The Ultimate Fighting Championship travelled to the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona tonight for UFC 263: “Adesanya vs Vettori 2.” The event featured a UFC Middleweight Championship rematch between Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya and Marvin “The Italian Dream” Vettori.
In the co-main event, UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson “Deus da Guerra” Figueiredo put his title on the line against Brandon “The Assassin Baby” Moreno in a rematch from the pair’s closely-contested Majority Draw in December. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the UFC 263 card.
UFC Middleweight Championship
Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya vs Marvin “The Italian Dream” Vettori
Round 1:
Adesanya circled side to side and kicked at Vettori’s lead leg early in the fight. Vettori caught a kick and took Adesanya down. He landed two punches from the top, but Adesanya scrambled free and stood up. He resumed kicking at Vettori’s leg, which turned red above the knee. Both men landed punches in an exchange and Adesanya countered an overhand left with another leg kick. Vettori blocked a head kick, but he ate more leg kicks and a lead right hook. The round ended with Adesanya landing another right hand. Close round. 10-9 Adesanya due to damage.
Round 2:
In the second round, Adesanya continued to chop away at Vettori’s right leg and that forced Vettori to clinch in search of a takedown. Adesanya landed elbows to the side of his head and escaped from the clinch. Vettori jabbed and Adesanya lunged in with a right hand to the jaw. Another leg kick scored for Adesanya and Vettori jabbed his way into a clinch. Adesanya punished him with more elbows and he partially landed with a head kick after breaking free from Vettori’s grasp. Another Adesanya head kick was blocked by Vettori at the bell. 10-9 Adesanya.
Round 3:
Vettori shot in right away in round three, and ate a knee to the face in the process, but he got Adesanya down into half-guard. When Adesanya tried to stand up, Vettori took his back and attempted a rear-naked choke. He nearly got it, but Adesanya turned to his right and wound up in Vettori’s guard. Vettori swept and Adesanya kicked him off. As the fighters were returning to their feet, Vettori was poked in the eye and time was called. Action resumed and Adesanya landed two hard leg kicks. Vettori responded with a lead right hook, but he ate two more kicks to his right leg. Vettori ducked under a head kick, but Adesanya knocked him down with a leg kick and followed with punches as Vettori rose to his feet. Time was called shortly before the bell when Vettori suffered a hard kick to the groin. The fight continued and the bell sounded. 10-9 Adesanya.
Round 4:
Vettori tried to be more aggressive in the fourth round, but his right leg was compromised and Adesanya continued to attack it with kicks. Vettori dropped levels for a takedown and managed to get Adesanya down, but Adesanya immediately swept and stood back up. Vettori followed and he punched his way into another clinch. Adesanya circled away and landed two more leg kicks. Vettori responded with two of his own, but Adesanya tagged him with a one-two and a hard leg kick. Vettori backed Adesanya up against the cage and tried to take him down, but Adesanya defended until the bell. 10-9 Adesanya.
Round 5:
Adesanya opened round five with a head kick that was blocked and Vettori looked for a takedown against the cage. Adesanya stayed on his feet and Vettori eventually gave up on the attempt. Adesanya missed with two head kick attempts, but he partially landed with a third and finished a combination with a leg kick. With 90 seconds to go, Vettori dragged Adesanya down momentarily. Adesanya stood back up and Vettori held him against the fence. The fighters were separated and Adesanya landed a leg kick and an uppercut. He kept his distance and threw more kicks and a knee. Vettori clinched just before the end of the fight. 10-9 Adesanya.
Winner: Israel Adesanya by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) after five rounds. He improves to 21-1-0 and remains the UFC Middleweight Champion.
UFC Flyweight Championship
Brandon “The Assassin Baby” Moreno vs Deiveson “Deus da Guerra” Figueiredo
Round 1:
Moreno struck first with two jabs and leg kicks. He continued to throw quick strikes and Figueiredo offered little offence in return as he circled to his left. After a brief clinch, both men landed step-in elbows at the same time. Moreno landed a left-right combo and he ducked under a Figueiredo hook kick. As Figueiredo moved forward, Moreno dropped him with a counter jab. Figueiredo recovered on the ground and he used a butterfly sweep to get back to his feet. Moreno landed a switch kick to the body in the final 15 seconds. 10-9 Moreno.
Round 2:
Following a brief exchange of punches, Figueiredo took Moreno down into half-guard and he threw elbows to the body while working to set up a guillotine choke. Moreno defended well and he escaped from two choke attempts. The fighters stood and Moreno landed knees to Figueiredo’s thighs. He took Figueiredo down and nearly secured a rear-naked choke. Figueiredo was able to roll to his back and he struck with elbows from the bottom. One caused a large welt to form above Moreno’s left eye. Figueiredo scrambled up to his feet very briefly and was promptly taken back down. 10-9 Moreno.
Round 3:
The fighters traded jabs in the third round and Figueiredo landed a spinning back kick to the body. Moreno responded with an overhand right and a takedown into back control. He trapped Figueiredo in a body triangle and threatened with a rear-naked choke. Figueiredo managed to break Moreno’s grip once, but Moreno locked on the choke a second time and Figueiredo was forced to tap out.
Winner: Brandon Moreno by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:26 of round three. He improves to 19-5-2 and becomes the new UFC Flyweight Champion.
Leon “Rocky” Edwards vs Nate Diaz
Round 1:
Diaz taunted and then lunged forward with a one-two in the opening minute, but Edwards stayed calm and countered with a left hook. He kicked at Diaz’s lead leg and both men landed right hooks. A hard left hand and a leg kick scored for Edwards, but Diaz cracked him with a one-two and clinched. Edwards took Diaz’s back and dragged him down to the mat. He tried for a rear-naked choke as Diaz attempted to get back to his feet. Edwards kept Diaz down and he landed punches from the top. Diaz stood with 15 seconds remaining and Edwards landed one more leg kick. 10-9 Edwards.
Round 2:
Edwards landed a right-left combo and a body kick in the second round, then resumed attacking Diaz’s right leg. Both men landed two quick hooks before clinching and Edwards dumped Diaz to the ground. Diaz countered with a heel hook attempt from the bottom, but Edwards pulled his leg out and stood up. He hurt Diaz with a leg kick and grazed with an overhand left. Three-punch combos were exchanged and Edwards scored with another leg kick. Diaz clinched and Edwards just missed with a spinning back elbow on the break. 10-9 Edwards.
Round 3:
The third round began with Edwards landing a standing elbow in close and he backed Diaz up with a straight left. After another leg kick from Edwards, Diaz clinched and held him against the cage. Edwards circled out and he countered another Diaz clinch by sweeping out his leg and tripping Diaz to the mat. Edwards landed elbows from the top and he opened a bad cut on Diaz’s temple. The fight returned to the feet and Edwards landed a leg kick before Diaz clinched. Edwards reversed it and took Diaz’s back, then tripped him and hunted for a rear-naked choke. Diaz, also bleeding heavily from a cut above his left eye, scrambled up to his feet and Edwards landed an elbow late in the round. 10-9 Edwards.
Round 4:
Edwards landed a body kick in the fourth round that led to an exchange of punches. Edwards hurt Diaz with an overhand right that wobbled him momentarily. Diaz recovered and Edwards used a leg sweep to trip him to the mat. Diaz stood and Edwards kicked at his lead leg. He just missed with a slashing elbow and Diaz punched his way into a clinch. Edwards broke free and he landed another leg kick. Diaz closed the distance again and ate an elbow to the temple. It re-opened the cut on the side of Diaz’s head and the round ended with Edwards landing a right hook. 10-9 Edwards.
Round 5:
Early in the final round, Edwards landed a leg kick and the fighters exchanged elbows in close. Edwards backed Diaz up with an overhand left, but Diaz recovered and pressed forward with two left hands of his own. That led to a clinch against the cage and Diaz kneed Edwards’s thigh. Edwards escaped from the clinch and he landed a hard kick to the body. He followed with three left hands – two hooks and an uppercut – and that got Diaz’s attention. With just over one minute to go, Diaz rocked Edwards with a left hook and he chased after him with more punches as a wobbly Edwards tried to buy time to recover. Diaz landed more punches and elbows, but Edwards managed to make it to the bell. 10-9 Diaz.
Winner: Leon Edwards by Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) after five rounds. He improves to 19-3-0, 1 ND.
Belal “Remember The Name” Muhammad vs Demian Maia
Round 1:
Maia looked for an early takedown and he landed an overhand left. Muhammad defended with hammerfists to the side of Maia’s head as Maia latched on to his leg and worked to take him down. He dumped Muhammad to the mat, but Muhammad battled back to his feet and broke free from the clinch. Maia tied him up again and Muhammad pulled his leg out. The fighters separated and Maia ducked under a right hand from Muhammad. He clinched with him and tried for a high single-leg takedown against the cage. Muhammad defended and landed two kicks late in the round, which were answered by a one-two from Maia. 10-9 Maia.
Round 2:
Cautious punches were exchanged in the second round and Muhammad switched his stance repeatedly. A leg kick and a jab landed for Muhammad, and Maia replied with a one-two over the top. He was unable to take Muhammad down and the fighters exchanged left hooks. Muhammad followed with a combination and he backed Maia up with two right hands. Muhammad landed long jabs and kept his distance until the final minute when Maia grabbed on to his leg. He tried in vain to take Muhammad down until the bell. 10-9 Muhammad.
Round 3:
Muhammad fought off a takedown attempt from Maia and he stunned him with a right cross. Each time Maia tried to close the distance, Muhammad landed short right uppercuts while circling to his left. He followed with a one-two and Maia answered with a shovel uppercut. He blocked a head kick and tried unsuccessfully for a takedown. He clinched with Muhammad against the cage and continued to pursue a takedown as Muhammad threw hammerfists to the side of his head. 10-9 Muhammad.
Winner: Belal Muhammad by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 19-3-0, 1 ND.
Paul “Bearjew” Craig vs Jamahal “Sweet Dreams” Hill
Round 1:
The fight began with an exchange of kicks and Craig pulled guard after clinching. He attempted an inside shoulder lock on Hill’s right arm and Hill managed to escape. Craig switched to a belly-down armbar on Hill’s left arm that broke his arm. Hill refused to submit and referee Al Guinee bizarrely allowed the fight to continue. Craig trapped Hill in a triangle choke and he landed numerous elbows and punches until the fight was finally stopped.
Winner: Paul Craig by TKO (Elbows & Punches) at 1:59 of round one. He improves to 15-4-1.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)