UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov
April 22, 2017
Nashville, Tennesse from Bridgestone Arena
Live on UFC Fight Pass (6:30 PM ET), Fox Sports 2 (8:00 PM ET), and Fox Sports 1 (10:00 PM ET)
While the main event has been justifiably criticized, tonight’s show has a solid lineup with several relevant fights. Artem Lobov is possibly the weakest TV main eventer UFC has presented in some time, but he has the ability to prove his worth with an upset of Cub Swanson tonight, a result that I think is very possible.
We’ll also see Al Iaquinta return from semi-retirement after a contract dispute with UFC last year. He’s facing the scrappy Diego Sanchez in a fight that will surely entertain. Ovince Saint Preux will try and rebound from a string of losses against “Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” product Marcos Rogerio de Lima. Appearances from John Dodson, Joe Lauzon, and Jake Ellenberger round out the main card. Keep it locked here for up to the minute results and analysis.
Fighters’ latest MMATorch Staff Rankings are included in the fight listings.
Fight Pass Prelims
(1) Hector Sandoval vs. Matt Schnell (Flyweight 125 lbs)
Result: Sandoval by knockout at 4:24 of the first round.
Hiscoe’s Analysis: Both guys came out swinging for the first two minutes before slowing down a bit. Sandoval won when he caught a kick and took Schnell down with a double leg. Schnell had him in a guillotine at the takedown. Sandoval picked him up and slammed him to the mat, broke free of the guillotine and finished him with hammer fists from full guard. Crazy sequence and impressive finish by Sandoval.
(2) Bryan Barberena vs. Joe Proctor (Welterweight 170 lbs)
Result: Barberena by TKO at 3:30 of the first round.
Hiscoe’s Analysis: Barberena won after both guys were standing in front of each other trying to egg the other on. Barberena dropped Proctor with a straight right hand. He followed up with standing knees to the head until Proctor crumbled to the mat and the fight was called. Barberena is an often overlooked fighter but he’s had a pretty good run of late.
(3) Alexis Davis vs. Cindy Dandois (Bantamweight 135 lbs)
Result: 29-28 across the board for Alexis Davis by unanimous decision.
Hiscoe’s Analysis: I had it 30-27 for Davis. One thing apparent from watching this fight was Dandois’ striking technique was rudimentary at best. Like Rudimentary as in I don’t know that she’s been trained in any stand-up. Much of the first round took place on the mat, where Davis worked for submissions while Dandois tried to work for position from the top. The second round had Dandois try for takedowns but get repeatedly stuffed. Davis picked her apart standing. The third round saw Dandois get a couple of takedowns but did very little with them. Davis worked for a triangle from the bottom and almost had it but time ran out.
Fox Sports 2 Prelims
(4) Jessica Penne vs. Danielle Taylor (Strawweight 115 lbs)
Result: 29-28 across the board for Taylor by unanimous decision.
Hiscoe’s Analysis: I had it 30-27 Taylor. Taylor is an interesting fighter, even though her fights have been largely boring. She’s clearly a good athlete but she’s also oversized for the weight class. It reminds me of when Demetrious Johnson was competitive but not a world beater at bantamweight before UFC opened up a flyweight division. I’m not saying Taylor can reach Mighty Mouse levels if UFC opened up an atomweight division, but I really think she would excel there. The first round was close but Taylor was busier. The second round was close but I gave a slight edge to Taylor who landed the biggest shot late in the round. Penne tried hard to get a takedown in the third round but she had a really difficult time taking down the much shorter Taylor. She got the takedown at the very end of the round but ate some shots in the process.
(5) Scott Holtzman vs. Michael McBride (Lightweight 155 lbs)
Result: 30-27, 30-27, 30-26 Holtzman by unanimous decision.
Hiscoe’s Analysis: That was a clear 30-27 fight for Holtzman. The story of this fight was Holtzman giving McBride everything he could throw at him and McBride ate it all while looking for submissions on the ground. and Holtzman had McBride hurt in the first but McBride caught a break when he took a kick to the groin. Holtzman continued to light him up when the fight continued. McBride had a late guillotine attempt but lost position. Holtzman landed a big standing elbow in the second round and McBride immediately went for the takedown. Holtzman got up and began attacking McBride’s lead leg with kicks. McBride would get it to the mat briefly and work for submissions but Holtzman would always escape.
(6) Dustin Ortiz vs. Brandon Moreno (Flyweight 125 lbs)
Result: Moreno by submission at 4:06 of the second round.
Hiscoe’s Analysis: Moreno choked Ortiz out cold. Ortiz worked hard for takedowns in the first round but didn’t get anywhere with it. Moreno did well from the distance when Ortiz wasn’t on his back but Ortiz controlled the round. They both threw down in the second round until Ortiz landed a big mid-round takedown. Moreno escaped and then dropped Ortiz and pounced all over him. He secured a body lock and worked patiently for a rear-naked choke. He got it in deep and Ortiz went out before he could tap. That was a gutsy performance and solidifies Moreno as a legitimate contender at 125.
(7) Thales Leites vs. Sam Alvey (Middleweight 185 lbs)
Result: 30-27 across the board for Leites by unanimous decision.
Hiscoe’s Analysis: I had it 29-28 for Leites. Leites hurt Alvey immediately with a leg kick and Alvey was never able to get going after that. He told his corner between rounds that the first leg kick hurt his ankle. Leites just kept his distance and hit leg kicks while Alvey looked on in pain. Leites tried for takedowns in the second but didn’t get one. Alvey landed one nice shot late in the round that hurt him. Alvey’s corner told him the fight was even heading into the third but I had Alvey down two rounds. Alvey took a shot to the groin in the third and he danced around like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Soon after he took a finger to the eye. It’s been a rough night to be Sam Alvey. Alvey probably won the third but it was close.
Fox Sports 1 Main Card
(8) Jake Ellenberger vs. Mike Perry (Welterweight 170 lbs)
ROUND ONE: Perry came out with a flying kick to start but Ellenberger took him down quick. Perry got back up and they traded shots in the center of the cage. Perry worked some leg and body kicks to try and get to the inside while Ellenberger worked his jab from the outside. Perry ducked right into an Ellenberger punch. Ellenberger switched up his stance to keep Perry guessing. A quiet end to the round. 10-9 Ellenberger
ROUND TWO: Ellenberger landed a left hook to start. Perry landed a huge takedown, they got up, he went for another takedown, and Perry landed a nasty right elbow that put Ellenberger out cold. Perry did some breakdancing in front of Ellenberger’s stiff, lifeless body.
Result: Mike Perry by knockout at 1:05 of the second round.
Hiscoe’s Analysis: That should be a career for Jake Ellenberger. He’s taken a lot of punishment and knockouts like that are going to take years off his life if he keeps this up. Perry lived up to his hype and showed the kind of knockout power that he possesses. That was a short elbow, he didn’t have time to get a lot of momentum behind it and it knocked the guy out cold.
(9) Joe Lauzon vs. Stevie Ray (Lightweight 155 lbs)
ROUND ONE: Lauzon caught and early kick and tried to take him down. Ray resisted and they engaged in a clinch battle. Lauzon dragged him down and took his back. Ray went for a leg lock but Lauzon responded with some big punches from the top. Lauzon took his back again and went for a rear-naked choke. It wasn’t tight and Ray got out but Lauzon transitioned straight to mount. Hel delivered some hard elbows and punches from the top. Lauzon just dominated Ray on the ground. He passed at will and kept him on his back and did damage from the top. 10-8 Lauzon.
ROUND TWO: Ray’s corner told him to come out and box and stay away from the kicks. He listened to their advice and boxed with Lauzon. Lauzon put the pressure on which seemed to fluster Ray. Lauzon took him down midway through the round. He didn’t do as much damage as he did in the first but he controlled him. Ray won the standup though so I’ll go 10-9 Ray, 19-18 Lauzon.
ROUND THREE: Lauzon told his corner he was tired between rounds. Ray did look fresher and worked some punches from the outside. Lauzon went for a low single leg takedown that didn’t work. He went back for a double leg but Ray held on and delivered some elbows. Lauzon eventually got him down and lied on top while Ray landed elbows from the bottom. Ray got up and hit a nice knee while standing. Ray started to slow down himself but Lauzon was looking worse for wear. Ray turned up the volume and went after him with lefts and rights while Lauzon covered up, trying to survive. Ray landed another knee followed by a barrage of punches against the cage. The horn went and Lauzon leaned into Ray in exhaustion. 10-9 Ray, so I have a 28-28 draw.
Result: 28-27, 29-27, 28-28 Ray by majority decision.
Hiscoe’s Analysis: Good come from behind victory for Ray who took a lot of punishment in the first round. Lauzon just gassed himself out in the first, likely going for that choke and had nothing left for the last two-thirds of the fight. It was yet another entertaining Joe Lauzon fight so he’s not going anywhere.
(10) John Dodson (#10) vs. Eddie Wineland (Bantamweight 135 lbs)
ROUND ONE: Long feeling out process to start. Neither guy landed much clean but Dodson was the busier fighter. 10-9 Dodson
ROUND TWO: More of the same but Wineland started connecting more and did drop Dodson at one point. Dodson was very effective at avoiding Wineland’s power shots. Closer round but another 10-9 Dodson so 20-18.
ROUND THREE: Wineland was pretty busted up from the shots he’s taken from Dodson. Wineland was active but had trouble landing. Dodson kept his distance to ride out the round and pick up what should be an easy decision win. The crowd hated it. 10-9 Dodson, 30-27.
Result: 29-28, 30-27, 30-27 for Dodson by unanimous decision.
Hiscoe’s Analysis: Not the most exciting fight but Dodson proved his worth at bantamweight. He’s smaller than many in the division but his speed will make up for that fact. He might not be a top five bantamweight but Dodson should be able to hang with the bottom half of the top ten on any night.
They announced Maurice Smith as this year’s pioneer wing inductee to the UFC Hall of Fame.
(11) Ovince Saint Preux vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima (Catchweight 210 lbs)
De Lima missed weight so 30% of his purse will go to Saint Preux. He blamed the altitude in Colorado for missing weight in January so hey may be looking at a move to heavyweight after coming in heavy once again.
ROUND ONE: De Lima threw two big kicks to start. He followed up with a kick to the body that connected. De Lima kept going back to the leg kicks but OSP was able to avoid most of them. De Lima landed a nice punch combo capped off with a leg kick. He went for some body kicks. OSP came back with a body kick of his own. They traded punches and both connected. De Lima with another body kick. 10-9 de Lima.
ROUND TWO: OSP switched his stance to neutralize the kicks. He caught a kick and took de Lima down right away. De Lima was bleeding badly from around his eye. OSP landed some big elbows from the top. De Lima tried to use the cage to get up but OSP held him down. OSP had his arm under de Lima’s head and just leaned into him on the ground, was able to cut off his airway and de Lima tapped. That’s OSP’s second Von Flue choke win.
Result: OSP by submission at 2:11 of the second round.
Hiscoe’s Analysis: OSP has some submission prowess when he sets his mind to it. This is more in line with what most people expect out of him. Hopefully, this can be a rebound performance for him and he can compete again with ranked fighters. He asked Dana White to “send the contract” but didn’t say who he wanted to fight next. De Lima should move up to heavyweight next.
(12) Al Iaquinta vs. Diego Sanchez (Lightweight 155 lbs)
ROUND ONE: Diego came out as angry as ever. I’m not sure if he’s intense or just tense. Iaquinta dropped Diego with a right hand. Diego stood up, grimaced at him and then took another punch and went down like a ton of bricks. Iaquinta was elated and ran out of the cage to slap some hands. That was a great highlight reel knockout.
Result: Iaquinta by knockout at 1:38 of the first round.
Hiscoe’s Analysis: Great comeback win for Al Iaquinta. Hopefully, he chooses to continue fighting because he has potential to be a star and a top shelf fighter. As for Diego, as entertaining as he is, his shelf life is running up. Just like Jake Ellenberger earlier, that knockout wasn’t good for him.
(13) Cub Swanson (#4) vs. Artem Lobov (Featherweight 145 lbs)
ROUND ONE: Lobov came out flat-footed with lots of hand movement. USA chant from the crowd. Lobov got a hard-fought takedown. Cub got up before Lobov could do anything. Lobov landed a leg kick. Cub got two left hands in. Loboc came back with two light leg kicks. Lobov looked to be trying to counter Cub’s punches and catch him ducking his head after punching. Cub took a look at the clock with over two minutes to go. Lobov with a counter punch and another leg kick. Lobov landing more as the round ends but Cub was becoming more aggressive. 10-9 Lobov.
ROUND TWO: Cub came out swinging and landed a head kick. Cub fainted often and would land a straight punch right after. Lobov worked the same punch/leg kick combos that worked for him in the first. They clinched up and Lobov went for a trip takedown but couldn’t get it. They traded knees in the clinch and Cub got a takedown. Cub got mount and Lobov immediately gave up his back. He worked for a rear-naked choke but Lobov stood up with Swanson on his back. They broke free and traded shots in the middle until the horn. 10-9 Swanson, 19-19.
ROUND THREE: Swanson and Lobov both landed punches standing. Cub smiled one off and gave a couple of kicks right to Lobov’s knee. Lobov landed a couple of left hands. Swanson clinched and pushed Lobov against the cage. They broke apart and Swanson unloaded a couple of big punches that opened a cut on Lobov. Cub landed a head kick and Lobov was on wobbly legs. Cub started acting like he’s toying with him and then Herb Dean called a stop so the doctor could look at the cut on Lobov’s eye. They restarted the fight and Cub landed a big left hook. Swanson landed another head kick and he had a lot of confidence. A straight right stunned Lobov. Lobov caught a kick and took him down as the round ended. 10-9 Swanson 29-28.
ROUND FOUR: The pace slowed down a bit this round. Swanson connected with a nice spinning back elbow. Lobov’s counter game is starting to become less and less effective. Lobov went for a takedown that missed. Lobov landed a left but Cub came right back with a right hand. Cub missed a big spin kick at the horn. 10-9 Swanson, 39-37.
ROUND FIVE: Body kick by Lobov to start. Lobov knocked him down briefly with a left that may have been a slip. They clinched up and Swanson worked the body against the cage. Lobov ate some right hands from Swanson. Lobov went in for a takedown that was pushed aside easily. Lobov had him press against the cage and Swanson landed a knee to the head from that position. Another head kick from Swanson landed. Swanson landed a nice judo takedown. Lobov turtled up while Swanson worked on him. He got up and they traded shots until the horn. 10-9 Swanson. 49-46.
Result: 49-46, 49-46, 50-45 for Swanson by unanimous decision.
Hiscoe’s Analysis: Good fight and an impressive showing by Lobov, even in losing. Cub showed some versatility in his striking game but you could be critical of the fact that he couldn’t finish Lobov off when he had him in trouble. Cub asked to fight the winner of Aldo-Holloway in June. I don’t think Cub Swanson is up there with the very top featherweights, but he’s close.
Overall a good TV card but the usual problem of being too long. With three finishes on the main card, they should be able to get these fights done in under three hours. If they can’t, they should cut back to 5 fight main cards.
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