On Saturday night, the UFC will present a 10-fight “Fight Night” card from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Headlining the show is ranked light heavyweights Anthony Smith and Aleksandar Rakic, who are set to compete in a three-round battle. Follow along throughout the evening for live results and coverage.
Quick Results:
Preliminary Card (6:00PM EDT / 3:00PM PDT) (ESPN / TSN2)
Bout 1: Mallory Martin def. Hannah Cifers via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 1:33)
Bout 2: Polyana Viana def. Emily Whitmire via Submission, Armbar (RD 1, 1:53)
Bout 3: Sean Brady def. Christian Aguilera via Submission, Guillotine Choke (RD 2, 1:47)
Bout 4: Alex Caceres def. Austin Springer via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 3:38)
Bout 5: Zak Cummings def. Alessio Di Chirico via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 6: Impa Kasanganay def. Maki Pitolo via Decision, Unanimous
Main Card (9:00PM EDT / 6:00PM PDT) (ESPN+ / TSN2)
Bout 7: Ricardo Lamas def. Bill Algeo via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 8: Alexa Grasso def. Ji Yeon Kim via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 9: Neil Magny def. Robbie Lawler via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 10: Aleksandar Rakic def. Anthony Smith via Decision, Unanimous
Live Coverage:
Bout 10: Anthony Smith (33-15) vs. Aleksandar Rakic (12-2) (Light Heavyweight)
Rakic Dominates Smith In Three-Round Main Event
Bouncing back from his sole loss in the UFC, Aleksandar Rakic took a clean sweep performance on the scorecards over Anthony Smith. The three-round main event saw Rakic control Smith on the ground in all three rounds.
Smith was hurt early in the fight, getting dropped in the first round with leg kicks.
“I had a lot of pressure because [of] a lot of people from home … supporting me,” said Rakic, commenting on how it felt going into his first UFC main event.
Rakic’s previous fight was a loss, not being favoured in a split decision against Volkan Oezdemir.
“Guys need to take me serious now,” said Rakic in his post-fight interview, later mentioning he feels he’s next in line for a title shot.
The loss was the second consecutive main event loss for Smith. His fight before was a brutal one last May, being stopped in the fifth round by Glover Teixeira via strikes.
Rakic versus Smith play-by-play.
Bout 9: Robbie Lawler (28-14) vs. Neil Magny (23-7) (Welterweight)
Magny Wins Decision Victory Over Lawler
The co-main event saw Neil Magny put on a strong performance over Robbie Lawler, holding his own with striking and controlling the fight with wrestling.
“It’s definitely a feather in the cap beating a legend like Lawler,” said Magny in his post-fight interview.
The win was Magny’s third in 2020, has he earned decision victories of Li Jingliang and Anthony Rocco Martin earlier in the year.
The fight moved Lawler’s losing streak to four-in-a-row.
Magny versus Lawler play-by-play.
Bout 8: Ji Yeon Kim (9-2-2) vs. Alexa Grasso (11-3) (Flyweight)
Grasso Wins Flyweight Debut
Winning her debut at flyweight, Alexa Grasso defeated Ji Yeon Kim via decision. The fight was Grasso’s first in the division after a six-fight UFC run at strawweight.
The fight saw Grasso get a clean sweep on scorecards after a battle that saw both fighters often explode with punches on the feet. The best moment for Grasso came late, getting a takedown on Kim and landing strikes from half guard.
“I feel amazing,” said Grasso in her post-fight interview, talking about how she felt at the 125 pounds.
Grasso versus Kim play-by-play.
Bout 7: Ricardo Lamas (19-8) vs. Bill Algeo (13-4) (Featherweight)
Lamas Wins Competitive Scrap Over Algeo, Considers Retirement
A back-and-forth battle went the way of Ricardo Lamas, defeating Bill Algeo, who was making his UFC debut. The fight saw both fighters have their moments, although a strong third round put a stamp on his performance.
Lamas had his best round late, being able to take down Algeo and finish the round with ground and pound in full mount. The dominant performance saw Lamas bounce back from a second round where Algeo’s sharp striking tied the matchup up.
After the fight, Lamas claimed the fight could be his last in MMA.
“I’ve been kind of wrestling with the idea of hanging the gloves up,” said Lamas, thanking his followers after the fight in case this is his last appearance.
Algeo took the matchup on short notice, filling in for Ryan Hall.
Lamas versus Algeo play-by-play.
Bout 6: Maki Pitolo (13-6) vs. Impa Kasanganay (7-0) (Middleweight)
Kasanganay Wins UFC Debut, Defeating Pitolo
Winning in his UFC debut, Impa Kasanganay had strong striking that lead him to a victory over Maki Pitolo. The pure stand-up battle went to scorecards, keeping Kasanganay undefeated as a pro.
Kasanganay earned his UFC contract earlier in August, defeating Anthony Adams on TV series “Dana White’s Contender Series.” Kasanganay’s career has been short so far, with his pro debut being back in January of 2019.
Pitolo also fought earlier in the month, losing a quick fight to Darren Stewart via guillotine choke.
Kasanganay versus Pitolo play-by-play.
Bout 5: Zak Cummings (23-7) vs. Alessio Di Chirico (12-4) (Middleweight)
Cummins Defeats Di Chirico In Scorecard Battle
Zak Cummings picked up a decision victory over Alessio Di Chirico on the prelims after a three-round striking battle. While the fight saw both fighters have their moments, Cummings connected with a higher volume throughout.
Cummings capped off his performance with a head kick that dropped Di Chirico in the final second of the round. Di Chirico was visibly hurt from the kick, having trouble staying on his feet after the fight.
Cummings bounced back from a 2019 loss in the fight, as his last fight was a scorecard bout against Omari Akhmedov last September.
The loss was the third-in-a-row for Di Chirico.
Cummings versus Di Chirico play-by-play.
Bout 4: Alex Caceres (16-12) vs. Austin Springer (12-3) (Featherweight)
Caceres Stops Short-Notice Opponent Springer Early
Moving to three straight wins, Alex Caceres stopped short-notice opponent Austin Springer in the first round with a rear naked choke. Springer filled in for Giga Chikadze, who was taken off of the UFC card earlier in the week.
Caceres was able to end the fight after stopping a takedown, getting on the back of Springer to put in a rear naked choke after.
“I think my ground game is very underrated, and I think I could prove that here tonight,” said Caceres in his post-fight interview.
The previous fight for Caceres ended a one-year layoff, defeating the then-undefeated Chase Hooper last June.
Springer came into his Saturday fight on a three-fight winning streak. He missed the non-championship featherweight limit for the bout by five pounds.
Caceres versus Springer play-by-play.
Bout 3: Sean Brady (12-0) vs. Christian Aguilera (14-6) (Welterweight)
Brady Gets First UFC Finish Win, Remains Undefeated
Remaining undefeated, Sean Brady stopped Christian Aguilera in the second round with a guillotine choke. The win is the third for Brady since he joined the UFC in 2019, although it was his first finish win in the promotion.
Brady finished the fight shortly after getting a takedown, being able to move into full mount to attempt a choke that made Aguilera go unconscious.
“I literally submit people with that every single day,” said Brady in his post-fight interview.
Brady’s previous win was in February, defeating Ismail Naurdiev via decision.
Aguilera made his UFC debut in his previous fight last June, stopping Anthony Ivy within a minute with punches.
Brady versus Aguilera play-by-play.
Bout 2: Emily Whitmire (4-3) vs. Polyana Viana (10-4) (Strawweight)
Viana Secures Armbar To Break Losing Streak
Ending a three-fight skid, Polyana Viana caught Emily Whitmire in the first round with an armbar. The finish came in only the second minute of the bout.
The fight went to the ground after Whitmire secured a takedown from the clinch. Moving Whitmire from side control into full guard, Viana was able to transition into an armbar that made Whitmire tap.
The matchup between Whitmire and Viana was first scheduled for March, although it was taken off of UFC 248 after Whitmire suffered illness during the weight cut.
The fight ended a long layoff for both fighters, as they both last competed in mid-2019.
Whitmire’s previous fight was a loss, being finished in the season round with a rear naked choke by Amanda Ribas in June of 2019.
Viana versus Whitmire play-by-play.
Bout 1: Mallory Martin (6-3) vs. Hannah Cifers (10-6) (Strawweight)
Martin Hands Cifers Fourth-Straight Loss In Comeback Performance
Kicking off the card, Mallory Martin earned a comeback win over Hannah Cifers, finishing the fight in the second round with a rear naked choke.
The win came after a first round that nearly saw Cifers finish Martin with strikes. Cifers was able to drop Martin in the first round with a right hook, following up with a flurry of punches that Martin absorbed.
“I had some adversity in the first round … I have adversity in my life all the time so it’s nothing to me,” said Martin in her post-fight interview.
The second round saw Martin get a takedown early, being dominant on the ground until securing a submission.
Martin bounced back from her first UFC loss, which came against Virna Jandiroba last December.
Cifers took her fourth consecutive loss, including back-to-back matchups in May and June. All four losses were finishes.
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