The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC on ESPN 29: “Cannonier vs Gastelum.” The event was headlined by a middleweight matchup between Jared “The Killa Gorilla” Cannonier and Kelvin Gastelum, who both looked to rebound from defeats.
In the lightweight co-main event, Clay “The Carpenter” Guida took on “The Olympian” Mark O. Madsen. Elsewhere on the main card, Parker Porter squared off against Chase “The Vanilla Gorilla” Sherman in heavyweight action. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for UFC on ESPN 29 tonight.
Jared “The Killa Gorilla” Cannonier vs Kelvin Gastelum
Round 1:
Cannonier countered early left hands from Gastelum with a three-punch flurry and a leg kick. Gastelum landed an overhand left and Cannonier responded with another combination. Gastelum landed a lead right hook and Cannonier kicked away at his leg. Gastelum blocked a head kick and responded with kicks to Cannonier’s lead leg and ribs. When Gastelum landed a right-left combo, Cannonier fired back with three quick punches. Gastelum landed a leg kick and an overhand left, then tried for a takedown at the bell. Close round. 10-9 Cannonier.
Round 2:
Cannonier mixed up his strikes with jabs and leg kicks in the second round. Gastelum landed a nice flurry to the body and followed with a hard leg kick soon after. A big left hand landed for Gastelum and he backed Cannonier up with a second one. Power punches were exchanged and Gastelum backed Cannonier up again with a one-two over the top. Gastelum followed up on a lead right hook with a sweeping leg kick. He countered Cannonier’s jab with a three-punch combo to end the round. 10-9 Gastelum.
Round 3:
Punches were exchanged in the third round until Cannonier dropped Gastelum with a lead right hook. Gastelum got back up and took Cannonier’s back in a clinch against the cage. Cannonier turned into the clinch and broke free with a knee to the body. Gastelum landed a right-left combo and blocked a body kick. Gastelum landed another one-two as the round entered its final minute, but Cannonier easily shrugged off a takedown attempt. Gastelum landed a nice leg kick before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Cannonier.
Round 4:
Cannonier punched his way into a clinch to begin the fourth round, but Gastelum reversed against the cage and struck to the body before backing away. He finished a combination with a leg kick and then began to pick his shots with jabs. Cannonier landed an uppercut as Gastelum tried to clinch and Gastelum lost his balance in the process. Cannonier landed an uppercut and Gastelum countered with a leg kick. Another close round. 10-9 Cannonier.
Round 5:
Both men landed leg kicks in the final round and Cannonier stepped forward with a forearm strike to Gastelum’s face. Gastelum tripped Cannonier and took his back on the way up. Cannonier turned into the clinch and Gastelum tried to take him down a second time. He briefly took Cannonier’s back again, but this time Cannonier escaped from the clinch. Gastelum finished a combination with a leg kick that was checked by Cannonier. In the final minute, Gastelum ducked under a right hand and took Cannonier down to a knee. Cannonier stood back u and Gastelum held him against the cage. The fight ended with Gastelum throwing punches and Cannonier landing a knee to the chest. 10-9 Gastelum.
Winner: Jared Cannonier by Unanimous Decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) after five rounds. He improves to 14-5-0.
“The Olympian” Mark O. Madsen vs Clay “The Carpenter” Guida
Round 1:
Guida threw winging overhand punches early in the fight and Madsen countered with knees in a brief clinch. Guida broke free and landed a leg kick, then dropped Madsen to a knee with a right hook to his temple. Madsen recovered and he landed two more knees to the body. Madsen landed two right hands and a front kick to the body as he remained the aggressor in the striking exchanges during the final 90 seconds. Close round. 10-9 Madsen.
Round 2:
Madsen targeted Guida’s left eye with jabs and straight right hands in the second round. Guida fired back with a quick flurry and he countered a clinch from Madsen with punches over the top. A nice leg kick scored for Guida and the fighters traded right hooks. Leg kicks were exchanged and Guida’s strikes seemed to be the more damaging ones. Madsen had trouble pushing off of his lead leg and Guida picked his shots with jabs late in the round. 10-9 Guida.
Round 3:
The final round began with an exchange of leg kicks and Guida once again landed the more effective strikes. Madsen stepped forward with a right-left combo of uppercuts and he followed with a knee to the body soon after. Madsen landed a leg kick and both men connected with straight rights at the same time. In the final 30 seconds, Madsen jabbed his way into a clinch. Guida circled away and Madsen continued to jab until the bell. 10-9 Madsen.
Winner: Mark O. Madsen by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 11-0-0.
Parker Porter vs Chase “The Vanilla Gorilla” Sherman
Round 1:
Sherman kept his distance and kept Porter at bay with jabs and straight right hands. He attacked Porter’s lead leg with kicks and Porter answered with a left-right combo. Sherman flurried with quick uppercuts in close. Porter caught a kick and tripped him to the mat. He immediately tried for a keylock on Sherman’s left arm and then postured up with elbows from Sherman’s half-guard until the bell. 10-9 Porter.
Round 2:
Sherman continued to have success with his jab in the second round, but Porter cracked him with an overhand right and followed that with more each time he closed the distance. Sherman landed a leg kick and Porter countered with another right hand. He landed a three-punch combo, but then chose to back up and Sherman took advantage of that by landing a combination of his own. Porter continued to walk Sherman down with punches, but he was unable to take him down. Sherman kicked at Porter’s damaged lead leg, but Porter pressed forward and landed a hard right hand before time expired. 10-9 Porter.
Round 3:
Porter punched his way into a clinch in the final round, but he could not take Sherman down and Sherman landed a body kick after the fighters separated. Porter continued to outstrike Sherman until the 2:00 mark when Sherman landed a three-punch combo and a leg kick. Porter jabbed and followed with a left hook to the liver. Time was called when Sherman was kicked in the groin. The fight eventually continued and Porter continued to land lead left hands and overhand rights. He backed Sherman up with one final combination before the bell. 10-9 Porter.
Winner: Parker Porter by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 11-6-0.
Saidyokub Kakhramonov vs Trevin “5 Star” Jones
Round 1:
Jones ducked under a head kick and clinched early in the fight, but Kahkramonov countered with a throw and he jumped into a guillotine choke as Jones stood up. Kakhramonov used the choke to pull Jones back down to the mat. Jones stayed calm and he eventually escaped. The fighters stood and a lengthy clinch battle ensued against the cage. Jones threw short knees to Kakhramonov’s legs and Kakhramonov landed punches over the top. This continued until the end of the round. 10-9 Kakhramonov.
Round 2:
Kakhramonov hurt Jones with two right hooks in the second round and a stunned Jones tried to take Kakhramonov down. Kakhramonov defended well and escaped from the clinch. He kept the pressure on Jones with right hooks and a body kick, then backed him up with a flurry to the head and body. Jones countered with a takedown and he moved to mount in the final seconds. The round ended with Jones landing punches from the top. Difficult round to score due to Jones’s late rally. Still 10-9 Kakhramonov due to the earlier dominance.
Round 3:
After an uneventful opening minute, Jones clinched and took Kakhramonov’s back against the cage. Kakhramonov turned into the clinch and Jones began throwing knees as he did in the first round. Kakhramonov peppered him with short right hands and balanced on one leg to prevent Jones from taking him down. In the final minute, Kakhramonov trapped Jones in a tight standing guillotine choke. He switched his grip to a power guillotine that rendered Jones unconscious and ended the fight.
Winner: Saidyokub Kakhramonov by Technical Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 4:39 of round three. He improves to 9-2-0.
Vinc “From Hell” Pichel vs Austin “Thud” Hubbard
Round 1:
Hubbard threw kicks to Pichel’s thighs while moving forward during the opening two minutes of the fight. Pichel countered with front kicks, but Hubbard continued to attack his lead leg and he mixed in one-two combinations. Pichel began to chop away at Hubbard’s left leg and time was called when Pichel was poked in the eye. After the restart, Hubbard landed a lead left hook and Pichel tripped him by kicking out his back leg. Hubbard stood and the close round ended soon after. 10-9 Hubbard.
Round 2:
Leg kicks were exchanged in the second round until Hubbard took Pichel’s back and pulled him down to the mat. Pichel scrambled free and stood up, and he backed Hubbard up with a knee. Pichel closed in with punches to the head and body, but Hubbard recovered and pushed Pichel away. Both men landed right hands and Hubbard ate a knee as he dropped levels for a takedown. Hubbard got Pichel down and nearly got to mount, but Pichel countered with a heel hook attempt from the bottom and he quickly rose to his feet. Pichel landed right hands to Hubbard’s head and body before the end of the round. 10-9 Pichel.
Round 3:
Pichel stunned Hubbard with an overhand left and followed with two more hooks before clinching with him in the opening minute of the final round. Hubbard’s takedown defence was solid and he prevented Pichel from taking him down. Seconds later, it was Hubbard who got a takedown into back control. Pichel scrambled free and stood up, and he took Hubbard’s back against the cage. Hubbard separated from the clinch and he landed an uppercut as Pichel moved forward. He got Pichel down, but Pichel battled back to his feet and landed a hard combination. He wobbled Hubbard with a right hook and the fighters traded looping punches until the final bell. 10-9 Pichel.
Winner: Vinc Pichel by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 14-2-0.
Alexandre “The Cannibal” Pantoja vs Brandon “Raw Dawg” Royval
Round 1:
Pantoja immediately took Royval down into a partial back control and Royval rolled forward to try to escape. Pantoja stayed on his back, but Royval scrambled free and then looked ror an Achilles lock and a heel hook. Pantoja escaped and the fighters stood up with Pantoja on Royval’s back. He pulled Royval down to the mat, but Royval squirmed free. He briefly held back control himself and both men landed combinations after returning to their feet. An overhand right scored for Pantoja and he landed a one-two before the bell. Frenetic, back-and-forth rounds. 10-9 Pantoja.
Round 2:
The second round began with Pantoja closing the distance with punches, but Royval prevented him from scoring a takedown. Pantoja clinched again and took Royval’s back, then dragged him down to the mat and locked on a rear-naked choke. Royval initially fought it, but Pantoja tightened the choke and Royval was forced to submit.
Winner: Alexandre Pantoja by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 1:46 of round two. He improves to 24-5-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)