UFC Fight Night: Oezdemir vs. Smith
October 27, 2018
Moncton, NB, Canada from Moncton Events Centre
Live on UFC Fight Pass (6:30 PM ET), Fox Sports 2 (8 PM ET), and Fox Sports 1 (10 PM ET)
Fight Pass Prelims
Stevie Ray vs. Jessin Ayari (Lightweight/155)
Round 1: I can’t ever watch a Stevie Ray fight without thinking of Harlem Heat. They open up exchanging kicks. Ayari has a noticeable size advantage. This is his lightweight debut. Ray connects with a solid low kick to the lead leg of Jessin Ayari. Lots of respect being shown by both fighters here so far. Ray connects with a solid jab. He is attacking the legs of his opponent and Ayari doesn’t seem to have much of a defense for them. Big uppercut lands for Ayari as Ray moves in with a flurry. Good stuff there. Ayari lands a counter left hand and again it was as Ray was moving in with a flurry. Ayari is starting to get is timing down. Ray lands a hard side kick to the body but he’s focusing on these single shots and isn’t attempting any sort of follow up. He’s just letting Ayari off the hook. 10-9 Ayari but it was close. The leg kicks were working for Ray, but he slacked off on them as the round progressed. Mostly because Ayari was starting to time them.
Round 2: More low kicks are landing early for Stevie Ray. Now much has happened through the first two minutes of the round. Ray seems very hesitant to throw anything other than leg kicks. Ayari is starting to move in with shots and Ray is landing counters. Quick right hand lands for Ayari, He’s starting to show his confidence. 10-9 Ayari He’s just the quicker and more accurate fighter at this point.
Round 3: More of the same early on. Ayari is landing jabs and straights and Ray is having a hard time connecting with anything unless he throws combos. Which he doesn’t seem to want to do. Left hand lands for Ray but Ayari returns a solid jab and follows it up with an uppercut. Low kick connects for Ray but Ayari returns a hard-left hand. Ray is busted open with just under a minute left in the round. 10-9 Ayari (30-27 Ayari)
Result: Stevie Ray def. Jessin Ayari via Unanimous Decision
Analysis: It was a good fight and mostly back and forth but Ayari was just a little bit better. The size difference really came into play as Ayari utilized his reach well. He was also very good defensively when it comes to boxing, but he did absorb quite a few leg kicks through the entirety of the fight. I would assume that the leg kicks won the fight for Ray because it seems like Ayari did enough otherwise, but it was a good win for Ray none the less.
Arjan Bhullar vs. Marcelo Golm (Heavyweight/265)
Round 1: Both guys are coming off the first loss of their careers. Bhullar is a former Olympic wrestler. Bhullar lands a jab early in the round. Bhullar does not look comfortable on the feet, but he is landing. Golm is attacking the lead leg with low kicks which could become a problem. Another low kick lands for Golm. And another low kick lands for Golm and this time Bhullar hits the mat but pops right back up. Bhullar gets through with a nice jab. Golm is starting to bleed a bit from his right eye. Bhullar is attacking with hooks but Golm is defending well. Bhullar forces the fight against the fence with a minute and a half left in the round. Golm circles off though and we are right back in the center. Golm over extends on a kick and Bhullar lands a nice left and then an uppercut as they separate. 10-9 Bhullar but it was close. Golm was controlling things early but Bhullar started having success towards the middle and end of the round.
Round 2: Bhullar connects first with a nice combination. Golm reverses the position though and tags Bhullar with a left hand before backing him against the fence. Golm is using his size here and he has quite a bit of it. Bhullar though is an Olympic wrestler and quickly reverses the position. Bhullar dropped for a single but Golm managed to step out of it. Great defense there by the Brazilian. Golm connects with a jumping knee and a left hook but Bhullar appears to be okay. Bhullar secures an under hook and forces the fight back against the fence. Golm circles out though and lands a nice jab in the process. Bhullar is relentless and forces Golm back against the fence. Golm is having a hard time escaping the cage and it appears that Bhullar is content with just wearing him out for the remainder of the round. 10-9 Bhullar
Round 3: Bhullar is mauling Golm early with punches in the clinch. Golm appears tired but he’s still in the fight. Bhullar drops for a double leg and completes it. He is working from Golm’s guard. Golm has three minutes to figure something out here. Bhullar is landing short punches and elbows from the top position. Two minutes left in the fight. Golm is looking to control the wrist from the bottom but that’s about it. Bhullar briefly passes into half guard but Golm recovers his guard quickly with one-minute left in the round. Bhullar lands some nice shots to the body. He’s just totally dominating Golm here in this third round. He’s landing some hard shots from the top! 10-9 Bhullar (30-27 Bhullar)
Result: Arjan Bhullar def. Marcelo Golm via Unanimous Decision (29-28 x2, 29-27)
Analysis: Bhullar was just the better overall fighter. Golm is big and powerful and he had the right idea with attacking Bhullar’s leg. But as the fight went on he apparently injured his foot and Bhullar started making him pay for the kicks with hard counter hooks. The third round was Bhullar doing what he does best, and he left little doubt about the victor.
Don Madge vs. Te Edwards (Lightweight/155)
Round 1: They are swinging early! Madge connects with a straight left and Edwards is down! Edwards recovers and scores with a takedown putting Madge on his back. That first exchange was really something to see. Incredible movement by both fighters. Madge has an armbar and its deep! Edwards escapes but wow! That was something else. Madge is looking for something else from his back, perhaps an Omoplatta. Edwards stands up out of it though and they are playing the shin kick game. Edwards drops down and Madge immediately traps one of his arms. He’s looking for an armbar, but Edwards is defending well so far. Back on the feet and Madge lands a hard knee and follows it up with a kick to the body. More knees to the body land for Madge. 10-9 Madge…wow…great round.
Round 2: Madge opens up with a hard kick to the body and then a grazing head kick! Edwards is hurt! Madge connects with another head kick and I just spilled my coffee! Edwards is out, and this fight is over! I don’t know much about Don Madge, but I have clearly been missing out. He was a massive betting underdog and wow! Incredible KO!
Result: Don Madge def. Te Edwards via KO (Headkick) Round 2, 0:14
Analysis: That is how you effectively put on a well-rounded performance. Madge looked like an absolute savage and Edwards just never seemed to figure things out.
FS2 Prelims
(4) Sarah Morse vs. Talita Bernardo (Bantamweight)
I had to go put some good in my oven and wound up missing the first round and a half of this fight. My apologies.
Result: Talita Bernardo def. Sarah Morse via Unanimous Decision
Calvin Kattar vs. Chris Fishgold (Featherweight/145)
Round 1: Fishgold is attacking early with leg kicks. That was the Achilles heel for Kattar in his last fight. Fishgold changes levels for a takedown and completes it but Kattar pops right back up. Fishgold is aggressively attacking with punches against the fence but Kattar is defending reasonably well. Fishgold is landing lots of hooks here. Kattar is starting to pepper him with the jab though and Fishgold is starting to show it on his face. Fishgold shoots for a takedown but Kattar escapes and re-centers. Kattar connects with a solid uppercut and continues to bust up the face of Chris Fishgold. Fishgold connects with a sure shot and Fishgold is down! Kattar follows him to the ground and he’s attacking with punches! Fishgold is covering up but he’s starting to wilt, and this fight is over! Kattar stayed patient and picked his shots until he landed what he was looking for.
Result: Calvin Kattar def. Chris Fishgold via TKO (Punches) Round 1, 4:11
Analysis: Calvin Kattar stayed composed in the face of a very aggressive Chris Fishgold and managed to avoid all the big shots on his way to the TKO win. Fishgold looked good initially but his game plan started to fail, and he seemed to lose him composure a bit. His style is controlled chaos but tonight it was really just chaos and it cost him.
Thibault Gouti vs. Nasrat Haqparast (Lightweight/155)
Round 1: They’re exchanging early. Haqparast catches an eye poke and we see a brief break in the action. Haqparast is connecting with some big shots here. He has a clear speed advantage over Gouti. Gouti is just constantly getting beat to the punch here. Big left hook lands for Haqparast. Another big left hook lands for Haqparast and Gouti is down! He pops right back up but Haqparast is right on him. Gouti connects with a nice shot to the body. He needs to find a way to slow Haqparast down a bit and attacking the body is the way to do it. More shots to the body land for Gouti but Haqparast is just so aggressive. 10-9 Haqparast
Round 2: Gouti is applying pressure early in the round. Haqparast is still quick but he has slowed a bit. Haqparast lands a grazing Headkick but Gouti seems unphased. Gouti lands an uppercut. He’s making good use of his jab here and not really allowing Haqparast the chance to set anything up. Haqparast counters a straight right with a hook to the body. Haqparast lands a nice left hook but Gouti shakes it off. Gouti is busted up but still moving forward. Huge improvement for him from the first round. Haqparast lands a solid front kick to the body and Gouti might be hurt there. 10-9 Gouti
Round 3: Haqparast connects with a big left hand early. He’s attacking the body with quick punches but Gouti is returning fire and attempting to move forward. Haqparast lands a hard kick to the body and Gouti is in trouble here! He is running from Haqparast trying to regain his breath but Haqparast connects again and Gouti is down! Haqparast is attacking from the top position with two and a half minutes left in the round. Haqparast is landing hammer fists from the top position. Now he’s added elbows to the onslaught. Gouti is tough but this is quite a beating. Haqparast is looking for the finish with about a minute left in the round but Gouti manages to escape back to his feet. Haqparast connects with a left hook. Gouti is walking him down but he isn’t landing much of note. 10-9 Haqparast (29-28 Haqparast)
Result: Nasrat Haqparast def. Thibault Gouti via Unanimous Decision
Analysis: Really good fight. Haqparast is a really exciting fighter but Gouti definitely exposed a few holes. Gouti is as tough as nails and really was in the fight until that liver kick in the third round essentially put him in autopilot mode. He held on though and should get another fight in the UFC despite his shaky record.
Nordine Taleb vs. Sean Strickland (Welterweight/170)
Round 1: Both guys are landing shots in the early part of the round. Taleb is attacking with low kicks and Strickland is doing much to stop them. They seem to be bothering him here just half way through the first round. Strickland is looking very stiff so far. Jab lands for Strickland. Taleb is much looser and appears to be the much quicker fighter as well. Left hook lands for Strickland. He is outpacing Strickland quite a bit here. Strickland connects with a grazing left hand but Taleb keeps moving forward. Hard low kick lands for Taleb. He is countering Strickland with faster, and harder punches. 10-9 Taleb
Round 2: Taleb is attacking the lead leg early and its really starting to look beat up. Strickland connects with an overhand right and Taleb is down. Taleb is back up but Strickland is staying on him. Nice front kick connects for Taleb to create some space, but Strickland is staying on him. Another right-hand lands for Strickland and Taleb is down! Strickland follows him down and he’s landing some big shots from the top. Taleb is hurt and its all over! Really good comeback for Strickland there. Taleb is upset with the stoppage but he was eating some hard shots.
Result: Sean Strickland def. Nordine Taleb via TKO (Punches) Round 2, 3:10
Analysis: Strickland looked dead in the first round but came alive in the second and never let up once he hurt Taleb with the over hand. Taleb was disappointed with the stoppage but it’s hard to believe that his position would have improved.
Fs1 Main Card
Alex Garcia vs. Court McGee (Welterweight/170)
Round 1: Alex Garcia is throwing some big shots early on as he often does. He drops for a single and nearly gets it, but McGee is making him work. McGee scores with a hip toss but Garcia recovers his balance and forces the fight back against the fence. McGee attempts another toss, but Garcia stays with him this time and winds up taking McGee’s back. He has one hook in and appears to be looking for a rear naked choke. McGee shakes it off and they return to the center of the octagon. Garcia lands a big left hook and then an overhand right, but McGee appears to be okay. Straight right lands for Garcia. McGee is avoiding the big shots, but he isn’t landing much of anything. McGee scores with a takedown just as the round ends. Hard round to score and that takedown may have moved things in McGee’s favor, but he just didn’t really land much. It was mostly a defensive round for the former Ultimate Fighter Winner. 10-9 Garcia
Round 2: Garcia connects with a left hook. McGee had to be hoping that Garcia would be tired at this point. McGee catches Garcia and Garcia is down! Looks like he got caught coming in! McGee stumbles down on top of him and throws a few punches. He’s now working from half guard. This is a bad spot for Alex Garcia. He recovers guard, but McGee is a grinder from the top. The more tired that Garcia gets the less likely he is to win the fight. That’s common among all fighters but especially a power fighter like Garcia. He isn’t exactly a volume sort of guy. When his power fades he fades. McGee is maintaining top position, but he isn’t landing much in the way of ground and pound. McGee connects with a big elbow! Garcia is doing nothing to improve his position. The ref stands them up perhaps saving Garcia from spending the rest of the round on his back. Garcia drops for a double leg, but McGee defends it with just under a minute left in the round. McGee is controlling things against the fence and from there he scores with another takedown. McGee is starting to break Garcia here if he isn’t already broken. 10-8 Garcia
Round 3: Garcia drops for a single leg, but McGee defends and returns a takedown attempt of his own. Garcia defends but McGee stays on him against the fence. Garcia lands a short uppercut, but McGee readjust and shoots in for a takedown. Garcia sprawls but McGee is relentless with the pressure. Garcia is working for a takedown, but McGee is defending well and really making Garcia work for it. Garcia just can’t keep McGee down and score with any offense at the same time. He has McGee’s back and he’s looking for an RNC, but McGee is defending well. McGee spins and reverses position and now he is in top position here with a minute and a half left in the round. McGee is controlling the position, but he isn’t attacking much, and he might need to put on a show to win this round. McGee has incredible cardio and just wont give Garcia any room to move. The fans don’t like it but damn its effective. McGee moves into half guard and he is landing some elbows from the top position. 10-9 McGee (29-28 McGee)
Result: Court McGee def. Alex Garcia via Unanimous Decision
Analysis: Court McGee did what he often does and grinded his way to a hard-fought victory. Garcia did what he could but once it became a grappling match it was mostly all Court McGee’s fight.
Ed Herman vs. Gian Villante (Light-heavyweight/205)
Round 1: Ed Herman is still fighting…he was a member of the Ultimate Fighter 3 cast. This should be a good one. Villante is having most of the success early on. Herman connects with a left hook, but Villante returns a right hand of his own. Not much defense here. Villante lands a stiff jab. Villante counters with a combination and Herman is hurt here. Villante is taking some deep breaths with just under a minute left in the round. Herman connects with a short overhand right. They’re basically just trading very slow shots at this point. Neither guy seems tired they’re just both slow. Herman lands a slick jab just as the round ends. Decent round. 10-9 Villante
Round 2: Villante lands a short-left hook early in the round that appeared to stagger Herman a bit. Herman lands a jab and his facing is starting to show it. Herman connects with a knee. Villante attacks the body with a kick but Herman counters with a right hook. Villante just misses with a big right hook. Herman’s head didn’t move at all, Villante just missed. Bit of luck there for Herman. Villante connects with a right hand as he backs Herman up against the fence. Jab lands for Villante and it knocks Herman’s mouth piece to the ground. We see a break in the action…. back to it and Villante is back on the attack. His right eye and nose are busted open. Villante connects with an over hand right! And then follows it up with a counter left hook! Both guys are landing with just under a minute left in the round. Villante looks like he’s been in a two round fist fight. Herman eats a left and a right! Villante is moving in but Herman kicks for some room just as the round ends. 10-9 Villante
Round 3: Villante opens the round with a heavy leg kick and then a jab. Herman lands a straight right and then a jab of his own. Herman appears just a bit faster during these exchanges. Jab lands for Herman. They both connect with multiple shots in a flurry but neither guy seems overly phased. Herman is really starting to have success with his jab. He’s been having success with it for the entire fight but its really getting through now. Herman drops for a takedown, but Villante shakes him off and they remain on the feet. Villante drops for a takedown of his own, but Herman defends it with under a minute left in the round. 10-9 Herman (29-28 Villante) This fight was close and really could go either way. Herman did a good job of avoiding most of the big shots and did a good job of damaging Villante. It was a back and forth fight though and neither guy really ever took an obvious advantage.
Result: Gian Villante def. Ed Herman via Split Decision
Analysis: Ed Herman looked old tonight, but he found someone willing to stand and trade with him and it led to a pretty exciting fight. Villante was a good wrestler supposedly at one point, but he doesn’t seem to remember that. Herman is very upset with the decision, but it was close.
Jonathan Martinez vs. Andre Soukhamthath (Bantamweight/135)
Round 1: They of combinations are being thrown by both guys early on. Soukhamthath lands a big right hand and Martinez is down. Soukhamthath follows him down and he’s looking for an Anaconda choke, but Martinez is defending well. Martinez is back on his feet and doesn’t waste much time in forcing the fight against the fence. Martinez lands a body kick but Soukhamthath moves through it and lands a right hand as he moves the right against the fence. They separate, and Martinez lands a knee before Soukhamthath catches him with several shots in a flurry. Big elbow lands for Soukhamthath and then he lands a right hand and Martinez is down! And he’s saved by the bell…10-9 Soukhamthath
Round 2: Martinez is landing some kicks to the body early on but Soukhamthath is defending most of them. Soukhamthath forces the fight against the fence but Martinez quickly finds separation. Soukhamthath is attacking with knees and punches against the fence! Martinez is hanging on but Soukhamthath lands several hard knees! The ref stops the fight for some reason…he though it was a low blow knee, but it wasn’t, and he looks like an ass for saving Martinez from the beatdown. Martinez gets the fight down and he is landing some hard shots from the top now. Soukhamthath is defending from the bottom but man that ref stoppage really turned the tide of the fight. That was absolutely an error on his part. Martinez moves to take the back and he is landing some hard elbows in the process. Soukhamthath moves to is feet and they separate with a minute left in the round. Martinez lands a solid elbow and then a knee. Soukhamthath is looking tired. BELL. I really don’t know how to score this round. Soukhamthath had Martinez hurt and then the ref stepped in to separate them because of an error on his part. From there Martinez took over and dominated the round. 10-9 Martinez but it doesn’t feel right.
Round 3: Soukhamthath opens the round with a hard kick to the body. Martinez is looking to control he body but Soukhamthath is making him work for it. Soukhamthath creates some space and he is landing some nice shots to the head and body of Martinez. Martinez returns with a solid knee of his own and reverses the position to take control of the action against the fence. Soukhamthath reverses the position and scores with a takedown. Martinez scrambles to his feet though and is now back in control of things against the fence. Two and a half minutes remain in the round. We see another reversal by Soukhamthath and then another by Martinez and…yeah both guys are tired. Soukhamthath scores with another takedown with one and a half minutes remaining in the round. Soukhamthath is landing some elbows but Martinez explodes up and into the top position. Soukhamthath quickly pops his hips though and gets back to his feet just before the round ends. Soukhamthath is attempting a standing arm-triangle but he’s going to run out of time. 10-9 Soukhamthath (29-28 Soukhamthath) If Martinez somehow wins this decision it would be a shame. He looked like a good fighter, but he got quite a few breaks from the referee.
Result: Andre Soukhamthath def. Jonathan Martinez via Unanimous Decision
Analysis: It was a very good performance for the most part for Soukhamthath. I think when the ref stepped in after he’d hurt Martinez with the knees it led to a bit of an adrenaline jump. Whatever it was though he recovered from his late second round slump and managed to clearly win the third round.
Misha Cirkunov vs. Patrick Cummins (Light-heavyweight/205)
Round 1: Cummins is controlling the fight against the fence early on. Cummins gets a brief takedown but Cirkunov stays on his feet. Cirkunov is looking for a trip takedown and scores with it. Cirkunov moves right into mount and he is looking for an arm-triangle! Its over! Wow! Nice work by Cirkunov to break a two-fight losing streak.
Result: Misha Cirkunov def. Patrick Cummins via Submission (Arm-Triangle) Round 1, 2:40
Analysis: Cirkunov looked like a potential contender before falling into his losing streak. Safe to say that after this performance he has regained some of the hype.
Artem Lobov vs. Michael Johnson (Featherweight/145)
Round 1: Lobov coming in with that extra salty record. Lobov connects early with a solid body kick. Lobov has his hands down and he’s walking forward…anyways Lobov continues to attack the body. He is pressuring Johnson, but he just has an odd way of doing it. Lobov is landing low kicks as he moves forward, and Johnson seems unsure of what to do. Lobov connects with another kick to the body but Johnson returns a solid left hand that busted open the nose of Artem Lobov. Johnson is starting to stick and move a little bit. Lobov faked a takedown and landed a series of short punches in the process. Decent round. 10-9 Lobov
Round 2: Lobov is coming forward early. He lands a right hook, but Johnson is doing a better job of dealing with the pressure in this round. Lobov lands a jab but Johnson returns a body shot to even the score. Johnson is starting to find his rhythm. Lobov lands a hard shot to the body and keeps moving forward. Johnson lands a shot to the body and Lobov seemed to feel it. Lobov lands a left and right hand but he is starting to look extra sloppy. Johnson is starting to show his speed advantage. Lobov lands a hard-left hook but Johnson seems to be okay. Right hook lands for Lobov and then he follows it up with another one. Lobov is having some success with his counter shots right now. Lobov appears to have regained his confidence and he is walking Johnson down. They are exchanging in the final seconds of the round. Lobov lands a hard-low kick that stumbles Johnson a bit. 10-9 Johnson but Lobov could be up two rounds right now. Johnson looks like he’s starting to get tired and Lobov just keeps coming forward.
Round 3: So much for Johnson being tired. He seems fine. Johnson is throwing some wild shots early on. Lobov is moving forward with hooks but Johnson is avoiding most of them. Straight left lands for Johnson. Lobov connects with a low kick but then Johnson checks the second one. Lobov shakes it though and keeps moving forward. Johnson is very much in this fight though. Lobov eats a left hand moving in and his left eye is busted open. The left eye of Johnson seems to be showing some damage as well. Just over two and a half minutes remain in the round. Johnson lands a jab and then follows it up with a straight left. He is looking fresh and Lobov is starting to slow his advance a bit. Johnson is moving forward and landing hooks. Johnson goes to the body and Lobov just avoids the follow up head shot. Johnson is getting thoroughly outworked here with just about 90 seconds left in the fight. Johnson lands a punch and Lobov trips and falls, pretty sure he wasn’t dropped though. Johnson drops for a takedown and scores with it. Just over 30 seconds remain in the round. Lobov closes his guard and is looking to get up but he isn’t doing a very good job of it. He’s looking for a kimura, but Johnson will survive. 10-9 Johnson (29-28 Johnson) It was a close fight and it all depends on the second round in my opinion.
Result: Michael Johnson def. Artem Lobov via Unanimous Decision
Analysis: Close fight. Johnson did just enough to get the job done through out the beginning of the fight and then in the third he really took control.
Anthony Smith vs. Volkan Oezdemir (Light-heavyweight/205)
Round 1: Smith drops for a takedown early but Oezdemir defends and reverses the position against the fence. Oezdemir connects with a big left hand! Smith drops for a takedown but eats a shot and can’t complete it. Smith connects with a left hook and follows it up with a jab. The commentators are commenting that Smith is limping. I don’t see it, but they must see something. We see a time out in the action. Looks like Oezdemir was raked across the eyes. Looks like Smith has been watching old Ric Flair matches. Oezdemir moves in with a flying knee but Smith largely manages to avoid it. Smith connects with an elbow over the top but Oezdemir keeps moving forward. Oezdemir is landing some short shots as he forces the fight against the fence. 10-9 Oezdemir
Round 2: Oezdemir opens up with a leg kick and then another. Every time Oezdemir lands it sounds like the flesh of Anthony Smith is just screaming. Smith moves in with a flurry and tags Oezdemir a few times. Oezdemir is busted open around his nose and eyes. Oezdemir is starting to look a bit tired. He secures a body lock and completes a takedown from there. Smith has a half guard but Oezdemir is looking to pass. He moves into mount briefly, but Smith defends well. Smith is attacking the left ankle of Oezdemir but nothings there. Oezdemir regains the top turtle position and he is landing some hard shots from there. Smith needs to make something happen. Oezdemir is looking for a strangle choke with no hooks but Smith is defending well. Oezdemir is just riding Smith at this point but can’t seem to make anything happen. Smith is controlling the right wrist of Oezdemir. Oezdemir gets one hook in but loses it just as quickly. Smith looks to get to his feet as the round ends but can’t do so. 10-9 Oezdemir
Round 3: Smith is starting to look tired. His mouth is open, and his hands are low. Oezdemir lands a low kick. Smith lands a short-left hand, but nothing follows it up. They’re trading right hands in the center. Smith lands a hard kick to the body and then a knee! Oezdemir is looking tired. Smith is attacking with knees but Oezdemir lands a hard elbow over the top. Smith is walking him with but Oezdemir is avoiding most of the big shots. Smith connects with a hard-right hand and then drops for a double. Oezdemir is down and Smith has his back with just under two minutes left in the round. Smith has both hooks in and Oezdemir could be in trouble here. Smith has an arm over the jaw and its tight! Oezdemir is fighting it! Its over! Anthony Smith just defeated the number two ranked light-heavyweight fighter in the world. Good stuff there.
Result: Anthony Smith def. Volkan Oezdemir via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) Round 3, 4:26
Analysis: Anthony Smith weathered the early storm and escaped some pretty bad situations before getting the submission. Smith is a guy that has actually been cut from the UFC before. To say that he has improved over the last few years is an understatement. Oezdemir gave it a good go but couldn’t find the stoppage early and eventually his cardio and submission defense failed him. This was a good card overall and I would give it a B- if I had to score it. We’ll be back with UFC 230 next weekend.
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Thank you.