UFC On ESPN 11: "Blaydes vs Volkov" Live Play-By-Play & ResultsThe Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC on ESPN 11: “Blaydes vs Volkov.” The event was headlined by a heavyweight contender’s bout between hard-hitting wrestler Curtis “Razor” Blaydes and knockout artist Alexander “Drago” Volkov.

In the featherweight co-main event, Josh Emmett battled “Hurricane” Shane Burgos. Former women’s bantamweight title challenger Raquel “Rocky” Pennington squared off with fellow contender Marion “The Belizean Bruiser” Reneau. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for tonight’s UFC event.

 

Curtis “Razor” Blaydes vs Alexander “Drago” Volkov

Round 1:
Blaydes wasted no time in taking Volkov down and he tripped him a second time after Volkov briefly returned to his feet. Blaydes threw punches to the side of a kneeling Volkov’s face until Volkov stood up for a split second. He was promptly suplexed down again and Blaydes peppered him with knees to the ribs and thigh. Blaydes smothered Volkov throughout the final two minutes and landed more punches and knees while keeping him pinned down. 10-8 Blaydes. Complete dominance despite no knockdowns.

Round 2:
Big power punches were exchanged right away in round two and Blaydes followed with a jab and a leg kick. After cracking Volkov with an overhand right, Blaydes scored an emphatic takedown and he took Volkov’s back once more. Volkov wound up on the mat with Blaydes working from top position in his guard. Blaydes postured up with elbows to Volkov’s forehead in the final minute. Volkov finally kicked him off and stood up, but Blaydes took him down yet again. 10-9 Blaydes.

Round 3:
Blaydes used jabs to set up a takedown in the third round, but this time Volkov stayed on his feet. Blaydes tried again to take Volkov down and he did so after eating a knee to the body. Volkov tried to stand and Blaydes repeatedly thwarted him while also landing punches from the top. This continued all the way until the final seconds of the round, when Volkov finally got back to his feet and a brief exchange of strikes closed out the round. 10-9 Blaydes.

Round 4:
Another Blaydes takedown opened round four, and he struck from back control until Volkov got back to his feet. Volkov stuffed one takedown and he landed a hard jab, but Blaydes got him down soon after. He remained on top and threw short punches until referee Herb Dean stood the fighters up with 45 seconds to go. Volkov attacked with punches that cut Blaydes’s lip and it was Volkov who secured a takedown before the bell. 10-9 Blaydes.

Round 5:
A fatigued Blaydes ducked right into a head kick that wobbled him early in the fifth round, but he recovered and took Volkov down. Volkov attempted a kimura from the bottom and he used it to sweep and get back to his feet. Blaydes kept him pinned against the fence and he threw occasional knees while trying to take Volkov down. Volkov landed numerous hammerfists to the side of Blaydes’s head, but Blaydes muscled him down once more. Volkov looked for a triangle choke from his back and he stayed active with short punches and elbows as Blaydes offered little offence from the top. 10-9 Volkov due to damage.

Winner: Curtis Blaydes by Unanimous Decision (49-46, 48-46, 48-47) after three rounds. He improves to 14-2-0, 1 NC.

 

Josh Emmett vs “Hurricane” Shane Burgos

Round 1:
Emmett landed an early right hook, but he winced in pain after stepping awkwardly on his left leg. Both men landed overhand rights and Emmett appeared to recover from the apparent knee injury. More overhand rights landed for both fighters and Burgos kicked at Emmett’s lead leg. He followed with a step-in knee and an elbow. Emmett fired off big punches over the top, but Burgos was unfazed and he kicked at Emmett’s lead leg again. As Emmett darted in with right hands, Burgos countered each one with leg and body kicks. Burgos jabbed and Emmett fired back with a lunging one-two. Burgos attacked his lead leg repeatedly with kicks and it knocked Emmett off-balance. Emmett attempted a late takedown and Burgos stuffed it with uppercuts. 10-9 Burgos, barely.

Round 2:
Burgos was unsteady on his left leg in the second round and Burgos continued to target it with kicks. Emmett landed a huge right hand, but Burgos barely reacted and he threw a combination in return. Emmett landed kicks with his damaged leg and Burgos quickly answered with jabs and leg kicks. Both men landed lead left hooks and Emmett just missed with a lunging right. Burgos landed kick-punch combos and Emmett connected with a hard right hand. Burgos landed more jabs and leg kicks in the final minute and Emmet began to bleed from the nose. He scored with a winging right hook in return, however, and remained competitive in each of the striking exchanges. 10-9 Burgos.

Round 3:
The fighters battled on the feet in the final round until Emmett landed a step-in jab that dropped Burgos and allowed him to take top position on the ground. Emmett struck with short right hands until Burgos escaped to his feet. Time was called soon after when Burgos was kicked in the groin. The fight eventually continued and Emmett followed up on an exchange of punches by dropping Burgos with a lead left hook. He landed more punches on the ground, but Burgos recovered and kicked him off. Burgos landed two hard punches and Emmett responded with another combination. Burgos picked up the pace in the final minute and landed a hard flurry, but Emmett cracked him with huge punches in return. Both men landed right hooks at the bell. 10-9 Emmett, if not a 10-8.

Winner: Josh Emmett by Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 16-2-0.

 

Raquel “Rocky” Pennington vs Marion “The Belizean Bruiser” Reneau

Round 1:
Reneau established her jab right away and she used it to set up one-twos and a high kick. Pennington answered with a lead left hook and she landed another one soon after following a flurry from Reneau. The fighters clinched and both landed knees to the body. Reneau scored with punches over the top and Pennington responded with uppercuts that led to a clinch. A battle for position ensued against the cage and Pennington landed a slashing elbow. Reneau took her back in the process and she landed right hands to the side of Pennington’s face. 10-9 Reneau.

Round 2:
The second round began with an exchange of knees in a clinch. Time was called after Pennington was kneed in the groin. Action continued and Pennington landed a quick flurry that led to another clinch, where more knees were exchanged. This continued for over a minute and Pennington landed the better strikes after securing a Thai clinch. Reneau tripped her, but Pennington reversed on the ground and she stood over a downed Reneau while punching from the top. Reneau stood and Pennington swarmed her with punches. Both women landed elbows in close and Pennington followed with knees after securing another Thai clinch. She tried for a late takedown, but Reneau defended with hammerfists. 10-9 Pennington.

Round 3:
Reneau took Pennington down early in the final round, but Pennington worked back to her feet and she landed a hard elbow to Reneau’s forehead. Pennington continued to pressure Reneau with knees in a clinch and she landed a big flurry of punches before attempting a takedown. Reneau countered with a modified neck crank, but it was short-lived and Pennington easily defended a Reneau takedown attempt seconds later. She stunned Reneau with a standing elbow late in the fight and followed up with short uppercuts before the bell. 10-9 Pennington.

Winner: Raquel Pennington by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 11-8-0.

 

Belal “Remember The Name” Muhammad vs Lyman “Cyborg” Good

Round 1:
Both men landed combinations to the body in the opening minute, but Good was the aggressor and he kept Muhammad circling to the side. Muhammad responded with kicks to Good’s body and lead leg. Good looked to set up combinations with his jab, but Muhammad continued to move side to side and he landed stiff jabs. Good landed a combination with one minute remaining and Muhammad quickly answered with a kick-punch combo and a lead left hook. He followed with a switch kick attempt before the end of the back-and-forth round. 10-9 Muhammad.

Round 2:
Muhammad remained effective with jabs and leg kicks while circling to the sides and avoiding most of Good’s strikes in round two. Good stuffed a takedown, however, and the fighters traded punches. Time was briefly called when Muhammad was poked in the eye, but action resumed and Muhammad landed leg kicks and one-twos. An uppercut and a lead left hook also landed for Muhammad. Good finally connected with his best punches of the fight, a three-punch combination with one minute to go, but Muhammad weathered the storm and circled out as blood trickled down from a cut next to his right eye. He landed two switch kicks in the final seconds. 10-9 Muhammad.

Round 3:
The fighters exchanged jabs in the opening minute of round three and Good dropped Muhammad with an overhand right, left hook combo. Muhammad stood against the cage and Good kept the pressure on him with punches and knees in close as Muhammad threw short uppercuts in return. Good stunned Muhammad with another right hook and he attacked the body with a combination. Muhammad ate a knee and took Good down, but he could not keep him there for long. Muhammad took Good’s back in a clinch on the feet and he pulled Good down in search of a rear-naked choke. Good defended well and time expired in the round. 10-9 Good.

Winner: Belal Muhammad by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 17-3-0.

 

Jim “A-10” Miller vs Roosevelt “The Predator” Roberts

Round 1:
Miller tripped Roberts right away and he passed to half-guard while working to set up a top-side guillotine choke. Miller gave up on the choke and worked to pass to mount. He took Roberts’s back in a scramble and transitioned to an armbar. Roberts tried to stand up to pull his arm free, but Miller used the opportunity to fully extend the armbar and Roberts immediately submitted verbally.

Winner: Jim Miller by Verbal Submission (Armbar) at 2:25 of round one. He improves to 32-14-0, 1 NC.

 

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