The Ultimate Fighting Championship travelled to Zagreb Arena in Zagreb, Croatia tonight for UFC Fight Night 86: “Rothwell vs dos Santos.” The event was headlined by a heavyweight bout between top-ranked contender “Big” Ben Rothwell and former UFC champion Junior “Cigano” dos Santos.
In other heavyweight action on the main card, Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis took on former UFC title challenger Gabriel “Napão” Gonzaga in tonight’s co-feature. Francis “The Predator” Ngannou battled Curtis “Razor” Blaydes. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for tonight’s main card.
Junior “Cigano” dos Santos vs “Big” Ben Rothwell
Round 1:
Dos Santos landed occasional right hands in the opening minute and Rothwell repeatedly switched stances. He swarmed on dos Santos with a quick flurry, then slowed down and reset. Dos Santos landed more right hands to the head and body, but Rothwell fired back with a combination of his own. Another flurry scored for Rothwell and dos Santos answered back with a one-two. Rothwell remained the aggressor and he landed lunging punches while dos Santos was content to jab to the head and body. Close opening round. 10-9 dos Santos.
Round 2:
Dos Santos mixed things up with punches to the head and body in the second round. Rothwell landed a body kick and a right hand, but dos Santos replied with a quick three-punch flurry. Duelling Superman Punches ensued and Rothwell chopped away at dos Santos’s lead leg with kicks. Time was called after dos Santos was poked in the eye. Action resumed and dos Santos landed looping hooks. Rothwell’s right eye began to swell up and dos Santos clipped him with a short left hook. A massive right hand wobbled Rothwell and dos Santos knocked him down with a front kick to the chest. 10-9 dos Santos.
Round 3:
Dos Santos landed more quick jabs in round three, but Rothwell remained effective with leg kicks and right hands. He backed dos Santos up with an overhand right, but dos Santos planted his feet and scored with a right cross and a stiff jab. The fighters traded right hooks and dos Santos landed a spinning back kick to the liver. He followed with a left-right combo to the jaw and another spinning back kick. 10-9 dos Santos.
Round 4:
Both men landed side kicks to the body in the fourth round and dos Santos followed with jabs. He backed Rothwell up with three consecutive hooks, but Rothwell recovered quickly. Dos Santos maintained a fast pace and he picked his shots with jabs and one-twos. Rothwell connected with a hard right hand and he just missed with a head kick. A combination landed for Rothwell and dos Santos countered with jabs. The round ended with Rothwell landing a leg kick. 10-9 dos Santos.
Round 5:
Rothwell walked forward and used feints to try to set up a big right hand, but dos Santos ducked under and countered with quick jabs and straight rights. He landed a step-in knee and more jabs to the body. Rothwell continued to look for a knockout, but dos Santos countered his strikes well and picked him apart with jabs and hooks. He landed a final flurry before the bell. 10-9 dos Santos.
Winner: Junior dos Santos by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) after five rounds. He improves to 18-4-0.
Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis vs Gabriel “Napão” Gonzaga
Round 1:
Lewis landed a head kick to start the action, but Gonzaga stayed on his feet and he scored a takedown into side control. Lewis gave up mount and then back control, but he managed to scramble up to his feet. Little transitioned in the clinch and the fighters were separated on two occasions. Lewis pressed forward with a combination and he floored Gonzaga with a massive right cross. More punches followed on the mat until referee Marc Goddard rescued an unconscious Gonzaga from any further damage.
Winner: Derrick Lewis by KO (Punches) at 4:48 of round one. He improves to 15-4-0, 1 NC.
Francis “The Predator” Ngannou vs Curtis “Razor” Blaydes
Round 1:
Blaydes opened the fight with a stiff jab and a takedown attempt, but Ngannou stayed on his feet and landed knees to the body. The fighters separated and Ngannou just missed with uppercuts. He wobbled Blaydes with a left cross, but Blaydes recovered quickly. Ngannou countered a leg kick with another left hand that dropped Blaydes, but Blaydes regained his composure again and clinched. He took Ngannou down, but Ngannou used the cage to battle back to his feet and he landed a combination before the bell. 10-9 Ngannou.
Round 2:
Ngannou cracked Blaydes with a one-two in the second round and the fighters traded hard punches in close. Blaydes’s right eye swelled shut and he missed badly with overhand rights. He managed to drag Ngannou down into side control, but Ngannou immediately escaped to his feet and took Blaydes’s back. The fighters separated and Ngannou landed one-twos and lead left hooks. 10-9 Ngannou.
Between rounds, the cageside doctor stopped the fight due to Blaydes’s severely swollen right eye.
Winner: Francis Ngannou by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 5:00 of round two. He improves to 7-1-0.
Timothy Johnson vs Marcin “Tybur” Tybura
Round 1:
Both men landed power punches one minute into the opening round and Johnson pinned Tybura against the fence. He landed short knees to the thighs until the referee called for a break. Hard punches were exchanged again and Johnson missed with a wild left hook. 10-9 Johnson.
Round 2:
Johnson blasted Tybura with a five-punch flurry in round two that opened a cut above Tybura’s left eye. He fought off a takedown attempt from a bloodied Tybura and snapped his head back with a left cross. Late in the round, Johnson stunned Tybura with a series of straight right hands and a flurry against the cage. Tybura held on and time expired soon after. 10-9 Johnson.
Round 3:
Tybura secured a brief takedown into back control in round three, but Johnson scrambled back to his feet and the fighters clinched against the fence. Tybura landed knees, but Johnson reversed position. Tybura broke free and he stunned Johnson with a head kick. Tybura rushed in with punches and the fighters clinched once more as Johnson’s left eye swelled shut. Tybura threw more kicks after the fighters separated. 10-9 Tybura.
Winner: Timothy Johnson by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 10-2-0.
Jan Blachowicz vs Igor “The Duke” Pokrajac
Round 1:
After an early exchange of punches, Blachowicz took Pokrajac down and he pressured him with ground and pound from the top. Blachowicz moved to half-guard and then took Pokrajac’s back. Pokrajac shook Blachowicz off and he wound up on top in Blachowicz’s guard. Pokrajac stood over Blachowicz and dropped punches and forearm strikes. He mounted Blachowicz against the base of the cage in the final minute and used more punches to set up a guillotine choke attempt. 10-9 Pokrajac.
Round 2:
Big punches scored for both fighters in the second round and Blachowicz fought off a clinch attempt. Pokrajac closed the distance again, but Blachowicz reversed position and he flurried with punches to the head and body. Huge shots were exchanged and Blachowicz rocked Pokrajac with a hook and an uppercut. He stayed on his feet and cut Blachowicz near the left eye with a right hook, but Blachowicz secured a takedown. He punished Pokrajac with punches on the way up, but Pokrajac unloaded with another flurry. Blachowicz took him down again and briefly held back control. Pokrajac stood and ate a head kick. The round ended with an exchange of punches and knees. 10-9 Blachowicz.
Round 3:
The pace slowed in the final round, but both men continued to land power punches. Blachowicz countered right hands from Pokrajac by taking him down. He moved to half-guard and landed hammerfists and elbows throughout the round. Pokrajac was unable to get back to his feet and Blachowicz landed more short strikes until the end of the fight. 10-9 Blachowicz.
Winner: Jan Blachowicz by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 19-5-0.
Maryna “The Iron Woman” Moroz vs Cristina “Barbie” Stanciu
Round 1:
Stanciu rushed in with a jumping push kick and a flurry of punches in the opening seconds. She pinned Moroz against the fence and landed short elbows, then jumped into a flying guillotine choke. Moroz defended and Stanciu switched to an omoplata and then a heel hook. Moroz freed her leg, but Stanciu scored with upkicks from her back. Moroz settled into Stanciu’s guard and punched to the body. Stanciu kicked her off and the fight returned to the feet. Moroz landed a combination and scored a takedown into side control. She transitioned to Stanciu’s back and landed punches while working for a neck crank. Close opening round. 10-9 Stanciu, barely, in spite of Moroz’s late rally.
Round 2:
Stanciu slowed down in the second round, but she tried to keep Moroz at bay with kicks. Moroz jabbed from a distance and Stanciu dove in with a right cross. The fighters traded punches and Stanciu tried to jump into a flying armbar. She lost the position but transitioned to a kneebar. Moroz escaped and she moved from back control to S-mount. She landed elbows from the top, but Stanciu initiated a scramble and escaped to her feet. 10-9 Moroz.
Round 3:
Punch-kick combos were exchanged in the final round and Stanciu targeted Moroz’s lead leg. She followed with more kicks that kept Moroz on the defensive. Stanciu reversed a trip attempt and wound up on top in Moroz’s guard. Moroz countered with an armbar from the bottom and Stanciu escaped by trapping Moroz in an inverted triangle choke. Moroz freed her head and attacked with another armbar attempt. She went belly-down with the hold, but time expired. Another close round. 10-9 Moroz.
Winner: Maryna Moroz by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 7-1-0.
Undercard Fights:
– Zak Cummings defeated Nicolas “Sharpshooter” Dalby by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 19-4-0 with the win.
– Alejandro “El Diablito” Pérez defeated Ian “Enty” Entwistle by Submission (Punches) at 4:04 of round one. He improves to 17-6-0 with the win.
– Mairbek “Beckan” Taisumov defeated Damir “The Bosnian Bomber” Hadzovic by KO (Punch) at 3:44 of round one. He improves to 25-5-0 with the win.
– Damian “Webster” Stasiak defeated Filip “Nitro” Pejić by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:16 of round one. He improves to 9-3-0 with the win.
– Lucas “Mineiro” Martins defeated Robert “The Hammer” Whiteford by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 16-3-0 with the win.
– Jared “The Killa Gorilla” Cannonier defeated Cyril “Silverback” Asker by KO (Punch & Elbows) at 2:44 of round one. He improves to 8-1-0 with the win.
– Bojan “Serbian Steel” Velickovic defeated Alessio “Manzo” Di Chirico by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 14-3-0 with the win.