The Ultimate Fighting Championship stayed at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC Fight Night 206: “Holm vs Vieira.” The event was headlined by a women’s bantamweight bout between former UFC champ Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm and Ketlen “Fenômeno” Vieira.

In the welterweight co-main event, Santiago “Argentine Dagger” Ponzinibbio took on Michel “Demolidor” Pereira. Elsewhere on the main card, Chidi “Bang Bang” Njokuani met Duško “Thunder” Todorović in middleweight action. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for UFC Fight Night 206.

Ketlen “Fenômeno” Vieira vs Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm

Round 1:
Holm struck first with a leg kick and Vieira answered with a hard one of her own. She clinched and tripped Holm to a knee. Holm stood and held Vieira against the fence. Vieira’s trip attempts were unsuccessful and Holm kept her up against the cage, landing short knees and left hands. Vieira threw palm strikes to the side of Holm’s head and Holm kneed at Vieira’s thigh. She defended against a hip toss attempt from Vieira, and the round ended in another standing clinch. 10-9 Holm.

Round 2:
Holm landed side kicks from a distance in the second round until Vieira connected with a right hand and whipped her down to the mat. Holm got back to her feet against the cage as Vieira threw right hands to her face. Holm separated from the clinch, then latched on to Vieira’s leg in an effort to take her down. Vieira countered with a tight guillotine choke and Holm escaped. Vieira switched to a standing rear-naked choke that had Holm in major trouble, but she was able to turn her head to the side just enough to free her neck from the choke. Holm held Vieira against the cage for the remainder of the round. 10-9 Vieira.

Round 3:
Vieira countered a running blitz of punches from Holm with a quick right hook. Holm held her against the fence and threw knees to Vieira’s thighs. Vieira separated from the clinch with three minutes to go in the round. Holm kicked at Vieira’s body and punches were exchanged. Holm backed Vieira up to the cage again and she peppered her with left hands to her face. Vieira finally broke free with a right hook and she hurt Holm with another right hand. Holm clinched to end the round. 10-9 Holm.

Round 4:
A lead left hook scored for Vieira early in round four. Holm charged forward with punches that came up short and Vieira landed a right hand. Vieira’s punches clearly had more power behind them and she landed a hard one-two. Vieira landed another right hand, but Holm knocked her down with a side kick to the body and landed another body kick as Vieira stood up. Vieira landed an uppercut and Holm clinched. She could not hold Vieira in place this time, however, and Vieira quickly circled away. She countered a Holm leg kick with a lead left hook. Holm’s left eye swelled up, but she did land two side kicks to Vieira’s body and then charged at her with punches to finish the round. 10-9 Vieira.

Round 5:
A fired up Vieira was aggressive in the final round and landed a spinning back elbow. Holm clinched and she landed a short right hook on the break. She followed with a straight left and backed Vieira up against the cage. Vieira pushed her away and Holm landed a front kick to her face. As Holm took a step forward, Vieira countered nicely with an uppercut. Holm latched on to her leg and backed her up to the cage. Vieira pulled her leg free and created a brief separation before Holm tied her up in another clinch. With 40 seconds to go, Vieira tried to take Holm down. Holm stayed on her feet and punished her with left hands to the face. 10-9 Holm.

Winner: Ketlen Vieira by Split Decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) after five rounds. She improves to 13-2-0.

Michel “Demolidor” Pereira vs Santiago “Argentine Dagger” Ponzinibbio

Round 1:
Pereira lunged forward with a right hand and time was called when he was poked in the eye. The fight resumed after a moment and Pereira landed an overhand right. Another right hand and a leg kick scored for Pereira, who followed with a knee to the body when Ponzinibbio closed in. Ponzinibbio landed a leg kick and ate two body kicks from Pereira in response. Ponzinibbio missed with a looping left hook and Pereira knocked him off-balance with a stiff jab. He backed Ponzinibbio up with a right hook behind the ear, but Ponzinibbio regained his footing and he finished the round strong with leg kicks and two right hooks. 10-9 Pereira.

Round 2:
Round two began with Pereira landing a right hook and a leg kick. He countered a Ponzinibbio leg kick with a right hook that backed Ponzinibbio up to the cage. Pereira scored with a brutal kick to the body, but Ponzinibbio continued to press forward. Pereira landed a knee and a counter left hook. The fighters traded jabs and Ponzinibbio countered a right hand from Pereira with a lead left hook. Ponzinibbio landed three looping hooks and Pereira began to slow down. Ponzinibbio finished a combination with a leg kick, but Pereira pushed him back with two stiff jabs to the face. Ponzinibbio took Pereira down into back control and Pereira stood up in the final ten seconds. Much closer round. 10-9 Ponzinibbio.

Round 3:
Pereira repeatedly scored with overhand rights to the side of Ponzinibbio’s head in the final round. Pereira blocked a head kick, but Ponzinibbio kept him on the defensive with jabs and leg kicks. Pereira landed jabs of his own and he connected with a solid right hook. Pereira missed with two right hooks and Ponzinibbio’s jab caused his left eye to swell up. Pereira landed two right hooks and he stuffed a takedown. The pace remained incredibly high in the final 30 seconds as both men threw power punches, and Pereira landed a left-right combo late in the fight. Another very close round. 10-9 Pereira.

Winner: Michel Pereira by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 28-11-0, 2 NC.

Chidi “Bang Bang” Njokuani vs Duško “Thunder” Todorović

Round 1:
Njokuani opened the action with three leg kicks and Todorović dropped levels for a takedown. Njokuani countered with a front headlock and he switched to a Brabo choke on the ground. Todorović stayed calm and escaped, then took Njokuani’s back. Each time Njokuani stood up, Todorović tripped him again. Njokuani got to his feet and turned into the clinch with just under two minutes to go. Todorović landed short right uppercuts and a knee to the body while holding Njokuani against the fence. Njokuani broke free and he landed knees to Todorović’s body. Njokuani took Todorović’s back in a standing clinch and landed another knee. When Todorović turned into the clinch, Njokuani dropped him like a rock with an elbow to the temple, and the fight was stopped.

Winner: Chidi Njokuani by KO (Elbow) at 4:48 of round one. He improves to 22-7-0, 1 NC.

Tabatha “Baby Shark” Ricci vs Polyana “Dama de Ferro” Viana

Round 1:
Viana landed a body kick and a quick flurry of punches as Ricci closed the distance and clinched. Ricci avoided a guillotine choke and she took Viana down. Viana postured for an armbar from the bottom and Ricci stood over her. She kicked at Viana’s legs, but Viana landed an upkick to Ricci’s knee from the bottom and referee Chris Tognoni brought the fight back to the feet. Viana landed a right hook and she trapped Ricci in a guillotine choke. Once again, Ricci escaped from the choke as she took Viana down. Viana stayed active from the bottom and she prevented Ricci from landing much of anything. Viana landed an elbow from the bottom and she kicked Ricci off before the bell. 10-9 Viana.

Round 2:
In round two, Viana landed two early leg kicks and a knee to the body. She jabbed and stayed outside of Ricci’s punching range. Ricci landed a leg kick, but Viana countered with a combination and shrugged off another clinch attempt. After Viana landed a short right hook, Ricci took her down against the base of the cage. She stood over Viana, who landed another upkick to Ricci’s knee, then settled into Viana’s guard. Viana threw up her legs for a triangle choke and Ricci stood up again. The fight was brought back to the feet and Viana landed a right hook. Ricci caught a body kick and took her down in the final seconds. Close round. 10-9 Viana, despite Ricci’s takedowns.

Round 3:
Viana escaped from an early clinch in round three and Ricci landed a lead right hook. She swept out Viana’s left leg and tripped her to the ground. Ricci stood over Viana and kicked at her legs, as Viana was content to stayed on her back. On the feet, Ricci rushed forward with a right hand that landed. Viana reversed a takedown and stood up, but Ricci quickly put her on the mat again. Ricci stood over Viana once more and she kicked at Viana’s legs while Viana upkicked from the ground. 10-9 Ricci.

Winner: Tabatha Ricci by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 7-1-0.

Jun Yong “The Iron Turtle” Park vs “Ya Boi” Eryk Anders

Round 1:
Anders closed the distance with two left hands and he clinched with Park against the cage. Park held him in a front headlock and time was called when Anders was kneed in the groin. The fight continued and Anders landed two straight lefts. He latched on to Park’s leg and tried to take him down. Park stayed on his feet and the fighters exchanged knees to the body. Anders connected with a hard left hook on the break, but Park fired back with a combination and that led to Anders clinching with him again. Park held Anders in another front headlock, but Anders finally got him down to the mat. Park quickly rose to his feet and he landed a right hook and a knee. Close first round. 10-9 Park by a slim margin.

Round 2:
In the second round, Anders secured a takedown and he took Park’s back as Park returned to his feet. Park broke free from the clinch and he landed a big right hook. Anders responded with a left cross and he tried unsuccessfully for a takedown against the cage. Anders landed a combination and time was then called when Park was kneed badly in the groin. The fight continued after a moment, but both fighters were given strong warnings for groin strikes. Park landed a leg kick and a four-punch combo as Anders walked forward. Anders punched his way into another clinch, but Park circled away to his left. Anders clinched once more and he took Park down into back control. Park shook him off of his back and he held Anders in a front headlock before the bell. Another close round. 10-9 Anders.

Round 3:
In the final round, Park landed a counter one-two and he fended off a takedown attempt from Anders. Park remained the aggressor and he landed a right hand to Anders’s body. Anders was unable to tie Park up in a clinch for long. Park fought off more clinch attempts from Anders as the fight entered its final two minutes. Park countered a body kick with a right hook and pulled his leg free from yet another Anders takedown attempt. Park finished a combination with an uppercut and he landed a one-two before time expired. 10-9 Park. Decision could go either way.

Winner: Jun Yong Park by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 14-5-0.

(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)