UFC 165 goes down tonight, live on pay-per-view. Headlining the card is a light heavyweight title bout as Jon Jones looks to defend his belt against Alexander Gustafsson.
The card starts with four fights on Facebook at 6:15 p.m. ET, continuing with four fights on Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET and concluding with the five fight main card on PPV at 10 p.m. ET.
As previously mentioned, the headlining bout is the Jones vs. Gustafsson title fight. Serving as the night’s co-main event is an interim bantamweight championship fight between interim champ Renan Barao and challenger Eddie Wineland.
Former Ultimate Fighter finalist Brendan Schaub will take on Matt Mitrione in a heavyweight bout. Rounding out the card is a middleweight bout between Costa Philippou and Francis Carmont and a lightweight bout between Pat Healy and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Make sure to share your thoughts on the night’s action in the comments as the fights go down.
Pat Healy vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov – Round 1 -Healy walking forward. They’re both throwing but neither is really landing anything of substance. Healy lands a right hand. Now a nice body shot from Healy. Healy doing some good work, but Khabib lands and Healy has a cut under his eye. Nice uppercut from Khabib and Healy digs with a right to the body. Uppercut again by Khabib. Khabib wit a few takedowns and he is starting to land on the feet too. Close round. 10-9 Khabib.
Round 2 – Khabib with a takedown and he’s working toward taking Healy’s back. Now a series of hard shots from Khabib as they get back to the feet. Khabib with a head kick now and he’s still pressuring Healy. Healy with a few good punches now. Khabib working for the takedown again and he lands a few good shots. Another Khabib takedown. 10-9 Khabib.
Round 3 -Both men land good left hooks early in the round. Khabib with another takedown and Healy has the full guard. They’re to the feet and Khabib slams Healy back down hard. Healy just doesn’t have anything for Khabib. Now Khabib passes and Healy is exhausted. 10-9 Khabib.
Official scorecards: 30-27 across the board. Khabib Nurmagomedov wins by unanimous decision.
Costa Philippou and Francis Carmont – Round 1 – Carmont with a quick takedown and he’s trying to work to the back as Costa tries to get to his feet. Carmont with some hard punches now. Carmont in side control. Costa has tried for armbars and omoplatas but they’re not going anywhere. 10-9 Carmont
Round 2 – Costa whips a left hook that misses. Carmont ducks under a punch and powers through a takedown. Carmont with a good elbow and he’s just wearing Costa down. They’re stood up due to lack of action after a while and Carmont starts pawing with the jab. Now Carmont shoots again and gets the takedown. 10-9 Carmont.
Round 3 – Costa with a few jabs. Head kick from Carmont. And another that misses. Costa with a leg kick. Carmont shoots and gets another takedown. Carmont just working the ground and pound, yelling with every strike he throws. Costa gets up after the final horn and looks upset with himself. Not even a slightly competitive fight. 10-9 Carmont for the shutout.
Official scorecards: 30-27, 30-27, 30-26. Francis Carmont wins by unanimous decision.
Brendan Schaub vs. Matt Mitrione – Round 1 -Schaub circling outside. Schaub with a left hand, Mitrione misses the counter. Leg kick by Mitrione. Schaub with an overhand right, blocked by Mitrione. Schaub with a big combo and Mitrione laughs. Slam by Schaub. Schaub locking in a choke on Mitrione. Mitrione says he’s okay. Mitrione is out cold. Wow, that was decisive. Brendan Schaub wins by technical submission (choke), round 1.
Renan Barao vs. Eddie Wineland – Round 1 – Wineland pushes Barao into the cage after a first 90 seconds without a ton of action. Barao unable to get a takedown. They trade briefly with Barao getting in a good shot. Barao with a nice overhand right now. He’s getting his timing a little bit. Right and left by Barao. 10-9 Barao
Round 2 -Spinning back kick by Barao, Wineland is down. Follow up shots and it’s over. Wow! Renan Barao wins by TKO (spinning back kick, punches), round 2.
Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson – Round 1 – They touch gloves and the title fight is underway. Leg kick by Alex and a straight kick to the knee by Jones. Jones misses a spinning back kick, Alex keeps out of the clinch that Jones tries to initiate. Kick from Jones is blocked, and he misses a spinning back kick by an inch or two. Front kicks to the thigh by Jones. Leg kick by Alex now. Leg kick from Jones, one in return from Alex and he lands a good left hand. Jones with a body kick. Right hand by Alex just barely misses. And a leg kick again. Right hand from Alex just misses again. Hard left by Alex lands and Jones is cut over his eye. Leg kick by Jones and Alex returns fire with some big punches. Right hand by Alex lands and Jones tries to taunt. Leg kick by Jones, Alex returns. Spinning back kick by Jones. Alex with a takedown! Jones gets back up, but that could change things. Eye poke by Jones and that results in a break. Spinning elbow by Jones and a body kick. He looks for his own takedown. Elbow by Jones lands. 10-9 Jones.
Round 2 -Alex landing some good shots again. Jones chasing, tries for a takedown but can’t get it. Alex misses a big overhand. Good kick by Jones lands to the body of Gustafsson. Spinning back kick by Jones just misses. Jones with a head kick. Alex looked for a takedown but it wasn’t there. Leg kick by Alex. Jones misses with a right hand. Head kick by Jones, Gustafsson catches it, Jones rolls, now he tries for a takedown an he can’t get it. Right hand by Alex lands. Leg kick by Jones. Another leg kick by Jones. Left hand by Alex. Head kick by Jones. Uppercut by Gustafsson just misses. Right hand by Alex. 10-9 Jones again but both rounds close.
Round 3 -Good combo by Alex lands and snaps Jones’ head. Alex checks a leg kick from Jones. Jones takedown attempt is stuffed again. Jab by Gustafsson, first to the body, then to the head. Right hand by Gustafsson and now a right to the body. Head kick by Jones. Jabs by Alex. Alex with some good leg kicks. Right hand after an uppercut by Alex and a few jabs. Good right by Alex lands hard. Head kick by Jones. Jab by Jones. Body kick by Jones. Leg kick, jab by Jones. Combo by Alex now. Alex tries for a takedown and it’s stuffed. Jab again for Gustafsson. Alex tries for a takedown, it’s not there. Good combo by Gustafsson. Alex with another takedown attempt, nothing there. Jab by Jones. 10-9 Gustafsson and it’s 29-28 Jones after 3 for me.
Round 4 -Head kick from Jones is blocked but he lands a right hand. Right hand by Gustafsson. Jab by Jones. Right by Gustafsson. Combo lands for Gustafsson. Leg kick by Jones. Jab by Gustafsson. This is just one strike for one strike and Gustafsson seems to be getting the better of it. Hard left hand by Gustafsson and a right and now a body shot. Now a body kick. Big left. And a right! Gustafsson is getting really loose and tagging him. Jones looking for the takedown. Alex gets out of the takedown attempt and Jones’ eye is bleeding badly. Left hook. Jab. Right hand! This is an incredible round for Gustafsson. Head kick by Jones. Elbow by Jones. Jab by Jones. He’s fighting back well now. Spinning elbow by Jones hurts him. Knee by Jones, big elbow by Jones. Jones looking for the takedown, Alex stuffs it. Elbows by Jones. Gustafsson is hurt badly. Round ends. What a round. Comeback by Jones won it as he came close to the finish.
Round 5 -Left by Alex lands hard. Right hand by Alex and a left follows. Jab to the body by Alex. Body kick by Jones. Uppercut by Gustafsson. Big left hand by Jones but a counter by Gustafsson. Elbow by Jones. Uppercut flurry by Alex. Gustafsson can’t get the takedown. Two punch combo by Alex, now a hard right by Jones. Jones’ lips are bleeding as is his eye. Jones finally gets the takedown with three minutes left. Gustafsson scoots to the cage and stands up. Head kick by Jones, uppercut by Gustafsson. Jones with a head kick and Gustafsson is exhausted. Alex stuffs the takedown. Spinning elbow from Gustafsson. Uppercut by Gustafsson. Head kick by Jones. Elbow by Jones. Knee and an elbow by Jones. 10-9 Jones makes it 49-46 Jones on my card but I’d honestly be okay with 49-46 Gustafsson.
Official scorecards: 48-47, 48-47, 49-46. Jon Jones wins by unanimous decision.
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