UFC 202: Diaz vs McGregor 2 live results, discussion, play by play (prelims)

Join us tonight on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring and play-by-play as the UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor 2 preliminary cards lead into the night’s blockbuster pay-per-view (PPV) lineup.

Before Nate Diaz rematches Conor McGregor atop the five-fight PPV card, a total of seven bouts will air on on Fox Sports 1 (8 p.m. ET) and UFC Fight Pass (6:30 p.m. ET). Surging bantamweight prospect Cody Garbrandt draws battle-hardened vet Takeya Mizugaki in the Fox Sports 1 card’s centerpiece while talented welterweights Neil Magny and Lorenz Larkin captain the Fight Pass offering.

Live results and play-by-play will commence with the Fight Pass prelims. The full lineup and schedule follows. Check out this week’s MMA Vivisection for UFC 202 predictions, analysis and betting odds.

Fox Prelims
(Fox Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET)

Cody Garbrandt vs. Takeya Mizugaki

R1: Mizugaki opens with a clean outside low kick. And another. Garbrandt steps back and peels off a tight flurry with both hands, stunning Mizugaki. They reset and Garbrandt drills Mizugaki with a step-in right, dropping him. Garbrandt follows him down, flurrying with left hands to the head until the ref jumps in.

Raquel Pennington vs. Elizabeth Phillips

R1: Phillips works a jab to keep the encroaching Pennington at bay. Pennington is short on a body kick. Glancing outside low kick from Phillips. Pennington follows behind a jab to clinch and Phillips circles her onto the fence. They battle for position in the over-under. Short knee to the body from Pennington.

Phillips circles Pennington onto the fence and lands a knee to the thigh. Pennington tries to get off the fence but Phillips keeps her there. They trade short knees to the thighs. And again. Pennington finally pushes Phillips back and they separate. Pennington closes the distance behind a sharp jab. Pennington lands a hard knee to the ribs as they reconnect, then takes Phillips down from the clinch. Phillips sits her back on the fence to get up, then jumps guard with a loose guillotine. 10-10.

R2: Pennington initiates a clinch and keeps Phillips on the fence. Pennington goes from the front headlock into a guillotine, then she falls back for it. Phillips peels her head out and Pennington scrambles back to her feet. They jockey for position in the clinch with Pennington again finding control via the front headlock.

Phillips circles Pennington onto the fence but eats a knee to the body. Phillips forces a double-leg attempt and Pennington lands short rights to the ribs in the front headlock with a wide stance. Pennington briefly switches to a front choke but bails on it. Phillips persists with the takedown attempt, switching to a single. Still no dice. Pennington slips under Phillips’ arm and gets in the rear waist cinch, then drags Phillips to the canvas. A few punches from Pennington land before the horn sounds. 10-9 Pennington.

R3: Pennington forces a clinch, denying Phillips’ hip-throw attempt with a whizzer. Hoist double-leg is there for Pennington, and she takes Phillips’ back in the ensuing scramble. One hook in for Pennington and she’s working on the other. She gets it, securing full back mount.

Pennington is wisely cautious in back mount, then she passes to full mount when Phillips tries to spin into her. Pennington snares up a head-and-arm choke, sacrificing top position to wrench the low-percentage hold from guard. Phillips pulls her head out of danger, then fights off a triangle attempt. 10-9 Pennington. I have it 30-28 Pennington.

Chris Avila vs. Artem Lobov

R1: Lobov walks Avila into a corner and follow a left into the clinch. They separate with Lobov landing a left downstairs, then switching from southpaw to orthodox. Outside low kick for Lobov before switching back to southpaw. Now a left kick to the body from Lobov. Avila forces a clinch but Lobov shoves him away. Lobov, still switching stances randomly, keeps a close distance but looks to counter with quick flurries.

Lead left shovel punch sails clean into Avila’s chin, then he follows with a pair of outside low kicks, the last of which buckles Avila’s leg. More outside low kicks to Avila’s lead leg and he’s yet to check any of them. Short counter left is there for Lobov, then a low kick and a left to the body. More steady pressure and crisp combinations from Lobov with a few low kicks mixed in. 10-9 Lobov.

R2: Avila eats an outside low kick and half-checks the next one. Lobov puts him on the fence but they separate without incident. Lead left to the body from Lobov. Avila tries to use a jab to set up a one-two but, perhaps from the beating his lead leg has taken, he’s off-balance and short on his punches. Lobov continues to chip away with punches and low kicks from the fringe.

Avila attempts a halfhearted takedown that Lobov easily shrugs off. Glancing one-two from Avila. Counter left lans upstairs for Lobov. Another nasty outside low kick from Lobov and Avila makes no effort to check it. 10-8 Lobov.

R3: Avila starts dangerously reaching for the low kicks in lieu of checking them. Despite being behind by a landslide, Avila remains curiously patient and defensive. The pair clash heads accidentally and it opens a gash on Lobov’s forehead. We pause while the doc clears him.

Avila lands a low kick on the restart, likey his best shot of the contest. Now a glancing right high kick from Avila. Lobov answers with an outside low kick. Lobov slips whilst throwing a high kick and Avila takes top position. Lobov goes for a kneebar and Avila creates space, leaving enough room for Lobov to stand back up. 10-9 Lobov. I have it 30-26 Lobov.

Cortney Casey vs. Randa Markos

R1: Markos steps into the pocket and leads a few exchanges but neither can distinguish themselves a minute in. Casey lands a short flurry while retreating, then she lands a knee to the body from the front headlock. Markos circles off the fence and hits a nice head-and-arm throw, then locks Casey in place from the scarf hold. Short left hands to the head from Markos as Casey tries to slip her head out and take the back.

Casey goes to the body lock and gets one hook in, then manages to free her head and get full back control. Hard shots from Casey in back mount, then an elbow. Casey whizzers to prevent a Markos reversal to no avail. Markos, however, finds herself locked deep in an armbar on the transition. Casey goes belly down and forces the tapout.

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

Lorenz Larkin vs. Neil Magny

R1: Glancing right hand from Larkin, then a nasty stomp kick to the knee. Magny counter-clinches to catch his breath an separates, but gets dropped by another stomp kick to the knee. Tight boxing combo lands for Larkin on his way into the clinch, then he lands an elbow on the clinch break. Clean outside low kick for Larkin and it knocks Magny off balance. And another one, with the same result. Two more make it four in a row and Magny is in trouble.

Another low stomp kick lands for Larkin and Magny falls onto his back, either from his battered leg or the magnitude of Larkin’s onslaught. Larkin forces a clinch and lands an outside trip but he lets Magny up. Larkin continues to annihilate Magny’s lead leg with relentless low kicks. Magny shoots out of desperation and Larkin spikes a volley of elbows to his temple, which leads to the ref jumping in.

Lorenz Larkin defeats Neil Magny by TKO (elbows) R1

Colby Covington vs. Max Griffin

R1: Griffin drills Covington in the body with a right cross. They trade right hands and Covington has a takedown stuffed. Griffin denies another takedown and counters with a short uppercut. Covington goes to the single leg and finishes it, then passes to side mount. Covington with a brave attempt to mount Griffin but he gets stuck in half guard. Griffin gets the two-on-one and starts cranking a kimura. It’s becomes deep enough to be a threat and Griffin uses it to sweep, then takes top position.

Covington counter-wrestles with a single leg and Griffin goes back to the kimura, then bails on it. Covington changes direction and switches from a double to an outside trip, finishing it and landing high in Griffin’s half guard. Two hard left hands to the face from Covington. Now a short right forearm to set up a pass to side mount. Griffin looks to hip escape and manages to regain half guard briefly but Covington steps over, returning to side control. Covington mounts Griffin in the final seconds and drops an elbow through his guard. 10-9 Covington.

R2: Griffin puts Covington on his heels with a right hand and looks for a few aggressive combos but ends up on his back courtesy of a Covington double leg. Griffin takes a knee and turtles, prompting Covington to chip in with short uppercuts from behind him with a tight waist and one hook in. Griffin works back to his feet but gets dumped by a double leg.

Covington thwacks him with an elbow and it draws a stream of blood out on Griffin’s forehead. Griffin bucks Covington off but ultimately can’t free himself. Griffin is forced to cover up and defend blows as Covington swarms him relentlessly. Covington lets him up with ten seconds left. 10-8 Covington.

R3: Covington glances with a short left and gets denied on a takedown but readjusts and gets Griffin down with a double leg. Griffin turtles and gives up his back too easily, then lays still while covering to defend left hands. A warning from the ref kicks Griffin into action but the surge is ephemeral an the ref steps in.

Alberto Uda vs. Marvin Vettori

R1: Vettori glances with a left body kick. Uda’s identical response is blocked. Vettori forces a clinch and puts Uda on the fence with an under-hook. Uda circles off the fence and they both clasp their hands in the 50/50 clinch. Uda hits an outside trip but Vettori counter-wrestles his way into a reversal. Body-triangle guard for Uda, fighting for wrist control. “Stay busy” punches from Vettori on top.

Uda cracks Vettori with an elbow while playing guard and the commentary team relays that the blow has opened up a cut. Uda stays with the body-triangle guard until the 90-second mark when Vettori crams his head on the cage. Vettori postures up and stacks Uda’s legs, then takes his back in the transition. Vettori switches to a sacrifice guillotine as Uda’s defending, and he wrenches it to force the tapout.