Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili vs “Magic” Marlon Moraes
Round 1:
Moraes landed a hard leg kick in the opening minute and he followed with a second one that prompted Dvalishvili to charge at him with punches. Moraes countered nicely with two hooks and Dvalishvili took him down. Moraes got back to his feet and he countered a missed uppercut from Dvalishvili with a lead left hook that snapped Dvalishvili’s head back. Seconds later, Moraes dropped Dvalishvili with another left hook and he hurt him again with a right hand after a wobbly Dvalishvili stood up. Dvalishvili tried in vain for a desperation takedown and then turned his back and ran away from Moraes’s punches. When Moraes pursed, Dvalishvili tied him up in a clinch and scored a much-needed takedown into Moraes’s guard. He spent the final minute of the round striking with hammerfists from the top that appeared to hurt and possibly even flash KO Moraes in the final seconds. Incredible round. 10-9 Moraes, but not by much.
Round 2:
Dvalishvili took Moraes down right away in the second round and he landed left hands from the top. Moraes got back to full guard, but that only allowed Dvalishvili to posture up with punches and elbows as he had done late in the first round. Dvalishvili landed strike after strike while Moraes tried to tie him up from the bottom. More elbows and punches scored for Dvalishvili while referee Keith Peterson kept a close eye on the action. Moraes scrambled up to his feet and tried to take Dvalishvili down, but Dvalishvili stuffed it and continued to punish him with punches to the sides of his face. He flattened Moraes out and landed a final series of left hands until the bout was mercifully stopped.
Winner: Merab Dvalishvili by TKO (Punches) at 4:25 of round two. He improves to 14-4-0.
Dan “The Hangman” Hooker vs Nasrat Haqparast
Round 1:
Haqparast circled on the outside in the opening minute and Hooker closed in with single kicks and right hands until Haqparast fired back with an overhand left. Two more body kicks landed for Hooker and Haqparast lunged forward with a left-right combo. Hooker remained the aggressor and he kept Haqparast on the defensive with jabs. Haqparast continued to circle and he connected with another one-two before Hooker clinched with him against the cage. Haqparast stuffed a takedown, but Hooker finished the round with two hooks and a knee to Haqparast’s face. 10-9 Hooker.
Round 2:
Hooker landed a body kick early in round two and Haqparast answered with one in return. Hooker punched his way into a clinch and tried to take Haqparast down against the cage. A knee scored for Hooker and Haqparast’s mouthpiece fell out. Hooker landed another combination and Haqparast’s mouthpiece was retrieved during a break in the action. Both men landed body kicks after the restart and Hooker backed Haqparast up with another clinch. He landed two knees before Haqparast circled away to his left. Hooker closed the distance and landed another knee and two punches. He took Haqparast down into side control and threw knees to Haqparast’s side. 10-9 Hooker.
Round 3:
Haqparast started quickly in the final round with an overhand left and a combination. Time was called when a Hooker front kick struck him in the groin, but action quickly resumed and Haqparast followed up on a body kick with two punches. Body kicks were exchanged and Hooker scored a slick takedown into side control. He struck with short elbows and punches to Haqparast’s face, then passed to the opposite side and took partial back control as Haqparast attempted to scramble up to his feet. Haqparast stood, and escaped from a standing rear-naked choke in the process, but Hooker immediately took him back down and he postured up with punches from Haqparast’s guard. Hooker stood up and dropped a big right hand to Haqparast’s face, then returned to side control and landed left hands until the final bell. 10-9 Hooker.
Winner: Dan Hooker by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 21-10-0.
Chris Daukaus vs Shamil “Merak” Abdurakhimov
Round 1:
Following an early exchange of punches, Abdurakhimov attempted a spinning back kick and Daukaus countered with a right hook. Abdurakhimov landed shovel left hooks and cracked Daukaus with a one-two. Abdurakhimov continued to land first in the exchanges with lead left hooks and an overhand right, but he attempted another ill-conceived spinning attack and Daukaus kicked out his lead. Abdurakhimov fell and Daukaus landed punches as Abdurakhimov returned to his feet. Soon after, a big left hook from Daukaus sent Abdurakhimov crashing to the mat. Daukaus mounted him on the ground and rained down punches and elbows, but the bell sounded to end the round. 10-9 Daukaus.
Round 2:
Daukaus pressed forward with more lead left hooks in the second round and he floored Abdurakhimov with a big right hook. Abdurakhimov was barely conscious, but referee Mark Smith did not stop the fight, so Daukaus followed up with another punch and two elbows until the bout was waved off.
Winner: Chris Daukaus by TKO (Punches & Elbows) at 1:23 of round two. He improves to 12-3-0.
Taila Santos vs Roxanne “The Happy Warrior” Modafferi
Round 1:
Punches were exchanged right away and both women landed combinations. Santos followed with a body kick and she took Modafferi down into half-guard. As Santos landed short hammerfists, Modafferi threw up her legs from the bottom for an armbar attempt. Santos stayed calm and escaped, and she landed more short strikes from the top until Modafferi battled back to her feet. Santos used a body-lock takedown to get her back down into side control. Modafferi rose to her feet again and landed right hands in a clinch. Santos secured a Thai clinch and scored with knees to the body until the bell. 10-9 Santos.
Round 2:
Modafferi landed an overhand right in the second round and backed Santos up against the cage. She peppered her with left hands to the face and knees to Santos’s thighs. Santos eventually broke free and she stunned Modafferi with a right hook. The punch cut Modafferi along her hairline and Santos took her down. She punched from the top and scored a second takedown after Modafferi briefly stood up. Santos worked from the top in Modafferi’s half-guard and landed right hands in the final minute. 10-9 Santos.
Round 3:
Leg kicks were exchanged in round three and Modafferi pressed forward with a four-punch combination. Santos answered with a one-two and she backed Modafferi up with two more power punches. Modafferi fell to her back and Santos took top position in her guard. She landed punches and then took Modafferi’s back with a neck crank attempt, but Modafferi escaped and she finally got back to her feet. Jabs were exchanged and Modafferi initiated a clinch. Santos countered with a hip toss takedown and finished the fight on top. 10-9 Santos.
Winner: Taila Santos by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 18-1-0.
Jalin “The Tarantula” Turner vs Uros “The Doctor” Medic
Round 1:
Both southpaws landed left hands in an early exchange and Turner took Medic down into side control. He tried to pass to mount, but Medic defended well and he got to full guard. Turner punched from the top and Medic tried to get back to his feet. The fighters stood and Turner hurt Medic with two hooks and a kick to the body. Medic wilted against the cage and Turner continued to land punches to the body and head. Medic fell to his back and Turner stood over him while dropping punches to Medic’s face. Medic rolled to his left and Turner immediately took his back. He flattened Medic out and locked on a rear-naked choke, forcing Medic to tap out.
Winner: Jalin Turner by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:01 of round one. He improves to 11-5-0.
Nick Maximov vs Cody Brundage
Round 1:
Hard right hands were exchanged in the opening minute and Brundage attacked Maximov’s lead leg with kicks. Maximov switched stances and shot in for a takedown. He took Brundage’s back against the cage and landed a knee to his face. Maximov continued to pursue a takedown and Brundage countered nicely with a kimura. Maximov gave up on the takedown and the fighters separated. Maximov finally got Brundage down and he countered a Brundage kimura with one of his own. Brundage sat up against the base of the cage and Maximov threw punches to his body. Brundage scrambled up and sprawled out of a Maximov takedown attempt before time expired. Close round. 10-9 Maximov due to the late offence.
Round 2:
The second round began with two kicks from Brundage and Maximov pushed him down to the mat, then took his back. He threw punches to the sides of Brundage’s head and continued to land hammerfists until Brundage stood against the cage. Maximov landed two knees and Brundage countered by pulling him down to the ground with a guillotine choke. Maximov freed his head within seconds and he landed knees to Brundage’s thighs when Brundage tried to get back to his feet. In the final minute, Maximov again worked for a rear-naked choke while maintaining back control. Brundage defended well, but Maximov stayed on his back until the bell. 10-9 Maximov, if not a 10-8.
Round 3:
Brundage threw single punches from a distance in the final round and he landed a pair of right hooks. Maximov shot in for sloppy takedowns and Brundage fought him off. On his third try, Maximov used an ankle pick to get Brundage down and he tried to hop on Brundage’s back as Brundage stood up. Brundage turned into the clinch after standing and he landed three elbows to the side of Maximov’s head. More elbows scored for Brundage and he pushed Maximov down to the ground. Brundage landed elbows from the top that opened a cut on the back of Maximov’s head. Maximov scrambled from the bottom and got to his knees, then tried to put Brundage on his back. Maximov wound up on top at the end of the round and he landed two punches before the end of the fight. 10-9 Brundage due to damage.
Winner: Nick Maximov by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 7-0-0.
Matthew “Semi The Jedi” Semelsberger vs Martin “Spartan” Sano
Round 1:
Mere seconds into the fight, Semelsberger landed a massive overhand right that sent an unconscious Sano crashing to the mat and ended the bout in one strike.
Winner: Matthew Semelsberger by KO (Punch) at 0:15 of round one. He improves to 9-3-0.
Jonathan “JSP” Pearce vs Omar Antonio “Venezuelan Fighter” Morales Ferrer
Round 1:
Morales clipped an off-balance Pearce with two right hands early in the fight and Pearce retreated. Morales jabbed and Pearce checked a leg kick. A hard right hand scored for Morales, but Pearce barely flinched and he closed the distance after landing a lead left hook. Pearce tripped Morales and threw him to the mat a second time after Morales briefly battled back to his feet. Morales swept into top position and the fighters stood. Pearce took Morales down two more times, but Morales rose to his feet before the bell. 10-9 Pearce.
Round 2:
Pearce opened the second round with a left hook and he immediately clinched in search of a takedown. He tried to take Morales’s back as he tripped him, but got too high and Morales shook him off. Morales then attempted a Brabo choke and Pearce spun free. He took Morales’s back again and hunted for a rear-naked choke. Morales rolled to his side and Pearce eyed an arm-triangle choke. That forced Morales to give up his back again and Pearce landed punches to both sides of his head. Morales stood with Pearce on his back and Pearce quickly locked on a tight rear-naked choke. Morales did not try to fight Pearce’s hands at all and tapped out.
Winner: Jonathan Pearce by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 3:31 of round two. He improves to 11-4-0.