UFC 232
December 29, 2018
Los Angeles, California from The Forum
Live on UFC Fight Pass (6:15 PM ET), FOX Sports 1 (8 PM ET) and Pay-Per-View (10 PM ET)
Fight Pass Prelims
Dominick Cruz, Jon Anik, and Joe Rogan are on the call tonight.
(1) Brian Kelleher vs. Montel Jackson (Bantamweight)
ROUND ONE: Kelleher circled on the outside and landed leg kicks. Nice hard right jab from Jackson. Kelleher looked to have a hard time with the southpaw jab. Jackson landed a hard elbow while Kelleher tried to clinch. Kelleher dropped and Jackson was able to get the D’arce choke in and Kelleher tapped.
Result: Montel Jackson by submission at 1:40 of round one
Analysis: A great, short and versatile performance from Montel Jackson. He used his jab effectively to force Kelleher to try and close the distance and then he was able to really hurt him and end the fight.
(2) Curtis Millender vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (Welterweight)
ROUND ONE: These two got in each other’s faces during introductions. Bahadurzada worked the perimeter and threw some leg kicks. Millender was using his reach with kicks to keep him at a distance. Lots of those straight kicks to the knee from Millender. Millender leg kick nearly tripped Bahadurzada up. Spin kick from Millender got a piece. Bahadurzada landed a hard left and then another combo. Millender was throwing jabs and the knee kicks. Bahadurzada rushed in but couldn’t touch Millender. 10-9 Millender
ROUND TWO: Leg kick from Bahadurzada who was talking a lot to Millender. More leg kicks from Bahadurzada. Hard right from Bahadurzada. Millender went for a jumping knee and followed up with some punches. Bahadurzada was bleeding a bit. Big swing and a miss from Bahadurzada. Millender kept composed a threw some jabs. Millender threw a spinning elbow and Bahadurzada was able to turn that into a takedown. He was in half guard and threw some knees and elbows. He landed a few punches but not too much. 10-9 Bahadurzada, 19-19
ROUND THREE: Bahadurzada came out swinging while Millender was working jabs. Bahadurzada’s lead leg looked to be hurting. Millender wobbled him with a big punch and Bahadurzada shook his head but was clearly hurt. Millender landed another big right and another then Bahadurzada went for a weak takedown attempt. Millender was walking him down and landing punch after punch and elbows up against the cage. Bahadurzada went for another takedown and actually got it. Millender got up but was dragged back down. Bahadurzada landed some big punches while on Millender’s back. Millender got back up and they were clinched against the cage. The broke apart and Bahadurzada seems to have recovered but Millender was still landing jabs. Bahadurzada went for another takedown but Millender reversed and ended up on top. 10-9 Millender, 29-28 Millender.
Result: 29-28 x 2, and 30-27 for Curtis Millender by unanimous decision
Analysis: Solid performance from Millender who remained composed and didn’t allow Bahadurzada to goad him into a slugfest. His takedown defense could probably use some work but other than that he is progressing very well.
(3) Uriah Hall vs. Bevon Lewis (Middleweight)
ROUND ONE: Lewis came out throwing bombs that Hall didn’t look ready for. They clinched against the cage and Lewis threw elbows and knees. Lewis with a big right hand as the pace slowed down a bit. Hall went for the spinning back kick that knocked out Gegard Mousasi but missed. They traded front kicks to the knee. Hall threw out some jabs. Lewis threw a head kick that got a piece. He followed up with a right hand that connected. 10-9 Lewis.
ROUND TWO: Hall missed some spinning stuff. Lots of front kicks to the body and legs by Lewis. Lewis with a right hand and a high kick. Some low leg kicks from Hall. Hall nearly ducked right into a Lewis body kick. A scramble saw Lewis take Hall’s back up against the cage. He threw some knees to the back of Hall’s legs. They broke free and Hall landed a sharp jab. and a hard front kick. Hall was able to start walking Lewis down. Hall landed the spinning back kick to the body up against the cage. 10-9 Lewis, 20-18
ROUND THREE: Hall came out with more of a sense of urgency to start the round. Lewis was still throwing punches and leg kicks. Lewis pushed him up against the cage. They were trading punches and just like that Uriah Hall landed a big counter right hand that dropped him and Mark Goddard stopped the fight right there.
Result: Uriah Hall by TKO at 1:32 of round three
Analysis: Good win for Hall who was probably on his way to losing on the cards. Hall is a dangerous fighter when he wants to be, he’s just so inconsistent. It’s nice to see him get a win here. After the fight Hall talked about his sister who is battling depression and said that he was fighting for her. It was actually quite touching.
(4) Nataniel Wood vs. Andre Ewell (Bantamweight)
ROUND ONE: Ewell threw lots of kicks and was keeping his distance until Wood hurt him with a punch and they went to the mat briefly. Ewell landed a left hand but lost his own mouthpiece while throwing it. Wood put the pressure on after and landed some hard shots. Wood dropped him with a leg kick. Ewell looked tired before the end of the first round. Wood landed a nice jab and rushed in with a right hand. Wood clinched against the cage but not much came of it as the round ended. 10-9 Wood
ROUND TWO: Wood landed a series of uppercuts. Ewell missed a high kick and Wood took him down. He landed some small punches to the head and body from full guard. He moved to half guard but lost position quickly. Wood postured up and landed a couple of punches. He landed a few big ones while Ewell tried to spin to get out of the position. Ewell was either looking to the ref for a standup or trying to see how much time was left. Wood landed around ten hard body punches. 10-8 Wood, 20-17
ROUND THREE: Wood initiated a clinch against the cage. He threw some hard knees and then worked to drag him to the mat. He got toe takedown right into side control but Ewell took full guard fairly quickly. Wood worked body shots with punches to the head while holding him down. Not a lot happening but the ref wasn’t going to stand them up. Ewell scrambled free but Wood took his back and was able to quickly get a rear naked choke in. He turned belly down and got the tap.
Result: Nathaniel Wood by submission at 4:12 of round three
Analysis: Nice win for Wood. He didn’t take any risks on the ground but he bided his time until he was able to get the submission. If not exciting, it was a smart performance from Nathaniel Wood.
FS1 Prelims
(5) BJ Penn vs. Ryan Hall (Lightweight)
ROUND ONE: Ryan Hall hasn’t fought in two years. Penn took a clinch against the cage. Penn showed more aggression and looks more with it than in some other of his recent performances. Hall was on the mat and Penn was standing over him looking to get a position but never engaged. Hall stood up and walked the outside of the cage. Hall went for a rolling leg lock out of nowhere and he actually got it and Penn tapped almost immediately.
Result: Ryan Hall by submission at 2:46 of round one
Analysis: Hall looked to have actually damaged Penn’s leg/knee but BJ tapped right away and Hall didn’t hold on any longer than he needed to. That was one of the coolest submissions you’re going to see.
(6) Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Petr Yan (Bantamweight)
ROUND ONE: Silva de Andrade throwing big leg kicks. He looks like a mini Vitor here. Yan was switching stances and throwing kicks. They traded body kicks. Yan caught a body kick and took him down. Silva de Andrade got up. Big swing and a miss from Silva de Andrade. Nice uppercut from Silva de Andrade. Yan landed a right hand and a high front kick. Big body kick from Yan which Silva de Andrade returned. Yan caught Silva de Andrade with a left. Yan had his best shots after Silva de Andrade missed big wild punches. Body punch from Yan. Knee to the body from Silva de Andrade. Takedown from Yan late in the round he landed a couple of punches. Close round. 10-9 Yan
ROUND TWO: Yan landed some big shots early. Nice left from Silva de Andrade. Right from Yan landed. Yan landed a body punch that may have hurt him. Yan had his neck and Silva de Andrade played the fingertip game to avoid knees. Yan took him down in side control. He landed some elbows. Silva kicked his way out but Yan took his neck again and then went to his back. Silva de Andrade stood up but Yan dragged him back down and held on to a waist lock. He landed some big elbows from half guard that cut him open. Yan threw a short knee that may have hit Silva de Andrade in the face but the fight kept going. More big elbows to close the round. 10-9 Yan, 20-18
The doctor and Silva de Andrade’s corner made the call to stop the fight between rounds. Silva de Andrade was cut and hurt badly from those elbows on the ground. It’s a rare thing to see a corner stop a fight but it’s hard to argue with that decision.
Result: Petr Yan by TKO after two rounds
Analysis: Yan showed good persistence in his takedowns and beat a ranked guy so it’s a good win for him. He really controlled the fight standing and on the ground. You have to trust Silva de Andrade’s corner’s choice to stop the fight.
(7) Cat Zingano vs. Megan Anderson (Featherweight)
ROUND ONE: Leg kick from Zingano to open. Anderson is significantly taller than Zingalo and has a huge reach advantage. Anderson caught her with a kick and Zingano turned her back and motioned as if she was poked in the eye. The ref had no choice but to call a TKO finish as he didn’t call the eye poke because there wasn’t one. On the replay, Anderson’s big toe caught Zingano in the eye. They showed a close-up of Zingano and she was bleeding on her right eyelid so hopefully, that means she closed her eye before the toe landed.
Result: Megan Anderson by TKO at 1:01 of round one
Analysis: Super unfortunate way to end a fight. Hopefully, there is no permanent damage to Zingano’s eye. Zingano has had some bad luck with wonky early finishes with this and the Rousey fight. Zingano was still standing in the cage with her eye closed which is a bad sign.
(8) Andrei Arlovski vs. Walt Harris (Heavyweight)
ROUND ONE: They clinched and Harris pushed him up against the cage. They broke apart and traded leg kicks. A big left from Harris missed. Arlovski looked bigger than normal here. Arlovski worked for a takedown but didn’t get it. Harris landed a couple of right hands but Arlovski is eating them. Harris landed a left off of an Arlovski leg kick. 10-9 Harris
ROUND TWO: A couple of leg kicks from Arlovski and Harris poked him in the eye. Arlovski appeared to be hurt in both eyes. Harris did get a hand in there on the replay. Arlovski with a kick to the knee but then Harris took him down. Harris passed to half guard but Arlovski got up. Not a lot of action for a while. A short right hand from Arlovski landed. Kick to the body from Harris. 10-9 Arlovksi? 19-19
ROUND THREE: Lots of looking at each other and missed punches for the first minute. Hard left from Harris landed. He landed another right as did Arlovski. Leg kicks from Arlovski. Harris landed a left and Arlovksi with a body kick. Arlovski with a right hand. He landed another right late. Bad round in a bad fight. 10-9 Arlovski, 29-28 Arlovski.
Result: 30-27 Arlovski, 29-28 Harris, 29-28 Harris by split decision
Analysis: Bad fight. Neither guy really deserved to win. If Arlovski can’t have exciting fights, what is he even there for at this point in his career? Harris shouldn’t be too excited about this win.
Pay-Per-View Main Card
(9) Chad Mendes vs. Alexander Volkanovski (Featherweight)
ROUND ONE: Outside leg kick from Mendes. Volkanovski with some leg kicks of his own. Volkanovski missed some big punches. Nice left from Mendes landed but Volkanovski was covering up. Mendes was putting a lot behind his shots. High kick from Volkanovski. Mendes missed a takedown attempt. Volkanovski landed a right. Left jab from Volkanovski got through. Mended got the takedown with :45 to go. He landed an uppercut as Volkanovski stood up. High kick from Volkanovski. 10-9 Volkanovski
ROUND TWO: Jumping knee from Mendes missed. Hard body shot from Mendes landed that hurt Volkanovski. Mendes dropped him with a left and he got right back up. Volkanovski cracked Mendes soon after with a clean left. Volkanovski With a strong left and then landed two hard rights. Mendes took him down but Volkanovski got up quickly. Mendes was bleeding from the right eye. Volkanovski with a left jab and Mendes looked tired. Volkanovski kept the pressure on. Mendes shot in again and got a takedown and took his back in the middle of the cage. He worked for a rear naked choke but lost it and they got up. Volkanovski dropped Mendes with a series of punches against the cage and Mended turtled up and the ref stepped in to stop it.
Result: Alexander Volkanovski by TKO at 4:14 of round two
Analysis: That was a hell of a fight. Volkanovski is the real deal. Mendes lost but he still looked pretty good here despite getting tired in the second round. Volkanovski can take a punch and keep the pressure on and finish a fight after taking punishment himself.
(10) Ilir Latifi vs. Corey Anderson (Light Heavyweight)
ROUND ONE: Big leg kick from Latifi. Latifi rushed in and landed a left hand. Anderson is already limping from the leg kicks. Latifi grabbed a high single but couldn’t get the takedown. Anderson lost his mouthpiece in a scramble. Anderson with a body kick. High kick from Anderson missed. Latifi back to the leg kick. Anderson limping around again. Night right hand from Anderson. 10-9 Latifi
ROUND TWO: Body kick from Anderson. He rushed in and landed a left hand on the way out. Latifi came in with a right hand. Anderson stopped a takedown attempt but Latifi went right back to it. Anderson was able to defend. Anderson landed a body shot and a high kick. He then landed an uppercut as Latifi ducked it. Latifi failed at takedowns and Anderson made him pay for it each time. Body kick from Anderson. Anderson was increasing the pressure and Latifi started fighting back, looking to get a knockout. Latifi was visibly tired after this and Anderson turned it up again. Body shot from Anderson while Latifi scored with a jab. Big left hand from Latifi after Anderson missed a takedown. 10-9 Anderson, 19-19
ROUND THREE: Body kick from Anderson. Latifi might have gotten his wind back. Latifi landed a left hand cleanly. He then landed a short right elbow. Front kick and a jab from Anderson. Jumping knee to the body by Anderson connected. Latifi got a piece on a spinning heel kick. Nice right from Anderson landed. 10-9 Anderson, 29-28 Anderson
Result: 29-28 x 3 for Corey Anderson by unanimous decision
Analysis: Not much of a fight but it was pretty much what you get from Corey Anderson who has quietly become one of UFC’s top light heavyweights. I don’t think he’s close to a title shot considering the current landscape but he’s in the mix for a big fight at the very least.
(11) Carlos Condit vs. Michael Chiesa (Welterweight)
ROUND ONE: Chiesa doesn’t look too small at welterweight. Chiesa scored a trip takedown. Condit rolled out and Chiesa took his back briefly but Condit got up. Chiesa stayed on him. He landed a knee to the body. He dragged him back down. Chiesa landed some elbows from full guard. Condit looked for an armbar but couldn’t straighten it out. He got it close but Chiesa escaped. Chiesa took him back down. Condit grabbed a leg but couldn’t finish that submission either. Condit threw some elbows on the ground and then Condit took his back briefly. 10-9 Chiesa
ROUND TWO: Big left and a right from Chiesa. Chiesa took him down fairly easily. Chiesa secured a Kimura on the ground and finished it with one arm. Really cool finish.
Result: Michael Chiesa by submission at 0:56 of round two
Analysis: Another really cool submission. They had Bruce Buffer read the result twice, I guess because the house mic wasn’t on. Chiesa looked really good at welterweight and answered any questions anyone had about him moving up. It’s a tough break for Carlos Condit, who just isn’t himself anymore. Chiesa called out Neil Magny in his interview.
(12) Cris Cyborg vs. Amanda Nunes (Featherweight Championship Fight)
ROUND ONE: BIg right hand from Cyborg early. Nunes responded with a leg kick and a right of her own. They were going at it and Nunes dropped Cyborg twice. Nunes absolutely unloading on Cyborg and she knocked her right out. Unbelievable! Nunes absolutely unleashed violence on her just like the Rousey fight.
Result: Amanda Nunes by KO at 0:51 of round one
Analysis: That was a statement performance if I’ve ever seen one. No one has even hurt Cyborg in a fight before let alone drop her multiple times and then knock her out. Amanda Nunes is now a double champ and the future of the women’s featherweight division has to be in question now.
NEXT: JON JONES SAYS HE WON’T FIGHT DANIEL CORMIER AT HEAVYWEIGHT
(13) Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson (Light Heavyweight Championship Fight)
ROUND ONE: Jones moved in for a takedown early and threw a knee as he broke away. He did it again and kneed Gustafsson in the groin. Gus wanted to continue right away and they did. Low kick and a jab from Gustafsson. Jones with the kicks to the knee. They traded low leg kicks. Jones with a punch to the body. Big left from Jones. High kick by Jones is blocked. Jones grabbed a single leg but Gustafsson defended. Gustafsson almost connected with a superman punch. Jones with a body kick. 10-9 Jones
ROUND TWO: Gustafsson came out active and Jones replied with a body kick and leg kick. Jones missed a big right hand. He landed another body kick. Jones missed another takedown attempt but got a knee in before they broke. Alexander landed a right hand then a jab. Another big body kick from Jone. Jones got poked in the eye. They continued and Gustafsson worked some jabs and a right hand. Gustafsson putting pressure on Jones but Jones kept at a distance. Jones with a kick to the knee. A low leg kick from Jones almost tripped him up. The clinched and Jones landed another knee. Gustafsson countered a leg kick with a left hand. Gustafsson landed a right hand. Jones was heavy with the leg kicks. 10-9 Jones, 20-18
ROUND THREE: A nice left from Jone landed clean. Gustafsson landed a left of his own. Jones got the takedown and immediately threw short elbows. Jones was in half guard with Gustafsson trying to get up without much luck. Jones moved to side control and went for a crucifix position. He took Gustafsson’s back and threw big punches from the top. They were heavy shots and the ref stepped in and it was all over.
Result: Jon Jones by TKO at 2:02 of round three
Analysis: Well, love him or hate him Jon Jones got it done tonight. There will always be doubters due to the drug tests but if you simply look at what happens in the cage, Jon Jones is on the very short list of the best mixed martial artists of all time. Much like with the second Cormier fight, Jones was a little slow out of the gate, but he was always in control. Once he decided to turn things up, Jones did what he wanted to with Gustafsson and finished the fight. Jon Jones is UFC light heavyweight champ, and we have to live with that. Jones called out Daniel Cormier “Daddy’s home DC, come get a taste.”
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