The Ultimate Fighting Championship travelled to the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas tonight for UFC on ESPN 43: “Vera vs Sandhagen.” The event was headlined by a pivotal bantamweight contender’s bout between divisional standouts Marlon “Chito” Vera and Cory “Sandman” Sandhagen.
In the co-main event, also at 135 pounds, Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm battled Yana “Foxy” Santos. Elsewhere on the main card, Nate “The Train” Landwehr squared off against Austin “Lights Out” Lingo in featured featherweight action. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.
Cory “Sandman” Sandhagen vs Marlon “Chito” Vera
Round 1:
Sandhagen used his jab to set up leg kicks and he followed with a lead left hook. Vera blocked a flying knee attempt, but Sandhagen clinched and took him down. He postured up with elbows and passed to half-guard. Vera cut Sandhagen with an elbow from the bottom, but that did not slow Sandhagen down and he landed elbows and punches from the top. 10-9 Sandhagen.
Round 2:
After Sandhagen lunged forward with an uppercut and a left hook, Vera countered a clinch by holding him in a guillotine choke as Sandhagen scored a takedown. Sandhagen pulled his head out and went to work with elbows and hammerfists from Vera’s half-guard. Sandhagen passed to side control and he landed more short elbows and hammerfists. He looked for a kimura on Vera’s left arm, but Vera exploded up to his feet. Sandhagen landed a leg kick and an uppercut. He attempted a flying knee late in the round. 10-9 Sandhagen. Could be a 10-8.
Round 3:
Sandhagen blocked a head kick and he landed a lead left uppercut. Vera answered with a chopping leg kick and a straight left hand. Sandhagen threw a four-punch combo and finished with a body kick. Vera landed a one-two in response and Sandhagen backed him up with an uppercut. A right hook landed for Sandhagen and he blocked a head kick attempt from Vera. Sandhagen finished a combination with an uppercut, then landed a jab-cross combo soon after. Much closer round. Still 10-9 Sandhagen.
Round 4:
Vera fought off two takedown attempts to begin round four and he sprawled out of a third one. He jabbed from a distance and landed a flying knee. Vera was unfazed and Sandhagen kept the pressure on him with jabs. Vera landed a leg kick, but he was unable to follow up and Sandhagen scored with a left hook to the body. Vera finally landed a right hook, but he struggled to put any sustained offence together. 10-9 Sandhagen.
Round 5:
Sandhagen jabbed and landed a leg kick after Vera scored with a right hook. Vera fought off one takedown attempt, but Sandhagen got him down on his second try. Vera tried to set up a triangle choke from the bottom and Sandhagen easily avoided it. Vera tried to scramble u to his feet and Sandhagen kept him pinned down. He punched from the top until Vera kicked him off, including two kicks that appeared to be illegal ones to Sandhagen’s face, and Vera stood up. He landed a jab-cross combo and a left hook to the body. Sandhagen pressed forward with three quick jabs and Vera threw a spinning back kick. He caught a Sandhagen kick and took his back. In the final seconds, Vera landed an elbow and the fighters exchanged big punches just before the bell. 10-9 Sandhagen.
Winner: Cory Sandhagen by Split Decision (50-45, 49-46, 47-48) after five rounds. He improves to 16-4-0.
Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm vs Yana “Foxy” Santos
Round 1:
Santos clinched with Holm against the cage and the fighters battled back and forth for position. This continued for more than two minutes until there was a brief separation. Holm initiated a clinch of her own and she kneed Santos’s thigh. Santos circled away and then charged at Holm with punches that came up short. Holm clinched and landed a knee on the break, then followed with a front kick to Santos’s face. Santos slipped while throwing a right hand and Holm took her down into side control. 10-9 Holm.
Round 2:
Holm knocked Santos down with a front kick to the body to begin round two. Santos stood and Holm took her down from a body lock. She landed on top in side control and nearly passed to mount. Santos got a leg in to get to half-guard, but Holm moved to side control again. Santos elbowed from the bottom as Holm tried to pin down her arm. She eventually got to a top-side crucifix and landed short elbows, but Santos freed her arm and so Holm moved to mount. She dropped elbows and heavy punches, but Santos made it to the bell. 10-8 Holm.
Round 3:
In the final round, Holm scored another body-lock takedown and she effortlessly passed to mount. Holm landed three short elbows and seemed to be eyeing an armbar, but Santos got back to half-guard. Holm moved to side control and then mount again. Santos gave up her back and Holm hunted for a rear-naked choke. Santos defended and Holm returned to half-guard. She landed punches until Santos got to a knee and stood up. The fighters separated and Holm shot in for another takedown. She slammed Santos down to the mat and finished the round on top in side control. 10-8 Holm.
Winner: Holly Holm by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 15-6-0.
Nate “The Train” Landwehr vs Austin “Lights Out” Lingo
Round 1:
Both men landed combinations early in the fight and Landwehr began to throw front kicks to Lingo’s left knee. He followed with an uppercut and an overhand right. Landwehr landed a leg kick and a jab-cross combo. Lingo jabbed and Landwehr pressed forward with a hard jab and a right cross. Lingo landed a lead left hook and he countered a high knee with a three-punch combo. Competitive round. 10-9 Landwehr.
Round 2:
The second round was largely a boxing match for the first three minutes, with both fighters landing combinations, until Landwehr scored with a head kick. Lingo recovered and more punches were exchanged, but Landwehr took Lingo down into back control. He landed uppercuts and locked on a rear-naked choke when Lingo tried to sit up. Lingo had nowhere to go and tapped out.
Winner: Nate Landwehr by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:11 of round two. He improves to 17-4-0.
Maycee “The Future” Barber vs Andrea “KGB” Lee
Round 1:
Leg kicks and lead hooks were exchanged early in the fight until Lee secured a body lock and took Barber down into side control. Barber threw up her legs and trapped Lew’s right arm between them, which allowed Barber to land some unanswered elbows from the bottom. Lee freed her arm and took Barber’s back, but Barber was able to slip out and rose to her feet. Lee landed a one-two and ate a left cross in response. Barber threw two body kicks late in the round. 10-9 Barber despite the takedown.
Round 2:
Barber jabbed and threw quick one-twos in the second round. She eventually took Lee down very briefly and Lee got back to her feet. She landed a left hook and Barber responded with a combination and a body kick. Lee took her down and passed to half-guard while working to set up an arm-triangle choke. Barber defended and kicked Lee off. Barber upkicked from the ground until Lee dropped back down into her guard and landed short punches before the bell. Another close round. 10-9 Lee.
Round 3:
Barber pressed forward with punches and body kicks in the final round until Lee clinched and took her down into back control. Barber rose to her feet against the cage and the fighters separated. Barber caught a body kick and took Lee down into side control, but Lee wasted no time in getting back to her feet. She whipped Barber down to the mat and kicked at her legs. Barber stood and Lee held her against the fence. She swept out her leg and took Barber down into half-guard. Lee was not able to pass to mount, but she held Barber down until the end of the fight. 10-9 Lee.
Winner: Maycee Barber by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. She improves to 12-2-0.
Alex Perez vs Manel “Starboy” Kape
*Fight cancelled during event due to a Perez medical issue.
Albert “Machete” Duraev vs Chidi “Bang Bang” Njokuani
Round 1:
Duraev caught a kick and took Njokuani down. He trapped his right arm and landed a series of left hands to the side of his face. Duraev landed short punches until Njokuani got to his feet. Duraev promptly took him down again and he resumed striking from Njokuani’s guard. Duraev postured up late in the round and landed a few more punches. 10-9 Duraev.
Round 2:
Njokuani kept his distance and threw occasional body kicks in the second round as Duraev jabbed and landed a handful of right hooks. Action was very sparse until the fighters exchange right hooks, and Njokuani’s had much greater force behind it. Duraev countered a leg kick with a right hook. 10-9 Njokuani.
Round 3:
It was more of the same in round three, with Njokuani striking from a distance and Duraev trying to press forward. Njokuani jabbed and landed a lead right hook. The fighters traded lead left hands and Njokuani landed a body kick. He closed out the fight with a final flurry to Duraev’s body and head. 10-9 Njokuani.
Winner: Albert Duraev by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 16-4-0.
Daniel “The Pit” Pineda vs Tucker “Top Gun” Lutz
Round 1:
Lutz initiated an early clinch and both men landed leg kicks after separating. Lutz threw a combination to the body and he countered a Pineda spinning back kick with a left hook. Another clinch followed and Lutz held Pined against the cage while kneeing him in the body. Pineda dropped Lutz with a right hook and Lutz got back to his feet. Pineda landed a hard leg kick and then threw a spinning back kick. 10-9 Pineda due to the knockdown.
Round 2:
Pineda held Lutz in a front headlock and landed knees until Lutz dropped to a knee and Pineda secured a guillotine choke. Luts turned to his side and Pineda briefly looked for a rear-naked choke from back control before turning into Lutz’s guard. Lutz sat up against the cage and Pineda secured another guillotine. He pulled guard and tightened the choke, and Lutz tapped out.
Winner: Daniel Pineda by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:50 of round two. He improves to 28-14-0, 3 NC.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)