UFC will provide a 14-fight card on Wednesday that starts in the morning and then goes into the afternoon. The “Fight Night” card will be headlined by Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny from the Etihad Arena at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Follow along throughout the day for live coverage of the event.
A full preview of the card can be viewed here.
Quick Results:
Preliminary Card (9:00AM EST / 6:00PM GST) (ESPN / UFC Fight Pass Canada)
Bout 1: Manon Fiorot def. Victoria Leonardo via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 4:08)
Bout 2: Umar Nurmagomedov def. Sergey Morozov via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 3:39)
Bout 3: Mike Davis def. Mason Jones via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 4: Francisco Figueiredo def. Jerome Rivera via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 5: Dalcha Lungiambula def. Markus Perez via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 6: Su Mudaerji def. Zarrukh Adashev via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 7: Ricky Simon def. Gaetano Pirrello via Submission, Arm Triangle Choke (RD 2, 4:00)
Main Card (12:00PM EST / 9:00PM GST) (ESPN / UFC Fight Pass Canada)
Bout 8: Omari Akhmedov def. Tom Breese via Submission, Arm Triangle Choke (RD 2, 1:41)
Bout 9: Lerone Murphy def. Douglas Silva de Andrade via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 10: Matt Schnell def. Tyson Nam via Decision, Split
Bout 11: Viviane Araujo def. Roxanne Modafferi via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 12: Ike Villanueva def. Vinicius Moreira via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 0:39)
Bout 13: Warlley Alves def. Mounir Lazzez via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 2:35)
Bout 14: Michael Chiesa def. Neil Magny via Decision, Unanimous
2/17 CORRECTION: The “quick results” ticker previously inaccurately said that Roxanne Modafferi defeated Viviane Araujo. An edit has been made to accurately reflect the result of the fight.
Live Coverage:
Bout 14: Michael Chiesa (16-4) vs. Neil Magny (24-7) (Welterweight)
Chiesa Controls Magny In Main Event, Continues Undefeated Campaign At Welterweight
Michael Chiesa showed his grappling skills in the main event, taking all scorecards (49-46, 49-46 & 49-46) against Neil Magny to earn his fourth win at welterweight.
The key to Magny’s win was control, as in every round he scored a takedown then kept Magny down for numerous minutes.
Chiesa had a good first round, taking Magny down halfway through. He was able to move into full mount before the round ran out of time.
Chiesa secured another takedown in the second minute of the second round. Magny got up to his feet relatively quickly, although Chiesa landed another takedown a minute later. Landing punches periodically, Chiesa kept Magny on his back for the rest of the round.
Magny scored his own takedown in the third round, dumping him down after being in a clinch. He took the back of Chiesa afterwards, although Chiesa was able to return to the feet shortly after. Chiesa scored yet another takedown of his own later in the round, taking full mount afterwards.
Chiesa used a right cross that connected clean early in the fourth round to score a takedown.
Closing out the fight strong, Chiesa notched another takedown with half of the final round to go. Chiesa held full mount until the round concluded.
Chiesa called out former interim UFC Welterweight Champion Colby Covington following his win.
“The election is over. Colby Covington your schtick is done,” said Chiesa, referencing how Covington has based a large portion of his gimmick around supporting former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The win for Chiesa was the first time in his career that he fought a full five-round bout.
Chiesa continues with the success he has had since making the move up to 185-pounds in 2018.
Previous wins in the division for Chiesa at welterweight have come against Carlos Condit, Diego Sanchez and Rafael dos Anjos.
Magny entered the fight following a three-fight win streak he developed in 2020. All being decision wins, Magny defeated Li Jingliang, Anthony Rocco Martin and Robbie Lawler in the previous year.
The fight between Magny and Chiesa was not UFC’s first plan for the main event on Wednesday. Their initial main event, a fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Leon Edwards, was cancelled due to COVID-19.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article reflect that Colby Covington is a former UFC Welterweight Champion, not a former interim UFC Welterweight Champion. This mistake has been fixed.
Bout 13: Warlley Alves (13-4) vs. Mounir Lazzez (10-1) (Welterweight)
Alves Hands Lazzez First UFC Loss, Stops Him In The Second Round
Warlley Alves handed Mounir Lazzez his first UFC loss in the co-main event, landing a series of body kicks that stopped the fight in the first round.
Putting Lazzez against the cage, Alves landed three kicks to the body that folded him. Alves landed follow-up shots before the referee intervened.
The fight was Alves’ return to action following injury. His last fight was a loss in November of 2019 to Randy Brown.
Lazzez was returning after winning his UFC debut in 2020, defeating Abdul Razak Alhassan via decision.
Bout 12: Ike Villanueva (16-11) vs. Vinicius Moreira (9-4) (Light Heavyweight)
Villanueva Earns First UFC Win, Snaps Losing Streak
Ike Villanueva earned his first UFC victory on the main card, landing an explosive right hook in the second round that floored Vinicius Moreira.
The stoppage victory came after a round of striking on the feet.
“I knew it was gonna come, it’s just a matter of time,” said Villanueva in his post-fight interview.
The fight was Villanueva’s third since joining the UFC. His two other fights, 2020 stoppage losses, came against Chase Sherman and Jordan Wright.
Both fighters entered the bout following winless careers in the UFC.
The loss for Moreira was his fourth-in-a-row.
Bout 11: Roxanne Modafferi (25-17) vs. Viviane Araujo (9-2) (Flyweight)
Araujo Earns Decision Win Against Veteran Fighter Modafferi
Viviane Araujo picked up a dominant win on the main card, defeating veteran Roxanne Modafferi on scorecards (30-27, 30-27 & 30-26).
Araujo’s win came after scoring with powerful punches and being able to land takedowns.
Araujo was connecting with hard and clean punches early in the fight. Ripping hooks to the body and uppercuts to the head, Araujo was putting visible damage on Modafferi.
Modafferi was dropped to her knees by punches halfway through the opening round.
Araujo took Modafferi down late in the round. With 15 seconds left in the round, Araujo looked for a rear naked choke but did not have enough time to finish it.
Araujo continued to win the fight in the second round. After a few minutes of having the better striking, Araujo finished the round with a takedown.
Modafferi landed some strikes as the fight slowed down in the final round. Araujo finished the last round strong, scoring strikes from half guard.
The fight was Araujo’s fourth win in her five-fight UFC career. Her previous fight was in September, where she took a unanimous decision win against Montana De La Rosa.
Modafferi was also coming off a win, as her last fight was a win over Andrea Lee.
Bout 10: Tyson Nam (20-11-1) vs. Matt Schnell (14-5) (Flyweight)
Schnell Takes Split Decision Win Against Nam Following Close Battle
A very close stand-up battle went the way of Matt Schnell, who defeated Tyson Nam in a split decision on the scorecards after three rounds (29-28 Nam, 29-28 Schnell & 29-28 Schnell).
While fighting on his backfoot, Schnell was able to consistently land his jab and evade quick hooks thrown by Nam. Nam was connecting with shots, although the damage from exchanges was visibly showing more on him.
Schnell was surprised that a judge gave the fight to Nam.
“Tyson [Nam] swings hard and he was moving forward a lot so I can see it, but come on man I was chipping him up all night,” said Schnell in his post-fight interview.
Schnell’s previous fight was a decision loss to Alexandre Pantoja. The loss for Schnell stopped a four-fight win streak that was being built from 2017 to 2019.
Nam entered the fight following a strong 2020 that saw him get stoppage wins against Zarrukh Adashev and Jerome Rivera.
Bout 9: Lerone Murphy (9-0-1) vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade (26-3) (Featherweight)
Murphy Remains Undefeated With Win Over Silva de Andrade
Lerone Murphy remained undefeated on the main card, defeating Douglas Silva de Andrade with a unanimous decision after three rounds (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27).
Murphy won the fight with his striking, which was diverse throughout the fight and kept Silva de Andrade under pressure.
Leg kicks started to hurt Silva de Andrade in the second round, wobbling him in the opening minute of the frame.
Silva de Andrade had his best round late, landing singular shots that were able to rock Murphy numerous times. However, Murphy finished the round on a high note as he landed strikes from full guard.
Murphy’s previous fight was his first UFC victory, where he defeated Ricardo Ramos in July.
Murphy dedicated the fight to his grandmother, whose funeral he viewed on his phone while in quarantine, as mentioned in his post-fight interview.
Douglas Silva de Andrade was returning after more than a year outside of the cage. His last fight was in November of 2019, where he defeated Renan Barao.
Bout 8: Omari Akhmedov (20-5-1) vs. Tom Breese (12-2) (Middleweight)
Akhmedov Submits Breese In Second Round, Earns First Stoppage Win Since 2015
Omari Akhmdeov earned his first stoppage victory in over five years on Saturday, defeating Tom Breese in the second round with an arm triangle choke.
Akhmedov got a takedown early in the second round. Moving into side control, Akhmdeov put in an arm triangle choke that made Breese tap out eventually.
The finish win for Akhmedov came after an opening round that saw both fighters have moments on the ground.
Breese looked for a guillotine choke after Akhmedov scored a takedown early in the first round. After escaping the choke, Akhmedov threw hammerfist punches from full guard that hurt Breese.
Breese was able to get to his feet in the fourth minute of the fight, although Akhmdeov was quick to take him back down. Breese capitalized off being on the ground, looking for a heel hook. He let the submission go to take the back of Akhmedov and attempt a rear naked choke. He remained on Akhmedov’s back until the round concluded.
Akhmedov’s previous fight was a decision loss to former champion Chris Weidman. Akhmdeov has had numerous UFC wins, although many have come via decision. His last stoppage win was in 2015, where Brian Ebersole exited a fight due to a knee injury.
Breese had won his previous fight, stopping KB Bhullar with punches back in October.
Bout 7: Ricky Simon (16-3) vs. Gaetano Pirrello (15-5-1) (Bantamweight)
Simon Submits Short-Notice Opponent Pirrello With Arm Triangle Choke
Ricky Simon earned a submission victory on the prelims, submitting Gaetano Pirrello with an arm triangle choke in the second round after a grinding performance.
Simon secured an arm triangle choke that caused Pirrello to tap in the final minute of the second round. Before finishing the fight, Simon pressured Pirrello with constant takedowns throughout the two rounds.
The fight was Pirrello’s first appearance in the UFC. He took the place of Brian Kelleher, who withdrew from the fight due to a positive COVID-19 test. Simon called Kelleher out after his win.
“Brian Kelleher, Simon says business is boomin’,” said Simon in his post-fight interview.
Simon won his previous fight, defeating Ray Borg via split decision back in May.
Bout 6: Su Mudaerji (13-4) vs. Zarrukh Adashev (3-2) (Flyweight)
Su Takes Decision Win Over Adashev
Su Mudaerji earned his third-straight UFC victory on the prelims, taking a scorecard (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27) victory against Zarrukh Adashev. The fight saw Su have the better striking through a three-round stand-up fight, although there were moments where he was in trouble as well.
A combination of punches wobbled Su in the third minute of the second round. Su answered back a minute later, landing a right hook that dropped Adashev to his knees for a moment.
Adashev looked for takedowns in the second round, sometimes using the attempts to land punches on Su.
While behind on scorecards, Adashev continued to press forward with strikes late in the third round.
Su was on a two-fight win streak entering the bout. His most recent win was only two months before, where he defeated Malcolm Gordon within a minute with strikes.
Su took the fight on Saturday on short notice, taking the place of Jeff Molina.
Adashev’s previous fight, his UFC debut, was a stoppage loss to Tyson Nam. He took the place of Ryan Benoit on short notice in the fight.
Bout 5: Dalcha Lungiambula (10-2) vs. Markus Perez (12-4) (Middleweight)
Lungaimbula Bounces Back From First UFC Loss
Dalcha Lungiambula returned to the win column on the prelims, defeating Markus Perez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28) after three rounds.
The fight saw Lungiambula have the better striking throughout as well as takedown ability.
There were some situations on the ground where Perez attempted a submission from his back, although Lungiambula was never in great danger.
Perez looked for a kimura in the second minute of the second round, taking Lungiambula down while cranking his arm. Lungiambula was able to resist the attempt while in half guard.
Strikes from Lungiambula in half guard cut Perez open late in the second round.
Perez took the place of Isi Fitikefu, who withdrew from the fight earlier in the month. He was scheduled to have his first UFC fight in the matchup.
Perez entered the fight on a two-fight losing streak. His most recent fight was a stoppage loss to Dricus Du Plessis in October.
Lungiambula lost his first fight since joining the UFC in his last fight, being stopped by Magomed Ankalaev in November of 2019.
Bout 4: Jerome Rivera (10-3) vs. Francisco Figueiredo (11-3-1) (Flyweight)
Figueiredo Wins UFC Debut, Defeating Rivera Via Decision
Francisco Figueiredo, the brother of UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo, picked up a win in his UFC debut on Saturday, defeating Jerome Rivera via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28) after three rounds.
While both showing good striking, Figueiredo had the edge with takedowns, scoring numerous in the fight.
The fight had a hectic final minute, as Figueiredo and Rivera traded hard punches.
Figueiredo joined the UFC after a pro career including 11 wins as a pro.
Rivera’s previous fight was a stoppage loss to Tyson Nam in September. Rivera is winless through two fights in the UFC.
Bout 3: Mike Davis (8-2) vs. Mason Jones (10-0) (Lightweight)
Davis Wins Decision Over Former Cage Warriors Champ Jones After Three-Round Striking Contest
Mike Davis handed Mason Jones his first loss as a pro on the prelims, defeating him via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28) after a back-and-forth striking battle.
The fight showed the toughness and skill level of both competitors. The fast-pace of striking eventually slowed down in the later rounds of the fight, although the power remained in both fighter’s shots until the closing moments.
Both fighters were landing hard and powerful shots on the feet in the opening round. Davis was able to stop the momentum of Jones numerous times by scoring takedowns.
While they continued to trade strikes throughout the second round, Jones started to pull ahead with the volume of strikes.
Davis had a strong finish to the second round, teeing off on Jones with a combination of strikes that knocked his mouthpiece out.
The back-and-forth striking continued into the third round.
The fight was Jones’ UFC debut after earning belts in regional promotion Cage Warriors.
Davis’ previous fight was his first UFC win, as he defeated Thomas Gifford in October of 2019.
Bout 2: Umar Nurmagomedov (12-0) vs. Sergey Morozov (16-3) (Bantamweight)
Nurmagomedov Wins UFC, Submitting Morozov in The Second
Umar Nurmagomedov showcased a wide range of skills in his UFC debut, submitting Sergey Morozov in the second round of action. After showing ability on the feet and on the ground, Nurmagomedov finished the fight by putting Morozov unconscious with a rear naked choke in the ninth minute.
Nurmagomdeov was putting together strikes and takedowns that Morozov had no answer for in the first round.
Morozov got hurt by a head kick early in the first round, although he was able to recover while still on the feet.
Both fighters were making their promotional debut following impressive runs on the regional scene.
Nurmagomedov had trouble finding a UFC debut, as he had three bookings in 2020 fall through for various reasons.
Nurmagomedov picked up an undefeated record with 12 wins before entering the UFC.
Morozov had a series of wins before getting the call to join the UFC. He claimed the M-1 Bantamweight Championship in 2019.
Bout 1: Victoria Leonardo (8-2) vs. Manon Fiorot (5-1) (Flyweight)
Fiorot Showcases Strong Striking In UFC Debut
Manon Fiorot had an impressive UFC debut to kick off the card, stopping Victoria Leonardo in the second round following a strong display of skills on the feet.
A flurry of punches from Fiorot backed Leonardo up late in the second round, causing the referee to intervene and stop the fight.
Fiorot showed sharp striking early in the fight, hurting Leonardo with combinations of punches along with knees and elbows in the clinch.
Fiorot was also able to score a takedown in the second round before the fight ended, showing her ability besides striking.
The fight was the UFC debut for both flyweights.
Leonardo entered the bout following a win over Chelsea Hackett on TV show “Dana White’s Contender Series.”
Fiorot joined the UFC after claiming a belt in regional promotion UAE Warriors.
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