The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC on ESPN 26: “Makhachev vs Moises.” The event was headlined by a featured lightweight matchup between top-ranked Russian contender Islam Makhachev and Brazilian standout Thiago Moises.
In the bantamweight co-main event, Marion “The Belizean Bruiser” Reneau competed for the final time when she welcomed former UFC champion Miesha “Cupcake” Tate back to the Octagon in Tate’s first fight since UFC 205 in 2016. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for UFC on ESPN 26.
Islam Makhachev vs Thiago Moises
Round 1:
Makhachev landed body kicks early in the fight and he punched his way into a clinch, but Moises reversed it and held him against the cage. Makhachev pushed him away and the fighters traded body kicks. Another clinch ensued and Makhachev threw knees to Moises’s thighs and body. He got Moises down into half-guard with just over one minute remaining. Moises got back to full guard, but Makhachev landed a series of hammerfists from the top to his nose. 10-9 Makhachev.
Round 2:
Moises scored with a quick three-punch flurry in the second round and he followed with a leg kick. Makhachev closed the distance and landed a knee to the body before Moises reversed the clinch against the cage. He took Makhachev down and transitioned to back control, but got too high on Makhachev’s back and was quickly shaken off. Makhachev then took Moises’s back and he threw knees to Moises’s thigh. Makhachev eventually sunk in both hooks and he threw right hands to the side of Moises’s face. Makhachev transitioned to mount in the dying seconds and tried to set up an armbar, but time expired. 10-9 Makhachev.
Round 3:
Moises had early success with a solid kick to the body in round three, but Makhachev blocked a head kick and fired back with a lead right hook. Moises clinched and the fighters battled for position and takedowns against the cage. Makhachev took Moises’s back and threw knees to his face and leg, then slammed him down to the mat. He moved from back control to mount, but Moises scrambled back to half-guard and then cranked on a heel hook attempt. He switched to a toe hold and then back to a heel hook. Makhachev defended until the bell. Close round. Still 10-9 Makhachev.
Round 4:
Makhachev slammed Moises down in the fourth round and punched from the top in Moises’s guard. He continued to pepper Moises with short right hands until Moises gave up his back. Makhachev flattened Moises out and locked on a rear-naked choke. Moises had nowhere to go and tapped out within seconds.
Winner: Islam Makhachev by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:38 of round four. He improves to 20-1-0.
Miesha “Cupcake” Tate vs Marion “The Belizean Bruiser” Reneau
Round 1:
Tate used her jab to set up overhand rights during the opening minute and Reneau kicked at her lead leg. Tate landed a one-two and Reneau countered with a right hand. She followed with another one and then attacked with a calf kick. Tate clinched and backed Reneau up against the cage. She landed knees to the body and then backed away. Just as the round entered its final minute, both women landed punching combinations and Tate tripped Reneau to the mat. She passed to half-guard and stayed on top until the bell. 10-9 Tate.
Round 2:
Reneau landed a counter right hook as Tate closed the distance in round two and Tate again used her jab to set up right hands. Tate clinched and tried to slam Reneau down, but Reneau grabbed the cage. Tate got her down anyway and Reneau worked for a kimura on her right arm. Tate threw elbows to the body from the top and then stood up. She avoided upkicks from Reneau and dropped back down into Reneau’s half-guard. Tate struck with punches and an elbow that caused Reneau’s nose to bleed. She stood over Reneau once more and then re-entered her guard before time expired. 10-9 Tate.
Round 3:
Tate blocked a head kick and landed three punches to the body, then backed Reneau up with a hard jab. She clinched and took Reneau down, but Reneau almost scrambled into a rear crucifix. Tate turned into her and then took Reneau’s back. She flattened Reneau out and threw rapid-fire punches to the sides of her head until the fight was stopped.
Winner: Miesha Tate by TKO (Punches) at 1:53 of round three. She improves to 19-7-0.
Mateusz “Gamer” Gamrot vs Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens
Round 1:
Gamrot got Stephens down to the mat early in the opening minute and he tried to set up a kimura from the top in North-South position. Stephens initially defended, but Gamrot torqued back on his left arm and Stephens was forced to submit.
Winner: Mateusz Gamrot by Submission (Kimura) at 1:05 of round one. He improves to 19-1-0, 1 NC.
Rodolfo “The Black Belt Hunter” Vieira vs Dustin Stoltzfus
Round 1:
Vieira landed a nice right hand and an inside leg kick in the opening 30 seconds. He tagged Stoltzfus with a quick one-two that caused blood to flow from Stoltzfus’s nose. Vieira landed two more leg kicks and Stoltzfus closed in with a right hook and an uppercut that partially landed. He continued to land overhand rights as the round progressed, but Vieira repeatedly snapped his head back with hard jabs. Stoltzfus landed a spinning wheel kick and Vieira circled away. The fighters traded jabs and Stoltzfus finished the round with a flying knee to the body. Back-and-forth round. 10-9 Vieira.
Round 2:
Vieira scored a takedown right away in the second round, but Stoltzfus quickly got back to his feet and both men landed jabs. Vieira landed a right hook and more jabs while circling from side to side. Stoltzfus’s nose began to bleed heavily once again and both men landed right hooks. Vieira appeared to be wobbled momentarily and he tried unsuccessfully for a takedown. When the fighters separated, Vieira landed a jab that opened a cut on Stoltzfus’s right cheek. Stoltzfus landed a right hand and drove forward for a takedown, but Vieira fought him off and the round ended in a clinch. 10-9 Vieira.
Round 3:
The final round began with another takedown from Vieira, but he lost the position as he tried to take Stoltzfus’s back and that allowed Stoltzfus to get back to his feet. Vieira took him down again and easily escaped from a Stoltzfus guillotine choke attempt. Stoltzfus stood and Vieira hopped on his back. He locked on a tight rear-naked choke and pulled Stoltzfus back down to the ground, forcing Stoltzfus to hastily tap out.
Winner: Rodolfo Vieira by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 1:54 of round three. He improves to 8-1-0.
Billy Quarantillo vs Gabriel “Moggly” Benitez
Round 1:
Strong leg kicks were exchanged right away and Quarantillo landed a huge right hand. Benitez backed him up with a flurry, but Quarantillo landed another overhand right and Benitez fell to the mat. Quarantillo moved in to try to finish the fight with ground and pound, but Benitez recovered and postured for an armbar from the bottom. As Benitez tried to get to his feet, Quarantillo took his back and trapped him in a body triangle. He punched both sides of Benitez’s face and opened a cut above his left eye. Quarantillo continued to land punches and elbows while hunting for a rear-naked choke. As soon as he released the body triangle, Benitez rolled over into Quarantillo’s guard and punched from the top. The fighters stood and then dropped down to the mat with duelling heel hook attempts. Quarantillo closed out the round with punches from Benitez’s guard. 10-9 Quarantillo.
Round 2:
Quarantillo opened round two with a right hand and a jumping knee to Benitez’s face. He took Benitez down and returned to back control, keeping Benitez trapped in a body triangle. Benitez broke the body triangle and stood up as his left eye rapidly swelled shut from the force of Quarantillo’s knee earlier in the round. Quarantillo easily took Benitez down and he blasted him with elbows from the top. Benitez battled back to his feet and ate a knee to the body. He attempted a guillotine choke, but Quarantillo dropped down to the ground and escaped in the process. Back on the feet, Benitez hunted for a front choke and he landed a powerful knee to the body. Quarantillo answered back with punches and time was called when Benitez was kicked in the groin. The fight continued and Quarantillo finished the round strong with a barrage of punches. 10-9 Quarantillo.
Round 3:
Benitez countered a leg kick with a big left hook that dropped Quarantillo early in the final round. Quarantillo postured for a triangle choke from the bottom and Benitez stood up. Quarantillo followed and he immediately pressured Benitez with punches to his damaged left eye. He got Benitez down and opened a bad cut on the bridge of his nose that immediately bled everywhere. Quarantillo took Benitez’s back and he landed elbows and punches to the side of Benitez’s head until referee Mark Smith had seen enough and stopped the fight.
Winner: Billy Quarantillo by TKO (Elbows & Punches) at 3:40 of round three. He improves to 16-3-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)