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Action starts at 10 pm ET on FS1

In a war between two fighters who had been away far too long for their fans’ liking, Chan Sung Jung and Yair Rodriguez were bestowed the honor of headlining the historic UFC 25th Anniversay card, and they didn’t disappoint. Marching forward in the style that earned him the Zombie moniker, Jung built in little moments of extra drama, going almost completely still and then erupting in a tornado of punches again and again. Rodriguez landed as well, dropping some painful kicks and wobbling Jung with some well-timed jabs. Precision was the key for both fighters, both taking their time to make sure their weapons unleashed a maximum of damage as the momentum swung back and forth…sometimes within seconds. Zombie continued a massive volume of strikes, and Yair improvised kicks in his wild, unorthodox style. Both bloodied and battered at the beginning of the fifth, the fighters embraced in one of the classiest shows of sportsmanship in recent memory. In one of the most thrilling ending sequences ever, both men paused to feel the thrill of the crowd before charging at one another in the final seconds. Rodriguez ducked a strike and caught Jung with a quick elbow that knocked the Korean unconscious with just one second remaining. For a 25th Anniversary celebration, this immediate Fight of the Year contender made it hard to conceive of a more fitting finale.

Colorado fan favorite Cowboy Cerrone has indicated this will be has last go-round at welterweight, and it was hard to imagine a more thrilling going-away matchup than kindred spirit Mike Perry. Standing on the precipice of becoming the winningest fighter in UFC history, he seized the moment, reversing Perry’s takedown and working into a clinical armbar finish. In addition to the most wins, he now has the most finishes in UFC history. In a touching conclusion, Cerrone brought his newborn son into the Octagon to celebrate the milestone.

After holding the belt in the women’s featherweight division, Germaine de Randamie was welcomed back to bantamweight by Colorado’s own Raquel Pennington. From the jump, Pennington, while aggressive, seemed to struggle with de Randamie’s length, unsuccessfully shooting takedowns, and finding herself on the end of straight-right punches. Pennington did her best work in the clinch, firing off an array of knees and elbows while she held her opponent against the fence. But de Randamie’s lopsided dominance in the striking categories sealed the unanimous decision.

Workhorse lightweight Beneil Dariush looked to put an unacharacteristic three-fight skid behind him against fellow BJJ blackbelt Thiago Moises, and he did exactly that. With most of the first round on the ground or in the clinch, Dariush’s experience was evident, keeping Moises on his back and on the defensive. It was the same story for the rest of the fight, with a bloodied Moises visibly gassing at Dariush’s smothering offense. Moises escaped several submission attempts admirably, but was left without much opportunity to hurt his opponent. A determined Dariush climbs back into the win column.

The second bout of the night featuring two fighters making their Octagon debuts, the strawweight battle between hot newcomer Maycee Barber and Hanah Cifers was one of the most anticipated of the evening. Both fighters came forward without hesitation at the opening horn, swinging and landing at furious pace until the fight went against the fence, where they took turns inflicting damage. Some cement elbows from Barber opened Cifer’s face in the second, and as the two tumbled to the mat, Barber unleashed a torrent of fists that had the referee jumping in to stop the fight. Hometown star Barber remains undefeated with the big finish in her UFC debut.

It was the battle of The Ultimate Fighter champion Mike Trizano and the man who was certain he should’ve been that champion, Luis Pena. Trizano’s decorated kickboxing got him some solid points in the early going, while Pena used his size advantage to land some overhand shots. Trizano’s speed was effective at evading Pena’s fists and countering most of his takedowns. By the third round, it was Trizano delivering the most damage, finding homes for his punches and delivering a brisk head kick to Pena. When the final bell sounded, New Jersey’s Trizano had given an emphatic reminder of why he had won TUF, and why he remains undefeated professionally.

Action starts at 8 pm ET

Ashley Yoder and Amanda Cooper both entered their matchup with the same dubious distinction: their last fight was a loss to Mackenzie Dern. Both eager to right the ship, it was Yoder who can start putting it behind her. On the feet, it was Cooper’s boxing and kicks that was the story. On the mat, Yoder’s prowess as a grappler seized control. She nearly secured a rear naked choke on Cooper as the bout expired, and her effort on the gound was enough to earn the split in a razor-close fight. Yoder goes home with her first UFC win.

A standout from Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, Bobby Moffett’s arrival into the UFC meant facing the always-tough Chas Skelly. Skelly controlled most of the first perched on Moffett’s back, stifling any chance at offense. Moffet fared better in the second, grinding Skelly down to the ground and securing a vicious choke that he tried vainly to spin out of. The referee called the fight. A little controversy ensued as Skelly never tapped and claimed he was never out. It’s not the outcome Moffett had envisioned for his UFC debut, but ended the night with his hand raised.

Only one style could emerge victorious: the freestyle fists of Stipe Miocic training partner Jon Gunther or the BJJ prowess of Davi Ramos. On this evening it was the latter, as Ramos dropped the TUF alum right off the bat and kept him there methodically positioning the choke and handing Gunther his first professional loss.

Two featherweights making their respective UFC debuts both entered the Octagon riding strong winning streaks, and it was Colorado’s own Smith that kept his streak alive. Wielding the freestyle fists that, he dropped Erosa with a quick left to the jaw, and ended his night with some brutal ground and pound. Hard to imagine a better UFC debut for a hometown fighter.

In a battle between of flyweights looking to wash away the sting of a recent defeat, it was Eric Shelton who went home happy. Morales was the aggressor early on, concisely timing his kicks and not only surviving but often reversing Shelton’s takedowns. Shelton took a more patient approach and led most of the fight in the control and strikes categories. His patience paid off, and his edge in wrestling didn’t allow the dangerous Morales enough time to get to work.

In his second stint in the UFC, veteran Joby Sanchez was seeking a much-needed win over promising newcomer Mark De La Rosa. He went to work early in the high-energy bout, touching up Bumblebee’s eye and using his size advantage to land some heavy jabs and kicks. For his part, De La Rosa was largely undeterred, continually marching forward, closing range and firing off some crisp combinations. The effort from both fighters was objectively commendable, but in the end De La Rosa’s persistence was enough to earn the split.

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