UFC Tampa
October 12, 2019
Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida
ESPN+
UFC Tampa LIVE REPORT
UFC Tampa Prelims
Lauren Mueller vs. JJ Aldrich (Flyweight)
Round 1: Aldrich is landing in the early exchanges. Mueller is moving forward but she’s having a hard time connecting. Aldrich secures an underhook, Mueller backs against the fence, but Aldrich takes her down. Mueller pops back to her feet, they’re working against the fence. Mueller catches a leg and takes Aldrich down in the final moments of the round. (10-9 Aldrich) Neither fighter got out of first gear, but Aldrich was doing more throughout. Mueller scored with the takedown, but aside from that, she was mostly playing defense.
Round 2: Aldrich is landing a 1-2 somewhat consistently. She changes levels for a takedown, but Mueller defends and backs against the fence. Mueller lands a right hand and a kick to the body, backing Aldrich up a bit. Aldrich returns a spinning back kick. Mueller is taking the role of the aggressor here in round 2, Aldrich is allowing herself to be controlled on the feet. But Aldrich continues to land, while Mueller is mostly chasing. Mueller is getting frustrated with Aldrich’s lack of aggression. Mueller connects with a 1-2, Aldrich is covering up and throwing counter shots. (10-9 Mueller) Very close round. Aldrich was the more consistent fighter but Mueller was chasing her and she really started to turn things up near the end of the round. Aldrich needs to avoid getting trapped against the cage.
Round 3: Aldrich is landing early with some big punches. Mueller is clinching and trying to avoid the big shots. Right hook lands for Aldrich, she follows it up with a well placed left hand. Mueller connects with a right hand, but Aldrich returns fire with a multi punch combination. Mueller is drowning in volume right now, Aldrich is slowly but surely pulling ahead with about a minute left in the round. Mueller connects with a right hand, and then another. Aldrich scores with a 1-2 and then exits the line to avoid the return shot from Mueller. Great performance by JJ Aldrich tonight. (10-9 Aldrich) (29-28 Aldrich)
Result: JJ Aldrich def. Lauren Mueller via Unanimous Decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)
Marvin Vettori vs. Andrew Sanchez (Middleweight)
Round 1: Vettori is opening up with some nice combinations in the early part of the round. He’s cutting Sanchez off, and he’s landing powerful shots. Vettori is charging forward with knees and punches but Sanchez is defending himself so far. Vettori goes to the body with a knee and punches. He attacks again with a knee to the midsection and several hard punches. Andrew Sanchez just shakes off the shots though and keeps moving forward. (10-9 Vettori)
Round 2: Vettori is doing more of the same here in round two. Sanchez just isn’t doing a whole lot. Sanchez shoots for a single leg but Vettori shakes him off. Sanchez is doing a bit more of some of the exchanges but its mostly just reactionary. He’s allowing himself to get hit, and he doesn’t seem to be applying his own offense. (10-9 Vettori)
Round 3: Vettori connects with a kick to the body in the early seconds of the round. He follows it up with a few well-placed punches. They clinch briefly, exchange a few shots, and separate. Sanchez has been far too content to stand and trade at a distance tonight. He is an accomplished wrestler, but we have not seen him attempt much of it at all, despite a disadvantage on the feet. (10-9 Vettori) (30-27 Vettori)
Result: Marvin Vettori def. Andrew Sanchez via Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)
Marlon Vera vs. Andre Ewell (Bantamweight)
Round 1: After an exchange on the feet we see Ewell move towards Vera, only for Vera to jump on his back and attempt a sort of arm-triangle type thing. Ewell escaped after a struggle, but Vera maintained guard. Ewell manages to break the guard and he’s back on his feet. Ewell connects with a 1-2 in the final moments of the round. (10-9 Vera)
Round 2: Vera is controlling the octagon so far in round two. Ewell lunges in with a quick straight right hand! Vera tries going to the body, but Ewell counters with a left hand. Ewell has solid boxing, just your classic stick, and move type stuff, but it works well for him. Vera secures a clinch against the fence, but Ewell breaks it in the final moments of the round. Vera lands a 1-2 and follows it up with a knee or kick to the body, I missed it. Nice flurry to end the round there for Vera. (10-9 Vera)
Round 3: Vera is opening up early. He scores with a high kick and a series of knees! Vera looks very cool under pressure here. Ewell returns fire with a 1-2! He has a fantastic jab. Vera lands an inside leg kick, and they are starting to affect Ewell here in round three. Vera is opening up with punches and elbows, Ewell has backed against the fence. Vera might be slowing down a bit here. Vera has the neck, he uses it to take Ewell down. Vera is throwing down some big shots from a modified half guard and this fight is over! Very good fight, especially the third round.
Result: Marlon Vera def. Andre Ewell via TKO (Punches) Round 3, 3:17
Tim Elliott vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (Flyweight)
Round 1: Both fighters are landing in the early moments of the round. Elliott is as tricky as ever on the feet, he’s mixing things up well. Elliott scores with a low kick and then shoots for a takedown. Figueiredo catches him in a guillotine! Elliott taps and this fight is over! Figueiredo held on to the choke for a second too long but it was a great finish none the less.
Result: Deiveson Figueiredo def. Tim Elliott via Submission (Guillotine) Round 1, 3:08
Alex Morono vs. Max Griffin (Welterweight)
Round 1: Good back and forth boxing in the early portion of round one, which is a bit surprising. I think we’ve come to expect a little more footwork from Griffin than what we are seeing now. Morono connects with a jab, and then a left hook as Griffin attempted to return fire. So far that its a very evenly paced boxing match. Morono connects to the body with a front kick. Very close round, but Morono seemed a step ahead. (10-9 Morono)
Round 2: Griffin connects with a staggering right hand, and then turns it up as he appeared to stun Morono a bit! Morono backs against the fence and grabs for Griffin’s neck. Griffin backs away and we are back in the center. Griffin is attacking the body with straight punches, he’s starting to use more movement here in round two. Morono connects with a big shot and Griffin is down! Griffin scrambles to his feet but Morono catches him again! Morono connects with a spinning backfist, but Griffin is still standing! Wow! Max Griffin took some serious shots at the end of the round and somehow survived. Turns out the shot that initially put Griffin down was a head kick! I missed it initially. (10-9 Morono)
Round 3: Grifin clinches early in the round and takes Morono down. Morono scrambles back to his feet though, but Griffin takes him down again. Griffin is controlling, but Morono is scrambling and avoiding damage. Morono rolls for an omoplata in the final moments of the round. (10-9 Griffin)
Result: Alex Morono def. Max Griffin via Unanimous Decision
Mike Davis vs. Thomas Gifford (Lightweight)
Round 1: Davis is landing some big shots in the early moments of the round. Gifford rolls for an Imanari but Davis avoids it. Davis scores with a few big punches and a knee to the body. David strings together a few punches and tops the combo off with a high kick. Gifford is taking these shots but it feels like a matter of time if he doesn’t start controlling the distance. He’s getting his shots in but not enough. Davis lands a big right hand, but Gifford eats it. Davis opens up with a massive combo, he lands several hooks and uppercuts! Gifford is hurt, he hits the mat and Davis follows him down. Somehow though, Gifford will survive the round. It was honestly hard to type and follow the fight, I couldn’t keep up with the number of shots that Davis was landing… Gifford has a chin… (10-8 Davis)
Round 2: Davis lands several punches to get things going. Gifford rolls for a leg again, but Davis steps away from him. Gifford scores with a front kick to the face, but Davis returns a jumping knee. Davis lunges in and lands a straight right hand to the face of Thomas Gifford. Davis scores again with a left and then a right hook. Gifford pulls guard and goes for a leg, but Davis defends and goes knee on belly. Gifford briefly gets to his feet, but Davis takes him right back down. Davis scores with a right hook. Calling this one-sided would be an understatement. Davis opens up with a combination to the head and body as the round ends. (10-8 Davis)
Round 3: Gifford is looking for a takedown to start the round, but Davis tosses him to the mat. Davis lands a few shots on the feet, leading to a takedown attempt from Gifford. Davis sprawls, but Gifford repositions and attacks a leg. Davis is aware though, and he is maintaining top control. Davis lands a low kick that knocks Gifford to the mat. Gifford is up, but Davis connects with a left hook and a low kick and knocks him down again. Gifford is up, my god this is bordering on barbarism… Davis connects with a right hook and Gifford is down and out. Wow… just wow. Not sure what to say after that one.
Result: Mike Davis def. Thomas Gifford via KO (Punch) Round 3, 4:45
Ryan Spann def. Devin Clark via Submission (Guillotine Choke) Round 2, 2:01
UFC Tampa Main Card
Eryk Anders vs. Gerald Meerschaert (Middleweight)
Round 1: Long feeling out process to start the round. Meerschaert connects with a kick to the midsection. Anders returns a right hand, and then a left. Meerschaert is down but I think he chose to fall down, hoping Anders would follow. Meerschaert shoots for a single leg but Anders defends and keeps the fight standing. Anders scores with a counter uppercut with just over one minute left in the round. Meerschaert connects with a double jab-straight right combination. (10-9 Anders)
Round 2: Meerschaert connects with a 1-2 to get things started. He’s landing his jab with a lot of success so far, and he’s also using better head movement that what we saw in round one. Meerschaert connects with a four-punch combo! Anders backs up a bit and Meerschaert connects with a well-placed kick to the midsection! Anders clearly did not like it. He attempts a high kick as the round ends. (10-9 Meerschaert)
Round 3: Meerschaert is doing more of the same here in round three, but Anders is a bit more mobile. Meerschaert connects with a 1-2 but Anders returns fire with a right hand. Meerschaert connects with a big right hand and Anders is hurt! Meerschaert attacks the body, but Anders appears to have recovered well enough. Meerschaert is looking to find an opening but Anders is covering up and it looks like he will survive the round. Fun fight. (10-9 Meerschaert) (29-28 Meerschaert)
Result: Eryk Anders def. Gerald Meerschaert via Split Decision
Matt Frevola vs. Luis Pena (Lightweight)
Round 1: Pena is a bit off early in round one. Frevola is the aggressor, he isn’t quite landing but he is controlling the action. Pena, despite his reach, cannot seem to find his range. Frevola connects with a right hook! He readjusts and takes Pena down! Pena scrambles to his feet and initiates a clinch. Frevola takes him down again though, but falls right into a modified choke think… I have no idea what to call out. Anyway, Frevola is free but Pena sweeps him! Frevola escapes back to his feet. Pena is applying pressure against the fence. He takes Frevola down but can’t keep him there. (10-9 Frevola) Frevola was well on his way to losing the round towards the end, but I think he will get away with the win. He appeared to tire a bit, and Pena was turning up the pressure.
Round 2: Pena opens the round with a big right knee! Frevola is hurt, he’s backing towards the fence! He shoots for a takedown, but Pena catches his arm and he’s looking for a kimura! Frevola rolls through it and we’re back on the feet. Pena misses with a jab and eats a counter right hand! Pena lands a jab as Frevola moves in, but can’t avoid the right hook from his opponent. Pena connects with a high kick, but he somehow falls down and Frevola is swarming him with punches. Pena secures an arm in the clinch and he drops for a kimura, but Frevola counters and transitions into side control. Pena recovers guard with just under one minute left in the round. (10-9 Pena)
Round 3: Frevola connects with a big right hand early in the round. He follows it up with a 1-2 and Pena slips to the mat! He climbs back to his feet but Frevola takes him right back down. Frevola lets him up, only to land a couple of punches and attempt another takedown. Pena shakes him and escapes the cage. Frevola connects with a right hook to the body. This is such a close fight. Frevola charges forward with a 1-2 and ends the combo with a kick to the midsection. Pena lands a jab, but Frevola eats it and shoots for a takedown. Pena will defend but wow… this decision will be interesting for sure. (10-9 Frevola) (29-28 Frevola)
Result: Matt Frevola def. Luis Pena via Split Decision
Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas (Strawweight)
Round 1: We’re seeing boxing in the early going from the two BJJ Blackbelts. Ribas connects with a solid straight right. Dern throws a jab but eats a counter right hook for her efforts. Ribas connects with a low-kick that causes Dern to stumble. Dern shoots for a single and completes it, but Ribas scrambles back to her feet. Ribas connects to the body. Dern secures a clinch but Ribas hip tosses her to the mat. Dern recovers guard; Ribas is controlling. (10-9 Ribas)
Round 2: Dern eats a counter right hand to start the round. Ribas is the much quicker fighter so far. Dern opens up with a flurry, but Ribas avoids most of the shots. Ribas connects with a quick jab. Dern shoots for a single leg, but Ribas hits her with another hip toss. Dern is finding out that her BJJ game can be neutralized, and her striking is now good enough to keep her in a fight. (10-9 Ribas)
Round 3: More of the same here in round three. Dern is slow and Ribas is countering every shot she throws. Dern shoots for a single, and drags Ribas down, but not for long. Ribas attacks the body with a right hand. Ribas connects with a 1-2 that knocked Dern’s head back. Ribas connects with a low-kick. Dern isn’t making the changes she needs to make, she’s failed to land double-digit strikes in a round tonight. (10-9 Ribas) (30-27 Ribas)
Result: Amanda Ribas def. Mackenzie Dern via Unanimous Decision
Niko Price vs. James Vick (Welterweight)
Round 1: Price is landing early in the round. He connects with a right hand and Vick is down, but he appears to be okay. Vick is back on his feet and he takes Price down. Vick is looking to pass the legs and BOOM! Niko Price connects with a massive upkick! James Vick is out! Wow!
Result: Nikko Price def. James Vick via KO (Upkick and Punches) Round 1, 1:44
Kron Gracie vs. Cub Swanson (Featherweight)
Round 1: Gracie is favoring a front kick in the early portion of round one. He’s looking to close the distance by Swanson is using lots of movement. Swanson connects with a looping left hook. Gracie is staying on him but he isn’t really throwing many strikes. He’s just walking forward. Swanson connects to the body and follows it up with a low kick. Swanson connects with a shot to the body. Swanson is starting to totally disregard Gracie’s striking, he’s dancing around him. (10-9 Swanson) This is going to get bad if Gracie cannot take this fight to the ground.
Round 2: Swanson opens up with a shot to the body. Gracie rushes forward in an attempt to close the distance, but Swanson stays composed and circles away from him. Gracie tries jumping guard but Swanson is having none of it. Swanson connects with a ripping shot to the body. Gracie lands a kick to the midsection, and Swanson briefly tripped but regained his composure. Gracie attempts to jump guard again, but Swanson rolls through it and right back to his feet. Swanson connects with a shot to the body and then the head. Gracie nearly secured a clinch but Swanson avoids it. This is a humbling experience for Kron Gracie so far, but he is not backing down. (10-9 Swanson) Gracie had a few moments on the feet, he landed a few shots, but overall he is getting outworked. Swanson looks like a solid veteran in the cage with a prospect who is in a bit over his head.
Round 3: Gracie is closing the distance here in round three, he’s landing with a lot more success. Gracie attempts to pull guard but Swanson pulls away from him. Swanson is content to box as Gracie tries closing the distance. Gracie secures a clinch and attempts a toss, but Swanson is able to adjust and land on top. Just like that, we are back on the feet. Swanson rips into the body with a hook, but Gracie is still coming forward. Gracie shoots for a takedown, and he completes it! Gracie is working with Cub Swanson in his guard, but he only has 25 seconds to work. Swanson escapes the guard and we’ll end the fight standing. (10-9 Swanson) (30-27 Swanson)
Result: Cub Swanson def. Kron Gracie via Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)
Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Michelle Waterson (Strawweight)
Round 1: Joanna throws a leg kick to break the ice. Waterson shoots, but Joanna defends and backs against the fence. Joanna connects with a 1-2, low-kick combination. Waterson secures a clinch and from there she is looking for a takedown, but Joanna is defending. Joanna is controlling the action against the fence, we’re seeing lots of pressure along with punches and elbows. Joanna is looking for a body lock takedown in the final moments of the round, but Waterson will be saved by the bell. (10-9 Joanna)
Round 2: Joanna is attacking the lead leg early in round two. So far it just looks like Joanna has a much larger arsenal with a lot more firepower. Joanna connects with another series of low kicks, Waterson moves in for a takedown but it was mostly a desperation attempt. Waterson secures underhooks and moves things against the fence. Joanna separates and goes high with a kick, it connects but Waterson appears to be okay. (10-9 Joanna)
Round 3: They clinch early on, Joanna takes Waterson down with a bit of a front headlock type thing. Waterson scrambles to her feet, and Joanna lets her up. Waterson secures a body lock and drags Joanna down. She takes the back and she is threatening with an RNC! Joanna appears to be okay though. She slips out of the choke, but Waterson still has her back. Joanna separates and lands several hard shots as the round ends. (10-9 Joanna)
Round 4: Waterson seems fresh here in round four. She is throwing lots of kicks to keep her distance but then she tries closing it and Joanna is making her pay. Waterson shoots for a takedown but Joanna defends. Joanna takes the back and drags Waterson down, but only briefly. (10-9 Joanna)
Round 5: Waterson nearly connects with a front kick to start the round. They’re working against the fence, neither fighter is gaining much of an advantage. Joanna scores with a low kick. Waterson charges forward and secures a body lock! She takes the fight to the mat and from there she is looking for an RNC! Joanna is back on her feet, with Waterson looking to take her down again. The fight will end with Joanna landing a series of strikes. (10-9 Joanna)
Result: Joanna Jedrzejczyk def.Michelle Waterson via Unanimous Decision
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