But once things got rolling, it built steadily from there, resulting in a tremendously entertaining main card capped off by Ilia Topuria taking out recent interim title challenger Josh Emmett in the main event, maintaining his unbeaten record and showing that he’s a legitimate title threat in the 145-pound weight class.
Duval County has become a haven for highlight reel action over the years and Saturday’s offering on ABC was no different.
Here’s a look at what went down. | Official Scorecards
UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Topuria Results
- Ilia Topuria defeats Josh Emmett by unanimous decision (50-44, 50-42, 49-45)
- Maycee Barber defeats Amanda Ribas by TKO, Round 2, 3:42
- Austen Lane vs Justin Tafa ruled a no contest (accidental eye poke) at 0:29 of Round 1
- David Onama defeats Gabriel Santos by KO, Round 2, 4:13
- Brendan Allen defeats Bruno Silva by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:39 of Round 1
- Neil Magny defeats Phil Rowe by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Randy Brown defeats Wellington Turman by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Mateusz Rębecki defeats Loik Radzhabov by TKO (strikes) at 2:36 of Round 2
- Tabatha Ricci defeats Gillian Robertson by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Joshua Van defeats Zhalgas Zhumagulov by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
- Chepe Mariscal defeats Trevor Peek by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Jack Jenkins defeats Jamall Emmers by split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
- Sedriques Dumas defeats Cody Brundage by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
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UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Topuria Prelim Fight Results
Sedriques Dumas defeats Cody Brundage by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Sedriques Dumas looked orders of magnitude better in his sophomore effort against Cody Brundage, controlling the action and working patiently to collect his first UFC victory.
Dumas got taken down almost immediately, but wound up in top position after Brundage rushed a guillotine attempt, spending the majority of the round there, landing sporadic shots. In the second, he defended the initial takedown attempt, working to Brundage’s back and threatening with a choke. The third was similar to the first, with Brundage attacking a guillotine, Dumas popping his head out and spending the rest of the frame on top, working from inside his guard.
After looking overwhelmed and out of place in his debut, Dumas showed much more composure and patience on Saturday, getting his hand raised in the Octagon for the first time. With the win, the Dana White’s Contender Series grad moves to 8-1 overall.
Jack Jenkins defeats Jamall Emmers by split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
Featherweights Jamall Emmers and Jack Jenkins enjoyed themselves on Saturday morning, teaming up for an entertaining back-and-forth that went the distance.
For three rounds, the duo traded shots — Jenkins attacking with punishing kicks, Emmers using his longer, rangier boxing — neither gaining a significant advantage or building considerable momentum. It was a technical, tactical battle between two fighters that are better than their limited UFC experience may suggest, and it was tremendously fun to watch.
The judges were tasked with determining the winner, and when the scores were tallied, it was Jenkins that came out on the happy side of a split decision verdict.
Chepe Mariscal defeats Trevor Peek by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Chepe Mariscal and Trevor Peek stomped on the gas right out of the chute, going 100mph for the first five minutes before shifting into a gruelling battle of attrition.
Both men waded straight into the fire, fully aware of the potential consequences to start this one, sledgehammers being thrown with bad intentions and high-impact shots being landed on both sides, neither man wilting. But the energy reserves ran dry after that sprint, resulting in the second and third turning into a grind with momentary bursts of massive punches being thrown and landed on each side.
This was a chaotic, wildly entertaining battle, with Mariscal coming out ahead on the scorecards to make his UFC debut a successful one. | Official Scorecards
Joshua Van defeats Zhalgas Zhumagulov by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Joshua Van and Zhalgas Zhumagulov went the distance in an entertaining flyweight scrap on Saturday’s prelims, with the newcomer springing the short-notice upset while turning in an impressive showing in his promotional debut.
Zhumagulov got the better of things in the opening stanza, leaning on his experience and poise to edge out the UFC rookie. But once Van settled in, he took the fight to the veteran, battering him in the second and staying on his high pressure, high output approach throughout the third. While Zhumagulov had quality moments of his own in the final frame, the constant pressure and clean boxing of Van was enough to carry him to victory.
This was an outstanding showing for the 21-year-old Van, who took the fight on a week’s notice and leaves Duval County with a UFC victory in tow. This was a strong statement from the debutant, who is one to keep close tabs on going forward in the 125-pound weight class. | Official Scorecards
Tabatha Ricci (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) defeats Gillian Robertson by unanimous decision
Decorated grapplers Tabatha Ricci and Gillian Robertson spent the vast majority of their strawweight clash fighting on the feet, with Ricci coming out on the right side of the results.
Ricci started well, showing superior quickness and fluidity on the feet, keeping Robertson off balance by faking level changes and landing more throughout. Robertson had a little more success in the second and third, bloodying Ricci’s nose and finally registering a takedown, but in both rounds, the Brazilian “Baby Shark” was able to maintain her pace, continue to land, and not allow the Canadian to build any momentum.
The judges were once again called upon to determine a winner, and all three saw it the same way, awarding Ricci the unanimous decision win. That’s now four straight for the surging strawweight, who broke into the rankings after her last victory and could find herself in the Octagon with a fellow ranked fighter next time out. | Official Scorecards
Mateusz Rębecki defeats Loik Radzhabov by TKO (strikes) at 2:36 of Round 2
Mateusz Rebecki chopped down Loik Radzhabov in their lightweight preliminary card bout, battering each of his legs until “The Tajik Tank” could barely stand before felling him right a left hand and earning the stoppage.
The Polish sophomore attacked the lead leg from the outset, punishing Radzhabov for not checking those kicks or making him pay with counters. As Rebecki continued to bang home heavy shots, Radzhabov became increasingly vulnerable, ultimately standing stationary on the fence in the second, allowing the DWCS grad to land the clubbing right hand that mercifully brought this one to a close.
After struggling with his conditioning in his promotional debut, this was a far more dynamic and impressive showing from Rebecki, who has now earned 15 straight victories and wins in each of his first two Octagon appearances. | Official Scorecards
Randy Brown defeats Wellington Turman by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Randy Brown showed Wellington Turman that things aren’t going to be any easier for him at welterweight on Saturday, using his length, diverse skills, and experience to get the better of the relocating Brazilian.
After absorbing a few heavy low kicks early, Brown settled in, landing some strikes from distance and using his ability to control the clinch to control the fight. He put Turman on the deck in the late stages of each of the first two rounds, slamming him with amplitude both times. Turman had more success in the third, busting up Brown with short elbows in the clinch, but it was a case of too little, too late.
With the sweep of the scorecards, Brown gets back into the win column, moving to 11-5 inside the Octagon in the process. For Turman, this is a solid building block fight as he looks to reinvent himself as a welterweight. | Official Scorecards
Neil Magny defeats Phil Rowe by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
The final preliminary card pairing on Saturday’s fight card was like the dual Spiderman meme in the welterweight division, with Neil Magny and Phil Rowe bringing virtually identical measurements, styles, and approaches into the Octagon, resulting in a tightly contested, difficult to score contest to close out the early action.
Very little separated these two men, with each landing the occasional clean shot, but neither stringing enough together or dominating in the clinch enough to truly distance themselves from one another. Rowe had periods of success, including climbing on Magny’s back in the second, but the veteran remained calm, got back to the things he does well, and forced Rowe to fight his style of fight.
When the nines and tens were added up, Magny came out on the positive side of the split decision verdict, collecting his 21st UFC victory in his 30th start inside the Octagon. | Official Scorecards
UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Topuria Main Card Fight Results
Brendan Allen defeats Bruno Silva by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:39 of Round 1
It wasn’t as clean as he would like, but Brendan Allen ran his winning streak to five with a first-round submission win over Bruno Silva in the main card opener.
Allen was sharp and clean early, working to the clinch and hurting Silva along the fence. But the powerful Brazilian fired back and stung Allen, prompting the duo to get into an extended run of trading on the feet, each landing big shots. Allen wore the punishment better and stepped on the gas, putting Silva on the deck, and from there, the Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt threatened a back-take and locked in the rear-choke.
The 27-year-old is on a tremendous run of success, having registered five straight wins, including three consecutive rear-naked choke finishes. He’s always shown promise, and now seems to be putting it all together in order to make a run in the middleweight ranks. | Official Scorecards
David Onama defeats Gabriel Santos by KO, Round 2, 4:13
David Onama collected a stunning walk-off knockout victory on Saturday, flooring Gabriel Santos with a clean uppercut in the center of the cage.
The featherweights engaged in a competitive back-and-forth battle up to that point, Santos getting the better of things in the first both on the feet and on the ground before Onama found his footing and responded in the second. He cracked home a pair of short elbows that straightened Santos up, and when the uppercut came through, it took the Brazilian’s consciousness.
Onama celebrated with the “Israel Adesanya arrows,” and re-established himself as a person of interest going forward in the 145-pound weight class. He has serious power, is a plus athlete, and has the physical traits that could make him a problem as he continues to develop and grow. | Official Scorecards
Austen Lane vs Justin Tafa ruled a no contest (accidental eye poke) at 0:29 of Round 1
The promising heavyweight clash between Austen Lane and Justin Tafa was halted prematurely as a result of an accidental eye poke.
Shortly after the bout went underway, Tafa looked to close the distance, and as Lane stepped off, he framed with his free hand, poking the Australian in the eye. Tafa immediately recoiled in pain and it was obvious why upon viewing the replays, as Lane’s finger got deep in his right eye.
The fight was halted as Tafa was unable to continue, bringing what was an intriguing matchup to a halt less than 30 seconds in. | Official Scorecards
Co-Main Event: Maycee Barber defeats Amanda Ribas by TKO, Round 2, 3:42
Maycee Barber continued working towards the top of the flyweight division, running her winning streak to five with a second-round stoppage win over Amanda Ribas.
“The Future” hurt the Brazilian in the opening round, busting her nose with short shots in close and making Ribas pay for attacking a kneebar. In the second, Ribas came out ready to take the fight to Barber, busting her up and happily trading with the Team Alpha Male representative on the feet. But Barber stood her ground and cracked home a high kick that started an extended finishing sequence that saw her unload a downpour of shots that forced referee Keith Peterson to step in and halt the action.
A hyped prospect when she first touched down in the Octagon, Barber is now showing the skills that make her a real threat in the flyweight division. She’s grown into herself, her skills, and continues improving each time out.
This was a statement effort from the 25-year-old rising star. | Official Scorecards
Main Event: Ilia Topuria defeats Josh Emmett by unanimous decision (50-44, 50-42, 49-45)
Ilia Topuria established himself as a legitimate title threat in the featherweight division, closing out Saturday’s event on ABC with a stoppage victory over Top 5 fixture Josh Emmett to remain undefeated and keep rolling forward undeterred.
The two men used the first round to find their range, get their timing down, and start opening up, with Topuria landing the better blows, but Emmett having positive moments of his own once he started mixing in kicks. But Topuria began to take control in the second, taking the fight to the recent interim title challenger, lumping him up with repeated big shots to the dome and chopping out his lead leg.
Emmett continued to fire back, but the connections didn’t carry as much sting, with “El Matador” remaining in his face, punishing him on the feet. Late in the fourth, Topuria dropped Emmett with a short left hook, trying to chase down a finish. Emmett survived and came out throwing to start the fifth, but Topuria weathered the early attacks, got back on his jab, and cruised to victory.
The 26-year-old claimed a clean sweep of the scorecards, a sixth straight UFC victory, and a 14th consecutive victory overall. He answered every question there was heading into his first main event and Top 10 assignment, and now stands as an intriguing potential title challenger heading into the second half of the year. | Official Scorecards
