The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC 191: “Johnson vs Dodson 2.” The event was headlined by a UFC Flyweight Championship rematch between Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and John “The Magician” Dodson.

Also on tonight’s card, former UFC Heavyweight Champions collided when Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski met Frank Mir in the co-feature. Strawweight star “12 Gauge” Paige VanZant took on Alex “Astro Girl” Chambers in a 115-pound matchup. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.

 

UFC Flyweight Championship

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson vs John “The Magician” Dodson

Round 1:
Johnson taunted early on the fighters traded leg kicks. A right hand landed for Johnson, but Dodson stuffed a takedown attempt. Both men threw head kicks and Johnson punched his way into a clinch. Dodson countered with a series of left hands to the body. Johnson caught a kick and scored with a right hook. He backed Dodson up with two lead right hands and clinched in search of a takedown. Johnson kicked to the body and kept Dodson on the defensive until the bell. 10-9 Johnson.

Round 2:
The second round began with a right-left combo from Johnson, but Dodson clinched and took him down. Johnson stood back up and the fighters traded body kicks. Dodson chopped away at Johnson’s lead leg with kicks and he scored with a hard counter one-two soon after. Dodson landed short strikes in the clinch, but Johnson tagged him with a pair of right hands after breaking away. Dodson stopped his forward momentum with a counter left cross and he followed with another one after an exchange of body kicks. Close second round. 10-9 Dodson, barely.

Round 3:
Johnson worked diligently for a takedown throughout the first half of round three. He finally broke away after landing a spinning back elbow, then followed with a nice one-two. Johnson was kicked in the groin, but fought on and punched his way into another clinch. He took Dodson down twice, but Dodson returned to his feet within seconds. Johnson just missed with a head kick and a flying knee as time expired. 10-9 Johnson.

Round 4:
Johnson quickly punched his way into a clinch against the cage in the fourth round, but Dodson circled out and struck from a distance. Johnson landed a straight right hand and he returned to his feet after Dodson took him down for a split second. Johnson clipped Dodson with two left hooks that backed him up. He took Dodson down against the base of the cage and peppered him with knees on the way up. Johnson finished the round with a hard right cross. 10-9 Johnson.

Round 5:
Johnson pressured Dodson with more punches and another takedown in the final round. Dodson used the cage to get back to his feet, but Johnson continued to press forward with right hands. He picked Dodson up and slammed him down, but Dodson scrambled back up again. In the clinch, Johnson kneed Dodson’s thighs. He finished the round with two knees to the face. 10-9 Johnson.

Winner: Demetrious Johnson by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) after five rounds. He improves to 23-2-1 and remains the UFC Flyweight Champion.

 

Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski vs Frank Mir

Round 1:
Following a brief clinch early on, Mir rushed forward and landed a lunging hook. Arlovski countered with crisp punches and leg kicks. Mir pressed forward with more punches and the fighters clinched momentarily again. Arlovski created space and landed a right cross before Mir clinched once more. He pinned Arlovski against the fence and landed a knee, but Arlovski reversed position and landed a knee to the jaw in return. Close round. 10-9 Arlovski by a slim margin.

Round 2:
Mir took Arlovski down right away in the second round and he landed some solid punches to the body and head. Arlovski tied him up from the bottom and held on for a standup. On the feet, Mir landed a left hook and he clinched again. Arlovski broke free and the fighters traded punches. Mir threw a spinning backfist and Arlovski cracked him with a counter right cross. He missed with a lunging right hand late in the round. 10-9 Mir.

Round 3:
Arlovski initiated a clinch in round three, but little transpired and referee John McCarthy separated the fighters. Another clinch followed and Arlovski landed a short left elbow. After another break, both men landed hooks and Mir knocked Arlovski down seconds later. Arlovski recovered quickly and scrambled back to his feet. He landed sparse strikes in the clinch until the fighters were separated. A left hand snapped Mir’s head back and Arlovski pressured him with more punches. The crowd booed as the fighters clinched again and Mir bled heavily from the right eye. Another close round. 10-9 Arlovski.

Winner: Andrei Arlovski by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 25-10-0, 1 NC.

 

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson vs Jimi “Poster Boy” Manuwa

Round 1:
Johnson hurt Manuwa with an early right hook and an uppercut, but Manuwa recovered and circled away. Johnson took him down once, then slammed him down a second time after Manuwa briefly regained his footing against the cage. Johnson looked to set up an arm-triangle choke from half-guard, but Manuwa escaped and stood up. He landed a head kick and a leg kick before the fighters clinched again. An exchange of knees ensued until the bell. 10-9 Johnson.

Round 2:
Manuwau landed a lead left hook early in round two, but Johnson countered with a liver kick and he dropped Manuwa with a big right hook. Two more right hands from Johnson left Manuwa unconscious and the fight was stopped.

Winner: Anthony Johnson by KO (Punches) at 0:28 of round two. He improves to 20-5-0.

 

Corey “Beastin’ 25/8” Anderson vs Jan Blachowicz

Round 1:
Blachowicz countered an early right hook with kicks to the lead leg and body. He backed Anderson up with a five-punch flurry and followed with a liver kick. Anderson clinched after eating two knees from Blachowicz, but Blachowicz took him down into side control. Anderson scrambled up and managed to secure a takedown. Blachowicz rolled into an armbar attempt, but Anderson escaped and the fight returned to the feet. Anderson pinned Blachowicz against the fence until the bell. 10-9 Blachowicz.

Round 2:
Blachowicz opened round two with a body kick and a brief combination, but Anderson caught a kick and took him down. He landed punches from the top and avoided a Blachowicz armbar attempt. Anderson snuck in more short punches and elbows as a fatigued Blachowicz slowed down. Anderson targeted the body with hammerfists and elbows, and he closed out the round with a series of elbows to Blachowicz’s face. 10-9 Anderson, if not a 10-8.

Round 3:
Anderson took Blachowicz down right away in the final round and he avoided a Blachowicz kimura attempt. Anderson pinned Blachowicz down on the mat and landed punches and elbows while trapping Blachowicz’s right arm. Blachowicz briefly got back to his feet, but Anderson took him back down and landed ground and pound until the final bell. 10-8 Anderson. Dreadful fight.

Winner: Corey Anderson by Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-25, 29-26) after three rounds. He improves to 6-1-0.

 

“12 Gauge” Paige VanZant vs Alex “Astro Girl” Chambers

Round 1:
VanZant landed knees to the body and a right hook over the top in the opening seconds of round one. She backed Chambers up with more knees, but Chambers fired back with looping punches. VanZant circled away before closing back in with three more knees. Chambers tried in vain for a takedown and VanZant threw her to the mat after landing knees. She stood and allowed Chambers to follow. VanZant pressued Chambers with knees in close that forced Chambers to cover up. Chambers tried to pull guard and VanZant punished her with punches from a standing position. 10-9 VanZant.

Round 2:
VanZant backed Chambers up with more hard knees to the body in round two. Chambers was unable to break free from the clinch until VanZant drilled her with a knee to the face. She pulled Chambers down to the mat and locked on a rear-naked choke, but Chambers managed to escape by standing up. VanZant kept the pressure on with knees and punches in close. She hurt and dropped Chambers with a knee, but Chambers got back to her feet and survived a follow-up flurry of punches. 10-8 VanZant.

Round 3:
A right hook and a knee from VanZant forced Chambers to drop levels early in round three and VanZant took advantage by sinking in a rear-naked choke. Chambers escaped from the choke, but VanZant effortlessly transitioned to an armbar and Chambers finally tapped out.

Winner: Paige VanZant by Submission (Armbar) at 1:01 of round three. She improves to 6-1-0.

 

(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)