UFC 231
December 8, 2018
Toronto, ON from Scotiabank Arena
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
Devin Clark vs. Aleksandar Rakic (Light-heavyweight/205)
Favorite: Aleksandar Rakic -600
Round 1: Devin Clark lands a big punch early and takes Rakic right down to the mat. Rakic is back on his feet though and they separate. Clark is moving in and throwing some hard hooks, but they are slow and Rakic is getting out of the way. Clark connects with a left hook and Rakic is down! Clark is landing some hard knees! Several are illegal, and the ref is not saying anything. Clark just kneed a grounded opponent several times, but the ref said nothing, so I guess we’re going with it. Clark lands a shot but Rakic recovers and lands a big shot of his own! The replay shows that Rakic connected with a back-fist just as Clark connected with his right hand. Clark was staggered and hit the mat. Rakic landed a few hard strikes on the ground and that was it.
Result: Aleksandar Rakic def. Devin Clark via TKO (Punches) Round 1, 4:05
Analysis: Good one round fight. Clark got away with some blatantly illegal strikes, but it ended up not effecting the outcome that much. Clark actually looked very good until that back-fist landed but once it did that was it. Rakic should probably face a ranked opponent in his next fight.
Carlos Ferreira vs. Kyle Nelson (Lightweight/155)
Favorite: Carlos Ferreira -450
Round 1: Nelson is landing early with some nice counter strikes. Nelson connects with a series of punches and a hard kick to the body! Ferreira shoots for a takedown but Nelson shakes it off. Nelson is landing lots of shots here and Ferreira doesn’t seem to like them. He is starting to return fire though and Nelson is slowing a bit. Nelson lands a hard-right hand! Ferreira shoots for a takedown and this time he gets it. Ferreira is in half guard and he is looking to isolate Nelson’s right arm. Nelson is defending but Ferreira is starting to land some hard elbows. Nelson is bleeding from his forehead. Ferreira moves into mount with 20 seconds left in the fight. Ferreira is landing some hard shots here! He is going to survive though. 10-9 Ferreira
Round 2: Ferreira scores early with a takedown. Nelson didn’t offer up much resistance there and he appears to be tired. Ferreira moves into mount and he is starting to land some punches. Nelson is mostly just covering up. Nelson gives up his back, Ferreira is landing more punches and its all over.
Result: Carlos Ferreira def. Kyle Nelson via TKO (Punches) Round 2, 1:23
Analysis: Nelson actually looked very good during the first two minutes of the fight, but he appeared to tire after that and Ferreira took advantage. Ferreira had a clear advantage on the ground and once Nelson lost the ability to stop the takedown it was only a matter of time. That makes 3 straight wins for Ferreira and he is now 14-2 overall in his career.
Chad Laprise vs. Dhiego Lima (Welterweight/170)
Favorite: Chad Laprise -400
Round 1: Laprise is very aggressive early. Lima lands a grazing left hand but he’s mostly just working to get his back away from the fence but Laprise is pressuring. Lima lands a crushing left hook and Laprise is out! Lima with the walk of knockout! The ending was similar to Carlos Condit vs. Dan Hardy from back in the day. They both threw hooks, but Lima landed first and that was it!
Result: Dhiego Lima def. Chad Laprise via KO (Punch) Round 1, 1:37
Analysis: That was one hell of a punch. Lima has had chin issues in the past, but he moved past that tonight and showed that he has some pretty impressive power in his hands. He has largely been a disappointment up to his point in his UFC career, but this appears to be the turning point.
Matthew Lopez vs. Brad Katona (Bantamweight/135)
Favorite: Even
Round 1: Brad Katona is the winner of TUF 27. This will be his second fight as a member of the UFC roster. Lopez will enjoy about a 5 inch each advantage so that will be something to monitor. Lopez connects early with a nice right hook. Katona returns a high kick and barely lands. Lopez lands another hard-right hook! Katona grabs a body lock but can’t do anything with it as Lopez creates separation. Katona lands with a hard-inside leg kick. Lopez lands a hard-right hand. He is getting the better of a lot of these exchanges. Lopez changes levels for a takedown but Katona shakes it. Left hook lands for Lopez. Lopez grabs a leg for a single and he competes the takedown with 20 seconds left in the round. Katona is landing some nice elbows from his back. Good back and forth round and I can’t see it as anything besides a draw. 10-10 Draw
Round 2: Lopez scores early with a takedown. Katona is right back up though and they are back in the center. Lots of shots are landing for both guys but neither guy seems to be able to get much of an edge. Katona lands a low kick but Lopez returns a right hook to even things up. Katona lands another low kick but Lopez manages to turn it into a takedown! Katona is right back up though and Lopez just cannot keep him down. Right hand lands for Katona. Katona is starting to pick up the pace a bit and Lopez appears to be slowing down. 10-9 Katona
Round 3: Lopez throws up a high kick to start the round but Katona easily blocks it. Katona appears to be pretty fresh here at the start of the third round. Lopez is swinging but nothing is landing for him and Katona is peppering him with shots. Katona has a front head lock but Lopez shakes it. Katona is looking for a takedown late but Lopez turns it into a scramble! Katona has a choke! Lopez is out! It will go to decision though. Lopez lost his wits there for a moment and a second or two more and he would have been unconscious. 10-9 Katona (30-28 Katona)
Result: Brad Katona def. Matthew Lopez via Unanimous Decision
Analysis: Katona looked really good. If I was that ref, I think I would have judged that as a stoppage, but I am not. Katona looks like a prospect to watch though.
FS1 Prelims
(14) Elias Theodorou vs. Eryk Anders (Middleweight/185)
Favorite: Even
Round 1: They are exchanging early. Theodorou is landing kicks to the body and legs. He has a clinch and he is controlling Anders against the fence. Theodorou connects with a hard knee as they separate. Its interesting to see that Anders seems to be having trouble dealing with the strength of Theodorou. Theodorou lands a hard knee to the body. Anders appears to be having a hard time figuring his opponent out. Anders lands a nice punch to the body just as the round ends. Sloppy round but Theodorou landed a lot more shots and he is as hard to hit as always 10-9 Theodorou
Round 2: Theodorou grabs a clinch early and lands a few uppercuts before Anders can separate. Theodorou lands with a kick to the body. Anders lands with a straight left hand and then a right. But still Theodorou is just moving around and making it difficult for Anders to hit him. Anders connects with a big shot! Theodorou is on shaky legs! Anders is letting him off the hook though. Anders connects with another big shot and Theodorou is down! But again, he gets back up and Anders is allowing it to happen, Anders is being very patient here. Anders lands another right hook that puts Theodorou down again! 10-9 Anders
Round 3: Anders is stalking early. Theodorou lands an inside leg kick and follows it up with a flurry of punches. Theodorou is moving forward with short punches and leg kicks. Anders is not landing much in this round. Theodorou lands with an uppercut and a kick to the body. Theodorou has such a unique style of moving, he almost looks lazy, but what he is doing is working. Anders looks for a takedown but can’t get it and Theodorou lands a few more shots before the round ends. 10-9 Theodorou (29-28 Theodorou)
Result: Elias Theodorou def. Eryk Anders via Unanimous Decision
Analysis: It was a bit of a hard fight to follow at times but Theodorou looked good for the most part aside from those rough moments in the second round. Anders is a guy that is clearly a good athlete, but his actual fighting ability has not yet matched his athletic ability. He has now lost three of his last four while Theodorou has won three straight.
(3) Katlyn Chookagian vs. (9) Jessica Eye (Flyweight/125)
Favorite: Katlyn Chookagian -200
Round 1: Eye is stalking early. She is throwing hooks and trying to close the distance. Chookagian lands a short hook but Eye rushes in and lands a few shots of her own. Chookagian lands a hard uppercut that sent Eye looking for some space. Chookagian scores with a grazing hook kick but Eye avoided the brunt of it. Good low kick lands for Chookagian, and then she follows it up with a high kick. Eye is looking for a takedown in the final seconds of the round but Chookagian counters and ends up on top. 10-9 Chookagian
Round 2: Eye starts the round out pressuring Chookagian against the fence. Eye connects with a hard knee as they briefly clinch. Chookagian is keeping her distance with kicks to the body and she is using her length pretty well so far, but Eye is pressuring. They’re exchanging and pretty much landing an equal amount of strikes. Close round and close fight. 10-9 Chookagian
Round 3: Chookagian attempts a jumping high kick early but nothing lands. Eye connects with a right hand and goes for a trip but Chookagian counters and winds up on top. She is landing some shots from the top, she has the back, but Eye is trying to escape the position and does. That was almost a really bad position for Eye. Chookagian connects with a side kick to the head of Jessica Eye but Eye appears to be okay. Chookagian is throwing some high light level kicks towards the end of the round but they aren’t landing. Eye rushes forward and lands a solid right hand with roughly 20 seconds left in the round. Eye shoots for a takedown late but Chookagian counters it and ends the fight on top. 10-9 Chookagian (30-27 Chookagian)
Result: Jessica Eye def. Katlyn Chookagian via Split Decision
Analysis: It was a very close fight and it could have gone either way. Chookagian landed a bit more but Eye was the constant aggressor and it paid off. Eye has now won three straight, while Chookagian sees her three-fight losing streak snapped.
Gilbert Burns vs. Olivier Aubin Mercier (Lightweight/155)
Favorite: Even
Round 1: Mercier throws a high kick but Burns lands a counter right hook. Burns changes levels for a takedown but Mercier is able to stay on his feet with use of the fence. Burns corrects though and completes the takedown. This is a BJJ world champion (Burns) against a BJJ Brown belt here, could be trouble for the Canadian. Mercier is working to get up, but Burns is sticking to him and controlling the hips. Mercier is up to one knee, but Burns is aware of it and pulls him back down. Mercier manages to stand though and reverse the position against the fence. Mercier separates but Burns lands a big left hook and Mercier is down! Burns is landing some big shots, he takes the back and, and sets up a body triangle. Mercier is trying to survive but Burns has 40 seconds to work. Burns is looking for an armbar with a few seconds left but Mercier will survive. 10-9 Burns
Round 2: Mercier is looking to land early. He is moving in but he’s having a hard time avoiding some of the counters that Burns is throwing. Mercier lands a kick to the body but Burns returns a left hand of his own. Mercier is doing a much better job of controlling the fight in this round. He is negating Burns power advantage but just keeping up a steady stream of strikes. Mercier lands an uppercut as he secures a body lock against the fence. Burns separates though, and they are back in the center. Burns charges in for a takedown and completes it but Mercier pops right back up. Burns stays with him though and brings him right back down as the round ends. 10-9 Burns
Round 3: Mercier is pressuring early but Burns counters with a hip toss. Mercier is up but Burns is pressuring and landing. Burns lands an elbow, but Mercier is still moving forward. Burns connects again this time with a kick to the body. Burns scores with a takedown and Mercier has half guard with just under three minutes left in the round. Burns has head and arm control and he is looking to pass. Mercier has the right leg trapped though and is doing what he can to control his opponents’ posture. Burns breaks the grip though and passes into mount. Mercier gives up his back and Burns attacked for a kneebar but couldn’t get it. Burns has the back with a body triangle locked in and he is looking for a rear naked choke with just over a minute left in the round. Mercier slips out and they are back on the feet. Burns connects with a right hand, but Mercier is in his face. 10-9 Burns (29-28 Burns)
Result: Gilbert Burns def. Olivier Aubin Mercier via Unanimous Decision
Analysis: This was a tough stylistic match up for Mercier because he was not the better grappler which is a rarity in his fights. He looked decent on the feet but ultimately the power and takedowns offered by Burns was a bit too much to handle.
Claudia Gadelha vs. Nina Ansaroff (Strawweight/115)
Favorite: Claudia Gadelha -240
Round 1: Gadelha scores early with a takedown and she is loosening Ansaroff up from there. Ansaroff finally manages a sweep and gets back to her feet. Ansaroff lands a side kick to the face! Gadelha certainly did not like it! She follows it up with a solid uppercut! Gadelha might want to consider taking this fight down. Gadelha shoots but Ansaroff shakes it. Gadelha shoots in for another takedown but again Ansaroff shakes her. 10-9 Gadelha
Round 2: Ansaroff is firmly in control of the action on the feet here at the start of the second round. Gadelha seems very hesitant to engage on the feet and she cannot get this fight down right now. Ansaroff is having lots of success with her low kicks. Gadelha changes levels and completes a takedown. Ansaroff is holding onto half guard and throwing punches from her back rather than trying to get up. 10-9 Ansaroff
Round 3: Ansaroff is having the performance of her career tonight. She is looking very good on the feet and Gadelha is starting to look a bit bewildered. She is just quicker than Gadelha. Ansaroff just misses with a right hand as the round ends. That third round was very one sided. Ansaroff picked her shots well and while none of them were devastating on their own, when added together they caused quite a bit of damage to Gadelha. This fight could go either way depending on the first two rounds but either way Ansaroff looked absolutely fantastic against the former title challenger. 10-9 Ansaroff (29-28 Ansaroff)
Result: Nina Ansaroff def. Claudia Gadelha via Unanimous Decision
Analysis: As I stated above Nina Ansaroff looked fantastic tonight. She has gone from being a marginal fighter to a potential title challenger in just a few short years. It would be something else if she could earn the title and reign alongside her fiancé Amanda Nunes.
Pay-Per-View Main Card
(7) Jimi Manuwa vs. Thiago Santos (Light-heavyweight/205)
Favorite: Even
Round 1: Santos lands early and Manuwa is down! Santos attacks with a guillotine but Manuwa rolls through it. Manuwa is composing himself against the fence but Santos creates separation and is forcing Manuwa to work. Manuwa lands a right hand as they briefly separate. Manuwa lands a hard jab and Santos didn’t like it! We have a fight here folks. Santos scores with a takedown but Manuwa is right back up. They are trading big blows here! Both guys are staggered! Santos secures a clinch and he is landing some knees against the fence. They separate, and Santos lands some hard shots! My god this is crazy! Manuwa has Santos down on the mat with 10 seconds left. Wow what a round. They were both guy several times in that round and it could go either way but Manuwa ended the round on top position, so I will give it to him. 10-9 Manuwa
Round 2: Santos lands a big knee and Manuwa is hurt! Manuwa is swinging back but Santos is tagging him with some well-placed strikes! It was an uppercut that hurt Manuwa and then a left hook that dropped him. Santos landed a few shots on the ground, but it was over with by that point. Thiago Santos was good at middleweight, but he is a killer at 205.
Result: Thiago Santos def. Jimi Manuwa via KO (Punches) Round 2, 0:42
Analysis: Well that was an incredible fight. Santos was swinging for the fences from the beginning and Manuwa was just trying to get a grip at first. At some point though he just started swinging as well and wow what a fight that was. Santos appears to have a very bright future at light-heavyweight.
Hakeem Dawodu vs. Kyle Bochniak (Featherweight/145)
Favorite: Even
Round 1: Both guys are looking for an opening early on. Dawodu lands a nice leg kick and then follows it up with a kick to the body. Dawodu scores with a knee to the body that looked low but apparently wasn’t. Dawodu scores with another low kick. Bochniak scores with a takedown and he has secured a body lock and is working to control the movement of Dawodu. Dawodu is back up though and scores with a front kick to the body as the round ends. 10-9 Dawodu
Round 2: Dawodu lands a right hook to the body to start the round. Bochniak scores with a takedown but Dawodu gets right back to his feet. Bochniak is using lots of movement but he isn’t scoring with much and his punches don’t seem to be phasing Dawodu at all. Short knee lands for Bochniak but Dawodu fires back a quick combination. Neither guy seems to really want to take any chances here. Bochniak changes levels for a takedown but Dawodu shakes him with thirty seconds left in the round. 10-9 Dawodu
Round 3: Bochniak moves in for a takedown early but he had to eat some shots to get in there. Dawodu lands a short knee but Bochniak scores with a takedown and he is now working from top position. Dawodu escapes the position though and manages to get back to his feet. Bochniak shoots in for a takedown but Dawodu sprawls him and keeps the fight standing. Dawodu lands a nice front kick to the body of Kyle Bochniak. Dawodu is just beating Bochniak up here. It isn’t exactly flashy or memorable, but he is certainly getting the job done and Kyle Bochniak just doesn’t have an answer for anything. 10-9 Dawodu (30-27 Dawodu)
Result: Hakeem Dawodu def. Kyle Bochniak via Split Decision
Analysis: Not sure how anybody could have scored that for Bochniak, but it is what it is, I guess. Dawodu didn’t take a risk but he did enough to get the job done and get his name out there a little bit more.
(13 Alex Oliveira vs. (14) Gunnar Nelson (Welterweight/170)
Favorite: Even
Round 1: Nelson moves in with a right hand and its lands! Nelson attempts a takedown, but Oliveira was holding onto the cage. They should have taken a point there. Back to the action and Nelson is looking for another takedown, this time he gets it. Nelson has the back with a body triangle locked in tight, but Oliveira is working to escape. Oliveira manages to break the body triangle and he is landing some big shots on Gunnar Nelson. Nelson rolls for a heel hook but he can’t find it before the round ends. 10-9 Oliveira
Round 2: Oliveira is looking for a takedown early. Nelson is defending but Oliveira is staying on him. Nelson scores with a takedown of his own and he is now in the mount position. Nelson is bleeding heavily from his nose and he doesn’t appear to be in a hurry to get anything done. Nelson is looking for either an armbar or an arm triangle here, its hard to tell but he is looking for something. Nelson is landing some hard elbows and Oliviera is busted open very badly! Oliveira gives up his back and Nelson has a rear naked choke and its over! Incredible stuff there by Nelson to pick up the win.
Result: Gunnar Nelson def. Alex Oliveira via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) Round 2, 4:17
Analysis: Nelson got caught early and clearly lost the first round but the second was a totally different story. Nelson scored with a takedown, and then moved right into mount and basically called it a day from there.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Valentina Schevchenko for Vacant UFC Flyweight Championship
Favorite: Schevchenko -350
Round 1: Schevchenko scores with a trip takedown early. She is now working from side control. Joanna is up though but Shevchenko is staking on her. Shevchenko is looking for another trip, but Joanna is defending so far. Back in the center and neither fighter has been able to connect with anything of note. Shevchenko connects with a big spinning back kick to the body that forced Joanna back a bit. 10-9 Shevchenko
Round 2: Shevchenko opens up with a front kick to the face. Joanna throws a front kick of her own and barely catches Shevchenko with it. Shevchenko fires back a couple of punches in return. Shevchenko is starting to string together some pretty nice combos while Joanna is taking more of a single shot approach right now. Shevchenko lands with a short-left hook. Shevchenko lands a right hook as Joanna was trying to move in. She follows it up with a takedown and Joanna is down. Joanna briefly gets up, but Shevchenko takes her right back down, this time with some force. Shevchenko is in side control and she is landing hard elbows from that position. Shevchenko lands a hard knee as the round ends. 10-9 Shevchenko
Round 3: Shevchenko scores with a spinning back kick to open the round. Joanna just can’t get much going here. Just as I say that she connects with a straight left that stung Shevchenko a bit. Joanna is starting to get her footing it seems, and she is starting to avoid some of Shevchenko’s shots. Shevchenko moves in for a takedown, but Joanna shakes it this time. Joanna lands a hard kick to the body and Shevchenko returns one of her own. Shevchenko lands a hard knee just as the round ends. 10-9 Joanna
Round 4: Joanna is attacking with a higher pace than she has used in previous rounds. She is landing some nice kicks to the body. Shevchenko moves in for a body lock and secures it. Joanna separates though and they are back in the center. Shevchenko scores with a hip toss and Joanna is down. Shevchenko is working from side control, Joanna recovers half guard and stands up. Shevchenko still has a head lock though and she is looking to take this fight back down to the ground. Lots of work in the clinch here by both fighters but Shevchenko is controlling most of the action. Joanna separates though, and they are back in the center. Joanna scores with a front kick to the body. She certainly appears to be the fresher fighter through four rounds, but Shevchenko is definitely ahead on the score cards. 10-9 Shevchenko
Round 5: Shevchenko is doing most of the work early as she controls Joanna against the fence. She appears to be tired and the ref steps in for a separation. Shevchenko scores again with another spinning back kick but it didn’t have much on it. Joanna appears fresh, but she isn’t showing any urgency and you have to assume she is down several rounds. Joanna lands a kick to the body, but she probably needs more than that. Shevchenko is looking for a takedown, but Joanna is using the fence to keep herself on her feet. They are both throwing as the round ends. 10-9 Shevchenko (49-46 Shevchenko)
Result: Valentina Shevchenko def. Joanna Jedrzejczyk via Unanimous Decision to become the new UFC Flyweight Champion
Analysis: It was what it was. Shevchenko was the more well-rounded fighter, but Joanna didn’t ever seem to really go for broke even when it was obvious, she would need a finish to earn the win. It’s hard to say where Joanna goes from here and as for Shevchenko well, she finally has her belt.
Brian Ortega vs. © Max Holloway for UFC Featherweight Championship
Favorite: Even
Round 1: Holloway lands first with a punch to the body. Holloway gets through with a nice jab. Holloway connects with a short right hand that staggered Ortega a bit. Ortega connects with a solid uppercut. Ortega tags him again with an elbow. Holloway connects with time with a right straight, Ortega didn’t like it and he drops for a takedown. He gets it but Holloway pops right back up and shakes Ortega off. Holloway is starting to show his confidence, he is taunting a bit. Holloway connects with a right hook! Ortega drops for another takedown, but Holloway is defending it well. 10-9 Holloway
Round 2: Holloway lands early with a hard-low kick. Holloway is the far superior technical striker here so far. Ortega doesn’t have much outside of power punches right now and Holloway just in such a rhythm that its hard to stop. Ortega shoots in for a takedown, but Holloway easily shakes it. Holloway lands another big right hand! Ortega is busted open and he is back peddling! Ortega returns a left hook of his own! But Holloway isn’t showing him any respect. Holloway lands a big head kick! Wow Ortega is hanging in there, but he is taking some shots! Holloway is stating to pour the shots on and Ortega is swinging and missing wildly. Ortega lands a right hand and he is moving forward now! Holloway stops the movement with a hard right straight! Holloway follows it up with a left hook! Ortega throws a right hand that connects but he can’t follow it up. 10-9 Holloway
Round 3: They are exchanging early. Ortega appears to be getting it together here. Ortega lands a big right hand and Holloway is hurt! Ortega scores with a takedown and takes the back! Holloway stands up out of it though, but Ortega lands a hard-right hand! Ortega is back in this fight! Ortega lands a spinning elbow! Holloway could be in trouble here! Holloway connects with a right straight, but he is letting Ortega off the hook! Ortega lands a big uppercut! Wow this is a fight! Right hand lands for Ortega! Ortega is now controlling the action against the fence. Great round for the challenger so far. They separate, and Holloway lands a slick combo! Ortega fires back with an elbow that connects! Ortega connects with a hard-right hook, but he might be slowing down! Holloway lands a straight right hand and then another! Holloway is just peppering him with shots! Ortega is looking for a takedown, but Holloway is defending! 10-9 Ortega
Round 4: Holloway lands a big 1,2 and Ortega is missing badly! Holloway is turning up the pressure here and Ortega can’t get his barring’s down! Holloway is stalking! Holloway lands right hook and Ortega didn’t like it. Left hook lands for Holloway but Ortega is firing back! Holloway is busting Ortega up! Ortega needs to move here, or he is going out! Ortega returns a right hand! Holloway is just killing Ortega with volume! Ortega is retreating! He shoots for a takedown, but Holloway is defending well! Ortega tried pulling guard, but Holloway was having no part of it! Holloway pulls Ortega down to the mat but then stands back up himself. Holloway shoots for a takedown but Holloway has the neck, he is mostly just using it for control though. Ortega shoots for a desperation takedown but Holloway steps out it. Ortega will survive this round but my god…this is a fight….10-9 Holloway
They stopped the fight in-between rounds. Not sure if it was the corner of the referee but Max Holloway has retained his championship. Wow…Max Holloway just called himself the best ever and I might have to agree. He is a phenomenal champion.
Result: Max Holloway def. Brian Ortega via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) Round 4, 5:00
Analysis: Wow…I always say wow, but I really mean it this time. Turns out it was the doctor that stopped the fight. Ortega is an absolute savage, but Max Holloway is just on another level. That was without a doubt one of the best performances that I have ever seen and if you like fighting you need to watch this one. This fight saved what was otherwise a somewhat mediocre card and I am about to watch it again. Thanks for joining me tonight and enjoy the rest of your weekend. We will be back next week with UFC: Milwaukee.
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