The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC on ESPN 34: “Luque vs Muhammad 2.” The event featured a welterweight rematch between Vicente “The Silent Assassin” Luque and fellow contender Belal “Remember The Name” Muhammad.
In the middleweight co-feature, Caio Borralho battled Gadzhi Omargadzhiev. Elsewhere on the main card, Miguel “Caramel Thunder” Baeza faced Andre Fialho at welterweight. Mayra “Sheetara” Bueno Silva met Yanan “Mulan” Wu at 135. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for UFC on ESPN 34.
Belal “Remember The Name” Muhammad vs Vicente “The Silent Assassin” Luque
Round 1:
Luque landed jabs and two leg kicks in the opening minute, and he prevented Muhammad from clinching. A body kick scored for Luque and Muhammad answered with one of his own. He followed with another kick to Luque’s liver and both men switched between southpaw and orthodox stances. Muhammad got Luque down and he struck with short elbows and punches. Muhammad tried to take Luque’s back as Luque stood up, but Luque shook him off and Muhammad attempted a head kick late in the round. 10-9 Muhammad.
Round 2:
Muhammad circled on the outside and he landed a nice combination in the second round. Luque landed a left cross and Muhammad fired right back with a right hook and a quick one-two. He countered a Luque leg kick with a liver kick and continued to circle from side to side. Muhammad landed a pair of overhand rights and then took Luque down. Luque tried to stand up against the cage and Muhammad took his back. Luque rose to his feet and Muhammad landed a body kick. 10-9 Muhammad.
Round 3:
Luque stunned Muhammad with a lead left hook in round three and Muhammad tried in vain to clinch. Luque landed another left hook, but Muhammad was able to close the distance and he held Luque against the fence. Luque broke free and he landed two more left hooks. Muhammad finally got Luque down, but he was not able to keep him there for long. Luque exploded up to his feet and he landed a combination in close. A small cut opened on the bridge of Muhammad’s nose and Luque attempted a flying switch kick that missed. 10-9 Luque.
Round 4:
From a southpaw stance, Luque jabbed in round four and Muhammad took him down. He passed to side control and then took Luque’s back, but Luque stood up and shook Muhammad off. Muhammad landed a jab-cross combo and a body kick. Luque answered with a leg kick and Muhammad countered with a right cross. Right hands were exchanged in the final seconds. 10-9 Muhammad.
Round 5:
Luque defended against a takedown attempt from Muhammad in the final round and Muhammad landed a kick to the body. He tried again to take Luque down and was once again unsuccessful. Muhammad shot in for a takedown from too far away and Luque held him in a guillotine choke. Muhammad freed his neck and then dragged Luque down into a partial back control. Muhammad held on to a face crank until Luque got to his feet. The fighters separated and Muhammad landed a nice one-two. With ten seconds to go, Muhammad landed another two-punch combo and the fight came to an end. 10-9 Muhammad.
Winner: Belal Muhammad by Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) after five rounds. He improves to 21-3-0, 1 ND.
Caio “The Natural” Borralho vs Gadzhi Omargadzhiev
Round 1:
As Borralho took a step forward, Omargadzhiev cracked him with a counter one-two. He caught a Borralho kick and landed a right hook, then dumped him to the mat. Borralho swept from the bottom and briefly struck from Omargadzhiev’s guard. He stood up, then overcame an upkick from Omargadzhiev and re-entered his guard. Omargadzhiev kicked him off again, but Borralho moved to half-guard and then took Omargadzhiev’s back. He trapped Omargadzhiev in a body triangle and threw elbows to the side of his head. This continued all the way until the bell. 10-9 Borralho.
Round 2:
Omargadzhiev landed an overhand right and Borralho hurt him with a flying knee and a left hook. Omargadzhiev had a delayed reaction and dropped to one knee, which allowed Borralho to land punches as Omargadzhiev covered up. Omargadzhiev stood and missed with a wild punch, and Borralho took his back on the ground. While keeping Omargadzhiev trapped in a body triangle, Borralho reached forward and cranked on a kneebar. Omargadzhiev freed his leg, but he could not get Borralho off of his back. With just over 30 seconds to, Borralho almost locked on a rear-naked choke, but Omargadzhiev was able to break his grip. 10-8 Borralho.
Round 3:
Omargadzhiev clinched after catching a kick from Borralho in the final round. He backed him up against the cage and time was called when Borralho was kneed in the groin. Borralho recovered after two minutes and the fight resumed. He narrowly missed with a flying knee attempt, but landed a left hook soon after and then took Omargadzhiev down. Omargadzhiev gave up his back and then rolled forward for a kneebar attempt on Borralho’s left leg. Borralho pulled his leg out and then wound up in Omargadzhiev’s guard after a short scramble. Time was called when Borralho landed a knee to Omargadzhiev’s face when Omargadzhiev had his hand down. After a long delay, Borralho was docked one point and the fight was ultimately waved off, leading to the second Technical Decision of the night.
Winner: Caio Borralho by Technical Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27) at 3:56 of round three. He improves to 11-1-0, 1 NC.
Andre Fialho vs Miguel “Caramel Thunder” Baeza
Round 1:
Fialho used his jab to set up right hands and Baeza kicked at his lead leg. A hard right hand scored for Baeza, and Fialho retreated momentarily. The fighters traded right hands and Baeza backed Fialho up again with a flurry. Fialho landed two leg kicks and he ate almost a dozen punches in return from Baeza. Fialho held strong and he landed a lead left hook and a right. Baeza began to bleed from his nose and Fialho rocked him with a series of five uppercuts. He dropped Baeza with a lunging left hook and then finished him with two hammerfists on the ground.
Winner: Andre Fialho by TKO (Punches) at 4:39 of round one. He improves to 15-4-0, 1 NC.
Mayra “Sheetara” Bueno Silva vs Yanan “Mulan” Wu
Round 1:
Wu landed two leg kicks in the opening seconds and Bueno Silva answered with calf kicks. Wu landed a liver kick and a lead left hook. Bueno Silva closed in with punches and dropped Wu with a lead left hook against the cage. Wu got back to her feet and both women landed right hands. Bueno Silva scored with more calf kicks and she followed with an overhand right. Wu countered a body kick with a straight right, but she was unable to follow up and Bueno Silva landed a solid knee in a clinch. Late in the round, Bueno Silva landed a lead left hook and a big right hand that backed Wu up. 10-9 Bueno Silva.
Round 2:
The second round started off better for Wu, who landed two combinations before Bueno Silva answered with a head kick. Wu caught a kick and took Bueno Silva down, but she fell into a triangle choke in the process. Wu escaped from the choke and stood over Bueno Silva. She dropped back down into Bueno Silva’s half-guard, but Bueno Silva wrenched on a kimura from the bottom. She pinned Wu’s left arm behind her back, but Wu refused to submit and freed her arm. Bueno Silva got to her knees and then stood up as Wu threw elbows to the side of her head. The fighters separated and the back-and-forth round came to an end. 10-9 Bueno Silva.
Round 3:
Wu knocked Bueno Silva down with a front kick to the body in the final round. Bueno Silva stood and punches were exchanged, with Wu remaining the aggressor as Bueno Silva slowed down. A combination landed for Wu, but Bueno Silva tagged her with a right hook and Wu’s left eye swelled up. We landed two body kicks and she kept her distance with jabs. Bueno Silva grazed with a spinning backfist and she began to taunt in the final minute. Wu landed a crescent kick and avoided a spinning back kick attempt from Bueno Silva. Another close round. 10-9 Wu.
Winner: Mayra Bueno Silva by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 8-2-1.
Pat Sabatini vs T.J. “The Truth” Laramie
Round 1:
Laramie landed a counter leg kick early in the fight as Sabatini threw a body kick. Sabatini lost his balance, but he rose to his feet and Laramie scored a leg-sweep takedown into half-guard. Sabatini got back to full guard and then tried to set up a triangle choke. Laramie escaped danger and the fighters stood. Sabatini caught a Laramie body kick and took him down, but he could not keep him there. Laramie stood and he countered a Sabatini uppercut with a lead left hook. Sabatini hurt Laramie with a liver kick and followed up with punches, then pulled guard with a guillotine choke. That proved to be a mistake, as Laramie escaped into mount position. Sabatini got back to half-guard and that’s how the round ended. Close round. 10-9 Sabatini.
Round 2:
Sabatini shot in for a takedown in round two and Laramie countered with a brief guillotine choke. The fighters stood and battled in a clinch until Sabatini took Laramie down into back control. Laramie tried to shake him off and Sabatini threw right hands to the side of his face. He kept one hook in and used his punches to set up a rear-naked choke. Laramie quickly broke his grip, but Sabatini continued to punish him with hammerfists and punches to the side of his head. He landed numerous punches before the end of the one-sided round. 10-8 Sabatini.
Round 3:
The final round began with Sabatini landing a body kick and Laramie countering with a lead left hook. He sprawled out of a Sabatini takedown attempt, but Sabatini got him down on his second try. He kept Laramie pinned down and peppered him with right hands to the face. Laramie got back to full guard and then stood up, only to be taken back down into a partial back control. Sabatini punched the side of his face and threw knees to Laramie’s thigh. Sabatini transitioned to a back crucifix, but Laramie finally managed to take top position in a scramble. He struck from Sabatini’s guard and avoided an omoplata attempt. 10-9 Sabatini.
Winner: Pat Sabatini by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26) after three rounds. He improves to 17-3-0.
Mounir “Sniper” Lazzez vs Ange “The Last Ninja” Loosa
Round 1:
Loosa countered a right hook from Lazzez with a leg kick and the fighters exchanged jabs. Both men landed leg kicks and Lazzez threw front kicks to Loosa’s thigh. Loosa ducked into a head kick from Lazzez, but he partially blocked it with his hand. Punches were exchanged and Lazzez just missed with an elbow. A hard right hand and a leg kick landed for Lazzez, who shot in for a takedown. Loosa stayed on his feet against the cage and he reversed the clinch with 30 seconds to go. Lazzez separated from the clinch and he landed a jab at the bell. 10-9 Lazzez.
Round 2:
Lazzez balanced on one foot as Loosa lifted his left leg high in the air while pursuing a takedown in round two. He lost his grip on the leg and Lazzez kept him at bay with jabs. Loosa blocked a head kick and he landed a stiff jab of his own. Lazzez landed a right hook and a lead left uppercut. Loosa answered with a leg kick, but Lazzez cracked him in the jaw with a straight right. Lazzez missed with a step-in elbow, but he landed another right hook and countered a Loosa jab with a knee. Both men landed hard right hands and Lazzez dropped levels for a takedown. Loosa remained on his feet and the round ended with Lazzez landing a leg kick. Closer round. Still 10-9 Lazzez.
Round 3:
Lazzez remained effective with his jab in the final round, but Loosa landed one of his best punches of the fight in the form of a right hook to Lazzez’s jaw. Lazzez continued to jab and Loosa landed another right. Lazzez attacked Loosa’s left leg with three stinging kicks. Loosa landed a big right hook, but Lazzez answered with a right and he followed with two more power punches as Loosa covered up. Lazzez landed one more right hook and he wobbled Loosa with a follow-up flurry. Loosa recovered, but Lazzez landed a strong right hand late in the fight. 10-9 Lazzez.
Winner: Mounir Lazzez by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 11-2-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)