UFC will present a 12-fight card on Saturday night with ranked light heavyweights in the headlining spot. Both searching for their first main event victory, Johnny Walker and Jamahal Hill will compete at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Follow along throughout the evening for updates on the card.
A preview of the card can be read here.
Quick Results:
Preliminary Card (4:00PM EST / 1:00PM PST) (ESPN+ / TSN 2)
Bout 1: Mario Bautista def. Jay Perrin via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 2: Jonathan Pearce def. Christian Rodriguez via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 3: Chad Anheliger def. Jesse Strader via TKO, Strikes (RD 3, 3:33)
Bout 4: Gloria de Paula def. Diana Belbita via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 5: Chas Skelly def. Mark Striegl via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 2:01)
Bout 6: Stephanie Egger def. Jessica-Rose Clark via Submission, Armbar (RD 1, 3:44)
Bout 7: David Onama def. Gabriel Benitez via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 4:24)
Main Card (7:00PM EST / 4:00PM PST) (ESPN+ / TSN 2)
Bout 8: Joaquin Buckley def. Abdul Razak Alhassan via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 9: Jim Miller def. Nikolas Motta via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 1:58)
Bout 10: Parker Porter def. Alan Baudot via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 11: Kyle Daukaus def. Jamie Pickett via Submission, Darce Choke (RD 1, 4:59)
Bout 12: Jamahal Hill def. Johnny Walker via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 2:55)
Live Coverage:
Bout 12: Johnny Walker (18-6) vs. Jamahal Hill (9-1) (Light Heavyweight)
Hill Scores Overhand Right Knockout In First UFC Main Event Fight
Jamahal Hill earned a flashy knockout in his debut UFC main event appearance, stopping Johnny Walker in the first round with a clean overhand punch.
Hill flattened Walker with an overhand right in the first round. This shot caused Walker to fall flat on his back and land against the cage. Hill went to the ground to land punches before the referee stepped in to end the fight.
Hill’s UFC record is now a strong four wins, one loss, and one no contest since joining the promotion in 2020. His previous fight was also a quick win, stopping Jimmy Crute late last year in just 48 seconds.
The loss continues a rough run for Walker as of late. The flashy light heavyweight has now lost four of his last five fights. He lost his first UFC main event bout last year, going five rounds against Thiago Santos for a unanimous decision result.
This fight wasn’t originally scheduled for the main event of this UFC card. However, it was elevated to headlining status after a previously booked fight between Rafael Fiziev and Rafael dos Anjos was taken off the card.
Bout 11: Kyle Daukaus (10-2) vs. Jamie Pickett (13-6) (Catchweight 195 lbs)
Daukaus Beats Clock For First-Round Submission Against Pickett
Kyle Daukaus scored a shot-clock submission win in the co-main event, stopping Jamie Pickett at the end of the first round with a darce choke with only a second to spare.
Daukaus attempted a choke on Pickett in the final minute of the opening round. This choke was fully applied and caused Pickett to tap only moments before the round-ending horn sounded.
The stoppage was ruled to officially happen with just one second left in the round.
The win was Daukaus’ first victory in over a year. His two more recent fights resulted in a loss and a no contest.
Daukaus was originally scheduled to face Julian Marquez on this card, although Marquez withdrew from the fight. Pickett took the fight just earlier this month, presumably causing the bout to be held at a catchweight of 195 pounds instead of the middleweight class.
Pickett entered the bout on a two-fight winning streak. The more recent victory came just last month, defeating Joseph Holmes in January.
Bout 10: Parker Porter (12-6) vs. Alan Baudot (8-2) (Heavyweight)
Porter Moves Winning Streak To Three
Parker Porter moved his winning streak to three consecutive on Saturday night, securing a unanimous decision win against Alan Baudot to keep his streak alive (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).
Most of the first and second rounds took place on the feet. Baudot was constantly on his back foot during stand-up exchanges, although he was able to often connect while backing up. Porter’s best round came late, where he scored a takedown and landed ground and pound.
Porter’s two previous wins, which came against Josh Parisian and Chase Sherman, were also via decision.
Baudot is now winless through three UFC appearances. He lost his promotional debut in 2020 and had his second appearance rendered a no contest.
Bout 9: Jim Miller (33-16) vs. Nikolas Motta (12-3) (Lightweight)
Miller Spoils UFC Debut of ‘Contender Series’ Standout Motta
Veteran Jim Miller spoiled the UFC debut of Nikolas Motta on Saturday night, finishing him in the second round with an explosive punch to the head.
Miller dropped Motta in the second round with a strong right hook. The shot made Motta fall hard to the canvas and allowed Miller to land ground and pound until the fight was stopped.
The fight was a close battle before the finish. Motta was even able to stun Miller for a moment in the opening round, landing a punch that wobbled him.
Motta, a former CFFC Champion and “Contender Series” standout, was making his UFC debut in the bout. He waited over a year for this fight, as numerous bookings in 2021 were thrown out due to varying reasons.
Miller, a veteran fighter who holds the record for most UFC fights, has won two consecutive fights. His previous appearance was a stoppage win over Erick Gonzalez.
Bout 8: Joaquin Buckley (13-4) vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (11-4) (Middleweight)
Buckley Goes The Distance For Win Over Alhassan
Joaquin Buckley went the distance for the first time in his UFC career on Saturday night, defeating Abdul Razak Alhassan in a close split decision result (29-28 Alhassan, 29-28 Buckley & 29-28 Buckley).
Buckley succeeded in the earlier parts of the fight, landing the better shots in explosive exchanges with Alhassan.
Alhassan’s best part of the fight was the final round, where he landed strikes and scored a takedown against a visibly fatigued Buckley. That late success for him was not enough to turn things around.
Buckley mentioned after the fight that he expected more eyes to be on this bout than any he had before. He credited this to viral sensation Dale Brown being in his corner for the fight.
Buckley now has a UFC record of four wins and two losses. All of his prior bouts showed a kill-or-be-killed fashion, as they all came via stoppage.
Alhassan has now lost four of his last five bouts. His sole win in that run was his previous performance, which saw him score a 17 second knockout over Alessio Di Chirico.
Bout 7: Gabriel Benitez (22-9) vs. David Onama (8-1) (Featherweight)
Onama Finishes Veteran Benitez In The First Round For First UFC Win
Featherweight prospect David Onama scored his first UFC victory on Saturday’s prelims, shutting down veteran Gabriel Benitez with strikes in the first round for a stoppage result.
Onama knocked Benitez out cold in the first round, charging towards him with a series of strikes that didn’t let up. The shots put Benitez up against the fence and later kncoked him to the ground, ending the fight.
Benitez was landing good shots earlier in the round, visibly wobbling Onama at one point.
Onama is now back into the win column after suffering his sole pro loss last year. That defeat fight came on short notice, as he stepped in to face Mason Jones late last year. That fight ended via unanimous decision.
Benitez’s previous fight was a finish loss against Billy Quarantillo.
Benitez missed weight for the fight on Saturday, coming in two pounds over the limit for the fight.
Bout 6: Jessica-Rose Clark (11-6) vs. Stephanie Egger (6-2) (Bantamweight)
Egger Submits Clark Early With Armbar
Stephanie Egger picked up her second UFC victory on Saturday’s prelims, catching Jessica-Rose Clark in the first round with an armbar.
Egger was eager to get Clark to the ground throughout the fight, scoring numerous throw takedowns in the round. She was eventually able to get the fight to the ground for good and used that position to set up an armbar that earned a tap to end the fight.
Egger earned her first UFC victory last year, defeating Shanna Young with strikes. Her promotional record is now two wins and one loss.
Clark had a two-fight winning streak before the loss, as she beat Sarah Alpar and Joselyne Edwards in recent years.
Bout 5: Chas Skelly (18-3) vs. Mark Striegl (18-3) (Featherweight)
Skelly Wins In Return, Hints At Retirement
Chas Skelly earned a win in what may be his retirement fight, stopping Mark Striegl in the second round with a combination of strikes.
Skelly first hurt Striegl with punches, then entered a clinch to drop him with a knee to the head. This caused the fight to end just seconds later due after Skelly landed follow-up ground and pound shots.
The fight was what many assumed as Skelly’s retirement fight. Skelly said afterward that Saturday’s fight may be his last appearance, although he’s not entirely sure yet.
“I want to go out on my own terms. My body’s not holding up like it used to,” said Skelly.
The fight was Skelly’s first appearance since 2019. A long string of canceled bouts due to varying reasons kept him out of the cage throughout 2020 and 2021.
Striegl is now winless through two fights in the UFC. His promotional debut came in 2020, where he lost to Said Nurmagomedov.
Bout 4: Diana Belbita (14-6) vs. Gloria de Paula (5-4) (Strawweight)
De Paula Earns First UFC Win
Gloria de Paula picked up her first UFC victory on Saturday night, breaking a losing streak with a unanimous decision win against Diana Belbita (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).
De Paula prevailed in a high-volume back-and-forth battle against Belbita that was exclusively on the feet focused solely on striking.
De Paula had lost her two previous UFC bouts, dropping appearances to Jinh Yu Frey and Cheyanne Vlismas.
Belbita was riding the momentum of a win she earned against Hannah Goldy in 2021.
Bout 3: Jesse Strader (5-2) vs. Chad Anheliger (11-5) (Bantamweight)
Anheliger Stops Strader Late In UFC Debut
Chad Anheliger put an end to his close battle against Jesse Strader late, dropping him with strikes in the third round to end their fight and win his UFC debut.
Anheliger dropped Strader late in the third round with an overhand left as part of a back-and-forth striking exchange. Anheliger capitalized on a clearly hurt Strader, landing ground and pound shots until the referee eventually stopped the fight.
The fight was quite close earlier on. Strader was willing to exchange with Anheliger on the feet, making it a close battle to score. It seemed that the fight shifted in favor of Anheliger later on as cardio became a factor.
Anheliger was making his UFC debut after winning on “Dana White’s Contender Series” last year.
Strader is now winless through two UFC fights. Strader was finished in his previous fight with the promotion as well, getting stopped by Montel Jackson.
Bout 2: Jonathan Pearce (11-4) vs. Christian Rodriguez (7-0) (Featherweight)
Pearce Hands Undefeated Rodriguez First Loss With Decision Result
UFC newcomer Christian Rodriguez showed his toughness and proved to be a threat on Saturday, but lost in the end to Jonathan Pearce via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 & 29-28).
Overwhelming control on the ground from Pearce earned rounds throughout the fight. While Rodriguez lost the fight, he was able to cause trouble at times by attempting submissions or scoring with strikes on the feet. These moments were not enough for him to get more than one round on scorecards.
Like many bouts on Saturday night, Rodriguez was an opponent stepping in on just a few days’ notice. The fight, which is his first pro loss, came after a seven-fight run on the regional scene that included fights in LFA, CFFC, and “Dana White’s Contender Series.”
Pearce now has three consecutive wins in the UFC. His two previous appearances, a win over Kai Kamaka III and a victory against Omar Morales, both came via finish.
Bout 1: Mario Bautista (8-2) vs. Jay Perrin (10-4) (Bantamweight)
Bautista Earns Decision Over Short-Notice Newcomer Perrin
Mario Bautista picked up a solid win on the prelims against short-notice opponent Jay Perrin, defeating him via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 & 30-26).
The victory for Bautista saw him utilize his striking in clinch positions, doing visible damage to Perrin from these positions. He was also able to connect in other positions, landing at stand-up range as well.
Perrin took this fight on short notice to replace Khalid Taha. The bantamweight was making his UFC debut and was coming off a title fight win he earned in CES last year.
Bautista is now back into the win column after suffering a stoppage loss to Trevin Jones last year.
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