John “The Magician” Dodson vs Zach “Fun Size” Makovsky

Round 1:
Dodson connected with a pair of hard left hands in the opening minute and Makovsky answered back with one of his own. Punches were exchanged in close and Dodson stuffed a takedown attempt. Makovsky cracked Dodson with two more overhand lefts and he followed with a knee to the body. Leg kicks were exchanged and Makovsky threw a left hook followed by a head kick. 10-9 Makovsky.

Round 2:
Quick left hands were exchanged in round two and Makovsky snuck in more short punches in a clinch. Both men connected with overhand lefts and Makovsky mixed in kicks. He alternated between lunging left hands and takedown attempts. Dodson stayed on his feet, but Makovsky wobbled him with a head kick. He tripped Dodson to the mat, but Dodson stood and secured a slam takedown of his own. Makovsky attempted a heel hook and he finished the round on the feet with a knee to the body. 10-9 Makovsky.

Round 3:
Makovsky landed a nice left hook early in the final round. He used feints to keep Dodson guessing and landed more left hands as the round progressed. Dodson landed knees in a brief clinch and Makovsky responded with step-in punches. A nice one-two landed for Dodson, but Makovsky fired back with a knee and a straight left. Dodson tripped him momentarily and stuffed a takedown soon after. The close fight ended with Makovsky attempting a takedown. 10-9 Makovsky.

Winner: John Dodson by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 17-6-0.

 

Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim vs Josh “The People’s Warrior” Burkman

Round 1:
Burkman jabbed and backed Kim up with a flurry in round one. Kim took his back and dragged him to the mat, but Burkman scrambled up and the fighters clinched against the cage. Kim hopped on Burkman’s back and threw punches to the sides of his head. He threatened with rear-naked choke attempts, but Burkman defended until the bell. 10-9 Kim.

Round 2:
Burkman had success with punches on the feet in the second round, but Kim tied him up in the clinch and took him down. From a partial back control, Kim landed a series of unanswered left hands and he looked to transition to a rear crucifix. More punches and slashing elbows scored for Kim and he prevented Burkman from doing anything until Burkman finally stood up with seconds to go. 10-9 Kim. Close to a 10-8.

Round 3:
Burkman blasted Kim with punches and knees in the opening seconds of round three, but Kim weathered the storm and Burkman slowed down. Kim took his back and dragged Burkman down. He worked for an arm-triangle choke from side control and used it to move to mount. Kim tightened the choke and Burkman tapped out.

Winner: Dong Hyun Kim by Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) at 2:13 of round three. He improves to 20-3-1, 1 ND.

 

Rafael “Sapo” Natal vs Uriah “Primetime” Hall

Round 1:
The fight began with a blatant kick to the groin and time was called to allow Hall to recover. Action resumed and Natal kicked at Hall’s lead leg. He lunged in with punches and Hall jabbed from a distance. Natal landed more punches and leg kicks that forced Hall to counterstrike. Hall stuffed a takedown and just missed with a spinning back kick. He threw two straight head kicks and Natal backed up. He took Hall down soon after and threw knees to the thigh before time expired. Close round. 10-9 Natal.

Round 2:
Hall forced Natal to backpedal with jabs in the second round, but Natal closed the distance and took Hall down into half-guard. He postured up with elbows and passed to half-guard, but Hall escaped to his feet. Natal kneed his thighs until Hall broke away. The fighters circled and Hall clinched against the cage. He tried for a takedown and eventually slammed Natal to the ground, but Natal immediately stood up. Hall suplexed him before the bell. 10-9 Natal.

Round 3:
Hall attempted a spinning wheel kick early in round three and he landed a jumping switch knee to the body soon after. Natal rushed in with punches and scored with a right hook. Hall flashed out more kicks that kept Natal at bay. Natal threw flailing punches and clipped Hall on the chin. Hall stumbled, but regained his footing and Natal pinned him against the fence. The fighters were separated and Natal landed more lunging punches. Another close round. 10-9 Natal, barely, due to the late offence. Fight could go either way.

Winner: Rafael Natal by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 20-6-1.

 

“Thug” Rose Namajunas vs Nina “The Strina” Ansaroff

*Bout cancelled on event day due to Ansaroff illness.

 

Colby “Chaos” Covington vs Mike “Quicksand” Pyle

Round 1:
Covington punched his way into an early clinch, but he was unable to get Pyle down and time was called after Pyle was kneed in the groin. Action eventually resumed and Covington landed an overhand left, but Pyle cracked him with a counter right hand and the fighters clinched. Pyle attempted a rolling kimura, but Covington escaped and took his back. He slammed Pyle down and avoided Pyle’s submission attempts. Covington stayed on top until the bell. 10-9 Covington.

Round 2:
Covington backed Pyle up with punches in the second round and Pyle countered with a nice knee, but Covington took him down. Pyle attempted an armbar and Covington punched his way free. He struck from the top until the fighters were stood up. Covington flurried again and Pyle narrowly missed with a knee. 10-9 Covington.

Round 3:
Pyle scored with a flying switch knee in round three and he countered a Covington takedown with a guillotine choke. Covington escaped and the fighters scrambled on the mat. Covington wound up on top and he landed short punches and elbows. Pyle cut him with elbows from the bottom. He worked for a kimura and used it to reverse into mount position. Covington rolled over and Pyle had him in all sorts of trouble with a modified rear-naked choke, but Covington narrowly escaped and he finished the round on top. 10-9 Pyle.

Winner: Colby Covington by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 8-0-0.

 

Islam Makhachev vs Leo “The Lion” Kuntz

Round 1:
Big overhand punches were exchanged in the opening 30 seconds and Makhachev clinched against the cage. Kuntz broke free, but Makhachev landed a combination and threw him to the mat. He immediately took Kuntz’s back and landed short punches until Kuntz escaped out the back. The fighters stood and Makhachev connected with a right hook and a standing elbow. He fired off a series of uppercuts in close and took Kuntz down into side control late in the round. 10-9 Makhachev.

Round 2:
Makhachev flurried with punches in the second round and followed with a looping uppercut. He stunned Kuntz with a hook and took his back as Kuntz dropped to his knees. Makhachev flattened Kuntz out and locked on a rear-naked choke in a scramble. Kuntz got to his knees, but Makhachev dragged him backwards and tightened the choke, forcing Kuntz to tap out.

Winner: Islam Makhachev by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:38 of round two. He improves to 12-0-0.

 

Justin “Tank” Scoggins vs Joshua “The Gremlin” Sampo

Round 1:
Scoggins opened the action with kicks to the legs and body of Sampo, and he followed with a one-two. Sampo flurried with punches and Scoggins answered with more kicks. He mixed things up with punch-kick combos and fought off a Sampo takedown attempt. Scoggins landed hard kicks to the body and a side kick to the face. He threw liver kicks and a big knee to the chest in the final seconds. 10-9 Scoggins.

Round 2:
Scoggins wobbled Sampo with a front hook kick to the temple early in round two and he avoided Sampo’s attempt to take the fight to the mat. Sampo clinched and landed a knee, but Scoggins circled away and scored with a front kick to the face. Sampo briefly took him down, but Scoggins scrambled back to his feet. Sampo landed a nice body kick and Scoggins answered with one of his own. He stuffed a late takedown attempt and the fighters traded punches on the feet. Close round. 10-9 Scoggins, barely.

Round 3:
The final round began with Scoggins throwing quick punches and he knocked Sampo off-balance with another front hook kick. Sampo attempted a head kick and landed a Superman punch. Hard punches were exchanged and Scoggins landed a body kick, but Sampo caught his leg and tripped him to the mat. He postured up with ground and pound until Scoggins escaped to his feet. A standing elbow scored for Sampo, but Scoggins took him down in the final ten seconds. Another close round. 10-9 Scoggins.

Winner: Justin Scoggins by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 10-2-0.