes Quarantillo back and elbows him in the face, but Quarantillo pushes him away and starts up his kicking game again. Tucker latches on to him and gets kneed in the body on the way in, but he snags double underhooks and pursues a trip. Quarantillo recovers from the position and breaks free to land a couple kicks to the body, and Tucker counters with a body shot. Tucker smacks Quarantillo with a short elbow across the bow, and Tucker takes a kick that may have glanced off the cup but he ignores it to throw bombs. A few winging punches allow Tucker to close the distance and clinch up, but Quarantillo fights him off and avoids a big left hand that zooms by his head. “Guv’Nor” scores a right hand, and Quarantillo gives it right back to him and delivers a few more strikes on the inside. Quarantillo counters him with a left over the top, and he does not allow Tucker to close the distance while keeping him at bay with body shots. Tucker again tries to clinch up, and this time he snatches hold of the American to score some short strikes. Quarantillo fights him off and the two trade big punches before clinching up again. They trade thudding knees, and Quarantillo fires off an uppercut but gets cracked in the head with Tucker’s shin. Quarantillo is now the one in danger, and he shoots in for a double before transitioning into a single. Tucker is the one to land the takedown, putting Quarantillo down hard before the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tucker
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Tucker
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Tucker

Round 2

The glove touch initiates the round, where the two pick up the pace right where they left off with a furious flurry of punches. Tucker charges forward and lands several punches, and he slings a head kick that Quarantillo is able to block this time. Tucker tries to clinch up for a takedown, but Quarantillo stops him and knees him a few times up the middle for his effort. Quarantillo sneaks a front kick through, but Tucker crashes the pocket with punches and big knees. Tucker bullies Quarantillo up to the cage, but he cannot hold the position, so instead they come in and clinch, strike, and separate, like crashing waves. Tucker lands several right hands while Quarantillo tries to counter, and he targets the body with strike after strike. Quarantillo tries to keep his distance with kicks, but Tucker beats him to the punch and lands a big right hand over the top. Quarantillo is able to keep him honest with strikes, but Tucker is fired up and landing at a higher pace. Quarantillo lands a right to the body and left to the head, but Tucker responds with a similar combination that appears far more impactful. The Canadian presses forward and pushes Quarantillo into the cage, before circling around to take Quarantillo’s back and force a near takedown. Quarantillo is able to get back up and break the posture, but he gets kneed in the face as he stands up. Tucker times a strike from above to grab Quarantillo and slam him down, and “Guv’Nor” is immediately in side control. Tucker puts his leg over to lock Quarantillo down, and he lands several thumping punches from above until Quarantillo scrambles. The Floridian puts himself into a bad position and gives up his back, but he manages to power up and land a popping body kick. Tucker is ready for him, and the clinch allows for both to land heavy knees. Tucker drops his hands as he admires his work, and Quarantillo rushes after him but falls over. He pops back up, and a brief exchange concludes the second frame.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tucker
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Tucker
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Tucker

Round 3

One last glove touch commences the final round, and Quarantillo bites down on his mouthpiece and slings heavy leather. Tucker eats it and powers forward to try for a body lock trip, but Quarantillo pushes him away and blocks a head kick. Tucker again pressures him against the fence, where he drags Quarantillo down and nearly secures a mat return when Quarantillo pops back up. Tucker allows him to stand and clinches up with him, ducking out of the way from a looming elbow. Tucker lands a punch and gets kicked in the groin, but he does not want to give Quarantillo a moment to breathe so he tells Valel to continue the fight. Tucker pressures his man and attempts a takedown, and when Quarantillo tries to defend it, Tucker pursues a choke attempt. This allows Tucker to redouble his effort and put Quarantillo on his back, where he is in half guard landing shots while Quarantillo tries to sit up. Sitting up allows Tucker to circle around and nearly take Quarantillo’s back, but Quarantillo gets to a knee and springs up, and a cut has showed around his eye. The two men clash heads, and Quarantillo’s cut trickles a little more blood, but they resume shortly thereafter. A wild brawl begins, as the two swing for the fences until Quarantillo is the one to pursue a takedown. Tucker turns him around, and Quarantillo lands several punches to the back of the head, forcing Tucker to protest these strikes. Tucker lands a takedown, and he advances position while Quarantillo is standing up, allowing Tucker to take his back. Tucker hits a big slam, landing in side control while Quarantillo continues to scramble wildly. Quarantillo lets loose a few upkicks, and a couple of his heels collide with Tucker’s chin, but they leave no appreciable effect. Tucker presses Quarantillo hard into the fence when Quarantillo climbs back up, and the clinch for both men leads to several knees to the body. Both men nail each other with a few more stern knees, and Tucker powers through to hit an emphatic takedown with a few seconds left. Tucker gets off a few punches from above, and the horn blares to conclude the hard-fought battle.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tucker (30-27 Tucker)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Tucker (30-27 Tucker)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Tucker (30-27 Tucker)

The Official Result

Gavin Tucker def. Billy Quarantillo via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Renato Carneiro (155) vs. Rafael Fiziev (155.5)

Round 1

The prelims will be treated to a bout previously slated for the main card, when lightweights “Moicano” Carneiro (14-3-1, 6-3 UFC) and Fiziev (8-1, 2-1 UFC) throw down in a classic Brazil vs. Kyrgyzstan matchup. The match will be overseen by referee Chris Tognoni, who watches the two touch ‘em up before throwing down. The bout begins tentatively, with Fiziev circling around the outside while Carneiro lords over the center of the cage. 30 seconds in, Fiziev lands a single leg kick and dances out of the way of an overhand right. Carneiro slings a head kick that gets blocked, and a one-two that does as well. Fiziev scores a calf kick, and both men trade wild punches. Fiziev stands firm and lands three kicks high and low, and he scores another to the calf. Carneiro lands straight punches, but Fiziev attacks the calf once more before targeting the body. “Moicano” dodges out of the way from body kicks, and Fiziev switches stances repeatedly to keep his Brazilian foe guessing. Carneiro lands a jab on the way in, but he gets kicked and nailed with a left hand. “Moicano” pokes his opponent in the eye, but Fiziev waves it off and gets punched in the body twice. Carneiro scores a few punches and a head kick gets blocked, allowing Fiziev to return fire with his own head kick. Carneiro lands a right hand that stings Fiziev, and he chains it into a takedown attempt. Fiziev stuffs it and gets cracked with a right hand, but instead of swaying, he just smiles. “Moicano” pushes out the jab a few times, and Fiziev swarms him with punches and clips Carneiro at the end of one. Carneiro tries to catch a body kick, but when he returns fire, Fiziev sweeps him. Carneiro leaps back up, and Fiziev is on him with a barrage of punches. Fiziev rips the body with a left hand, and fires off a right over the top. When Carneiro takes a step back, looking wobbled, Fiziev rails him with a blazing fast left hook that sends Carneiro crashing down to the canvas in a bad way. Fiziev dives down with a diving punch to finish the job, and Tognoni leaps in to stop the fight – it may have been a bit premature, as Tognoni looked to end the fight as soon as “Moicano” hit the ground. Carneiro protests the stoppage on his back, telling Tognoni he is fine, but when he tries to stand up, he stumbles over to indicate that Tognoni may have indeed made the proper call. This is a huge statement win for Fiziev, putting out a dangerous opponent like “Moicano” in the first round with style points.

The Official Result

Rafael Fiziev def. Renato Carneiro R1 4:05 via KO (Punches)

Cub Swanson (145) vs. Daniel Pineda (145.5)

Round 1

Strap in, because the headliner of the prelims will try to contain what should be a thrilling brawl between Swanson (26-11, 11-7 UFC) and Pineda (27-13, 2 NC; 4-4 UFC). Keeping his head on a swivel in what should be a fast-paced pairing is referee Mark Smith, and the two show a sign of respect before trying to take one another’s head off. Pineda starts off with a head kick that comes up short, and both try to counter one another. Pineda attacks the leg early, and Swanson wobbles and throws back harder. Pineda grabs him to force a clinch, and Swanson eats two punches on the break. Pineda ducks out of the way from a few punches, and he nails Swanson on the lead leg to make Swanson turn around. Two punches from Swanson land flush, but Pineda kicks the leg two more times to force a stance switch. Pineda changes it up to sling a head kick, but Swanson sees it coming and blocks it. Pineda stings him with a leaping left hook, and a leg kick again draws a huge reaction out of Swanson. Pineda hops the leg down, but Swanson catches the foot and pushes him over. “The Pit” pursues a heel hook off his back, and Swanson fights through it to wind up on top. Pineda is consistently busy from his back, punching Swanson in the head and simultaneously tying Swanson up to prevent him from offense. Pineda throws his legs up for a triangle, and Swanson rolls through it but falls into an armbar. Swanson pulls his arm free but Pineda stands up, and he separates and scores a right hand. Pineda greets him with a leg kick, and Swanson’s knee buckles, allowing Pineda to drill a spinning back kick into his midsection. Swanson rolls forward to attempt a takedown, and Pineda powers up and gets blasted with a huge right hand. He is hurt badly, and he falls to his knees, where Swanson slams his fist into the side of Pineda’s head repeatedly. Pineda springs back up and tries to spin for a back fist, but Swanson is on him and pours it on. Swanson smashes him with several huge strikes, and Pineda smiles at him but he is rocked badly. The time expires before Swanson can finish the fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Swanson
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Swanson
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Swanson

Round 2

The second round begins with a head kick from Pineda, and he leaps in the air to nearly score a flying knee that gave Swanson flashbacks to his Jose Aldo fight. Swanson lands a clean right hand, and he dances out of the way while avoiding a leg kick. Swanson takes a karate style with his hands down, and his stance switched, so he is able to score a right hand that rings Pineda’s bell. Pineda recovers, and he misses with a leg kick and has a head kick blocked. When Swanson scores another heavy right, Pineda tries to grab hold of him and attack a single leg takedown. Swanson keeps his back to the fence and stays upright, and Pineda backs away but gets tagged by an uppercut. “The Pit” backpedals and he is hurt once more, so Swanson lets loose another uppercut, a left hand and one last jackhammer of a right hand sends Pineda careening to the cage floor. One single leaping right hand from Swanson finishes the job when Pineda is flat on his back, and Smith has seen enough as Pineda’s eyes roll to the back of his head. What an incredible performance for Swanson, who comes back after over a year layoff from a major injury to score his first stoppage win since 2013.

The Official Result

Cub Swanson def. Daniel Pineda R2 1:52 via KO (Punches)

Junior dos Santos (246.5) vs. Ciryl Gane (247.5)

Round 1

The main card opens up with a matchup as old as time, when the old lion and former champ dos Santos (21-8, 15-7 UFC) squares off with the young, hungry unbeaten up-and-comer Gane (6-0, 3-0 UFC). Keeping tabs on this heavyweight contest with two men combining for 21 stoppages across their 27 wins will be referee Jerin Valel. The glove touch checks in the bout, and we are underway! Both men are light on their feet in the early going, with neither committing on their strikes until Gane lands a leg kick. Gane reaches forward to try to lock on to a front choke from a standing position, but there is nothing to it so dos Santos shoves Gane away. Gane connects with several effective leg kicks, and dos Santos sits down on two punches but neither land flush. The Brazilian absorbs another leg kick and scores an overhand right, but he takes a hard body kick along the way. Gane lets loose a head kick, and dos Santos is barely able to block it and he returns with a leg kick of his own. The former champ marches him down and lands a punch to the body, but Gane circles out and does the same. Dos Santos sneaks in a heavy leg kick, but Gane returns fire with the same strike. Gane again fires off a head kick, and dos Santos blocks it once more but cannot make his opponent pay for it. Gane aims a leg kick while dos Santos swings a looping left hand, but the foot of the Frenchman slams into the cup and pauses the fight. Dos Santos recovers, and Valel warns Gane to close his fists as well. Gane starts up with leg kicks to both sides, and dos Santos walks through them and absorbs a front kick to the body as well. Gane chips away from a distance with leg kicks, and he scores a body kick as well, but dos Santos comes back at him with one. Gane stomps at the knee, and he drops his shin into dos Santos’ body. Dos Santos tries to grab his leg and toss him over, but Gane recovers and keeps his kicks going. Dos Santos crowds him and whiffs with a massive overhand right, so Gane targets the body and gets drilled with a spinning back kick. Two huge punches get Gane’s attention, and the Frenchman scrambles out of the way until the horn separates the two strikers.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gane
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Gane
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Gane

Round 2

The glove touch kicks off the second stanza, and Gane is ready to chop down the lead leg of the ex-champ early. Dos Santos tries to return fire, and he ducks a left hand only to miss with his own. Gane digs the kicks into dos Santos’s leg, forcing a brief stance switch. Gane ducks down to throw a bit punch, and dos Santos does the same but neither can connect. Gane smashes his foot into dos Santos’’ torso, and dos Santos spins with a back fist that is feet away of his target. Dos Santos checks a kick and dings Gane with a right hand as Gane crashes forward. The Brazilian separates and gets stomp kicked in the leg. Gane works the leg with more kicks as dos Santos stalks him down, and dos Santos is unable to find his range as he swings and misses with a left hook. Gane hurts dos Santos with another leg kick, and he follows it with a piston-like jab that rocks “Cigano.” Gane steps forward with an elbow that makes dos Santos’ knees weak. A knee up the middle, and one more huge elbow lands behind dos Santos’ ear, and dos Santos falls forward and is done as Gane hammers him with a few academic punches. Valel calls the fight, and dos Santos pops up to protest the strike that may have landed on the mohawk line on the back of the head. Dos Santos calls Gane and Valel over to watch the replay, and the spot of the strike may be questionable and might draw further review at a later date. Regardless of the position of the strike – dos Santos was turning as Gane landed the blow, and Valel ruled it legal in the cage – this is a stellar performance for Gane, notching by far the biggest win of his career over a former champion.

The Official Result

Ciryl Gane def. Junior dos Santos R2 2:34 via TKO (Elbows)

Ronaldo Souza (185.5) vs. Kevin Holland (185)

Round 1

In a potential middleweight passing of the torch match – see also the previous bout – Holland (20-5, 7-2 UFC) will look to earn his fifth UFC win of the year against “Jacare” Souza (26-8, 1 NC; 9-5, 1 NC UFC). Thirteen years separate these two contenders, and referee Mark Smith will keep charge of the cage in this one. They touch gloves, and Holland lets loose a huge overhand right and a leg kick. Souza grabs his leg and hits a takedown, where Holland pulls his leg up to trap Souza and elbow him in the head like Anderson Silva did to Travis Lutter. Souza turns to try to get out of this position, and Holland powers back to his feet. Souza grips hold of a double, and then a single as Holland elbows his way out of danger. Holland latches on to a guillotine choke, and Souza pulls his head out and drops his opponent down. Holland starts talking trash while on his back, and Souza laughs and punches him in the face. Holland from his back nails Souza in the face with a huge right hand, and Souza falls to his back and gets blasted with another big right hand. “Jacare” leans backward as he is incredibly hurt while on his knees, and Holland springs up and drills Souza in the face with three lethal punches to completely shut Souza’s lights out. A few moments later, Souza manages to slump to his stool, and he nearly passes out again from the massive damage he received. Incredible! Holland has now won five fights this year, and done so in just seven impressive months. In his post-fight interview, Holland calls out Khamzat Chimaev to come up to greet him at 185 pounds next week.

The Official Result

Kevin Holland def. Ronaldo Souza R1 1:45 via KO (Punches)

Mackenzie Dern (115) vs. Virna Jandiroba (115)

Round 1

Two grappling-minded women with 19 combined submissions across their 25 wins lock horns next at strawweight, when Dern (9-1, 4-1 UFC) tries to become the first woman to tap out Jandiroba (16-1, 2-1 UFC), and vice versa. Referee Jason Herzog will serve as the official in the cage to keep things on the up-and-up. A glove touch precedes the action, and away we go! Dern swings and misses to initiate the striking exchange, and Jandiroba rushes forward but does not land a strike as much as she shoves Dern. Dern scores an overhand right, and Jandiroba nails her in response with a big looping punch. Both women swing wildly with right hands, and Dern chases Jandiroba to the fence but cannot keep her there. Dern leaves a front kick out a little too long, allowing Jandiroba to land a few heavy punches. Dern respond with a right hook that gets Jandiroba’s attention, but she does not follow it and instead backs away. Dern strings a few punches together, and she loads up on a right hand that bounces off the guard. Jandiroba circles out of harm’s way and gathers herself, and she has a right hook bounce off Dern’s shoulder. Dern steps forward to land several punches, and uses her forward momentum to pursue a single leg takedown. Jandiroba keeps her balance and delivers several knees to Dern’s midsection, but Dern scores an elbow on the break. Jandiroba kicks Dern in body and lands two punches, forcing Dern to charge in and try to clinch. Jandiroba pushes her away and lands an elbow, and Dern bites down on her mouthpiece to fire off several big punches. Both women miss with wild, windmilling right hands, and Jandiroba lands a one-two. A frenetic clinch exchange and a right hand from Jandiroba ends the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dern
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Dern
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Dern

Round 2

The two strawweights touch gloves, and they clinch up and both score knees. Jandiroba tries to push Dern back with a few punches, and she gets off a right hand that makes Dern take a few steps back. Both women land strikes from a distance and back away from the counters, going strike-for-strike one after the other. Dern considers a takedown, and she does not succeed getting the fight there. “Carcara” rips the leg and sets Dern down, and Dern welcomes her to her guard but Jandiroba does not engage with her on the ground, instead having Dern get back up. Instead, she clinches up and knees Dern several times in the body and head before sneaking in a right hand as Dern ducks away. Jandiroba gets in a one-two, and she clinches to land again while Dern tries to load up on a right hand and an uppercut. When Jandiroba is advancing, Dern jams her finger into Jandiroba’s eye and Jandiroba is in real pain. Herzog calls in the doctor and gives her a wet rag to clear out her eye, but Jandiroba waves the doctor away and takes the time to clear it out. Ninety seconds elapse before Jandiroba is ready to continue, and her eye is red and she is clearly impacted from it. Dern starts out whey they resume by firing with punches and kicks, and Jandiroba catches her on the way in with a knee and busts Dern’s nose open. Jandiroba lifts her opponent up and slams her down, where she is in full guard and unconcerned with submissions from Dern’s back as blood is leaking into Dern’s eye. Jandiroba stays heavy on top, grinding but not landing strikes as Dern attacks a leglock. Dern tries to replicate Holland’s success with punches off her back, and Jandiroba sits up and drops down a few hammerfists from above. Jandiroba survives one final roll from Dern to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jandiroba
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Jandiroba
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Jandiroba

Round 3

The round begins with an embrace, and Jandiroba backs up and tags Dern with a few punches. Dern spins and misses with a back fist, and she resets and pops Jandiroba with a sharp jab. Jandiroba responds with her own jab, but she gets countered with an overhand right. Dern shoots in low for a single, and Jandiroba defends it up against the fence by elbowing Dern repeatedly. Jandiroba stands Dern up and forces a separation, all while defending her body from upward knees. Both swing wildly, and Jandiroba kicks her in the face. Dern replies with a body kick, and a few punches from Jandiroba have opened the cut up on her nose again. Jandiroba lands a left to that same spot, and both trade jabs. Dern hurts her with a huge right hand, and Jandiroba falls to the fence but protects herself as she clears the cobwebs by defending from a single leg takedown. Dern transitions it to a double, and Jandiroba reverses the position to wind up on top. Jandiroba stands up and just barely avoids upkicks that fly past her face, as Dern scoots towards her with multiple upkicks. Jandiroba lets her stand up, and the two engage in a wild slugfest where both land flush and hurt one another. Both women land standing elbows, and Jandiroba is now cut on the nose as well. Dern ducks down and kicks Jandiroba in the stomach, and she tries to jab and spin with a back fist but comes up short. Dern again plants her shin on Jandiroba’s torso, but Jandiroba lands several crisp jabs before clinching up. Dern tries to take the fight down, so Jandiroba defends it and elbows Dern to the side of the head. Jandiroba falls to her back to fish for a submission, attacking Dern’s arm with a few seconds left in the round. Dern is in a strange position but technically on top, and she turns around to land a single hammerfist from above. The round ends, and this fight is a close one.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dern (29-28 Dern)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Dern (29-28 Dern)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Dern (29-28 Dern)

The Official Result

Mackenzie Dern def. Virna Jandiroba via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Tony Ferguson (155) vs. Charles Oliveira (154.5)

Round 1

Our co-main event comes in the form of an extremely high-stakes lightweight battle between two men that have earned an eye-popping 27 post-fight bonuses in their UFC careers, when Ferguson (25-4, 15-2 UFC) collides with Oliveira (29-8, 1 NC; 17-8, 1 NC UFC). The third man in the cage for the presumptive “Fight of the Night” candidate is referee Mark Smith, and there is a glove touch before they get down to business. Ferguson comes out switching stances and faking kicks, and it is Oliveira who land the first kick. Oliveira slaps Ferguson’s lead leg with a loud kick, and Ferguson steps forward with a jab. Oliveira continues to attack the leg, and he stings Ferguson with a punch but walks into a spinning back fist. Both men clash legs at the same time, Ferguson throws out another jab. “Do Bronx” boots Ferguson in the head, but Ferguson rolls with it and lands a few punches. Oliveira scores a big right hand, and Ferguson throws so hard he slips. Oliveira does not take advantage of the situation, but he rushes forward and picks Ferguson up to slam him down. Oliveira pursues a guillotine choke as he attempts to advance his guard, and Ferguson keeps a butterfly hook and locks Oliveira down to force Smith to intervene. Oliveira pulls his arm free and may have gotten away with an eye poke from on top, and he transitions into an arm-triangle and nearly slices over to mount. The Brazilian takes mount and gives up on the submission, and Ferguson flails but gets punched a few times. Oliveira attacks the arm-triangle again, and it too is not tight so he abandons it. Still in full mount, Oliveira slashes down with a pair of elbows, and Ferguson bucks but cannot get the Brazilian off of him. Oliveira aims another arm-triangle but Ferguson sees it coming and resorts to taking a few more elbows in the head. Oliveira sits up and slams an elbow down, and lands a few more for good measure. With seconds left on the clock, Oliveira instantly rolls for an armbar, and Ferguson grits it out to the bell – the elbow badly hyperextends, but Ferguson makes it to the end of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Oliveira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Oliveira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Oliveira

Round 2

Ferguson’s arm may be torn up, but he starts off the round with several kicks to the body. He steps in and lands a left hand, but he cannot fully extend with it. Oliveira chops at the lead leg with a pair of kicks, and he times a jab to hit a takedown on Ferguson. Before Oliveira puts him on his back, Ferguson hacks at him with an elbow to open up a cut on Oliveira’s eyebrow. Ferguson from his back lands an illegal upkick, and Smith pauses the fight to allow Oliveira to recover. When Smith clocks the fight back in, Ferguson kicks off the fence but Oliveira hops over to north-south position, as Ferguson walks across the cage wall. Oliveira sits up and lands some effective ground-and-pound, while Ferguson tries to twist and turn out of the way. “Do Bronx” scores a heavy knee to the midsection while Ferguson is upside-down against the fence, and Ferguson holds an inverted body triangle to try to keep Oliveira stuck. Ferguson keeps rolling and flirts with a submission attempt but there is nothing there as Oliveira racks up control time while landing sporadic strikes. Ferguson walks off the fence again, interlocking his toes in the chain links, and Smith admonishes him for this. “El Cucuy” holds on in an unusual position, where he uses his leg to hold his arm in place and lock down a no-leg triangle. Oliveira is unconcerned about this, and gets off several ground strikes until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira

Round 3

The two lightweight contenders touch gloves to start the round, and Ferguson lands a left hand right after. Oliveira digs a leg kick to make Ferguson’s knee buckle, but Ferguson ignores it and stalk the Brazilian down. Ferguson lands another straight left, but he absorbs a thudding leg kick. Oliveira picks at him from a distance, and Ferguson throws a high kick that gets caught. Oliveira tries to take advantage of it, so Ferguson somersaults towards the cage and stands up. Oliveira allows him to stand against the fence, so that he can elevate the former interim champ and slam him down to the ground into mount. Oliveira hops over to side control before switching over to the other side, all while threatening with an arm-triangle choke. The Brazilian continues his transition into full mount, and Ferguson rolls him over but falls into a triangle choke. Oliveira elbows him in the head a few times before locking up a triangle armbar, and he uses this to sweep Ferguson and threaten with a mounted triangle. Ferguson escapes it but winds up on his back, where Oliveira resides in side control to land a few short elbows. Ferguson walks his way around the fence and aims for a brabo choke, but he cannot land it as Oliveira keeps turning. As Ferguson ties up Oliveira, Smith asks Oliveira to keep working. Ferguson walks off the fence and nearly circles around to take Oliveira’s back, but the Brazilian flips him around and slams him down. Ferguson goes back to locking Oliveira down, and Smith asks him to work again. Oliveira steps over to north-south before going to the side, and he cannot take mount as easily this time. Smith asks him to keep working, as Oliveira racks up major control time and grinds out the round with several sharp elbows. The round ends, and Oliveira is elated by his performance -- and for good reason, as he unquestionably picked up the biggest win of his career over the "Boogeyman" of the lightweight division.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (30-26 Oliveira)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (30-26 Oliveira)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (30-26 Oliveira)

The Official Result

Charles Oliveira def. Tony Ferguson via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

UFC Flyweight Title Fight:
Deiveson Figueiredo (124.5) vs. Brandon Moreno (124.5)

Round 1

With both flyweights coming off of impressive finishes in their last bouts three weeks ago, Figueiredo (20-1, 9-1 UFC) looks to keep a firm grip on his throne against “The Assassin Baby” Moreno (18-5-1, 6-2-1 UFC). Referee Jason Herzog will have his hands full in this headliner, although the two touch gloves to show a sign of respect before swinging for the bleachers. Figueiredo opens the title fight with a spinning back kick to the body, and he lands it. Both men land left hands at the same time, and Moreno sticks him with a punch but allows Figueiredo to close the distance and attempt a takedown. Moreno turns him around, where he takes Figueiredo’s back but the scrambles are wild. Moreno can only keep him down for less than a second before the champ flips back to his feet. The challenger reaches out several jabs as Figueiredo advances, and Figueiredo lands a punch to the body. Moreno scores a few body shots, and both sting one another with stiff jabs. Figueiredo just barely misses with a huge right hand, and the two use effective range-finding jabs. Figueiredo steps in with a big left hand to the liver, and he lands two punches to make Moreno circle away around the fence. Figueiredo lands a leg kick, and he snaps Moreno’s head back with a power jab. When Figueiredo steps in with a knee, Moreno tries to catch it, but he cannot do anything with it. Figueiredo flings a head kick, and although it skims across Moreno’s head, the challenger falls to the ground to almost pull guard. Moreno trips a standing Figueiredo, but the champ pops back up and lands a hard right hand. Moreno has a head kick blocked, and Figueiredo digs the body with a kick. Figueiredo lands another body shot that makes Moreno drop his elbow to defend it, and he stalks “The Assassin Baby” down with punches. Moreno just misses with a sweeping left hook, but a shorter one finds the mark. The two trade jabs, and Figueiredo rings his bell with a standing elbow. Moreno fires right back at him, and he finishes a combination with a head kick that Figueiredo barely blocks in time. Figueiredo fires a head kick back that bounces off his opponent’s head, and he steps in with a slicing elbow. Moreno backs away and gets clubbed with a right hand, but he is right back in the pocket to trade jabs. The wild round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo

Round 2

Figueiredo charges out of his corner but this time he does not land first, as Moreno digs to the body and then swings an overhand right that Figueiredo blocks. Figueiredo spins with a heavy back kick to the body, and Moreno snaps out several jabs and a body shot to make Figueiredo take a back step. The champ is quick to engage again, and he walks through a jab to land two leg kicks. Moreno snaps out a jab, and Figueiredo returns fire with one of equal speed and intensity. Figueiredo tries to sweep the leg and nearly falls over, allowing Moreno to tag him with a body shot. Moreno gets rocked with a right hand, but he shakes it out and lands some heavy punches back to break up the opposing combination. Moreno flicks out his jab a few times, but Figueiredo keeps his aggression and scores another kick to the calf. Figueiredo rushes forward with a standing elbow, and Moreno grabs him and throws him down. When Figueiredo tries to defend the takedown, he pushes off with his thumb Moreno in the eye and Herzog immediately intervenes. Herzog resets the position with Moreno in full guard, and Figueiredo slashes with a few elbows before doing a barrel roll. The two stand up and engage in a furious brawl, where both land flush and with bad intentions. Figueiredo lands, Moreno answers him, and Figueiredo responds with strikes of his own. The back-and-forth exchange ends with a leg kick from Figueiredo, as Moreno cannot counter with an overhand right. Figueiredo cracks him with a left hand, but Moreno’s chin holds up to what should be a devastating blow. The pace momentarily wanes as both men try to find their angle, and Figueiredo steps in with a body kick. Moreno answers with a powerful right hand, and Figueiredo may be hurt but is wearing it well. The champ lunges forward with a right hand, and Moreno dances out of harm’s way. Moreno scores a leg kick and a jab, and Figueiredo is guessing now as he takes a few sharp jabs. Figueiredo ducks a punch to land three of his own, and Moreno falls back to the fence clutching his eye – a knuckle may have connected with it. Moreno crashes forward and lands a takedown to protect himself, and Figueiredo springs up to get back to his feet. The two trade heavy leather right to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo

Round 3

Moreno’s eye swells up between rounds, and Herzog notes the strike that damaged it was a punch and not a poke. The doctor checks it out as it grows, but he clears Moreno to keep slugging it out. Figueiredo thanks Herzog by starting off the round with a few huge punches, hurting Moreno but not putting him down. He throws everything he has into these punches, and Moreno backs away and kicks him in the face. Moreno absorbs some shots, and Figueiredo is on him with a barrage of punches. Moreno takes them all on the chin without much issue, so Figueiredo targets the body with a few kicks to break it up. Figueiredo steps in with a big elbow, and then another allows Moreno to grab hold of him and clinch up. The champ keeps his balance but is pinned with his back to the fence, and he pushes away to separate. Figueiredo starts walking Moreno down, but Moreno greets him with a few jabs and an overhand right as Figueiredo closes the distance. Figueiredo throws a left hand so hard he nearly falls over, but he stays upright thanks to the fence. Moreno dances out of the way and sticks out a jab, but Figueiredo dips and blasts him with a left hand. Both men slug it out again, as Moreno lands a few hooks but Figueiredo walks right through them like a Terminator. Figueiredo blasts his man with a left hook square on the jaw, and Moreno’s chin is granite as he has taken everything Figueiredo has dished out without more than a wobble. Moreno stands tall and lands a few punches, and Figueiredo tries to kick him but the ball of his foot smashes into Moreno’s cup. Moreno crumples to the ground in pain, and as Herzog tells him to take all the time he needs. Moreno writhes in pain and nearly vomits, coughing violently and spitting out some blood. Moreno stand back up after a 90-second break, and he is still in a great deal of pain. Due to the egregious nature of the strike, Herzog deducts one point. Moreno is ready to go at the two-minute mark, and he is fired up and swings wildly to start off. Figueiredo blocks the strikes and carries on with some of his own. When he pushes forward, he manages to bowl Moreno over and land in a top position. Moreno does not stay ground for long as he rolls through it, and the two both try to connect with standing elbows but neither score them flush. Figueiredo kicks the leg and lands up top, but his strike does not have the impact it did before. Moreno sits down on a right hand and rings Figueiredo’s bell, and he evades the strikes that come flying at him. Figueiredo leaps with a kick to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 9-9
Ben Duffy scores the round: 9-9
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 9-9

Round 4

Figueiredo jumps forward out of his corner to score a flying knee, and Moreno brushes it off and the two start trading reaching punches. Figueiredo stabs at him with a long left hand, and he tags Moreno with a left. “The Assassin Baby” loads up on a few punches, and he may have hurt him as he continues forward to get off a head kick. Figueiredo is on rubber legs, and he considers a takedown, but Moreno lifts him up and slams him down on his back. Figueiredo manages to power back to his feet, and he lands a right hand on the way up. He scores another, and a left and a right follow it closely. Figueiredo snaps his head back with an uppercut, and he blasts Moreno with a right hand. The champ gets off a superman punch, and Moreno’s durability is off the charts as he throws back hard. Moreno cracks Figueiredo and makes the champ take a turn against the fence, but Figueiredo composes himself as Moreno backs off with jabs. Figueiredo’s hands are down by his waist as he loads up on punches, while Moreno is more composed with his guard up landing shorter, crisper strikes. Figueiredo appears fatigued as he loads up on big shots that are telegraphed, and Moreno sticks him and moves. Figueiredo steps in with a right hand, and then one to the body followed by two more. Moreno responds with a big takedown, putting Figueiredo on his back hard while landing in mount. Figueiredo recovers to half guard, and he slashes Moreno’s forehead with repeated elbows from below. Moreno stands up and leaps down to land a big left hand, and Figueiredo does not like it and he scrambles back to his feet. Moreno smashes his fists into Figueiredo’s face, and Figueiredo is hurt again. The champ survives a barrage and fires back until this thrilling round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Moreno
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Moreno
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Moreno

Round 5

Figueiredo comes out of his corner with confidence, reaching out a left hand but neither man commits to any strikes. Figueiredo lets loose a head kick and then a body kick, and he fires another body kick as Moreno chases after him swinging wildly. Figueiredo takes a few deep breaths as his hands are by his waist, and he lands three punches that sting Moreno for a moment. The Mexican fighter is not concerned by these strikes as he continues walking forward, and he ducks a huge punch that blows his hair back. Moreno blocks a looping left hand, and the pace has understandably waned after such a ferocious battle. Figueiredo kicks the body, and Moreno tries to catch it but cannot do anything with it. Moreno may have injured his arm, but he keeps throwing it, wincing in pain as he reaches a left hand out. Figueiredo circles around from a distance, hopping forward to land a few punches and hopping out of the way when Moreno responds. Moreno tries to throw a punch, and he slips and springs back up. Figueiredo ducks a punch, eats a left hand, and lands one of his own. Moreno sticks him with a right hand, and he presses Figueiredo into the fence. Moreno lands a few short strikes as he holds the champ to the cage, and Figueiredo rolls through to put Moreno down and land on top. Figueiredo stands up to smash down some punches from above. The champ keeps raining down punches right to the final bell, and what an instant classic this turned out to be. Both men embrace and let loose all of their remaining emotions after a bout easily in contention for “Fight of the Year.” The scorecards could be all over the map for this one, and we have had an outstanding event from start to finish. One last UFC card stands between us and the end of the year, and we will be here for it – we hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo (48-46 Figueiredo)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo (48-46 Figueiredo)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo (48-46 Figueiredo)

The Official Result

Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno is ruled a Majority Draw (48-46, 47-47, 47-47)