UFC 230
November 3, 2018
New York City, NY from Madison Square Garden
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
Marcos Rogerio De Lima vs. Adam Wieczorek (Heavyweight/265)
Favorite: Adam Wieczorek -210
Round 1: Wieczorek will have a big reach and height advantage in this fight while De Lima is the heavier of the two by roughly twenty pounds. De Lima is opening up with low kicks and hooks. He’s holding his hands high and he’s looking for a big shot. Lots of movement by Wieczorek early on. He moves in for a body lock and completes a takedown. De Lima is on his back now with Wieczorek on top in his opponents half guard. Wieczorek is looking for an arm lock but De Lima escapes nicely to his feet only to take Wieczorek down. De Lima is working from the top, but he isn’t doing a ton in terms of damage. He’s looking to pass but no luck so far. De Lima is looking for an arm triangle now it seems but Wieczorek is defending well. Strange game plan for De Lima because he seemed to be the far superior fighter on the feet but he’s choosing to keep it on the ground here. Wieczorek is not doing a whole lot to get up but he’s probably dealing with the weight disadvantage right now. De Lima is opening up with some big shots in the final seconds of the round. He landed a few hard-left hands, but his opponent will survive the round. 10-9 De Lima
Round 2: De Lima lands a series of leg kicks early and then closes the distance for a body lock. He is looking for a takedown against the fence but can’t quite get it before Wieczorek breaks the clinch. De Lima is throwing low kicks and they are keeping Wieczorek from taking this fight to the ground. Lots of clinch work by both guys but Wieczorek can’t find anything. De Lima is starting to really bash his opponent legs with his low kicks. Good well-rounded performance by De Lima so far here tonight. We see a separation due to inaction. De Lima is still swinging and Wieczorek seems to just be content with survival at this point. De Lima sends a few last second hooks towards Wieczorek just as the round ends. 10-9 De Lima
Round 3: Wieczorek’s left leg is giving him problems. He’s looking for a takedown, but De Lima is defending well. De Lima completes a hip toss right into side control. He isn’t doing much from there, but he is certainly winning the round. De Lima moves into mount with roughly three minutes left in the round. Wieczorek escapes but trips right back down to the mat and De Lima is back on top. De Lima is sitting in his opponent’s guard and the ref has seen enough so we see a stand up. De Lima completes another takedown from the body lock position with under a minute left in the round. 10-9 De Lima (30-27 De Lima)
Result: Marcos Rogerio De Lima def. Adam Wieczorek via Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)
Analysis: It was what it was. De Lima controlled most of the fight and landed effective leg kicks and takedowns. It was a bit uninspiring, but he did more than enough to get the job done. The leg kicks were brutal, but De Lima seemed content to win the fight in other ways. It certainly seemed like he could have earned a stoppage with a bit more pressure.
(2) Brian Kelleher vs. Montel Jackson (Bantamweight)
Result: Bout Cancelled due to illness.
Shane Burgos vs. Kurt Holobaugh (Featherweight/145)
Favorite: Shane Burgos -340
Round 1: I missed the first few seconds of the fight because of a pop up that tricked me…what can I say. Anyway, Holobaugh opened up with a series of nice low kicks. Holobaugh then hurt Burgos with a left and dropped him with a right. He dropped for the finish, but Burgos caught him in an armbar and got the finish! Impressive stuff there by Shane Burgos and nice recovery from what was looking look a bad situation for him.
Result: Shane Burgos def. Kurt Holobaugh via Submission (Armbar) Round 1, 2:11
Analysis: Holobaugh looked very good on the feet and he clearly rocked Burgos and put him down hard. Burgos slapped on the armbar from his back though and got the tap. Good back and forth fight.
Matt Frevola vs. Lando Vannata (Lightweight/155)
Favorite: Lando Vannata -285
Round 1: Frevola is very aggressive early. He’s thrown three or four head kicks in the first half minute of the fight. Vannata lands a high Headkick and Frevola is down! Frevola recovers but man that was a shot. Frevola lands a mean kick to the body but Vannata downplays it. Great fight so far. Vannata moves forward with a quick combination but Frevola returns a hard-right hand. Frevola lands a hard-counter right hand. Vannata connects with a straight right in return. Frevola connects with a grazing spinning wheel kick and then drops Vannata with a jab. Vannata is quickly back on his feet though. Vannata shoots for a single and Frevola shakes it and just avoids a Headkick from Vannata in the process. Frevola connects with a hard-right hand and then a knee! Vannata shoots in for a takedown but Frevola counters with a guillotine! He rolls to mount but Vannata escapes! Wow that was hard to keep up with. Just 100 percent offense from start to finish. Both guys landed big shots, and both were hurt but Frevola is putting on quite a show right now. 10-9 Frevola
Round 2: Frevola looks fresh. Vannata connects with a spinning back kick. Vannata connects with a jab and then a wheel kick…wow. Frevola is okay but Vannata connects with a straight right and Frevola is down! He’s right back up but Vannata is looking for the kill! Hard left hook to the body lands for Vannata and he follows it up with a right hook to the body. This is a hell of a fight. Vannata looks like a snake just stalking his prey. Frevola is hurt and he has slowed down a lot, but he is still in the fight. Left hook to the body lands for Vannata and then an uppercut! Spinning back kick to the face lands for Vannata! Vannata is attacking the leg and then going straight for the head with high kicks. Frevola is starting to land some effective straight punches. Frevola shoots for the double leg but Vannata easily sprawls it and they return to the feet. Frevola shoots for a single but Vannata catches his neck this time and manages to avoid it. 10-9 Vannata
This fight is worth watching when you have the time.
Round 3: Vannata catches a body kick from Frevola but Frevola unloads with some serious shots while Vannata was holding his leg. Interesting sequence of events there. Vannata complete the takedown but Frevola pops right back up and we are back in the center. The pace has slowed considerably but both guys are still throwing lots of kicks. Frevola is taking some deep breathes though and Vannata is keeping the pressure on him. Frevola drops for a double and gets it but he can’t keep Vannata there and we are right back on the feet with just under a minute left in the round. Frevola connects with a nice combination just as the round ends. Damn that was a close fight. I wouldn’t be shocked to see a draw here but I’m going to force myself to pick. 10-9 Frevola (29-28 Frevola) Could go either way though and these guys deserve a bonus of some kind. Fantastic fight to end the Fight Pass prelims.
Result: Matt Frevola and Lando Vannata fight to a Majority Draw
Analysis: Its going to be difficult to top this in terms of fight of the night. The third round was so close that I think the Draw was a fine decision here.
Fox Sports 1 Prelims
Lyman Good vs. Ben Saunders (Welterweight/170)
Favorite: Lyman Good -605 Favorite
Round 1: Saunders lands a big left hand to start the round. Nice shot there that staggered Good a little bit. Good initiates a clinch but Saunders is returning some knees. Good lands a series of uppercuts and Saunders is out cold. Good landed a few shots on the ground but they were totally unnecessary. Serious power there shown by Lyman Good
Result: Lyman Good def. Ben Saunders via KO (Punches) Round 1, 1:32
Analysis: Lyman Good looked absolutely ferocious tonight and once he landed a good shot on Saunders it was all over. He hasn’t fought much as of late but if he can be more active and string together a few wins he could be an interesting contender.
Julio Arce vs. Sheymon Moraes (Featherweight/145)
Favorite: Julio Arce
Round 1: Moraes drops Arce early! Arce is covering up but Moraes is landing some big shots! Arce is looking for a reverse triangle but Moraes isn’t having it and easily escapes. Arce seems to have recovered his senses and he is now controlling things against the fence. Lots of knees being thrown by both guys. Arce is looking for a takedown from the waist lock position, but his opponent is defending well. Arce has managed to take the back standing with a slick little maneuver off the cage and he is now looking for a rear naked choke. Moraes is defending well but this is a bad position for him. Somewhere Damian Maia is smiling. Arce has one-minute left to work. Moraes is going to survive the round. (10-9 Arce) Moraes landed some good shots to drop Arce in the early part of the round but the work by Arce against the fence should earn him the round.
Round 2: Moraes lands a quick right hand early on the round. Arce scores with a quick takedown though and avoids any sort of a follow up shot. Moraes is landing some nice elbows against the fence and Arce is busted open. Wow…he is bleeding very heavily…I mean this is some Ric Flair level stuff. Arce seems to be okay, but he is bleeding very badly. Moraes lands a hard kick to the body. It looks like Julio Arce is auditioning for Carrie…I can’t get over this blood. Moraes lands a hard-right hand and Arce is down! Moraes is pouring it on him on the ground! Arce is going to survive though, and they are back on the feet with thirty seconds left in the round. (10-9 Moraes) Wouldn’t be shocked if we see a doctor or corner stoppage here.
Round 3: And we will continue. I don’t mean to keep making comments like this, but Julio Arce looks like a hatchet victim, but he’s smiling. He just doesn’t care. Great stuff here. Moraes lands a short elbow. Much slower round than the first two. Arce connects with a front kick to the body but doesn’t attempt a follow up. Arce lands a good knee and a hard-left hand but Moraes keeps moving forward. Moraes lands another short elbow as they briefly clinch. This is a hard fight to score. Moraes is winning but it might not be by as much as it seems. Arce is just bleeding so heavily that it’s hard to look past it. Arce is landing some nice right hands though and Moraes isn’t a fan of them. Arce is coming forward with just under thirty seconds left in the round. 10-9 Arce (29-28 Arce) Its hard to say which way the judges are going to call this fight. Both guys fought well but that cut was something else. It didn’t seem to effect Arce very much though and he seemed fine in the third round in terms of cardio.
Result: Sheymon Moraes def. Julio Arce via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29,30-26)
Analysis: It was bloody, and it was back and forth. Arce showed a lot of heart but Moraes never faded even when he started getting tired.
Sijara Eubanks vs. Roxanne Modafferi (Flyweight/125)
Favorite: Sijara Eubanks -600
Round 1: Eubanks is controlling the action on the feet early. Modafferi is working but she looks a bit awkward. Eubanks scores with a takedown and comes down right into Modafferi’s guard. Roxanne has an arm trapped but Eubanks is a BJJ Blackbelt, so this should be a fairly even fight on the ground. Modafferi is throwing some rather frantic looking up kicks but Eubanks is avoiding them and controlling her opponent well. Modafferi briefly escapes to her feet but Eubanks takes her right back down. Roxanne is looking for an armbar, but Eubanks just isn’t having it. Eubanks is landing some shots from the top but nothing that will finish the fight. 10-9 Eubanks
Round 2: Roxanne is landing some decent shots early in the round. Eubanks is far more powerful, but she isn’t landing here so far in the second round. Roxanne is landing but the shots just don’t have much power on them. Eubanks lands a Headkick and Modafferi is down! Eubanks chooses to let Modafferi up. Modafferi is moving in for a takedown of her own but Eubanks is making her work for it. Modafferi counters a takedown attempt with a hip toss and she is now in top position! Modafferi is working from the top possibly for an Americana. Modafferi is looking to pass but Eubanks is maintaining half guard. Eubanks is looking for a kimura but its from a dangerous position. Modafferi could step over into an armbar. 10-9 Modafferi It as close but the takedown and overall control should give it to her. Eubanks had her moments, but she seemed to be fading fast during the second round.
Round 3: Eubanks is landing early. She seems to have recovered a bit of her stamina. Modafferi is returning shots of her own though. This has turned into a decent scrap. Modafferi shoots in for a takedown but Eubanks avoids it. Hard right-hand lands for Modafferi! Both fighters appear to be tired. Its about who wants it more at this point…I think…I’m certainly not speaking from experience. Hard right-hand lands for Eubanks! And then another! Eubanks completes a takedown with just over two minutes left in the round. Eubanks is controlling from the top here and she is in a good position to ride out the round here. Modafferi almost completed a sweep but Eubanks managed to maintain her balance. One minute remains in the fight. Modafferi gives up her back with about thirty seconds left in the round. Modafferi gets to her feet and they’re tied up as the round ends. 10-9 Eubanks (29-28 Eubanks)
Result: Sijara Eubanks def. Roxanne Modafferi via Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)
Analysis: Eubanks is a good fighter. She was powerful on the feet and she is skilled on the ground as well. But her cardio left a lot to be desired and I can’t help but feel that Valentina Schevchenko would have been able to exploit that fact. The division is very thin though so its possible we could see the two matched up sooner rather than later.
Jason Knight vs. Jordan Rinaldi (Featherweight/145)
Favorite: Jason Knight -270
Round 1: Knight opens up with a nice combination. Rinaldi lands a nice left hook! Rinaldi drops for a double leg and completes it. Knight recovers guard but Rinaldi is looking for a pass into side control. Knight is looking for something from his back, but Rinaldi is doing a good job of pressing him down. Knight briefly gets up, but Rinaldi takes him right back down! Knight is utilizing mission control and used it to set up an Omoplatta, but Rinaldi quickly escaped. Rinaldi is landing some nice short shots and Knight doesn’t seem to have much of an answer for it at this point. One minute remains in the round. Jason Knight is taking a lot of punishment here in the first round. Nothing huge but he has been eating a constant barrage of shots for the last two minutes or so. 10-9 Rinaldi
Round 2: Rinaldi scores with a takedown early. Jason Knight has lost three straight fights…this is not a good position or him. Rinaldi moves to the back and locks in a body triangle. Knight is hand fighting, but Rinaldi is looking for a rear naked choke and he has just under three minutes left to find it. Rinaldi is totally controlling this round. Knight just doesn’t seem to have an answer for the positions he keeps finding himself in. Rinaldi is relentless with this RNC attempt but Knight has defended very well up to this point and it looks like he will survive the round. 10-8 Rinaldi
Round 3: Rinaldi shoots in for a takedown, but this time Knight is able to sprawl it. Jason Knight lands a slick leg kick that knocks Rinaldi off balance and Knight takes him down! Rinaldi reverses the position though and he is looking for a kimura from the top. Knight escapes the position, but Rinaldi takes his back and locks in a body triangle. Unless Knight can figure something out he is going to lose this round and the fight. Rinaldi is attacking with a neck crank, but Knight is hanging tough. Knight climbs to his feet and front flips forward but Rinaldi holds on. This is by far the best I have ever seen Jordan Rinaldi look. He looks like a completely different fighter down at featherweight. 10-8 Rinaldi (30-25 Rinaldi)
Result: Jordan Rinaldi def. Jason Knight via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-25)
Analysis: Jordan Rinaldi absolutely dominated and made himself a fighter to watch in the featherweight division. As for Knight this makes four losses in a row and that usually isn’t good.
Pay-Per-View Main Card
(8) Derek Brunson vs. (9) Israel Adesanya (Middleweight/185)
Favorite: Israel Adesanya -290
Round 1: Brunson goes right for a body lock. Good to see him using his head early. We see a separation after Brunson gets a warning for holding the shorts. Brunson shoots for a single but Adesanya steps right out of it. Brunson fights for an secures and under hook though and forces the fight against the fence. Adesanya steps off from the cage though and escapes the clinch. Brunson is leading with his chin and it’s a bit nerve racking to watch. Adesanya connects with a grazing head kick and then sprawls a takedown from Brunson. Adesanya is doing a good job of getting off the fence when Brunson puts him there. Brunson seems very nervous. Adesanya hurt Brunson with a knee and he is looking for the finish! Brunson is looking to get back to his feet but Adesanya puts him right back down! Again, Brunson gets back to his feet an Adesanya drops him with a right hand and then a left and Herb Dean steps in! That finish was something to see…
Result: Israel Adesanya def. Derek Brunson via TKO (Head kick and Punches) Round 1, 4:51
Analysis: Israel Adesanya avoided the early takedown attempts and once he started landing it was only a matter of time. He has the ability to string strikes together in a way that you don’t often see in MMA. He is now 15-0 with several legit wins and should get a top five fighter in his next bout.
We got a camera shot of Ben Askren at ringside. Joe Rogan got in his feelings about Askren and that’s that. Hopefully we see him debut sometime soon.
Karl Roberson vs. Jack Marshman (Middleweight/185)
Favorite: Karl Roberson -160
Round 1: Roberson connects with a big left hook early on and then a hard-low kick. Marshman is having a hard time getting past the hard shots of Karl Roberson. Roberson has a serious speed advantage and so far, he hasn’t been able to overcome it. Body kick lands for Roberson. Marshman is very tentative here. He is taking the shots on the chin, but he just isn’t offering up much offense in return. 10-9 Roberson
Round 2: Roberson is the aggressor early. He scores with a takedown and Marshman is down and on his back. Roberson is in side control and seems content to work from there. Roberson is mostly just maintaining control but he’s certainly winning the round. No attempt at advancement though. Slow round. 10-9 Roberson
Round 3: Low kick lands for Roberson. Roberson connects with a left hand but Marshman is still on his feet. Not a lot of out put by either fighter right now but Roberson is definitely winning the round. Roberson lands a mean left hook but Marshman is still in there. Roberson shoots in for a takedown and completes it with little resistance. He moves into side control with two minutes left in the round. Roberson is pressuring but isn’t attacking much considering the dominant position. Roberson moves right into mount and he is landing some short elbows from there. Marshman is looking to escape the mount but it isn’t happening. 10-9 Roberson (30-27 Roberson)
Result: Karl Roberson def. Jack Marshman via Unanimous Decision (30-26 x2, 30-27)
Analysis: It was what it was. Roberson was the clearly superior fighter and he proved that all night. He landed strikes and takedowns whenever he wanted and is now 2-1 in the UFC.
(7) David Branch vs. Jared Cannonier (Middleweight/185)
Favorite: David Branch -700
Round 1: David Branch scores with a takedown early. Cannonier regains his footing but Branch takes him down again. He can’t keep him there though and Cannonier climbs back to his feet. Branch lands a solid jab and then drops for another takedown. He completes it and he is now 3 for 3 I believe. Branch is trying to take the back but Cannonier is using the fence to avoid that situation. Branch has a leg trapped and he is landing some short punches. Cannonier doesn’t have an answer at this point. Cannonier is back on his feet and they separate. Branch shoots in for another takedown but he didn’t seem to have as much pop on that one. Cannonier is now controlling the fight against the fence with thirty seconds left in the round. Cannonier is attacking with some big shots but it looks like Branch will survive the round. 10-9 Branch
Round 2: Cannonier connects with a big straight left and Branch is down! Cannonier is looking for the finish and it looks like he is going to get it here. Wow tremendous upset here by Jared Cannonier. He is going to move well into the rankings after this one.
Result: Jared Cannonier def. David Branch via TKO (Punches) Round 2, 0:29
Analysis: David Branch took a risk by taking this fight and it did not pay off. This is a tough set back for a guy that had managed to put together a good run in recent years. As for Cannonier its clear that if he can keep making weight he could have a bright future at 185.
(3) Chris Weidman vs. (5) Ronaldo Souza (Middleweight/185)
Favorite: Chris Weidman -170
Round 1: Weidman seems a little unsure of what to do early on. Weidman connects with a right hand that staggers Souza! Lots of good exchanges here with both guys finding success. Good leg kick lands for Souza. Weidman is starting to put together some nice combinations here with about a minute left in the round. Souza is bleeding from his nose. Weidman is starting to mix up his strikes with punches and kicks to the body. Souza landed a hard knee and Weidman didn’t like it, but he shakes it off and keeps coming forward. 10-9 Weidman
Round 2: Souza is having success with a quick 1, 2. He’s occasionally following it up with a leg kick and its throwing Souza off. Weidman connects with a big left hook to the body. A nice change up from the series of jabs that preceded it. Souza connects with a big right hand and Souza is on him. He lands a big shot to the body and then a right hand to the chin of Chris Weidman. Left hook lands for Weidman! Weidman is stalking! Both guys are looking for a clinch, but neither can secure it. Souza is bleeding from the nose and his jaw is wide open and hanging. Weidman works for a clinch, but Souza makes him pay with a couple of uppercuts. Weidman forces the fight against the fence with twenty-five seconds left in the round. They’re scrambling for position now just as the round ends. 10-9 Weidman
Round 3: Weidman opens up early with a jab and a hard kick to the body. Left hook lands for Souza and he is attacking with knees and punches! Big knee to the head lands for Chris Weidman! Souza is starting to take some deep breathes here. Weidman is starting to turn up the pressure! His jab looks absolutely fantastic tonight! Souza is still in the fight though and reminds Weidman of that with a hard kick to the body. Souza opens up with some big shots and he is hurting Weidman badly here! Souza lands a big right hook and this fight is over! Wow that was a hell of a fight!
Result: Ronaldo Jacare Souza def. Chris Weidman via TKO (Punches) Round 3, 2:46
Analysis: That was a really good fight but this one is going to hurt for Weidman. It felt like he was in control and on his way to a decision, but Souza hit him with some serious shots and put him out. Weidman has lost four of his last five fights, so it will be interesting to see where he goes from here. What he does have going for him is that the one win during that five-fight stretch was against the next title challenger Kelvin Gastelum.
NEXT: UFC 232 PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO FEAT. JON JONES, ALEXANDER GUSTAFSSON
©Daniel Cormier vs. (2) Derrick Lewis for UFC Heavyweight Championship
Favorite: Daniel Cormier -500 Favorite
Round 1: Lewis opens up with a kick to the body. He then attacks the lead leg with a low kick, but Cormier returns the favor. Cormier moves in with a jab and drops for a double leg. He completes it and Lewis is on his back with Cormier on top in his half guard. Cormier is landing some short shots on the ground but nothing too serious yet. Lewis tried to just stand up AND managed to do just that. Cormier is still controlling him against the fence though with two minutes left in the round. Cormier grabs a leg for a single and Lewis is down again with 1:45 left in the round. Cormier is looking for a rear naked choke with thirty seconds left but Lewis is surviving. Cormier is landing some good shots as the round ends. 10-9 Cormier
Round 2: Lewis is landing some decent kicks early in the round. Cormier is looking for a high crotch single and he gets it. Lewis is up though but Cormier is pressuring him against the fence. Front headlock by Cormier forces Lewis to the mat and Cormier moves into side control. Lewis gives up his back and Cormier takes it! He locks in a rear naked choke and this fight is over!
Result: Daniel Cormier def. Derrick Lewis via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) Round 2, 2:14
Analysis: Daniel Cormier is just a far better technical fighter. The best chance that Lewis had was probably to just rush in a try to land a big shot. Playing it slow just gave Cormier time to set up what he wanted and once he got a hold of Cormier it was no longer a competitive fight. Good performance by Cormier and if he still wants to fight Lesnar it seems like that fight is likely.
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