Attempting to score his second consecutive main event win, Marvin Vettori will fight short-notice opponent Kevin Holland in the main event of Saturday’s UFC “Fight Night” card. The potential five-round bout headlines a 13-fight card from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Follow along throughout the day for live updates.
A full preview of the card can be viewed here.
Quick Results:
Early Prelims (11:30AM EDT / 8:30AM PDT) (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 1: Impa Kasanganay def. Sasha Palatnikov via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 0:26)
Preliminary Card (12:00PM EDT / 9:00AM PDT) (ESPN / TSN 5)
Bout 2: Da-Un Jung def. William Knight via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 3: Luis Saldana def. Jordan Griffin via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 4: Jack Shore def. Hunter Azure via Decision, Split
Bout 5: Jarjis Danho def. Yorgan De Castro via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 2:03)
Bout 6: John Makdessi def. Ignacio Bahamondes via Decision, Split
Bout 7: Mateusz Gamrot def. Scott Holtzman via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 1:22)
Bout 8: Joe Solecki def. Jim Miller via Decision, Unanimous
Main Card (3:00PM EDT / 12:00PM PDT) (ABC / TSN 5)
Bout 9: Daniel Rodriguez def. Mike Perry via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 10: Mackenzie Dern def. Nina Nunes via Submission, Armbar (RD 1, 4:48)
Bout 11: Julian Marquez def. Sam Alvey via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 2:07)
Bout 12: Arnold Allen def. Sodiq Yusuff via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 13: Marvin Vettori def. Kevin Holland via Decision, Unanimous
Live Coverage:
Bout 13: Marvin Vettori (16-3-1) vs. Kevin Holland (21-6) (Middleweight)
Vettori Controls Short-Notice Opponent Holland For Five-Round Shutout
Marvin Vettori swept scorecards against short-notice opponent Kevin Holland in the main event of Saturday’s UFC card (50-44, 50-44, & 50-44).
Vettori’s victory saw him control Holland, scoring takedowns in every round and keeping him on his back. Holland had strong moments with strikes on the feet, although Vettori would be quick to stop that momentum by taking him down.
Vettori broke a middleweight record in the fight, scoring 11 takedowns, per the UFC broadcast. He looked for an arm triangle choke in side control during the third round, although he eventually gave up the attempt.
Vettori was critical of his performance afterwards, although he made it clear that he thinks he is ready for a fight against UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya.
“I’m not happy with what I did because I wanted to finish this guy,” said Vettori in his post-fight interview.
Vettori now has a five-fight streak of wins that includes two main event wins. His previous fight, a bout in December, saw him win his first five-round UFC fight with a decision over Jack Hermansson.
Holland took the fight on just a week’s notice, stepping in for Darren Till, who withdrew due to injury. Holland took the fight just weeks after losing his first UFC main event, getting dominated by Derek Brunson in March.
Prior to his recent losses, Holland had put together an impressive five-fight win streak in 2020. Holland’s 2020 run saw him pick up more wins than any other fighter in the UFC.
Bout 12: Arnold Allen (16-1) vs. Sodiq Yusuff (11-1) (Featherweight)
Allen Takes Scorecard Win Over Yusuff For Eighth Consecutive UFC Win
Arnold Allen utilized his striking skills to hand Sodiq Yusuff his first UFC loss in the co-main event. The unanimous decision for Allen continued his undefeated promotional win that dates back to 2015 (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).
Allen’s stand-up skills had Yusuff in trouble for moments in their bout. A head kick in the second round, for example, was able to drop Yusuff. Despite being hurt, Yusuff was always able to recover quickly and get back into the fight.
Yusuff looked fresher in the final round as cardio became a factor.
Both fighters were returning after a year out of the cage.
Allen now has eight wins in his UFC run. His previous showing was in January of 2020, where he took a decision win over UFC vet Nik Lentz.
Yusuff’s last win was in early January, where he defeated Andre Fili for his fourth UFC victory.
Bout 11: Sam Alvey (33-14-1) vs. Julian Marquez (8-2) (Middleweight)
Marquez Chokes Out Alvey For Second Win Since Return
Julian Marquez scored his second finish win of the year on the main card, choking out Sam Alvey in the second round with a rear naked choke.
Marquez put the choke in after hurting Alvey with strikes early in the round, putting Alvey unconscious eventually.
“I squeezed for dear life as if I was trying to pop off his head,” said Marquez in his post-fight interview.
The first round of the bout saw both fighters get hurt from striking exchanges.
Marquez now has two wins since returning to the cage. The 30-year-old competed for the first time since 2018 in February, stopping Maki Pitolo with an anaconda choke at UFC 258.
Alvey is now winless through his last six bouts. He ended a four-fight losing skid in October with a draw against Da-Un Jung, although his fight on Saturday brings him back to his losing ways.
Alvey’s fight on Saturday was his first at middleweight since 2017. He had previously fought at light heavyweight for his last seven bouts.
Bout 10: Nina Nunes (10-6) vs. Mackenzie Dern (10-1) (Strawweight)
Dern Picks Up Armbar Win Against Returning Nunes
Mackenzie Dern continued her climb up the strawweight division with a first-round armbar victory over the returning Nina Nunes on Saturday. Dern’s quick win saw her score a takedown and slowly work towards an armbar. Nunes was quick to tap once her arm was extended in the closing seconds of the fight.
Dern is now on a four-fight win streak since returning last year. The run now includes three armbar wins and a decision win over Virna Jandiroba from December.
Dern entered the fight ranked 11th in the strawweight division, per UFC’s official rankings. A win on Saturday should only bring her higher up the rankings.
Nunes was competing for the first time since 2019, where a loss to Tatiana Suarez snapped a four-fight run of wins for her.
Bout 9: Mike Perry (14-7) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (13-2) (Welterweight)
Rodriguez Out-Boxes Perry For Win
Daniel Rodriguez used sharp boxing to score rounds over Mike Perry and win via unanimous decision on the main card (30-27, 30-27 & 30-26). Perry had no real match for Rodriguez’s punches, which accumulated and caused significant amounts of damage on his face by the end.
Perry was able to stop the momentum of Rodriguez for moments at best, scoring a takedown in the first and second round.
Rodriguez is now back in the win column after taking his first UFC loss last year to Nicolas Dalby. The 34-year-old had three UFC wins in 2020 prior to the loss.
Perry has now lost four of his last five bouts. He previously appeared in November, losing on scorecards to Tim Means.
Bout 8: Jim Miller (32-15) vs. Joe Solecki (10-2) (Lightweight)
Solecki Defeats Veteran Miller For Third Consecutive UFC Win
Joe Solecki scored his third consecutive UFC victory in the final preliminary bout, defeating promotional vet Jim Miller on scorecards (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27). Solecki was able to control most of the fight by scoring takedowns and holding his own in the striking exchanges.
Solecki has been undefeated since entering the UFC roster in 2019. His previous bout saw him score his first UFC submission, stopping Austin Hubbard within a round in August.
Miller extended a UFC record in the appearance, as he continues to be the fighter with the most career UFC appearances, now with 37 in total.
Miller lost his previous bout as well, dropping scorecards to Vinc Pichel.
Bout 7: Scott Holtzman (14-4) vs. Mateusz Gamrot (17-1) (Lightweight)
Former KSW Champ Gamrot Earns First UFC Win, Stopping Holtzman
Former KSW Lightweight Champion Mateusz Gamrot landed his first UFC victory on Saturday, stopping promotional vet Scott Holtzman in the second round with punches.
Gamrot’s finish victory came after he dropped Holtzman to his knees with a right cross. Gamrot landed a few follow-up shots on the ground afterwards that forced the referee to step in.
The stoppage victory was also Gamrot’s first since taking his first pro loss last year. Gamrot’s UFC debut in 2020 was spoiled by Guram Kutateladze, who pulled off a split decision win.
Gamrot mentioned afterwards that he spent his fight camp at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, USA, away from his family in Poland.
“I am so happy. I am really so happy,” said Gamrot in his post-fight interview.
Holtzman has now lost two consecutive fights, something that has never happened in his pro career before. He was also stopped in his previous bout, getting finished by Beneil Dariush in August.
Bout 6: John Makdessi (17-7) vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (11-3) (Lightweight)
Makdessi Defeats UFC Newcomer Bahamondes In Hectic Striking Battle
John Makdessi prevailed in a close contest against UFC newcomer Ignacio Bahamondes, defeating him in a split decision performance (29-28 Bahamondes, 29-28 Makdessi & 30-27 Makdessi).
The three-round fight, which consisted solely of stand-up striking, saw both athletes compete at an impressive and consistent pace.
Makdessi started the fight stronger, hurting Bahamondes in the opening few minutes. Bahamondes was able to get comfortable later in the fight, trading in exchanges with Makdessi on the feet.
Makdessi was competing for the first time in a year. His last bout saw in March of 2020, where he lost a decision to Francisco Trinaldo.
Bahamondes was making his UFC debut after a win on “Dana White’s Contender Series” last year. The 23-year-old has 11 wins in his pro career.
Bout 5: Yorgan De Castro (6-2) vs. Jarjis Danho (5-1-1) (Heavyweight)
Danho Scores Knockout In Return To Action
Jarjis Danho scored his first UFC win in his return to the cage on Saturday, knocking out Yorgan De Castro in the first round with punches. Shortly after returning to the feet from grappling exchange, Danho scored an overhand right that floored De Castro, ending the fight.
Danho was making his return to the cage after nearly five years out of the cage. His first two UFC bouts were in 2016, where he lost a bout and fought to a draw in the other.
De Castro is now on a three-fight losing streak that includes decision losses to Greg Hardy and Carlos Felipe last year. Saturday’s bout was the first time he was stopped in his pro career.
Bout 4: Jack Shore (13-0) vs. Hunter Azure (9-1) (Bantamweight)
Shore Goes To Scorecards To Extend Undefeated Record Against Azure
Jack Shore had the biggest challenge of his UFC career thus far, defeating Hunter Azure via split decision on the prelims (30-27 Shore, 29-28 Azure & 30-27 Shore).
The close bout that saw close exchanges with striking and grappling extended Shore’s undefeated record to 14 wins. While Shore scored more takedowns than Azure in the fight, back-and-forth battles would ensue on the ground afterwards.
Shore, a former Cage Warriors Bantamweight Champion, now has three wins in the UFC. His two previous victories came via submission, catching Nohelin Hernandez and Aaron Phillips with rear naked chokes.
Azure had a win in his previous matchup, defeating Cole Smith on scorecards.
Bout 3: Luis Saldana (14-6) vs. Jordan Griffin (18-8) (Featherweight)
UFC Debutant Saldana Takes Decision Win Over Griffin
Luis Saldana picked up a decision win in his promotional debut, scoring a close victory over Jordan Griffin (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28). The matchup saw both fighters have strong moments, making for close rounds that were hard to score.
Saldana was able to do damage early in the fight with leg kicks, wobbling Griffin with shots. Griffin started to take over the fight late in the second round by maintaining an intense pace. This pace slowed down come the final round, bringing Saldana back into the mix significantly.
Griffin was consistently backing Saldana up with strikes and takedowns. He had Saldana in trouble a couple of times on the ground with rear naked choke attempts, although they were never able to end the fight.
Saldana was able to pick up more control time in the third round after escaping a choke.
Saldana was making his UFC debut after earning a win on “Dana White’s Contender Series” last year. The stoppage victory against Vince Murdock on the show was Saldana’s fourth consecutive win.
Griffin lost his previous bout, not being favoured on scorecards against Youssef Zalal last year. His loss on Saturday moves his UFC record to one win and four losses.
Bout 2: Da-Un Jung (13-2-1) vs. William Knight (9-1) (Light Heavyweight)
Jung Dominates Knight For Third UFC Win
Da-Un Jung picked up a dominating win to return to the win column, defeating William Knight via unanimous decision after three rounds (30-26, 30-26 & 30-27). Jung’s clean sweep on scorecards came from three rounds of scoring takedowns and keeping Knight on his back.
Jung’s best round was the second, as he took the back of Knight and unloaded with punches to the head that caused lots of bleeding.
Jung fought to a draw against UFC veteran Sam Alvey his prior appearance. The fight snapped a 12-fight win streak that Jung had developed, including two UFC wins.
The loss was William’s first since joining the UFC roster last year. He won his UFC debut in his previous appearance, defeating Aleksa Camur on scorecards in September.
Bout 1: Impa Kasanganay (8-1) vs. Sasha Palatnikov (6-2) (Welterweight)
Kasanganay Wins Welterweight Debut With Submission Against Palatnikov
Impa Kasanganay picked up his first win at welterweight in the opening bout, submitting Sasha Palatnikov in the second round with a rear naked choke. Kasanganay picked up the sub early in the round after stunning Palatnikov with punches only seconds before.
Kasanganay was able to hurt Palatnikov in the opening round as well, scoring a takedown a minute into the frame.
Kasanganay bounced back from his sole pro loss, being on the receiving end of a viral spinning kick knockout from Joaquin Buckley last year. The fight was his last at middleweight before moving down to 170-pounds on Saturday.
Kasanganay thanked his former gym following his win, as he mentioned that they told him to go out and train with others outside their facilities.
Palatnikov won his UFC debut in his previous fight, stopping Louis Cosce in the third round of a back-and-forth fight.
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