The Ultimate Fighting Championship came to PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina tonight for UFC Fight Night 166: “Blaydes vs dos Santos.” The event was headlined by a heavyweight bout between Curtis “Razor” Blaydes and popular former UFC champion Junior “Cigano” dos Santos.
In the welterweight co-main event, former 155-pound champion Rafael dos Anjos squared off against “Maverick” Michael Chiesa. Elsewhere on the card, Jordan Espinosa took on Alex Perez in a featured flyweight matchup. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the UFC Fight Night 166 card.
Curtis “Razor” Blaydes vs Junior “Cigano” dos Santos
Round 1:
Dos Santos landed an early right hand and stuffed a takedown in the opening minute. Blaydes landed a leg kick and tried again to take dos Santos down, but dos Santos shrugged him off again. Blaydes landed lunging jabs, but dos Santos circled to the side to avoid his grasp. Blaydes finally secured a clinch against the cage and time was called after dos Santos was punched in the groin. Action soon resumed and the fighters continued to trade punches. Dos Santos stuffed another takedown attempt and Blaydes began to mix up his strikes with body kicks. Close opening round. 10-9 dos Santos.
Round 2:
Blaydes landed a right hand early in round two and dos Santos replied with a head kick that was partially blocked. Blaydes faked a shot and landed a left hook. He followed with a huge right hand that stunned dos Santos and froze him in place. Blaydes unloaded with knees and right hands until the fight was stopped.
Winner: Curtis Blaydes by TKO (Knees & Punches) at 1:06 of round two. He improves to 13-2-0, 1 NC.
“Maverick” Michael Chiesa vs Rafael dos Anjos
Round 1:
Dos Anjos landed a right hook to the body and a left hook to Chiesa’s jaw early on and Chiesa responded by taking his back in a clinch. He pulled dos Anjos down to the mat and worked for a rear-naked choke. He transitioned from choke attempts to mount, but dos Anjos scrambled and got back to half-guard. Chiesa tried to take dos Anjos’s back again and dos Anjos scrambled up to his feet. Hard kicks to the body and leg scored for dos Anjos, but Chiesa promptly took him down again. Dos Anjos stood and Chiesa maintained back control on the feet until the bell. 10-9 Chiesa.
Round 2:
Dos Anjos stuffed a takedown and landed punches in the second round, but Chiesa returned to his feet and he briefly got dos Anjos down to the mat against the cage. Chiesa stood and ate two hard leg kicks. Dos Anjos tried to take him down and Chiesa defended well. Another leg kick landed for dos Anjos, but Chiesa got him down in the final minute. Dos Anjos worked back to his feet against the cage and Chiesa held on in back control. Very close round. 10-9 dos Anjos.
Round 3:
Chiesa took dos Anjos down in the final round and dos Anjos looked to roll for a kneebar. Chiesa scrambled into top position in half-guard and attempted a straight armbar on dos Anjos’s left arm. Dos Anjos once again countered with a kneebar attempt and he used it to control Chiesa posture for quite some time. Chiesa eventually worked his way free and punched from the top in dos Anjos’s guard. Dos Anjos scrambled once more, but Chiesa kept him pinned down and transitioned to half-guard. He looked for an arm-triangle choke just before the bell. 10-9 Chiesa.
Winner: Michael Chiesa by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 17-4-0.
Alex Perez vs Jordan Espinosa
Round 1:
Perez secured a takedown in the opening minute and he worked from the top in half-guard. Perez looked to set up an arm-triangle choke, but settled for a shoulder choke instead as he did not have to pass to the opposite side. Espinosa appeared to be about to tap, but he did not and he was rendered unconscious seconds later.
Winner: Alex Perez by Technical Submission (Shoulder Choke) at 2:33 of round one. He improves to 23-5-0.
Angela “Overkill” Hill vs Hannah “Shockwave” Cifers
Round 1:
Hill utilised her jab and threw quick one-twos in the early goings as Cifers answered with right hands and leg kicks. Hill continued to jab and Cifers three combinations when Hill closed the distance. More jabs and right hands landed for Hill, but Cifers replied with a kick to the body and she followed with a knee after a brief clinch. Hill pinned Cifers against the fence in the final minute, but Cifers punched her way free. A body kick and an elbow landed for Hill, which Cifers countered with a flurry. Hill scored with a spinning backfist and a knee to the body at the bell. Close opening round. 10-9 Hill by a slim margin.
Round 2:
The second round began with Hill landing more jabs and Cifers responded with quick punches and a body kick. Hill landed a right hand and a knee to the body, and she tripped Cifers to the mat. Working from the top in side control, Hill looked to set up an arm-triangle choke by moving to mount. The gave up on the choke and blasted Cifers with elbows instead. More elbows landed for Hill and a cut opened on Cifers’s left temple. Hill continued to unload with elbows and punches until the fight was stopped.
Winner: Angela Hill by TKO (Elbows & Punches) at 4:26 of round two. She improves to 11-7-0.
Jamahal “Sweet Dreams” Hill vs Darko Stošić
Round 1:
Hill jabbed and landed straight left hands early on, and he fought off a takedown attempt from Stošić. Hill continued to land quick strikes and he countered a flurry from Stošić with a knee and a body kick. Stošić rushed in with more overhand punches and a grazing head kick. Hill targeted the body again with a knee and another kick, but he was cracked by a counter left hand from Stošić. Soon after, Stošić took Hill down, but Hill kicked him off and returned to his feet. Both men landed combinations and Stošić scored with another lead left hook. Three punches landed for Hill and Stošić cracked him again with a lead left hand that briefly knocked him off-balance. Close round. 10-9 Hill.
Round 2:
Hill targeted the body again in round two and Stošić continued to punish him with counter hooks. Hill backed Stošić up with knees to the body and quick flurries of punches. He continued to pick his shots with kicks to the body and one-two combinations as Stošić’s offence slowed down. Hill began to mix in punches to the body in addition to his kicks. Stošić finally countered a body kick with a takedown in the final ten seconds, but Hill scrambled up before the bell. 10-9 Hill.
Round 3:
The final round began with Hill landing kicks to the legs and body. Stošić responded with a takedown and he landed some hard punches on the ground before Hill got back to his feet. Stošić got Hill down once more, but he could not hold him there for long. With just over a minute to go, Stošić lunged forward with a left hook and he secured another takedown against the cage. Hill stood with 20 seconds remaining and Stošić dumped him to the mat at the bell. 10-9 Stošić.
Winner: Jamahal Hill by Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27) after three rounds. He improves to 7-0-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)