SHARE

ESPN/ESPN+ PRELIMS, 5PM/2PM ETPT

SERGHEI SPIVAC (28-28, 29-27 x2) DEF CARLOS FELIPE by Majority Decision

There was plenty of confidence coming from heavyweight debutant Carlos Felipe in the opener, but after three rounds, it was Moldova’s Serghei Spivac leaving the Octagon with the victory via majority decision.

Scores were 29-27 twice and 28-28 for Spivac, now 11-2. Felipe falls to 8-1.

Felipe did plenty of headshaking and motioning to Spivac in the first round, but little in the way of significant scoring, as it was Spivac jabbing effectively and throwing in the occasional right hand and knee. The Brazilian got down to business in the second and it was a close one, but not to Felipe, who appeared to tell Spivac after the frame that he won the round. Spivac was unbothered by the gamesmanship of his foe, as he scored a takedown early in the final frame and let go with point-scoring ground strikes. Midway through the round, Felipe made it back to his feet but was dumped to the mat and mounted moments later. The strikes kept coming from Spivac, making it evident that he had not only taken the round, but the fight.

ARMAN TSARUKYAN (30-27 x 2, 29-28) DEF DAVI RAMOS by Unanimous Decision

Lightweight prospect Arman Tsarukyan impressed in his matchup with Davi Ramos, winning a clear-cut three-round unanimous decision.

Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Tsarukyan, now 15-2. Ramos falls to 10-4.

Though known for their grappling, Tsarukyan and Ramos drilled each other with hard strikes in the early going, Tsarukyan holding an edge thanks to his speed and variety. Just before the midway point of the first round, the fight went to the mat, Ramos comfortable working off his back as Tsarukyan threw punches from the top position. With 40 seconds left, Tsarukyan let his foe up, and they remained standing to the horn.

Ramos upped his level of aggression in the second and got some hard shots in, but Tsarukyan stayed cool under pressure kept his own strikes coming, and even scored a brief takedown of the Brazilian in a good action round.

Tsarukyan fought smart and effectively in the third, refusing to get into a firefight with Ramos but still finding a way to bloody his foe, score a flash knockdown and land several more slick punches and kicks as the Brazilian tried to goad him into a brawl. Ramos pulled guard in an attempt to lock in a guillotine choke in the final minute, but it was to no avail, as the bout belonged to Tsarukyan.

AMIR ALBAZI DEF MALCOLM GORDON by Submission, Triangle Choke, Round 1, 4:42

Octagon newcomers Amir Albazi and Malcolm Gordon met in a bantamweight bout, and it was Albazi emerging victorious via first-round submission.

Two minutes in, Albazi got the fight to the mat, and with a little over a minute left, he got into the mount position. After taking some strikes to the head, Gordon gave up his back but scrambled into the top position. The problem was, he went right into a triangle choke by Albazi, who forced the tap out at 4:42 of round one.

With the win, Iraq’s Albazi moves to 13-1. Canada’s Gordon falls to 12-4.

BRETT JOHNS (29-28 x 3) DEF MONTEL JACKSON by Unanimous Decision

In a competitive three-rounder between bantamweight up and comers, Brett Johns outscored Montel Jackson via unanimous decision.

Scores were 29-28 across the board for Johns, now 17-2. Jackson falls to 9-2.

Johns’ game plan was clear from the start as he locked up with Jackson and looked to take the fight to the mat. He succeeded twice, but Jackson got up quickly and then scored a flash knockdown with a little over a minute left. Johns nearly locked up an arm in the subsequent ground spell, but Jackson pulled free easily.

Going right back to his grappling game, Johns finally got Jackson down for an extended spell with a little under two minutes left in round two and he took his foe’s back. Jackson turned into a triangle choke briefly, but the Milwaukee native got loose and got in a couple strikes before the horn sounded.

Two minutes in, Johns scored another takedown and it was Jackson getting back to his feet and landing a hard knee as the Welshman put the fight back on the mat. With a little over two minutes left, Jackson was upright and looking to strike. Johns wasn’t interested as he went back to controlling the grappling portion of the fight, nearly locking in a guillotine choke in the final minute.

JOEL ALVAREZ DEF JOSEPH DUFFY by Submission, Guillotine, R1, 2:25

Spanish lightweight prospect Joel Alvarez made it two straight in the Octagon, as he submitted Irish veteran Joe Duffy in the first round.

Both fighters went after the legs with their kicks in the first two minutes with great success, but 15 seconds later, Duffy decided to switch things up with a takedown. That proved to be his downfall, as Alvarez latched on a guillotine choke as the fight hit the mat, forcing Duffy to tap out at 2:25 of the opening round.

With the win, Alvarez improves to 17-2. Duffy falls to 16-5.

GRANT DAWSON VS. NAD NARIMANI

ESPN+ Main Card, 8PM/5PM ETPT

ALEXANDRE PANTOJA VS. ASKAR ASKAROV

ARIANE LIPSKI VS. LUANA CAROLINA

ROMAN DOLIDZE vs KHADIS IBRAGIMOV

MARC DIAKIESE VS. RAFAEL FIZIEV

JACK HERMANSSON VS. KELVIN GASTELUM

DEIVESON FIGUEIREDO VS. JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ

LEAVE A REPLY