UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs Henderson 3 live results, play by play, discussion

Join us tonight on Bloody Elbow for live results and detailed play-by-play as UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson goes down from the Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sau Paulo, Brazil.

Battle-hardened middleweights Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson headline the show while light-heavies Patrick Cummins and Glover Teixeira form the co-main. Also on the main card: Undefeated bantamweight Thomas Almeida draws scrapper Anthony Birchak, durable Pole Piotr Hallman meets Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira, Gilbert Burns vs. Rashid Magomedov in a lightweight tussle and TUF winner Corey Anderson faces rib-roasting boxer Fabio Maldonado.

Live coverage will commence with the show’s opening trio of matches on UFC Fight Pass. The full lineup and schedule follows. Check out this week’s MMA Vivisection for picks, analysis and betting odds.

Fox Sports 1 Main Card
(FS1 at 10:00 p.m. ET)

Vitor Belfort vs. Dan Henderson

R1: An inside low kick lands for Henderson. And another. An extremely tentative start to the round as the aforementioned kicks are the only strikes thrown in the first two minutes. But it’s worth the wait: Belfort erupts into violence personified, uncoiling an ungodly left high kick that thunders directly into Henderson’s jaw. Henderson staggers back into the fence and goes down amid a hail of leather from Belfort, who tidies things up with a salvo of lefts from the top.

Patrick Cummins vs. Glover Teixeira

R1: Teixeira backs him off with a stiff jab. Cummins hits a takedown but Teixeira is quickly back up. Cummins ducks under an incoming combo to hit another takedown and Teixeira nearly hits a guillotine sweep. Teixeira is back on his feet quickly again, lancing a long right through Cummins’ guard. Cummins lands a short right. Heavy jab lands for Teixeira followed by a big left hook. Double jab snaps Cummins’ head back.

Cummins forces a clinch and gets the body lock, then hoists Teixeira off the floor for a takedown. Teixeira is, again, immediately back on his feet and he wobbles Cummins with a combo. Cummins counter-clinches and scores with some dirty boxing. Cummins times a double leg and Teixeira is again unable to pull off the guillotine sweep, and this time Cummins stays in his half guard. As soon as Cummins postures up, Teixeira is out. Cummins glances with two short uppercuts, then craftily fakes a takedown to land a knee upstairs. Teixeira peels off a combo in the waning seconds that wobbles Cummins. 10-8 Teixeira.

R2: Teixeira unloads two left/rights and has a right high kick blocked. Cummins shoots a desperation takedown that’s stuffed. Teixeira clubbing Cummins freely with short-range jackhammers and, seeing that Cummins is basically out on his feet, Herb Dean stops the fight.

Thomas Almeida vs. Anthony Birchak

R1: Birchak using a lot of angles and stance changes early. No luck on Birchak’s single-leg attempt. Almeida lands a hard counter left. Birchak glances with a high kick and follows with an aggressive barrage of punches. Almeida stuffs a takedown and lands a short left elbow, then dings him with a heavy right. Almeida reverses a takedown attempt and looks to control the head but Birchak slips out and gets on top.

Almeida is slippery and ejects quickly, and they reset in the center. Lead left lands for Almeida, then consecutive left hooks to the head. Birchak lands a right. Outside low kick from Birchak, then a double-leg attempt that Almeida stops. Almeida counters a low kick with a sharp right, then wobbles Birchak with a left hook. Almeida throws a jumping switch kick, lands a spinning back elbow, then peels off a three-punch combo, and the last right puts Birchak to sleep. Amazing sequence and performance from Almeida.

Piotr Hallmann vs. Alex Oliveira

R1: Hallman ducks and initiates a clinch, allowing a series of stiff right uppercuts from Oliveira. Hallman’s left eye is already bloodied from the barrage. Oliveira lands a left hook. Oliveira stuffs a Hallman takedown attempt. Oliveira steering Hallman backward with combos; he comes up short on a jump knee on his way into the clinch. Oliveira keeps Hallman on the fence, then drops for a double leg.

Hallman pummels under to stay upright but can’t get off the fence. High-crotch attempt from Oliveira is stopped by Hallman but he can’t find an inch of breathing room in the Oliveira clinch. Hallman finally separates, looking the worse for wear. Oliveira lands an outside low kick and an uppercut before initiating another clinch. 10-9 Oliveira.

R2: Oliveira continues to suffocate Hallman with short-range punches and clinching. Hallman times a takedown attempt during an Oliveira kick and finishes it for what seems like his first effective offense of the contest. Open guard from Oliveira and a triangle attempt that’s stopped.

Hallman tries to gift wrap an Oliveira arm and the ref stands them up as soon as Hallman lets it go. Oliveira sweeps out Hallman’s legs with a well-timed low kick; Hallman turtles and Oliveira goes to the back ride. Oliveira’s too high and Hallman slips out the back door. Hallman on top and in side mount. Oliveira gets back to half guard. Short elbow from Hallman. 10-9 Hallman.

R3: Oliveira lands a right up-knee and same-side punch. Glancing check hook lands for Hallman. Hallman doubles up on left hooks and Oliveira ducks them to unload a scorching right to the jaw. Hallman topples over and goes flat on the canvas.

Gilbert Burns vs. Rashid Magomedov

R1: Magomedov lands a crafty counter right after deflecting a kick. Burns hits an explosive takedown and lands in half guard. Magomedov works his way back to his feet but Burns switches to a body lock and rag-dolls him back down to the canvas. Burns riskily falls back for a leg lock attempt but has time to get back to his feet after Magomedov escapes.

Glancing right from Magomedov, followed by a left body kick. Outside low kick lands for Burns but he’s backed off by a one-two and high kick combo from Magomedov. Inside low kick from Burns. Another left kick to the body for Magomedov. Make it another, and he follows with a clean right cross. Burns answers with a right body kick. Magomedov lands a one-two and closes the combo with another left body kick. 10-9 Magomedov.

R2: They trade right crosses. Magomedov lands a pair of left kicks to the body. Burns gets deep on a double leg but Magomedov manages to sprawl and stay upright. Burns puts him on the cage and drops for a double leg to no avail. Magomedov circles off the fence and they separate.

Magomedov hits a single leg but lets Burns back up, and Magomedov dazes him with a right. Magomedov methodically stalks him with measured bursts of leather, and drops him with another right. Burns is steadily being outclassed on the feet here. Magomedov closes the round with a spinning hook kick that’s blocked. 10-8 Magomedov.

R3: Burns dives on a single and Magomedov athletically stays afoot, causing Burns to lose his footing. Magomedov lets him back up and lands a right. Outside low kick from Magomedov, then a front-leg teep to the body. Counter right from Magomedov. No dice on Burns’ jump knee, nor the double-leg attempt that follows.

Magomedov hits a counter takedown and then darts away, and Burns is stood up. Lead right hand and left body kick are there for Magomedov. Burns misses another flying knee — nothing’s clicking for him. 10-9 Magomedov. I have it 30-26 Magomedov.

Corey Anderson vs. Fabio Maldonado

R1: Both fighters engage with short-range lefts and rights. Anderson times a duck-under double leg perfectly and takes Maldonado down a minute deep into the round. High half guard for Anderson, who postures up and heaves a few elbows. Maldonado fakes a sweep one way and slides out the other side to escape.

Anderson puts him on the cage, looking for an under-hook, then he backs off to attack with combinations. Wild, flying knee attempt from Anderson is deflected. They separate but Anderson reconnects and lands a knee from the clinch. Short left hook lands for Anderson, who then hits an easy double leg. Maldonado turtles and Anderson goes to the back ride. Maldonado hangs out in the turtle position, allowing Anderson to land a series of unhindered lefts and a heavy knee to the body. 10-9 Anderson.

R2: Maldonado unleashes a barrage of punches while moving forward. Anderson counter-clinches, circles off the fence and drops for a double leg. Maldonado stays upright with an under-hook and a wide base but eventually succumbs to the takedown. Maldonado pops back up but he’s caught in Anderson’s rear waist cinch, taking knees to the thighs. Maldonado turns to face Anderson, still stuck on the fence.

They trade knees to the body. Maldonado fires off a left hook and a right to to the body; Anderson answers with a grazing elbow. They separate and reset in the center. Anderson clinches up and eats a right to the body but responds with a heavy knee downstairs. Anderson hits another takedown, landing in half guard. Maldonado defends with wrist and posture control but is largely inactive with his hips. 10-9 Anderson.

R3: Outside low kick from Anderson. Maldonado escapes from Anderson’s double-leg attempt as well as the transition to a single. Maldonado lands a left but can’t evade Anderson’s next double leg. Maldonado once again gives up his back to turtle and try to stand up. Anderson grapevines a leg to prevent the stand-up but Maldonado finds his way back to his feet.

Anderson peppers him with two short-range combos, still not letting him off the fence. Glancing left hook lands for Maldonado, then a clean right on the clinch break. Anderson forces another clinch but a Maldonado left persuades him to disengage. Anderson resets and lands a right cross on the way into his next clinch. Anderson backs off to reset in the center. No dice on Anderson’s single leg. Glancing right lands for Anderson to set up a clean double-leg takedown. 10-9 Anderson. I have it 30-27 Anderson.

Fox Sports 1 Prelims
(FS1 at 8:00 p.m. ET)

Gleison Tibau vs. Abel Trujillo

R1: Tibau shoots a double and finishes it. Trujillo is quickly back up but still being mugged against the cage by Tibau. Tibau switches to a single and Trujillo counters with the front headlock; Tibau finishes the single and yanks his head out of the guillotine that Trujillo’s switched to. Tibau bullying Trujillo with power Jiu-Jitsu from top position. Trujillo gives up his back and Tibau cinches on the rear-naked choke. Tibau has an odd angle on the choke — and the ref jumps in and waves it off, inexplicably, as Trujillo never tapped.

Yan Cabral vs. Johnny Case

R1: Case lands a clean left/right counter. Case switching stances. Cabral shoots and gets deep enough to pull guard successfully. Case breaks Cabral’s wrist control and backs out to reset standing. Case glances with a left cross from southpaw, then with a left body kick. Cabral snatches up a single leg and Case lands a handful of punches while hopping on one leg. Cabral pushes him to the fence to finish the takedown. Cabral in half guard but, shockingly, he’s swept by Case.

Cabral transitions to a leg lock and uses it as a decoy for a reversal. Cabral in Case’s open half guard, looking for a mount pass. He passes to side control instead. Cabral moves to north-south, then takes side mount on the opposite side, isolating an arm for the kimura. Cabral steps over the head to and sits up, looking to jerk the arm free. Case turns the corner and slips free. Outside low kick from Case. 10-9 Cabral.

R2: Cabral with a round kick to the body, then an outside low kick. Cabral changes stances and glances with a spinning back elbow. Clean left from Case in southpaw, then a right body kick. Glancing uppercut from Cabral. Counter right lands for Cabral. Case scores to the body, then wobbles Cabral with a quick left. Cabral goes down and looks to stabilize in guard. Case backs off and they’re stood up.

Cabral loses his footing throwing a front kick. Counter right lands for Cabral. Overhand right is there for Case. Cabral motions to Herb Dean that he was poked in the eye but he’s told to fight on. Inside low kick from Cabral but he eats a straight left. 10-9 Case.

R3: Case keeps the pressure on with short, methodical punching bursts. Cabral grabs a single and uses it to push Case on the fence, then he hits a trip from body lock. Cabral gets in arm triangle position but Case posts an arm and gets to his feet. Cabral keeps him on the fence with the body lock and hits another trip, landing in back control with both hooks in.. Case looks to cage walk and Cabral rotates his feet away from the fence and cinches on a body triangle.

Case hand-fights the choke and breaks the body triangle but can’t spin out. Cabral reapplies the body triangle but Case somehow spins to face him. Cabral switches to an armbar when Case doesn’t immediately eject. Case defends and he’s on top but he’s running out of time. Two short rights to the face for Case and Cabral gives up his back. Cabral takes a knee and stands up though he’s peppered with rights by Case in the process. 10-9 Cabral. I have it 29-28 Cabral.

Clay Guida vs. Thiago Tavares

R1: Guida pressures with jabs, one-twos, angles and stance changes to set up a clean double-leg takedown. Tavares, however, closes his guard and cinches on a guillotine. It’s tight. Guida taps.

Chas Skelly vs. Kevin Souza

R1: Souza comes out in a crouched stance and backs Skelly into a corner. Skelly shoots a single and puts Souza on the cage, then switches to a double. Now a knee-tap attempt from Skelly but Souza’s takedown defense is sound. Finally Skelly gets him down by switching back to a single and ripping Souza off the cage with it. Skelly in half guard. Souza defends the first attempt to pass but Skelly readjusts and goes the opposite way to get side mount.

Short left elbows to the face land for Skelly, who brilliantly transitions to a D’arce choke as Souza explodes out with his hips. Though the choke looks deep, Souza patiently works his way out. Back on the feet, Souza ducks a right and plasters Skelly with a left hook, and it drops him. Souza follows him into his guard and Skelly reverses position with a heel hook attempt. Souza defends and lands two lefts with his back on the fence. Skelly bails on the leg lock and they separate with Souza landing another sharp shot at the bell. 10-9 Souza.

R2: Skelly, perhaps still dazed, telegraphs a takedown attempt and Souza stuffs it and hits a counter double. Skelly again angles for a leg lock to counter but Souza steps over and separates. Souza stuffs another takedown after landing a right downstairs and a left hook up.

Skelly has another takedown blocked but he keeps Souza on the cage and looks to slip behind him for the rear waist lock. Skelly off-balances Souza and deftly transitions to back control, then cinches on a rear-naked choke. Though he’s not under the chin, Skelly torques the hold and forces the tapout due to the neck crank/choke.

Fight Pass Prelims
(UFC Fight Pass at approx. 6:30 p.m. ET)

Viscardi Andrade vs. Gasan Umalatov

R1: Andrade pesters with myriad kicks from the fringe as Umalatov evades and plays the waiting game. Andrade counters an Umalatov outside low kick with a wild right but can’t contain him in the clinch. Andrade chucks a few combos from range but Umalatov circles defensively and resets.

Umalatov counters an Andrade low kick with a right, then glances with a right body kick. Andrade answers with a left body kick. Counter right elbow lands for Andrade, then a left hook and knee to the body. 10-9 Andrade.

R2: Lead left hook glances for Umalatov, as do his consecutive check hooks. Andrade tries to double one-two his way into range. Andrade dodges Umalatov’s left hook and lands one of his own, flush. Andrade lands a left kick to the ribs. Umalatov wings an overhand right that glances.

Left/right hook counter from Andrade on consecutive exchanges. Umalatov lands an outside low kick but he’s stung by a counter flurry from Andrade. Andrade dodges a left hook and glances with a one-two, then closes the round landing a pair of knees to the body. 10-9 Andrade.

R3: Andrade swats him with a lead overhand right. Umalatov finally leaves an impression with a clean spinning kick. Andrade responds with a left hook and a hard left knee to the body, then repeats the combo with the same success. Umalatov lumbers forward and throws another spinning kick. Umalatov lands a right downstairs. They trade overhand rights.

Left hook lands for Umalatov, who’s finally upping his output. Outside low kick for Umalatov. Andrade breaks the clinch with a knee downstairs. Left body kick for Andrade, then another short knee to the body from the clinch. Umalatov puts him on the fence, then disengages with a lobbing left hook that’s blocked. Umalatov sails an overhand right through Andrade’s guard and it lands clean; Andrade either loses his balance or pulls guard. Umalatov attempts a cartwheel guard pass. 10-9 Umalatov. I have it 29-28 Andrade.

Pedro Munhoz vs. Jimmie Rivera

R1: Munhoz lands an outside low kick and Rivera counters with an uppercut. Left hand slips through for Munhoz. Nice uppercut/hook combo lands for Rivera. We pause as Rivera takes an unintentional kick to the cup. Munhoz’s spinning heel kick to the face is blocked but still connects with significant impact. Rivera lands a front kick to the body. Fluid one-two and low kick combo from Rivera.

Lead left lands downstairs for Rivera. Outside low kick/uppercut combo now from Rivera, who’s mixing it up well. Glancing right and double jab from Rivera. More counter uppercuts from Rivera followed by a pair of hooks to the liver. No setup takedown from Munhoz is easily stuffed and Rivera dings him with a right. Munhoz finally connects clean with a jump knee and jumps on a guillotine but Rivera shakes him off. 10-9 Rivera.

R2: Lead left elbow lands for Munhoz. Rivera digs to the body with a hard right. Rivera plasters Munhoz with a shot but then gets stunned with a counter shot while trying to capitalize. Munhoz blinking his right eye and pawing at it. Munhoz times a duck-under takedown and gets deep on the hips but Rivera is too slippery.

Munhoz tags Rivera with a right and again opts for the jump guillotine; Rivera pulls his head out and counters with his own guillotine to force Munhoz to separate. Another lead left elbow lands for Munhoz simultaneously with a counter uppercut from Rivera. Munhoz pressures with combos and lands a knee to the body. Rivera pops him with a right and Munhoz answers with a left hook. 10-10.

R3: Munhoz glances with a rear-leg teep to the face, then lands one to the body. Counter uppercut lands for Rivera. Munhoz lands a quick up-knee and Rivera responds with a left hook. Munhoz finishes a takedown but Rivera rolls, posts a knee and pops back up. Hard right lands for Rivera and it’s answered in kind by Munhoz. Inside low kick lands for Rivera.

No dice on the single leg attempt from Munhoz. Spinning kick to the body glances for Rivera, who then swats Munhoz with three counter left hooks to the face on sequential exchanges. They trade left hooks. Short left lands for Munhoz after missing a question mark kick. Rivera lands a right upstairs, then glances with a one-two. 10-9 Rivera. I have it 30-28 Rivera.

Matheus Nicolau vs. Bruno “Korea” Rodrigues

R1: Nicolau pressures with a double jab and an inside low kick, then comes up short on a charging one-two flurry. They trade low kicks.  Nicolau slips a left hook and lands a counter, then catches Korea with a left hook of his own. Lead left lands downstairs for Nicolau, who then lands another slip left hook. A right hook to the body opens up another left hook opportunity for Nicolau.

The next left hook sits Korea down on the canvas and Nicolau dives into his guard. Korea seems to be recovered as he stabilizes in a full open guard. Nicolau stands up and out of guard, then re-enters it. Korea creates enough space to stand up and Nicolau keeps him on the cage. Body-lock trip is good for Nicolau despite a possible fence-grab from the defending Korea. Korea hits a nice reversal to get back to his feet and Nicolau just misses with a spinning back-elbow. 10-9 Nicolau.

R2: No dice on Korea’s axe kick attempt after a fairly tentative start to the round. Nicolau catches a Korea kick and takes him down. Korea lands a blatantly illegal up-kick and receives a warning from the ref before they’re restarted on the mat. Korea pulls off another slick escape but eats a pair of left hooks as the action resumes in the standing position. Nicolau leads with a hook to the liver, then glances with consecutive left hooks.

Korea struggling with his entries and distance management. Korea unreels a spinning kick that lands hard to Nicolau’s chin and it drops him. Korea pounces but is immediately forced to defend a tight armbar. After a patient struggle, Korea peels his arm out. Korea rides out the round on top without mounting any significant offense. 10-10.

R3: Nicolau sails a left hook through Korea’s guard. Counter right glances for Nicolau. Korea attempts a jumping knee and Nicolau stuffs a right in his mouth, dropping him. Nicolau swarms and passes to full mount. Hard left elbow lands for Nicolau. Korea shrimps out of mount and grabs a leg lock but Nicolau steps over and gets back in Korea’s full guard.

Short right punches and forearms from Nicolau on top, who passes to half guard. Nicolau cinches on a topside guillotine and forces the tapout from half guard.