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Action starts at 10 pm ET

Main event: Stipe Miocic vs Daniel Cormier
With a touch of the gloves the Super Fight is underway. Both fighters land a couple shots before Stipe presses the light heavyweight king up against the fence. Just minutes into the fight the crowd at T-Mobile Arena has already chanted the names of both fighters. Miocic’s reach advantage immediately playing a factor as his jab was hitting early and often. DC returned fire with some big shots of his own and a welt already forming under the right eye of Miocic. After an eye poke pause the two fighters went back at it to determine the baddest man on the planet. And then DC made history. DC caught Miocic with a massive right hook, followed by vicious ground and pound to end the fight. INCREDIBLE.

UFC 226 Official Result: Cormier defeats Miocic by KO, 4:33 first round.

THEY SAID IT:
Daniel Cormier : “I was a heavyweight for a long time and I left the division before I knew what I could become. Now, I know the answer, I’m the new champion! In our studying, we knew Stipe would back out of the clinches with his hands down so I worked on that. I spent all camp knocking out my training partners and today I got to do it in the Octagon. I am 39 years old and I’ve been second many times but today I have accomplished everything I ever wanted.

Now there’s a guy who I’ve known for a long time. I never thought I’d get to fight him. He’s another wrestler, another All-American, and Brock Lesnar, you can shove me now and go to sleep later!”

Co-main: Derrick Lewis defeated Francis Ngannou
The co-main event begins with a roar from the crowd. But after that it took a couple of minutes for these big rigs to get going. For the majority of the round both fighters carefully calculating their next move – and with good reason. Knockout power like this means it only takes one strike for the fight to be finished. Very little happened but Lewis was the more active fighter during the first, especially with his kicks.

Both fighters continued to be cautious throughout the second round. Both fighters were more active, with Ngannou connecting on a couple strikes. While these two monsters continued feeling each other out, the entire arena chanted “FIGHT. FIGHT. FIGHT.” Referee Herb Dean called a pause to the fight to warn the fighters that they needed to be more active. And maybe that’s all it took for the two heavyweight contenders to wake up as both fighter increased their activity during the last minute of the round. It wasn’t enough to please the crowd however, as boos filled the T-Mobile Arena.

No one thought this fight would make it out of the first round, let alone the second. To start the third it was more of the same, Ngannou pressing but staying out of harm’s way and Lewis focused on using his kicks to keep distance. The crowd has found a new way to entertain themselves: By doing the wave. And as they are doing the wave, Francis lands his best shot of the fight and Derrick Lewis lands a head kick as the two big boys engage in a momentary clinch. Ngannou and Lewis went the distance. Yes it’s okay to read that twice to believe it.

UFC 226 Official Result: Lewis (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) defeats Ngannou by Unanimous Decision.

THEY SAID IT:
Derrick Lewis : “No one wants to win a fight like that. My back was giving me problems before the fight and I didn’t have the mobility that I needed. The plan was to pressure him and put him against the cage but I didn’t have the mobility to do that. I feel terrible.” br />

Mike Perry defeated Paul Felder
It was billed to be an entertaining match-up and it didn’t disappoint. Just seconds into the fight a cut opened up on the forehead of Perry, covering the pair in red. After they broke the clinch Felder waited patiently until he was able to hit Perry with a strong right. But that didn’t make Perry back down as he fought back landing two nice strikes of his own. A nice combination from Perry earned him a nod of approval from Felder. The two welterweights continued to battle as the round came to a close with Felder landing a nice spinning back fist.

Perry opened the second round with the same mentality as the first. And his continued aggression led to Platinum lifting Felder above the cage before slamming him to the canvas. Felder was able to quickly get back to his feet and the two fighters met back in the center of the Octagon. Perry fainted and hit Felder with a huge left hook that opened up a giant gash over the right eye of Felder. At this point the intensity of the brawl increased, with Perry nearly suplexing Felder. The two exchanged heavy shots again before the horn signaled the end of the period.

The fighters touch gloves out of respect to start the round then immediately transitioned into swinging for the fences. It was Perry that found the mark first getting Felder with a left hook. Perry didn’t stop there, landing strikes and a variety of kicks to the body and legs of Felder. Then Perry pushed Felder up against the cage and attempted another big slam but that was stifled by Felder. In the final 30 seconds of the fight the two absolutely went to town! Landing big shot after big shot with neither fighter giving ground. Both Felder and Perry held up their arms in triumph as time expired.

UFC 226 Official Result: Perry (29-28, 29-28) defeats Felder (29-28) by Split Decision.

Anthony Pettis defeated Michael Chiesa
Chiesa starts the fight off with immediate pressure and takedown up against the fence. He moved into half-guard and started executing his ground and pound game, but Pettis was able to shrug him off and hop on Chiesa’s back. The two would briefly clinch before Chiesa hit Pettis with a left head kick. Chiesa was able to take Pettis down again after a brief clinch. Once back on his feet Pettis aimed to catch Chiesa with a head kick but Maverick was able to avoid it. The momentum shifted for Pettis as he nailed Chiesa with a huge hook that dropped him at the same time as the horn.

The momentum for Pettis didn’t stop, as he crushed Chiesa with a straight right, quickly followed it up triangle choke that ended the fight. WOW. What a showing by the former UFC champ!

UFC 226 Official Result: Pettis defeats Chiesa by Triangle Arm-Bar, :52 seconds in the second round.

THEY SAID IT:
Anthony Pettis : “I felt like I was finally back to the old me out there. I let too many people tell me I should wrestle more or do things differently and that took away from what made me myself. So, I’ve finally been finding myself again. My striking wasn’t exactly what I wanted. I felt like I was still pushing my punches a little too much. My jiu-jitsu felt amazing. Michael Chiesa is a great guy, he’s a really well respected grappler. I knew I had to be slick with my transitions and everything went according to plan. I’m still young and I feel like I have a lot left to show – and tonight’s performance shows that. For everyone who said ‘he’s done. He needs to retire…,’ the Showtime era is back!” br />

Khalil Rountree Jr. defeated Gokhan Saki
IT didn’t take long for these two strikers to throw heavy hands. Both light heavyweights connected on some punches early but it was Rountree Jr. that dealt the devastating shot in just 96 seconds. It was a massive straight left followed by a six hammer fists that ended the fight. Wow, what a start to the UFC 226 Pay Per View card.

UFC 226 Official Result: Rountree Jr. defeats Saki by KO, 1:36 first round.

THEY SAID IT:
Khalil Rountree Jr. : I didn’t really know what to expect tonight. I think the big difference for me was not trying to. I focused on staying calm, being ready for anything. I was ready for low kicks, high kicks, clinches, getting flashed. I just wanted to keep my cool and stay ready. From the moment this fight got announced, I’ve taken so much crap online, which was kind of shocking. It didn’t motivate me – it just made this fight very personal for me. I wanted to go out there and fight my best fight, be the best me. I wanted to show the world what I was all about. And I did… I really want that bonus. I think I deserve it. 2 knockouts in a row. The long layoff when the fight got rescheduled. To go out there and put on a show, finish him in the first round. I really want the bonus. Now, it’s time to focus on more training. I love being a student of the game. I love going to the gym and learning. I want to continue to improve every aspect of my game. I can’t wait to be back in the Octagon.”

Action starts at 8 pm ET

Paulo Costa defeated Uriah Hall
Middleweight powers collided in the last FS1 prelim as #9 Uriah Hall took on #10 Paulo Costo. Very early in the fight Costo made an investment in attacking Hall’s body, hitting him with punches and leg kicks. Hall was also able to bloody up Costo’s lip early on. After Hall landed a spinning kick to Costo’s body, Costo smilled and tapped his core as if to say “bring it”. Hall’s punches started to land at will but the pure power of Costo was hard to ignore. Costo started swinging for the fences and Hall was more than willing to return the favor. Both fighters landed huge shots but after Costo landed his second shot to Hall’s groin, boos erupted from the crowd. Things became tense as Hall and Costo started jawing from across the Octagon. The round would end with Costo picking-up two more kicks to Hall’s midsection. Very competitive round.

Costo continued his work to the Hall’s core with more body kicks to start the second. Both fighters didn’t hold back dropping bombs on their opponents chin. Hall tagged Costo with a shot that dropped him to his knees but Costo stood right up and kept pressing forward until heh was able to hurt Hall with some massive body shots. Costo was relentless on his pursuit unleashing powerful blow after powerful blow that started with a big left hook, followed by an uppercut that forced Hall to cover up and let the ref step in to call the fight.

UFC 226 Official Result: Costo defeats Hall by TKO, 3:38 second round.

THEY SAID IT:
Paulo Costo : “This is just one more victory on my way to the world title. Now I want to face a top fighter, I want to fight Chris Weidman. No one in this division can win against me, I’m the most powerful middleweight and I’m showing that in every fight. Uriah had very good timing and connected the jabs, but I knew he would not be able to handle my power. I’m ready for the next battle.”

Raphael Assuncao defeated Rob Font
It took a few minutes for the two bantamweights and when the damage started being dealt it was Assuncao that struck first. He dropped Font with just over a minute to go in the round, but Font popped right back up and responded with a good knee before the round ended.

After spending the entire first round on their feet, the fight immediately went to the canvas in the second. Every scramble attempt by Font was shut down by Assuncao as he brought the hammer down from side control. At the mid-way point of the rond Font was able to get back on his feet and connect with a few jabs. With a minute to go in the round Assuncao hit Font with a straight right followed by a quick left hook but the strike didn’t faze Font.

The two 135ers started the last round with some big exchanges but they escape without taking any real damage. Assuncao chopped Font down with a great leg kick and once Font was on his feet he hit him with an inside kick on the same leg that almost put him back on the canvas. The final three minutes of the fight displayed the efficiency of Assuncao as he picked his moments before taking Font down. Then he showed off his ground and pound game by dominating Font.

UFC 226 Official Result: Assuncao defeats Font (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) by Unanimous Decision.

THEY SAID IT:
Raphael Assuncao : “You know, I really wanted the finish. I thought I would finish him. I was happy to show all of my skills. I feel I am a very well rounded fighter and I got to show that. I am a humble guy so I don’t mind saying, he’s probably a better boxer. He used his distance well. At the end of the day, I did everything I needed to do to control the fight though. Next for me? Title shot… Let’s go, give me the title shot.”

Drakkar Klose defeated Lando Vannata
The two lightweight quickly moved into the clinch where Vannata lifted Klose into the air but wasn’t able to slam him. Moments later Klose attempted the same thing and he was unsuccessful. As the round progressed the two fighters met int the clinch multiple times, with both throwing elbows and knees. Klose hit Vannata with a glancing shot that put a smile on Groovy’s face. Vannata went in for a spinning kick and Klose just barely missed a gigantic right counter strike. The round ended with Klose landing a solid shot as the two disengaged from the clinch. Entertaining first round.

Round two started with fireworks as both fighters attempted big spinning attacks, with Vannata’s kick landing flush to the side of Klose’s head. About mid-way through the round Klose starting finding his rhythm landing a couple big shots and just missing with a big uppercut. Vannata continues to attack with his hands down and taking the time to calculate his strikes. Klose ends the frame with momentum on his side.

Vannata never gave up on his spinning attacks nearly connecting with a spinning back fist to start the last period. Klose had some tricks up his sleeve as well, landing a superman punch while Vannata was against the Octagon cage. With only a minute left in the round Vannata took Klose’s back and gave it up to finish the fight on the feet. Good fight.

UFC 226 Official Result: Klose (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) defeats Vannata by Unanimous Decision.

THEY SAID IT:
Drakkar Klose : “That was the kind of performance I like. A finish is always nice but I dominated every aspect of the fight tonight. My strikes mattered more, my control mattered more. Just look at the differences in our faces after the fight. I will fight anyone the UFC puts in front of me.”

Curtis Millender defeated Max Griffin
All week these two fighters talked about their dislike for one other and Griffin came out acting like it. Millender nearly connected with a flying knee early and both welterweights brought it early. About mid-way through the first round Griffin was lunged for a takedown, pressing Millender up against the cage in half-guard. From there Griffin executed efficient ground and pound work for the rest of the first round, mixing in elbows and hammer fists.

After spending most of the first frame on the canvas the both fighters spent the beginning of the second on their feet. Millender displayed his freakish athleticism with a high flying knee that nearly hit home. Griffin returned fire with a big shot that shook Millender. Griffin would quickly close the gap and then avoid the counter strike from the lengthy Millender. Millender caught Griffin with a left hook that put Pain on his heels and after a flurry of punches Millender took Griffin to the canvas to end the round.

About midway through the final round Griffn and Millender went to the clinch up against the Octagon wall. Millender’s length a big factor as the fight came to a close. As he started to land shot after shot, including a big knee. Griffin somehow held on absorbing strike after strike and returning fire with a head kick moments before the final horn.

UFC 226 Official Result: Millender (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) defeats Griffin by Unanimous Decision.

THEY SAID IT:
Curtis Millender : “Honestly, I didn’t feel myself out there tonight. That first round was tough. I just couldn’t find my groove. I knew I won the second and third rounds but, even then, I felt a little off. That’s when you show your worth though. Going out there and getting the job done even if you feel off. I knew he wasn’t going to like those body shots so I worked those to my advantage. I used my dynamic striking, my knees and kicks, to win the exchanges and took control of the rounds. Before the fight, he was sitting right outside the Top 15, so I’m only two fights into my UFC career and I’m already top 20 in the world – and we’re just getting started. Anybody can get it. Someone in the Top 15 should be next.”

Dan Hooker defeated Gilbert Burns
Burns showed his power early, perfectly timing a power right that woke Hooker up. Hooker returned fire, dropping Burns with a big right before the refs asked them to stand-up. Burns shoots for a takedown but Hooker escapes after a submission attempt. Hooker absolutely dominated Burns by piecing up combination after combination that concluded with a massive left hook that ended the fight.

UFC 226 Official Result: Hooker defeats Burns by KO, 2:28 first round.

THEY SAID IT:
Dan Hooker : “I train with the best team in the world. You saw Israel Adesanya last night and then me tonight. You’re just getting a taste of what we do. We train for this every day. I knew that this guy wasn’t on my level. I saw everything he was throwing, timed him out and finished him. To me, my division is filled with guys who don’t want to fight. It’s time to get these guys who don’t fight out of here. I’ll fight anyone, anytime. Go get me someone else and I’ll come back out again tonight and fight. This is what I do. I believe I am a Top 10 fighter and I’m here to prove it. I’m here to be the best.”br />

Emily Whitmire defeated Jamie Moyle
Whitmire and Moyle spent the majority of the first round getting a feel for one another, with Whitmire having some early success with her pressure and striking.

Early in the second Moyle landed her best strikes of the fight, connecting on two stiff jabs and an overhand left. Moyle found her range in that round, connecting on numerous combinations while forcing Whitmire to live on the outside of the Octagon.

The final frame opened with the attack that we saw out of Whitmire in the first and it didn’t take long for her to secure a takedown and bombard Moyle with her ground and pound game. Whitmire assumed side ontrol and landed some punishing left hands for several minutes With Moyle flat on her back, Whitmire spent the final 30 seconds of the round landing strikes from her feet.

UFC 226 Official Result: Whitmire over Moyle by unanimous decision (29-28,29-28,29-28). 

THEY SAID IT:
Emily Whitmire : “No words can describe how I’m feeling right now. It’s incredible to have my first UFC victory, especially on a massive stage like UFC 226. I followed the game plan we laid out in camp. I wanted to use my distance, use my striking and let things open up from there. I felt very comfortable out there. I took my time, felt out the fight and made each moment count. Next, I’m going to take a couple of weeks off to spend time with my friends and family. Then I’m getting back to the gym. I’m ready for whoever the UFC wants me to fight next.”

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