Action starts at 10 pm ET
HE SLEPT HIM!!!@Justin_Gaethje STARCHES Vick in round 1!! Wow!! #UFCLincoln pic.twitter.com/FudYRfOKZM
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2018
Official result: Justin Gaethje defeats James Vick by KO, 1:27 first round.
The Menace is back in the win column! @FollowTheMenace #UFCLincoln pic.twitter.com/MEgh44PIfj
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2018
As the round starts a little cut is starting to show under the left eye of Fili, after an accidently cup check the fighter resume battle. Johnson’s striking efficiency from round one seems to be continuing here. After avoiding a punch from Johnson, Fili shoots and takes Johnson to the ground then quickly takes his back with his hooks in. Johnson stands up as Fili continues to try to sink in a rear naked choke. Both fighters are locked up trying to gain control with Fili eventually getting free and attempting the submission. Johnson slams the two fighters to the canvas and is able to fight off the choke and after some time, Johnson escapes and finds himself in a dominant position dropping ground and pound. Fili nearly pulls off an arm bar but Johnson sneaks out yet again, ending the round on top.
The round starts with back to back head kicks from Fili, they connect but are blocked by Johnson. The Menace puts together a nice combination. Fili shoots for a take down and is able to drag Johnson down to the ground, nearly taking his back again. Johnson gets back to his feet and the two featherweights meet back in the center of the Octagon. Fili’s kick continue to be a factor. Johnson lands a couple lower leg kicks and then stuffs Fili’s takedown attempt. With a minute to go Johnson is putting on the pressure but Fili is able to break free and the fight ends with both fighters holding their hands up high.
Official result: Michael Johnson (29-28, 29-28) defeats Andre Fili (30-27) by split decision.
THEY SAID IT:
Michael Johnson : “It feels really good to get a win over a tough guy like Fili. I got that 145 pound win now. I just knew I had to stay in there and be tough. I learned from my last fight with his teammate. He got my back, but I defended it well. The only thing that surprised me is he kept his distance really well. They obviously did their homework because he stayed away from my left hand, but I was able to catch him. I think I won the fight in the second round, when I reversed him. He was a very good opponent and it feels good to get back in the win column. It’s such a relief. I can’t call anybody out after a split decision win. Everybody knows the type of fighter I am. I want anybody that’s a game opponent. I want to get up in the rankings. I want my top spots back. I belong in the top five at lightweight and featherweight. A split decision win doesn’t give me the right to call anyone out.”
Casey gets it done! Agree? @CastIron_Casey #UFCLincoln pic.twitter.com/tayIOWe5SF
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2018
The second round starts just like the first round ended, with both fighters letting it fly. They are trading shots, with both also mixing in kicks at different levels. Really competitive contest so far. Good shoot from Casey but Hill doesn’t give in, managing to prevent the takedown and get back to the center of the Octagon. Big right hand from Hill followed up by more creative striking but Casey returns fire with a good punch of her own. The round ends with Hill landing some shots up close and with her hands up high. Another great round with no one taking serious control of the fight. Very even.
Casey opens up the third with a good right hand, both of these ladies are utilizing their dirty boxing to beat up their opponent. Casey charges forward landing a couple punches in her combination but takes a punch on the break. Some blood coming from the nose of Hill now with Casey landing some good shots. Hill fires back with a cross to the body. Another combination from Casey but she takes a body kick from Hill. Final minute now with both fighters exchanging looking for the final shot. A great uppercut from Hill right before the sticks sound off for the final ten seconds and both ladies end the fight with their hands up high.
Official result: Cortney Casey (30-27, 29-28) defeats Angela Hill (29-28) by split decision.
THEY SAID IT:
Cortney Casey : “It feels good. I had tough opponents in my last two with Felice and Waterson. Hill’s tough, too. We took this on short notice, but we wanted a tough opponent. We got that in Hill. I couldn’t have asked for a better opponent and scrap than that. She’s known as a striker and everyone sees me as a ground fighter, but I can throw down, too. We wanted to focus on standing with her. I’m not the greatest wrestler, so I wanted to really time those shots. I really practiced throwing at a high volume and countering a lot. I always think I can be doing so much more. If I’m not finishing fights, I’m doing something wrong. So it’s back to the drawing boards. I can fight at the end of the year. I want anyone in the top 15 like Tecia. I know Mackenzie’s looking for a fight. There are some great fights coming up, so we’ll see how those go. Tecia interests me more, but Mackenzie is looking for a fight. She came from our gym and I have all the respect in the world for her, but I don’t mind fighting her. She wants a top fighter, I’ll give her a top fighter.”
Barberena ends it in the first round! Wow!@Bryan_Barberena #UFCLincoln pic.twitter.com/j4xSxY9V0s
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2018
Official result: Bryan Barberena defeats Jake Ellenberger by TKO at 3:08 in the first round.
THEY SAID IT:
Bryan Barberena : “This feels amazing. I’m really happy with my performance. It’s been almost a year since I fought. I didn’t feel any ring rust. I was happy to take a couple shot that he threw. I didn’t feel anything and kept fighting through. I don’t really care about ranks. I care about the type of fighter. I want to put on an exciting show. I really like the winner of Mike Perry and Cowboy Cerrone. I figured this would be Jake’s last fight. I was saying that in interviews. I meant no disrespect. He’s a great fighter. He’s a legend and has done a lot in this sport. I just respect the hell out of him.”
What a sequence!@DaDeusdaGuerra gets the TKO victory at #UFCLincoln. pic.twitter.com/9YYAq8a2hO
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2018
Some good shots for both fighters to start the round but it’s Figueiredo grabbing hold of Moraga’s torso and slamming him to the canvas for a takedown that stops the stand-up battle. Some big time ground and pound from Figueiredo has opened up a big on the face of Moraga and once he gets up Figueiredo lands a big shot that drops Moraga but then Figueiredo swings for the knockout blow and misses allowing Moraga to somehow get to his feet. Then Moraga lands a huge blow but it doesn’t stop Figueiredo as the undefeated fighter brings the pain with a couple big power shots that send Moraga back down, this time for good. Yet another finish here in Lincoln!
Official result: Deiveson Figueiredo defeats John Moraga by TKO at 3:08 in the second round.
THEY SAID IT:
Deiveson Figueiredo : “I’m 15-0, I want a title shot. I have three knockouts in the UFC. If I can’t have the title shot, I want Demetrious Johnson. I want to show I’m coming to be the champion. My goal was the knockout and that’s what I did. I’ve never found anyone stronger than me. If you go toe-to-toe with me, you’re going to get knocked out.”
OH MY LORD WHAT A KNOCKOUT!!!@ErykAnders #UFCLincoln
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2018
Williams starts things off in round two by landing a couple good shots as Anders pressures forward, evading the big hands of Anders. Williams is able to push Anders up against the cage, lift him up and slam him to the canvas. Anders quickly gets up and the two grapple on the outside of the Octagon before Williams backs off and allows Anders to come forward. Anders putting together some of his best punches and barely misses with a massive head kick. Williams is starting to take some damage her and he is starting bleed under his left eye. Williams goes for a takedown but Anders sprawls away and ends up in a dominant position. The two get up and Anders cracks Williams with a good body kick, then he caught Williams with a good uppercut. Momentum is building for Anders with his powerful hands finding their mark. Williams looks light on his feet heading into end of the round. Really fun round to watch.
Round three starts with more pressure from Anders, both fighters dripping sweat. Anders drops Williams with a big straight left but recovers quickly and Anders lets him get to his feet. Another good left from Anders but Williams answer right back with a good two punch combination. Williams connects on a body kick, blood starting to come out of Anders’ nose. Huge left from Anders but Williams isn’t going away. Great take down defense from Anders followed up with a head kick that nearly lands flush. Less than a minute to go and Williams lands a nice spinning strike, Anders pushes Williams to the floor then out of no where when Williams is trying to get off the canvas Anders lands a devastating head kick that ends the fight in an instant knockout. These fights have been insane!
Official result: Eryk Anders defeats Tim Williams by KO at 4:42 in the third round.
THEY SAID IT:
Eryk Anders : “I came out a little sluggish. I found my rhythm later in the rounds. I did a little too much feeling out in the first round. I said, ‘I cannot lose this fight.’ So I bit down on the mouthpiece, went after it, set up shots and threw more combinations instead of just relying on the left hand. I always search for finishes. I want to be exciting. I don’t want to be one of those boring point fighters. I want to knock people out and get big wins. Elias Theodorou, I know you’ve got a fight coming up in Sao Paulo. Good luck, but I know you want to fight in Toronto. Come see ‘Ya Boi’ in December. He’s in that top 15. That would be a good stepping stone to take my career to the next level.”
Action starts at 8 pm ET
KRAUSE!!!
HUGE knee from @TheJamesKrause leads to the 2nd round TKO! #UFCLincoln pic.twitter.com/JcOXHJqHql
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2018
Despite the trash talk from Krause, the two touch gloves. And then Alves starts unloading massive shots with Krause dodging in and out of harm’s way but some of Alves blows find their mark. Alves starting to talk back to Krause now, with some blood coming from the side of Krause’s head. After a head kick Alves laughs off a shot from Krause but then takes a punch. And that was the beginning of the end as Krause absolutely nails Alves with a huge flying knee and then doesn’t let off the gas. Putting Alves up against the fence and landing crushing blow after crushing it wasn’t long before Alves was out. Lincoln stand up!
Official result: James Krause defeats Warlley Alves by TKO at 2:28 in the second round.
THEY SAID IT:
James Krause : “Speed kills. That knee’s one of my best moves. It’s a fake low kick and then bring up the knee to the head. It lands all the times for me. This win sends a statement to myself. I told you guys that whenever I come in here, I need to answer some questions. I did just that. I feel phenomenal at this weight. I feel strong and hit hard, obviously. I’m tricky and have good cardio. “I want to be next to my family right now. I sacrifice my whole life for this sport and my family knows that. They deserve the time with me. I wish I had a really cool answer for you. Warrley was the only one on my mind. He has a finish win over the interim champion. Not a guy I could overlook.”
Sandhagen gets it done!!@Cors_Life #UFCLincoln pic.twitter.com/3oHkC1406o
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2018
The second round starts off with an acrobatic striking attempt from Alcantara but after he misses he gets clipped and is immediately wobbled. He has never shaken off the damage from the first round. Sandhagen jumps on top as Alcantara can hardly stand. Alcantara covers up and absorbs about 20 shots from Sandhagen before the ref calls it. What a comeback for Sandhagen.
Official result: Cory Sandagen defeats Iuri Alcantara by TKO at 1:01 in the second round.
THEY SAID IT:
Cory Sandhagen : “I told myself I wasn’t going to lose this fight. I sent a statement that I’m not going to quit. I didn’t get to do what I wanted. It went south early, but I handled it. I got on top and paid him back for it. I knew he didn’t have much in the second round. I knew I had just had to do a little bit more to win. Iuri was probably top 20. I want someone in the top 15 by the end of the year. I want one more fight this year, I’ll get in a few next year and then everybody should know my name. Then I can start looking at that gold.”
Back in the win column for @ElDirteSanchez! #UFCLincoln pic.twitter.com/xbuBkJ7Pi7
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2018
Perez starts the second round off with a low kick but Sanchez eats it and returns fire with a spinning back fist that nearly hits its mark. More dynamic kick attmpts from Perez. He is really damaging the body of Sanchez and then nearly gets him with a head kick. With his back against the fence Perez unleashes a nice left hook that lands right on Sanchez’s chin. After a quick scramble the two fighters meet back in the center of the Octagon with Perez landing a shot but then Sanchez shakes his head to as if he didn’t feel it. Sanchez puts together a good combination that forces Perez back to the fence where lands some more shots, including one where Perez used the cage to launch at Sanchez. More big shots from Sanchez in the clinch that leads to a takedown in the finally moments of the round.
Pressure has been a factor for the entire fight, with Sanchez pushing forward and cornering Perez. The third round starts with Sanchez sprinting to the center of the cage and using his kicks to distance Perez to the outside. Great jab from Sanchez that has Perez saying give me more and then Sanchez says heck yeah. Both fighters are talking and really starting to throw shots and the crowd is loving it. A front kick from Sanchez puts Perez on the ground but he quickly gets up, just to get hit by a couple shots from Sanchez. Great body kick from Perez but more pressure from Sanchez has him up against the cage fighting the takedown. Just as we get to the final minute the referee breaks the two fighters up and puts them in the center of the Octagon. Immediately Perez goes for a leaping front kick that just barely misses the face of Sanchez. Perez connects with yet another body kick but Sanchez hits his own head kick. The final bell rings just as Perez gets what feels like his 30th kick to the body. Good fight.
Official result: Andrew Sanchez (29-28 x 3) defeats Markus Perez by unanimous decision.
THEY SAID IT:
Andrew Sanchez : “I dropped two fights due to fatigue because I had no composure. The key for this camp was composure. They key was training, hard sparring and the amazing coaches and training partners at Tristar. I’ve been working on my guard and getting hit while working on my mental strength and not getting angry. It’s a fight, you’re going to get hit. I’ve learned to accept that. I taunted him because I wanted him to get mad and do what I used to do. I used to get angry, throw a big shot, miss and gas. I wanted him to freak out. I could see his shots coming. “I haven’t really thought who I want next. I was on a two-fight losing streak, so it was just about survival. Let me go back to the drawing board and see who I want to fight.”
69 seconds! @MickeyGall gets it done by RNC in round 1! #UFCLincoln pic.twitter.com/da6ytU7BsW
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2018
Official result: Mickey Gall defeats George Sullivan by submission via rear naked choke at 1:09 first round.
THEY SAID IT:
Mickey Gall : “I’m happy with the performance, but that’s something I know I can do any day. I didn’t really get to prove anything new to myself. It’s back to work. I’ve been working my striking tirelessly and I’m excited to put that on display. I planned to put it on display, but the choke was there. I’ve got more to do. We’re just scratching the surface. I respect George Sullivan. It was an honor to fight a Jersey legend. I want to fight at Madison Square Garden. I want to either run it back against the guy who beat me there, since we’re in the Cornhusker State, Sage ‘Corncutt’ or the legend Diego Sanchez. I think Diego would be a hot fight.”
JOJO 2.0!!@DrKneevil transitions from a triangle to an arm bar and gets the tap with seconds left in round 1!! She gets her FIRST submission victory at #UFCLincoln! pic.twitter.com/a0hCiHfcTF
— UFC (@ufc) August 25, 2018
Official result: Jojo Calderwood defeats Kalindra Faria by submission via arm bar at 4:57 in the first round.
Both guys swinging here in round 2! #UFCLincoln pic.twitter.com/70sF3BBLoe
— UFC (@ufc) August 25, 2018
Tuck starts off with a kick but Dober avoids it and lands a nice jab. Tuck connects with a nice body kick early on but that doesn’t stop Dober from pushing forward. Tuck lands a right hand and follows it up with a massive head kick that lands clean but Dober isn’t fazed at all. Both fighters starting to throw down now, with Dober starting to bleed from his nose. Tuck shoots and is able to get into guard but Dober passes into side control and lays down a couple good shots. Tuck is trying to get up but Dober is able to pull him away from the cage and continue working from a dominant position. Tuck nails Dober with a few nice elbows but as the round ends Dober is fully in control dropping shots from the top. Dober ends the round by helping Tuck up. Still all class from the Nebraska native.
Final round starts and both fighters are smiling. Dober looking really fresh with some good movement. Nice straight shot from Dober as Tuck continues to rotate around the outside of the Octagon. Dober and Tuck trade big hooks with Tuck leaning against the fence until Dober shoots in for a takedown that is countered by a guillotine attempt, but Dober slips through into side control. Big elbows from Dober as the crowd chants his name. Good energy here inside Pinnacle Bank Arena. Dober continues to exercise his will in the ground and pound game, with Tuck struggling to get free. In the final minute Dober remained in control with Tuck finally able to get up just seconds before the bell rings. The home crowd cheers for Dober and the two embrace. Dominant performance from Dober.
Official result: Drew Dober defeats Jon Tuck by unanimous decision, (30-26 x 2, 30-27).
THEY SAID IT:
Drew Dober : “I was 17 year old watching the big show. Last time, I was in Omaha watching the UFC from the nosebleed seats. It’s surreal. You can’t really explain it, but it’s just another step on the ladder. There’s more to come. A free mind is a creative mind. I didn’t want to limit my options or weapons. I knew he’s a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, but I feel like I can beat any black belt in the world. If you give me any opening, I will take it. What’s next? Another man, another cage, another location. I don’t care.”
How slick is @RaniYahyaMMA?!
The Brazilian gets the first-round sub at #UFCLincoln! pic.twitter.com/HiCHDXC0g0
— UFC (@ufc) August 25, 2018
Official result: Rani Yahya defeats Luke Sanders by submission via a heel hook at 1:31 in the first round.
THEY SAID IT:
Rani Yahya : “He seemed to be very strong, but he had a loss on a kneebar. He couldn’t defend it much, so we thought leg locks were one of his weaknesses. We worked a lot on that. He was very strong physically.” I want to fight against the very best in the division. I want to fight for the title. I want to fight Dillashaw and become champion. I will tap him, just the way I tapped Sanders. I’m reaching my best level now. I’ve made many changes in my training camp and I have my confidence. At my best, I can beat anyone in this division.”