The Ultimate Fighting Championship remained at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC 255: “Figueiredo vs Perez.” The card was headlined by a UFC Flyweight Championship bout between heavy-handed champion Deiveson “Deus da Guerra” Figueiredo and top contender Alex Perez.
In the co-main event, UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko put her title on the line against former Invicta FC champion Jennifer Maia. Elsewhere on the card, “Platinum” Mike Perry took on Tim “The Dirty Bird” Means. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for UFC 255.
UFC Flyweight Championship
Deiveson “Deus da Guerra” Figueiredo vs Alex Perez
Round 1:
Figueiredo landed a hard body kick in the opening minute, but Perez fired back with right hooks and he tried to take Figueiredo down after catching a kick. Figueiredo dropped down in search of a flying scissor heel hook and Perez countered by taking his back. Figueiredo rolled over and quickly transitioned to a tight guillotine choke. He kept Perez trapped in his full guard as he tightened the choke. Perez appeared to be about to pull his head out, but Figueiredo sat up and tightened his grip, forcing Perez to tap out.
Winner: Deiveson Figueiredo by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:57 of round one. He improves to 20-1-0 and remains the UFC Flyweight Champion.
UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship
Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko vs Jennifer Maia
Round 1:
Shevchenko countered an early right hand from Maia by taking her down into full guard. She struck from the top with hammerfists and short punches as Maia worked to tie her up from the bottom. This continued throughout the round as Shevchenko stayed busy with ground and pound and prevented Maia from getting back up. 10-9 Shevchenko.
Round 2:
Shevchenko took Maia down once more in the second round, but Maia immediately returned to her feet and she held Shevchenko against the cage. Maia landed short strikes in the clinch and she eventually tripped Shevchenko to the mat. Working from the top in Shevchenko’s half-guard, Maia landed short right hands until Shevchenko kicked off of the cage and got back to full guard. She threw her legs up for a triangle choke, but Maia avoided danger and the fighters exchanged elbows on the ground until the bell. 10-9 Maia.
Round 3:
The third round opened with an exchange of quick combinations and Maia backed Shevchenko up against the fence once more. This time, Shevchenko circled away after landing an elbow and she followed with a head kick and a quick flurry. Two hard punches scored for Shevchenko and she slammed Maia down to the mat.Maia locked down Shevchenko’s leg in half-guard and then used butterfly guard to elevate Shevchenko. This allowed Maia to get back to her feet and she landed knees while trying to trip Shevchenko from the clinch. Shevchenko reversed and whipped Maia down to the mat shortly before the bell. Competitive round. 10-9 Shevchenko.
Round 4:
Shevchenko darted in and out with two-punch combos in the fourth round until Maia landed a counter right hook. She followed with another one and Shevchenko dumped her to the mat. Shevchenko threw short elbows and shoulder strikes fromt he top in Maia’s half-guard as she kept Maia pinned against the base of the cage. Maia eventually gave up her back, but she rolled over again and Shevchenko resumed working from the top with more short punches to the body. 10-9 Shevchenko.
Round 5:
Maia closed the distance in the final round and Shevchenko landed a spinning back elbow on the way in. Maia held her against the cage, but Shevchenko spun Maia around and broke free with a combination. She attacked Maia’s body with kicks and rushed forward with a flurry of punches. That led to another clinch and Maia held Shevchenko against the fence once more. Maia, bleeding heavily from her nose, tried to throw Shevchenko down to the mat, but Shevchenko thwarted her efforts and stayed on her feet. The fighters separated and Shevchenko landed a body kick before fighting off a Maia clinch attempt. Shevchenko held a clear speed advantage in the exchanges and she landed front kicks and left hooks. A bloodied Maia responded with lead left hooks and a hard right hand late in the round, and the fight ended in a clinch. 10-9 Shevchenko.
Winner: Valentina Shevchenko by Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) after five rounds. She improves to 21-3-0 and remains the UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion.
Tim “The Dirty Bird” Means vs “Platinum” Mike Perry
Round 1:
Means landed two nice left hands early in the fight and Perry responded with a takedown from the clinch. He took Means’s back and worked to set up a rear-naked choke. Perry sunk his arm under Means’s chin and had Means in trouble, but Means broke his grip and turned over into Perry’s guard. The fighters returned to their feet and Means landed a knee and a stiff jab. Perry answered with a hard right hook to the body and he followed with one to Means’s head. Means peppered Perry with jabs late in the round and Perry landed a body kick to close out the round. 10-9 Perry.
Round 2:
The second round began with Means using his reach advantage to land jabs and front kicks while avoiding Perry’s lunging hooks. Perry landed a leg kick and both men followed with jabs. Perry cracked Means with a hard combination and Means backed up to the cage momentarily. He recovered quickly and resumed jabbing at Perry’s nose. A right-left combo scored for Means and he shrugged off a Perry clinch attempt. Perry began to bleed from below his right eye after Means landed a standing elbow strike. Means landed a body kick and a long jab before the bell. 10-9 Means.
Round 3:
Means attacked Perry’s lead leg with kicks to begin the final round and Perry responded by taking his back in a clinch against the cage. Means turned into the clinch and he cracked Perry with a combination before backing away. The fighters exchanged jabs and Means landed a nice left uppercut. Perry tried to clinch and Means pushed him away. Hard jabs landed for both men and that set off an exchange of power hooks, with both men landing repeatedly. Means looked for a takedown, but Perry defended well and so Means attacked with a knee to the body and an overhand left that opened a cut above Perry’s right eye. Means picked Perry apart with jab-cross combos and kicks to the body throughout the final 30 seconds and both men threw haymaker punches to finish the fight. 10-9 Means.
Winner: Tim Means by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 31-12-1, 1 NC.
Katlyn “Blonde Fighter” Chookagian vs Cynthia Calvillo
Round 1:
Chookagian established her jab early in the first round and Calvillo responded with a leg kick. She avoided a takedown attempt, but Chookagian continued to use her significant reach advantage to land jabs and a right hand. Chookagian stuffed a takedown, but Calvillo landed a nice right hand seconds later. Chookagian continued to land jabs and both women scored with one-two combos at the same time. Chookagian bloodied the bridge of Calvillo’s nose with a combination and her long reach continued to give Calvillo problems in the final 30 seconds. 10-9 Chookagian.
Round 2:
Chookagian pawed out with more long jabs in the second round and Calvillo’s right eye began to swell up. More jabs scored for Chookagian and she backed Calvillo up with a one-two. Calvillo connected with a solid left hook, but Chookagian was unfazed and she continued to press the action with jabs and a front kick. Chookagian missed with a spinning backfist and the fighters briefly clinched. In the final seconds, Chookagian partially landed with a head kick. 10-9 Chookagian.
Round 3:
Calvillo closed the distance and clinched early in the final round, but Chookagian countered with a knee to the body and broke free. Calvillo struggled to get past Chookagian’s long jabs and right hands. She finally landed a body kick and followed with two kicks to Chookagian’s lead leg. Chookagian tripped her momentarily and she landed a jumping switch knee to the body after the fighters returned to their feet. Chookagian punched her way free of a Calvillo clinch attempt, but Calvillo landed a nice one-two and the fighters traded combinations until the end of the fight. 10-9 Chookagian.
Winner: Katlyn Chookagian by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 15-4-0.
Paul “Bearjew” Craig vs Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
Round 1:
Craig opened the fight with kicks to Rua’s body and Rua responded with a three-punch combo that led to a brief clinch. Craig shot in for a takedown soon after and he got Rua down into half-guard. Rua powered out from the bottom and he got back to his feet, but Craig maintained his grip on a guillotine choke and he transitioned to an Anaconda Choke attempt. Rua defended, but Craig swept into top position. Rua got back to his feet once, only to be quickly taken down again. Craig moved to back control, but Rua shook him off and he wound up on top in Craig’s half-guard. Craig trapped Rua’s left leg between his legs and he was almost able to secure a sweep, but Rua retained the position and he landed hammerfists before the bell. Back-and-forth round. 10-9 Craig.
Round 2:
The second round began with Craig landing more leg and body kicks as Rua tried to set up punching combinations. Craig tied him up and tripped Rua to the mat against the base of the cage. He took Rua’s back, but Rua shook him off and stood up. Craig worked for another takedown as Rua appeared to be fatigued. He dragged Rua back down and took his back again. Craig flattened Rua out and landed punches until Rua tapped out.
Winner: Paul Craig by Submission (Punches) at 3:36 of round two. He improves to 14-4-1.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)