UFC is set to hold a 12-fight show on Saturday night including a heavyweight main event between Derrick Lewis and Alexey Oleinik. Follow along throughout the night for live updates on the action from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Quick Results:
Preliminary Card (6:00PM EDT / 3:00PM PDT) (ESPN+ / TSN 5)
Bout 1: Irwin Rivera def. Ali Alqaisi via Decision, Split
Bout 2: Youssef Zalal def. Peter Barrett via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 3: Gavin Tucker def. Justin Jaynes via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 3, 1:43)
Bout 4: Andrew Sanchez def. Wellington Turman via TKO, Punches (RD 1, 4:14)
Bout 5: Nasrat Haqparast def. Alex Munoz via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 6: Kevin Holland def. Joaquin Buckley via TKO, Right Cross (RD 3, 0:32)
Bout 7: Tim Means def. Laureano Staropoli via Decision, Unanimous
Main Card (9:00PM EDT / 6:00PM PDT) (ESPN+ / TSN5)
Bout 8: Beneil Dariush def. Scott Holtzman via KO, Spinning Backfist (RD 1, 4:48)
Bout 9: Yana Kunitskaya def. Julija Stoliarenko via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 10: Darren Stewart def. Maki Pitolo via Submission, Guillotine Choke (RD 1, 3:41)
Bout 11: Chris Weidman def. Omari Akhmedov via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 12: Derrick Lewis def. Alexey Oleinik via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 0:21)
Live Coverage:
Bout 12: Derrick Lewis (23-7) vs. Alexey Oleinik (59-13-1) (Heavyweight)
Lewis Breaks Record With Knockout Win
Derrick Lewis got a quick win in the main event, dropping Alexey Oleinik and finishing him on the ground with strikes in the second round. The finish came after Lewis connected with a right hook that dropped Oleinik.
The second round started like the first round, with Lewis charging forward with strikes. The first round was best for Oleinik, who was able to keep Lewis on the ground for a few minutes.
After the fight, Lewis said he plans to focus on getting his weight down. Lewis weighed in at the heavyweight limit, 265 pounds, for Saturday’s fight.
The win was the third consecutive for Lewis, with previous wins being over Blagoy Ivanov and Ilir Latifi. On the flipside, a two-fight winning streak of Oleinik was broken.
With 11 knockouts in his UFC career, Lewis broke the record for most knockouts for a heavyweight.
Lewis versus Oleinik play-by-play.
Bout 11: Chris Weidman (14-5) vs. Omari Akhmedov (20-4-1) (Middleweight)
Weidman Wins With Move Back To Middleweight
Breaking a two-fight losing streak, Chris Weidman won a unanimous decision over Omari Akhmedov in the co-main event. The wrestling-heavy fight saw both fighters have their moments with ground control.
While the fight had striking on the feet, a large amount of the fight was a fighters trying for a takedown or a fighter in control on the ground. Weidman’s best round was the third, where he was able to take full mount on Akhmedov for a few minutes.
“A lot of pressure on and I’m happy to get my hand raised,” said Weidman afterwards in his post-fight interview.
The fight saw Weidman come back down to middleweight after a loss at light heavyweight to Dominick Reyes in October.
“This wasn’t the most outstanding win but it’s me on the right page,” said Weidman.
Weidman versus Akhmedov play-by-play.
Bout 10: Darren Stewart (11-5) vs. Maki Pitolo (13-5) (Middleweight)
Stewart Stops Pitolo Early
Darren Stewart got a quick win on the card, stopping Maki Pitolo in the first round with a guillotine choke. Stewart capitalized on a takedown from Pitolo, sinking in the choke on the way down.
Pitolo had a good showing on the feet earlier, having a few shots that landed flush against Stewart.
Stewart wore a shirt that said “R.I.P Jahreau Shepherd” after his fight, a boxer who was killed in July.
The fight gave Pitolo his second loss in the UFC through three fights. His previous fight was a win over Charles Byrd at UFC 250.
Stewart versus Pitolo play-by-play.
Bout 9: Yana Kunitskaya (12-5) vs. Julija Stoliarenko (9-3-1) (Bantamweight)
Kunitskaya Wins Via Scorecards
A one-sided fight went the way of Yana Kunitskaya, who defeated Julija Stoliarenko via unanimous decision. The fight saw Kunitskaya keep Stoliarenko against the cage in a clinch for the majority of the fight, keeping her in the position with strikes.
Kunitskaya bounced back from her previous fight, which was a December loss to Aspen Ladd.
The fight was Stoliarenko’s UFC debut, with her previous fight being a championship win over Lisa Verzosa on an Invicta FC card.
Kunitskaya versus Stoliarenko play-by-play.
Bout 8: Beneil Dariush (18-4-1) vs. Scott Holtzman (14-3) (Catchweight 158 lbs)
Dariush Wins With Spinning Backfist
Beneil Dariush got an explosive win to start the main card, stopping Scott Holtzman in the first round with a spinning backfist. The stoppage came after Dariush had numerous instances before in the round where he hurt Holtzman with strikes.
The win moved Dariush’s winning streak to five-in-a-row, with his last four being finishes. A two-fight winning streak of Holtzman’s was broken with the fight.
Despite having a dominant performance that ended with a rare finish, Dariush was critical of his performance.
“Sometimes I forget things and just do stuff,” said Dariush in his post-fight interview.
Dariush missed the lightweight limit, coming in at 158 pounds on Friday for the fight. He gave Holtzman 20 percent of his fight purse due to it.
Dariush versus Holtzman play-by-play.
Bout 7: Tim Means (29-12-1) vs. Laureano Staropoli (9-2) (Catchweight 174.5 lbs)
Means Wins Over Staropoli
Tim Means picked up a decision win over Laureano Staropoli to finish the preliminary card. The win for Means came after being able to out-strike Staropoli and have control through clinch.
Means missed weight for the fight, coming in three-and-a-half pounds over the welterweight limit.
“I showed that I can be patient even if the fight’s a little boring in my mindset,” said Means about his performance.
Means versus Staropoli play-by-play.
Bout 6: Kevin Holland (17-5) vs. Joaquin Buckley (10-2) (Middleweight)
Holland Stops Buckley In The Third
A dominating performance from Kevin Holland saw him finish his opponent Joaquin Buckley in the third round with a right cross punch. The fight, which was a short notice fight for both fighters, saw Holland win the first two rounds on the feet as well.
Holland was meant to fight last week against Trevin Giles, although that match was thrown out after Giles collapsed backstage. Buckley stepped in to face Holland on this week’s show. Buckley had fought eight days before, winning on an LFA card.
The win was the second-in-a-row for Holland, as he won against Anthony Hernandez in May.
Holland versus Buckley play-by-play.
Bout 5: Nasrat Haqparast (11-3) vs. Alex Munoz (6-0) (Lightweight)
Haqparast Gets Win Over Debuting Munoz
Debuting fighter Alex Munoz lost to Nasrat Haqparast on the prelims via unanimous decision. The fight saw Haqparast win with the fight due to his dominant strikes and ability to defend takedowns.
The fight ended the undefeated streak of Munoz which included a win on UFC series “Dana White’s Contender Series.”
Haqparast’s previous fight was a loss, being finished by Drew Dober at UFC 246 in January.
Haqparast versus Munoz play-by-play.
Bout 4: Andrew Sanchez (11-5) vs. Wellington Turman (16-3) (Middleweight)
Sanchez Stops Turman Early
Andrew Sanchez stopped Wellington Turman in the first round on the prelims, dropping him with a two-punch combination. The fight saw Sanchez bounce back from a October loss to Marvin Vettori.
Before the stoppage both fighters were scoring with punches, although it was Sanchez who was connecting more frequently.
“It feels so good to get a KO after being called a boring wrestler,” said Sanchez after the fight.
Sanchez versus Turman play-by-play.
Bout 3: Justin Jaynes (16-4) vs. Gavin Tucker (11-1) (Featherweight)
Jaynes Finishes Tucker With Choke In Third Round
Getting a win in his return to the octagon, Gavin Tucker stopped Justin Jaynes in the third round with a rear naked choke. The finish came after Tucker kept a pressing pace that Jaynes wasn’t able to keep up with.
Before the finish, Tucker was hurting Jaynes with strikes on the feet. The fight went to the ground after Tucker shot for a takedown while trying to recover from strikes.
Jaynes had his best moment early, dropping Tucker with an uppercut.
Before the win, Tucker’s previous fight came from a win on a July card in 2019. His record in the UFC moved to three wins and one loss following Saturday.
The fight was Jaynes’ first loss in the UFC, with his previous fight being a short-notice win over Frank “The Crank” Camacho.
Tucker versus Jaynes play-by-play.
Bout 2: Youssef Zalal (9-2) vs. Peter Barrett (11-3) (Featherweight)
Zalal Gets Decision Win
Getting his third UFC win, Youssef Zalal picked up a unanimous decision victory over Peter Barrett. The fight was a dominant one for Zalal, nearly finishing the fight numerous times.
Zalal almost ended the fight early after a spinning back kick dropped Barrett. In the later rounds many submission attempts had Barrett in trouble as well. Throughout the fight Barrett showcased his toughness by enduring attacks.
“I did a lot better than last fight and I’m happy with that,” said Zalal in his post-fight interview.
Zalal took a quick turnaround win as his fight before was a decision victory over Jordan Griffin in June.
Zalal’s win was his third of 2020, making him the first UFC fighter to do get three in the year.
The fight was the UFC debut for Barrett, who earned his contract in 2019 from TV series “Dana White’s Contender Series.”
Zalal versus Barrett play-by-play.
Bout 1: Ali Alqaisi (8-3) vs. Irwin Rivera (9-5) (Bantamweight)
Rivera Gets First UFC Win
Kicking off the prelims, a close split decision went to Irwin Rivera, giving him his first UFC win against Ali Alqaisi. The bout saw the fighters both have their moments that showed their striking and wresting ability throughout.
Rivera made his UFC debut in May, stepping in on short notice to fight Giga Chikadze in a featherweight bout. While Rivera lost, he lasted 15 minutes against Chikadze. Rivera was able to move down to his natural weight class of bantamweight for this fight.
Alqaisi made his UFC debut in this fight. He had a three-fight streak of wins from regional promotion Brave CF before the bout.
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