The Ultimate Fighting Championship headed to The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC Fight Night 221: “Yan vs Dvalishvili.” The card was headlined by a bantamweight contender’s bout between former champion Petr “No Mercy” Yan and Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili.
In the heavyweight co-feature, Alexander “Drago” Volkov battled Alexander “King Kong” Romanov. Elsewhere on the main card, Nikita “The Miner” Krylov took on Ryan “Superman” Spann in a rebooked matchup at 215 pounds. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for UFC Fight Night 221.
Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili vs Petr “No Mercy” Yan
Round 1:
Dvalishvili briefly tripped Yan and he landed punches to the side of his face on the way up. Yan landed a hard leg kick and time was called when he was warned for outstretching his fingers. Yan stuffed a takedown and he landed a hard calf kick. Dvalishvili tried to take him down, but Yan balanced on one leg. An overhand right landed for Dvalishvili and the fighters exchanged calf kicks. Yan was warned again for sticking his fingers out. He took Dvalishvili down, but Dvalishvili immediately reversed into top position. He landed two right hands and then held Yan in a front headlock. 10-9 Dvalishvili.
Round 2:
The second round began with another brief takedown from Dvalishvili and a right hook on the way up. Dvalishvili hurt Yan with a series of calf kicks and Yan switched stances. Both men landed body kicks and Dvalishvili took Yan down again. Yan got to his feet and Dvalishvili pressed forward with more kicks to the body. He lost his balance and Yan took top position in Dvalishvili’s guard. Dvalishvili stood against the cage and he resumed walking Yan down as Yan backed away. Dvalishvili tripped Yan and took his back as Yan stood up. Yan separated from the clinch late in the round and Dvalishvili fell again while attempting a throw. 10-9 Dvalishvili.
Round 3:
Leg and body kicks were exchanged in round three and Dvalishvili closed the distance with a punching combination. He landed two knees, but Yan fought off a takedown attempt. Dvalishvili took Yan’s back and kneed him in the thigh. He swept out Yan’s leg and Yan quickly returned to his feet. Dvalishvili held Yan’s back, but Yan shook him off and the fighters returned to the centre of the cage. Dvalishvili went for a hip toss and Yan defended. Close round. 10-9 Dvalishvili.
Round 4:
Yan’s right eye was beginning to close as the fourth round started and Dvalishvili jabbed at it before clinching and taking Yan down. Yan reversed position and got to his feet. He held Dvalishvili against the cage until Dvalishvili pushed him away. Dvalishvili landed two leg kicks and a right hook. He used his jab to set up another right hand. Yan threw two calf kicks and Dvalishvili shot in for a takedown. Yan countered by tripping Dvalishvili, but Dvalishvili got right back up and he held Yan in a front headlock. 10-9 Dvalishvili.
Round 5:
As the final round began, Yan’s right eye was almost completely shut. Dvalishvili targeted it with a knee and he took Yan down. Yan stood against the cage and Dvalishvili swept out his leg. Yan got to his feet again and Dvalishvili landed a right hook and two jabs. He dumped Yan to the mat and took his back as Yan stood. An elbow and a calf kick scored for Dvalishvili, who caught a body kick from Yan and took him down. Yan returned to his feet and Dvalishvili landed a right hook and another calf kick. The fight ended with an exchange of punches. 10-9 Dvalishvili.
Winner: Merab Dvalishvili by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) after five rounds. He improves to 16-4-0.
Alexander “Drago” Volkov vs Alexander “King Kong” Romanov
Round 1:
Volkov grabbed the cage to avoid being taken down in the opening minute and he was warned. The fighters clashed heads during a subsequent exchange and Volkov flurried to the body. He stuffed a Romanov takedown and took his back, then punched the sides of his head. Romanov covered up and the brief fight was stopped.
Winner: Alexander Volkov by TKO (Punches) at 2:16 of round one. He improves to 36-10-0.
Nikita “The Miner” Krylov vs Ryan “Superman” Spann
Round 1:
Krylov started quickly with punches, but Spann countered a clinch by taking him down into mount. Krylov powered out, but Spann trapped him in a Brabo choke and he switched to a tight guillotine. Krylov managed to free his neck and the fighters stood up with Krylov holding back control. He dragged Spann down into side control, but Spann swept into top position and he escaped from a Krylov guillotine choke. Spann used a kimura to try to sweep, but he gave up his back again. Krylov got too high and Spann shook him off, but he fell right into a Krylov triangle choke and Spann quickly tapped out.
Winner: Nikita Krylov by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 3:38 of round one. He improves to 30-9-0.
Jonathan “Dragon” Martinez vs Said Nurmagomedov
Round 1:
Body kicks were exchanged and Nurmagomedov knocked Martinez down with one. Martinez stood and he blocked a head kick. Nurmagomedov punched his way into a clinch and took Martinez down. He locked on two rear-naked chokes, but the angle was not quite right and Martinez managed to escape both times. After a clinch against the cage, the fighters separated and Nurmagomedov landed a spinning back elbow and a right hook. Martinez clinched and he landed an elbow while holding Nurmagomedov against the fence. 10-9 Nurmagomedov.
Round 2:
Nurmagomedov caught a kick and took Martinez down in round two. Martinez was able to get back to his feet and Nurmagomedov landed a spinning backfist. Martinez sprawled out of a takedown and he landed elbows to the side of a kneeling Nurmagomedov’s head. Martinez held him against the cage and landed short strikes until Nurmagomedov broke free in the final minute. Martinez avoided Nurmagomedov’s spinning attacks and he landed two strong calf kicks. 10-9 Martinez.
Round 3:
Martinez slipped while throwing a kick and Nurmagomedov took top position in his guard. Martinez threw up his legs for a triangle choke and then switched to a tight armbar, but Nurmagomedov managed to pull his arm out. He took Martinez’s back and secured a body triangle. Nurmagomedov worked for a rear-naked choke and Martinez stood up. He held Nurmagomedov against the cage and he eventually landed two left hooks. Martinez kneed Nurmagomedov’s thigh and the fight ended with a final exchange of punches. 10-9 Martinez, barely. Decision could go either way.
Winner: Jonathan Martinez by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 18-4-0.
Mario Bautista vs Guido “Ninja” Cannetti
Round 1:
Bautista secured an early takedown and tried to pass from half-guard to mount. Cannetti defended well, but Bautista landed an elbow and he looked to set up a guillotine choke as Cannetti rose to his feet. Cannetti took Bautista down momentarily, but Bautista stood and slammed him down. Bautista secured a body triangle from back control and he stayed on Cannetti’s back when Cannetti stood up. Cannetti shook Bautista off once, only to be suplexed down to the ground again. Bautista instantly locked on a rear-naked choke and this time Cannetti tapped out.
Winner: Mario Bautista by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 3:18 of round one. He improves to 12-2-0.
Vitor “Icão” Petrino vs Anton “The Pleasure Man” Turkalj
Round 1:
Petrino took Turkalj down early in the fight and he landed short strikes from the top until Turkalj stood against the cage. Turkalj scored a brief takedown of his own and he kneed Petrino in the body during a standing clinch. The fighters separated and Petrino landed a combination. Time was called when Petrino was kneed in the groin. When actual resumed, Petrino hurt Turkalj with a pair of left-right combos, then followed with two big right hooks. He threw Turkalj to the mat, but Turkalj landed a hard upkick from the bottom. Petrino fell into Turkalj’s guard and he punched from the top until the bell. 10-9 Petrino.
Round 2:
After a flurry of punches from Petrino, he took Turkalj down and Turkalj battled back to his feet. Turkalj took Petrino down into back control, but Petrino turned over into Turkalj’s guard. Turkalj got to his feet and was suplexed back down. He stood once more and then tripped Petrino. Turkalj briefly held back control and Petrino turned over into his guard again. The fight returned to the feet after Turkalj grabbed the cage and he wobbled Petrino with a flurry of punches. Another clinch ensued and Petrino landed one knee to the body. Turkalj threw a spinning back elbow before time expired. 10-9 Turkalj.
Round 3:
Both men flurried with punches and Turkalj took Petrino down into back control. He secured a body triangle and hunted for a rear-naked choke, but Petrino turned over into his guard and then took mount. Turkalj kicked off of the cage and stood, but Petrino pulled him down with a no-hooks rear-naked choke. Turkalj escaped and took back control himself. Petrino turned over and he held top position until Turkalj stood up. Petrino elevated him into the air and slammed him down once more before the end of the chaotic, back-and-forth round. 10-9 Petrino.
Winner: Vitor Petrino by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 8-0-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)