UFC Fight Night: Walker vs Hill Prelims
Mario Bautista vs Jay Perrin
In his first bout since March 2021, bantamweight prospect Mario Bautista won a three-round unanimous decision over Octagon newcomer Jay Perrin.
Scores were 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26 for Bautista, now 9-2. Perrin, who replaced Khalid Taha on short notice, falls to 10-5.
Bautista edged out a competitive first round thanks to his sharper striking, even though the pair traded takedowns and had some solid back-and-forth standup exchanges.
The pattern continued in the second stanza, with both fighters having positive moments but Bautista having more of them, particularly at close range. And in the third, Bautista pulled away, logging a dominant round en route to the clear-cut decision victory.
Official Result – Mario Bautista def. Jay Perrin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Jonathan Pearce vs Christian Rodriguez
In featherweight action, Jonathan Pearce put a “1” in the loss column of Christian Rodriguez for the first time via unanimous decision.
Scores were 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 for Pearce, now 12-4. Rodriguez, who stepped in on short notice for Austin Lingo, falls to 7-1.
After battling against the fence, the fight went to the mat two minutes in with Pearce locked into a tight guillotine choke by Rodriguez. Pearce weathered some rocky moments and got free, eventually taking his foe’s back with 90 seconds to go.
Rodriguez started the second round strong with his striking, but once Pearce got close and was able to implement his grappling attack, he controlled the action for the rest of the frame.
Pearce had to play defense early in the final round as Rodriguez went on the attack and rocked him a couple times, but the takedowns of “JSP” came in handy, and once he grounded Rodriguez late, he kept him there until the final horn.
Official Result – Jonathan Pearce def. Christian Rodriguez via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Chad Anheliger vs Jesse Strader
Canada’s Chad Anheliger scored a big victory in his Octagon debut, as he stopped Jesse Strader in the third round of an exciting bantamweight bout.
The pace was high from the start, Strader doing good work on the feet and the mat, though Anheliger wasn’t too far behind, especially after he landed a series of rapid-fire knees in the clinch. The Canadian’s striking served him well in the second as well, as a right hand floored Strader a minute into the stanza. Strader shook off the effects of the blow, and the two proceeded to trade the momentum of the bout back and forth until the horn.
With the fight up for grabs in the third, Strader tried to implement his grappling attack, but it was Anheliger who took the judges out of the equation with a flush left hand that put Strader on the deck. A series of follow-up shots then put an end to the bout, with referee Herb Dean stepping in at 3:33 of the final round.
Anheliger moves to 12-5 with the win. Strader falls to 5-3.
Official Result – Chad Anheliger def. Jesse Strader via TKO (strikes) at 3:33 of the third round
Diana Belbiţă vs Gloria de Paula
Brazil’s Gloria de Paula scored her first UFC win in strawweight action, decisioning Diana Belbita in a close three-rounder.
Scores were 29-28 across the board for de Paula, now 6-4. Belbita falls to 14-7.
The evenly matched 115-pounders fought that way in the first round, Belbita the busier striker of the two while de Paula was more accurate. Nothing changed too much in round two, and that was a good thing for fight fans, as both kept the pace high on the feet. The edge did go to Belbita, though, as she landed several hard right hands on her opponent.
In the third, de Paula added a takedown to her score total, even though the bulk of the war was waged in the standup game, and it was there that de Paula edged Belbita and got the victory.
Official Result – Gloria de Paula def. Diana Belbita via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Chas Skelly vs Mark Striegl
In what may have been the final fight of his career, featherweight veteran Chas Skelly went out on top, stopping Mark Striegl in the second round.
Skelly dominated the first round with his grappling, keeping Striegl on the defensive against the fence and on the mat. But in the second, “The Scrapper” opened up with his striking, and after rocking Striegl with an elbow, he fired a right knee up the middle, and Striegl hit the canvas hard. A series of unanswered shots followed, bringing in referee Keith Peterson to stop the bout at the 2:01 mark.
Skelly moves to 19-3, 1 NC. Striegl falls to 18-4, 1 NC.
Official Result – Chas Skelly def. Mark Striegl via TKO (strikes) at 2:01 of the second round
Jessica-Rose Clark vs Stephanie Egger
Stephanie Egger used her judo attack to great effect in her bantamweight clash with Jessica-Rose Clark, as she submitted the Aussie in the first round.
The fight was fought in the clinch until 2:40 remained and Egger (7-2) threw Clark (11-7, 1 NC) to the mat. Clark returned the favor to even the score, but after the two rose, the Switzerland native put the fight back on the mat and she kept it there, using her strikes to set up the armbar that forced the tap out that ended the bout at 3:44 of the first round.
Official Result – Stephanie Egger def. Jessica-Rose Clark via submission (armbar) at 3:44 of the first round
Gabriel Benítez vs David Onama
It was a firefight for as long as it lasted between featherweights David Onama and Gabriel Benitez, but it was Onama winning his first UFC fight via first-round knockout.
Benitez was throwing fast, hard and often as soon as the bout began, and he had great success against Onama, rocking him midway through the frame with a punch upstairs. When Onama did get time and room to return fire, he appeared to be landing the harder blows, and with under a minute to go, he hurt Benitez and closed the show, with a blistering combination sending the Mexican veteran down and out, with the official time of referee Mark Smith’s stoppage 4:24 of round one.
Onama moves to 9-1 with the win. Benitez, who missed weight for the fight at 148 pounds, falls to 22-11.
Official Result – David Onama def. Gabriel Benitez via TKO (strikes) at 4:24 of the first round
UFC Fight Night: Walker vs Hill Main Card
Joaquin Buckley vs Abdul Razak Alhassan
In the main card opener, middleweight prospect Joaquin Buckley pounded out a grueling three-round split decision over Abdul Razak Alhassan.
Scores were 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29 for Buckley, now 14-4. Alhassan falls to 11-5.
Buckley used his wrestling skills in the first round, scoring a series of takedowns in the process. The expected fistfight did break out in the final minute of the frame, giving Alhassan his best moments, but it was largely a Buckley round.
There was more of the same from Buckley in the second, with the St. Louis native firing off flurries as Alhassan covered up against the fence, while mixing in the wrestling that worked so well for him in the previous frame.
In the second minute of round two, Alhassan got Buckley to the mat and hurt him with a strike, but follow-up misses allowed “New Mansa” to return to his feet. Moments later the fight went to the canvas once more, and Alhassan had his best moments as he landed more shots on his tiring foe as he kept him grounded until the final horn.
Official Result – Joaquin Buckley def. Abdul Razak Alhassan via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
Jim Miller vs Nikolas Motta
Ageless Jim Miller did it again in his lightweight bout with Nikolas Motta, as the man with the most fights in UFC history (39) tied Donald Cerrone for most wins in UFC history (23) as he halted his opponent in the second round.
Miller ate a hard right hand from Motta a minute into the fight that staggered him briefly, but he recovered quickly and got back to work with steady pressure and kicks to the leg. With a minute left, Miller used a Superman punch to close the distance and clinch with Motta, but the Brazilian got loose.
Miller wasn’t going to be denied in round two, as he floored Motta with a perfect right hook and finished the fight with several unanswered strikes that forced Keith Peterson to stop the fight at 1:58 of the second stanza.
The 38-year-old Miller moves to 34-16, 1 NC. Motta falls to 12-4.
Official Result – Jim Miller def. Nikolas Motta via TKO (strikes) at 1:58 of the second round
Parker Porter vs Alan Baudot
Parker Porter won his third straight in heavyweight action, as he outpointed Alan Baudot over three rounds.
All three judges saw it 29-28 for Porter, now 13-6. Baudot falls to 8-3, 1 NC.
The first round between the two big men was an interesting one, with Porter pressuring Baudot and controlling him for a long spell against the fence, but the Frenchman getting in enough shots, especially his uppercut, to keep his foe honest throughout.
Baudot was able to get more daylight in the second round, allowing him to score more on Parker, but the Connecticut product still had his moments as he kept the pressure on his opponent.
Baudot was having his best round of the fight for much of the third round until a takedown in the closing stages by Porter, who was in the mount position and throwing strikes as the final seconds ticked away.
Official Result – Parker Porter def. Alan Baudot via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Kyle Daukaus vs Jamie Pickett
Middleweight up and comer Kyle Daukaus got his first UFC finish in the co-main event, as he submitted Jamie Pickett in the first round.
Daukaus got the fight to the mat in the opening minute, but Pickett refused to stay grounded. The pair remained locked up as they stood, and that led to another Daukaus takedown. Again, Pickett got upright, but after a couple hard shots, he was taken down a third time. This time, Daukaus sunk in a choke, and Pickett tapped just as the horn sounded to end the round. The official time of the finish was 4:59 of round one.
Daukaus moves to 11-2, 1 NC with the win. Pickett falls to 13-7.
The bout was held at a catchweight of 195 pounds.
Official Result – Kyle Daukaus def. Jamie Pickett via submission (D’Arce choke) at 4:59 of the first round
Johnny Walker vs Jamahal Hill
In the UFC Fight Night main event, Jamahal Hill made a second consecutive statement to the rest of the light heavyweight division, as he followed up his finish of Jimmy Crute with a devastating first-round knockout of Johnny Walker.
Hill was looking for the KO from the start, and while Walker calmly dodged any serious trouble early on as he worked into his own offensive rhythm, a single right hand from “Sweet Dreams” sent the Brazilian down awkwardly to the canvas, with another right bringing in referee Jason Herzog to call an end to the bout 2:55 into the bout.
The No.12-ranked Hill moves to 10-1, 1 NC with the win. The No.10-ranked Walker falls to 18-7.
Official Result – Jamahal Hill def. Johnny Walker via KO at 2:55 of the first round
