Kanako Murata vs Randa “Quiet Storm” Markos

Round 1:
Murata landed a one-two early in the fight and clinched with Markos against the cage, then threw her to the mat and worked from the top in Markos’s guard. She swiftly passed to side control and Markos scrambled up to her feet. She landed knees to Murata’s body and defended against two Murata takedown attempts, but Murata swept out Markos’s leg and got her down on her third try. She landed short elbows from the top in Markos’s half-guard, then postured up and landed harder elbows and punches. Murata continued to attack with elbows until Markos countered with a heel hook attempt in the final 15 seconds. 10-9 Murata.

Round 2:
The second round began with Murata landing a spinning backfist and a head kick. Murata responded with a right hand and she rushed forward with punches. Murata sidestepped and countered with straight left hands. A brief clinch followed and Markos landed knees to the body while Murata kicked her left leg. Murata dragged Markos down and nearly got to mount as she kept Markos pinned against the base of the cage. Murata landed left hands from the top until Markos got to her knees and stood up. Murata tried for another takedown before the bell. 10-9 Murata.

Round 3:
Murata landed a left-right combo to begin the final round and the fighters traded strikes until Murata shot in and took Markos down. She trapped Markos in a tight Brabo Choke, then switched to a North-South Choke and a guillotine. Markos escaped and got back to full guard as Murata blasted her with right hands from the top. Markos postured for an armbar and Murata used the opportunity to pass to side control. Markos kicked her off and landed a barely-legal upkick as Murata dropped back into her guard. Murata passed to half-guard again and used elbows and hammerfists to set up another Brabo Choke attempt. Markos escaped and she attempted a late armbar, but Murata avoided danger by passing to side control. 10-9 Murata.

Winner: Kanako Murata by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 12-1-0.

Tony Gravely vs Geraldo “The Spartan” de Freitas Jr.

Round 1:
The fighters clinched early in the fight and de Freitas tried for a trip takedown, but Gravely reversed on the way down and wound up on top in side control. He threw hammerfists from the top until de Freitas got back to butterfly guard and used it to stand up. De Freitas attacked Gravely’s lead leg with kicks and he stunned Gravely with a left hook to the temple. Gravely dropped levels and took de Freitas down, then slammed his way out of an armbar attempt. De Freitas transitioned to an omoplata and he remained active with submission attempts off of his back. Gravely stood up and he kicked at de Freitas’s legs as de Freitas countered with upkicks. Gravely eventually dropped into de Freitas’s guard and immediately had to fight off an omoplata. The fighters stood and Gravely dumped de Freitas to the mat once more. Close round. 10-9 de Freitas due to damage and submission attempts.

Round 2:
De Feitas opened round two with a nice right cross and he briefly took Gravely down. Gravely stood and tried to suplex de Freitas against the cage. De Freitas turned into the clinch and the fighters traded strikes until Gravely secured a takedown into side control. De Freitas got back to guard and both men landed elbows on the ground. De Freitas continued to try for omoplatas and he scrambled up to his feet. Both men landed punches and Gravely countered a jumping knee with a takedown. De Freitas stood up almost immediately and Gravely dragged him down again. He landed short elbows from the top until the end of the back-and-forth round. 10-9 Gravely.

Round 3:
Gravely took de Freitas down in the final round and spent the next three minutes landing short punches from the top as de Freitas looked to set up submissions from the bottom. The fight returned to the feet and de Freitas rocked Gravely with a right hand. Gravely shot in for a takedown and de Freitas stayed on his feet. He hurt Gravely with another combination and sprawled to defend against a second takedown attempt. Gravely finally got de Freitas down on his thied try, but he could not keep him there and both men landed looping hooks to conclude the round. 10-9 de Freitas.

Winner: Tony Gravely by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 20-6-0.

Alex “The Great White” Morono vs Rhys “Skeletor” McKee

Round 1:
Morono began the fight with two quick leg kicks and the fighters immediately exchanged power punches. Morono backed McKee up with a hard one-two and McKee’s face already began to redden. Morono cracked him with a looping overhand right and he easily escaped from a McKee clinch attempt. The fighters traded jabs and Morono backed McKee up against the cage. McKee countered with an elbow and circled away, then kicked at Morono’s lead leg. Morono responded with more right hands and McKee’s entire face was bright red. Morono flurried with punches and McKee responded with knees in a clinch. Late in the round, Morono landed a hard right hand and he pressed forward with more power punches as McKee backed up to the cage. 10-9 Morono.

Round 2:
Morono continued to score with overhand rights in the second round as he circled to the sides and kept his distance. McKee jabbed in return and he landed a slashing elbow after Morono briefly clinched. Morono put McKee on the defensive with another flurry of punches and a knee. As the round progressed, McKee established his jab and he repeatedly snapped Morono’s head back as Morono moved forward to strike. Lead left hooks scored for McKee and Morono answered with an overhand right. McKee clinched and looked for a trip takedown, but Morono pushed him back and landed a right hook late in the competitive round. 10-9 Morono.

Round 3:
Both men landed left-right combos in the final round and McKee was the aggressor. The fighters exchanged right hooks and McKee used his jab to set up a four-punch combination. He hurt Morono with a left hook to the body and Morono took him down. McKee threw elbows from the bottom and looked to set up a triangle choke. Morono avoided it and both fighters stood up. Time was called to find McKee’s mouthpiece, which had fallen through the base of the cage. As it could not be immediately located, McKee’s team left to retrieve a spare. Finally, the original mouthpiece was found and the fight continued. McKee punched to the body and Morono countered with a nice knee. He took McKee down and postured up with elbows, then mounted McKee in the final 25 seconds and landed more elbows until the bell. 10-9 Morono.

Winner: Alex Morono by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 18-6-0, 1 NC.

Don’Tale “Kong” Mayes vs Roque Martinez

Round 1:
Mayes used his reach advantage to land jabs and leg kicks early in the fight. Martinez struggled to find his range as Mayes kept him at bay with long strikes. Martinez finally began to find success near the midway point in the round with leg kicks and right hands, but Mayes responded with more jabs and an emphatic takedown against the cage. He worked from the top in half-guard with short elbows and punches until the bell. 10-9 Mayes.

Round 2:
Mayes was given a strong warning for extending his fingers and not maintaining a closed fist early in the second round. Action resumed and Mayes landed jabs and a knee as Martinez answered with leg kicks. Mayes came up short with a jumping switch kick and Martinez flurried to the body. Mayes backed Martinez up with a big combination and a jumping knee, but Martinez weathered the storm and pushed him away. Martinez punched his way into a clinch and worked for a takedown, but Mayes defended. In the final minute, Mayes pressed forward with a combination and a head kick. 10-9 Mayes.

Round 3:
Martinez landed a body kick and followed up with punches in close that prompted Mayes to clinch in the final round. Martinez countered with a guillotine choke and Mayes dropped down to his knees. Mayes escaped from the choke and the fighters returned to their feet. Mayes landed a combination of uppercuts and overhand rights that backed Mayes up. Another clinch followed and Martinez attacked Mayes’s thigh with hammerfists while looking for a takedown. He eventually backed away and chased after Mayes with overhand lefts and rights. Mayes landed two big knees late in the round and he attempted a third one at the bell. 10-9 Martinez.

Winner: Don’Tale Mayes by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 8-4-0.