Join us today (Friday, June 1st) on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring and play-by-play as UFC Fight Night: Rivera vs. Moraes takes place at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York.
The headliner is an intriguing five-round bantamweight clash between #4 ranked Jimmie Rivera and #5 ranked Marlon Moraes. In all likelihood, the winner will get a title shot next against one of T.J. Dillashaw or Cody Garbrandt, as those two will rematch in August.
Live results and play-by-play will commence with the Fight Pass broadcast at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT for the first three two bouts (Jessica Aguilar-Jodie Esquibel was nixed). FS1 will have the remaining ten bouts, with four prelims at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, and six main card scraps at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT. The full lineup and schedule is as follows.
Check out this week’s MMA Vivisection for predictions, analysis and betting odds on the each matchup.
Main Card (FS1, 10 PM ET)
Jimmie Rivera vs. Marlon Moraes
Round 1 – Head kick drops Rivera! He’s hurt! Moraes pounces and finishes Rivera with several right hands. That was incredible!
Official result – Marlon Moraes def. Jimmie Rivera by KO (head kick and punches) at :33 of round 1
Gregor Gillespie vs. Vinc Pichel
Round 1 – Left hand by Gillespie and an immediate takedown by the New Yorker. Gillespie pulls Pichel away from the fence and into side control. Gregor going for a front choke, doesn’t have it. Lands a knee as Pichel is back up. Gillespie in on a single and Pichel is down again. Pichel up again and down again and Gillespie lands a few strikes. Gillespie looking at an arm triangle, passes to mount instead. Pichel does well to scramble and back to his feet. Gillespie turns the corner on Pichel and takes Vinc down again. Gillespie goes for a choke in the closing seconds and he won’t be able to get it. 10-9 Gillespie.
Round 2 – Pichel pushes forward with strikes, and a handful of seconds later, Gillespie dumps Pichel on his backside again. Gregor is in side control. Pichel scrambles but Gillespie stays on him and lands a big punch against the fence. Gillespie takes the back, looked a little high, adjusts but then gives up the hooks. He still has the body lock but can’t slam Pichel down. Pichel now dealing with Gillespie in side control. Gillespie searching for full mount. Gillespie now goes for the arm triangle and unlike round 1, he gets Pichel to tap out. What a showing.
Official result – Gregor Gillespie def. Vinc Pichel by submission (arm triangle) at 4:06 of round 2
Round 1 – A minute in and not much going on here. Spitz with an outside leg kick. Harris sticks out the jab and then lands a leg kick. Front kick by Harris catches Spitz’s attention. Big punches hurt Spitz. He hangs in there but no doubt he got clocked. Harris with a body kick and he comes up short with the jab. Fast and hard body kick by Harris. Body kick by Spitz is blocked. 10-9 Harris.
Round 2 – Harris stings Spitz with a jab as Spitz throws some push kicks. Spitz is shaking out that right arm, supposedly caused by a blocked kick. Big knee to the body from Harris. Clever move by Harris to catch a kick and then go upstairs with a kick of his own. Harris with the left hand from southpaw stance. Harris swings for the fences and misses. Crowd is restless as Spitz takes a left hand but then lands a right in return. Harris attacks Spitz towards the cage but doesn’t land anything of consequence. Spitz with the leg kick. Big counter left and Harris has Spitz rocked! Combination and down goes Spitz. Harris jumps on top and unleashes some brutal ground-and-pound. The ref takes a close look and this one is over. Harris with the TKO.
Official result – Walt Harris def. Daniel Spitz by TKO (strikes) at 4:59 of round 2
Jake Ellenberger vs. Ben Saunders
Round 1 – Saunders throws a head kick and tries to catch Ellenberger while fighting off the backfoot. Ellenberger hasn’t thrown much. Now he throws a big right after catching a kick. clinched against the fence, Saunders throws his knees. Hard knee to the body and Ellenberger is down! Saunders pounces and it’s over! KILLA B WINS!
Official result – Ben Saunders def. Jake Ellenberger by TKO (knee and punches) at 1:56 of round 1
Round 1 – Teymur with chopping leg kicks and forward movement to begin this one. Arce throws a head kick. Teymur attacks the other leg, then goes back to the lead leg. Good left hand by Arce. Another straight left snaps Teymur’s head back. Clinch ensues but nothing comes out of it. Arce with a body kick. Jab by Arce. Teymur with a right over the top that misfires. Teymur overcommits and nearly gets caught. Arce with one more left hand with ten seconds to go. 10-9 Arce.
Round 2 – Teymur starts the round with another leg kick, and Arce answers with a sharp left. Head kick lands partially for Arce. Teymur with a counter left. Two-punch combo by Arce gets through upstairs. Teymur gets clipped by an uppercut. Teymur catches a kick but Arce slips out and then rips to the body. Arce digs in a counter knee to the body. Teymur is in on a single leg but Arce turns him against the fence, then gets turned himself. Arce exits the clinch and blocks a head kick. Wild spinning backfist out of nowhere just misses Arce. Teymur initiates a clinch but doesn’t do much with it. Arce attacks with a standing guillotine but Teymur wriggles his head free. It’s all Arce, at the moment. 20-18 Arce.
Round 3 – Teymur just did a spinning backfist that almost turned his body around multiple times over. Arce smacks Teymur with a left hand once again. Two front kicks to the body by Arce. Uppercuts in the clinch score for Arce as Teymur swings wildly. Nice takedown by Arce off the caught kick. As Teymur gets up, Arce drags him back down and takes his back. He’s got the rear-naked choke and it looks tight. He adjusts and Teymur gives the thumbs up for now. No thumbs up this time, as Teymur taps just seconds later. Great showing by Arce.
Official result – Julio Arce def. Daniel Teymur by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:55 of round 3
Round 1 – Alvey counters with the right as Villante threw a body kick. Another counter right lands for Alvey, then his leg kick is checked. Villante staying busy with leg kicks. Gian with a right hand that caught Alvey. He misses with the left as Villante unloads a straight right. Head kick by Villante is blocked. Kick strays low and Alvey takes a few seconds to recover. Left hand lands for Alvey. Then another one drops Villante! Alvey going for the finish but can’t get it. 10-9 Alvey.
Round 2 – Villante throws two head kicks and both are blocked. Gian with a straight right. Villante the more active striker here. Alvey with a right hand. Villante’s kick is caught but nothing else comes of it. Leg kick by Villante. Alvey with a stiff jab and a short leg kick. Good two-punch combo by Villante. Left hand by Villante tags Alvey. Sam moves forward and cracks Villante with a shot. The two open up a little more. Left hook by Villante. Alvey with a final flurry before the horn sounds. 19-19.
Round 3 – A minute into the final round and almost nothing has been thrown. 1-2 for Alvey catches Villante. Nice counter right hook by Alvey. Villante with a rare jab. Alvey gets tagged with a left. One minute to go, mercifully. Right hand by Villante cracks Alvey, who misses in return. Head kick by Villante and it partially glanced. Alvey with a counter left that prompts a clinch from Villante. 29-28 Villante.
Official result – Sam Alvey def. Gian Villante by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Preliminary Card (FS1, 8 PM ET)
Sijara Eubanks vs. Lauren Murphy
Round 1 – Lots of movement, lots of feinting, not a lot of landing. Murphy lands a left hook and then Eubanks tees off with a combination of punches before changing levels and getting a takedown. Murphy is back up. Hard right hand by Eubanks, and a decent left to the body. Eubanks pressuring and throwing in combinations. Wild right is way off target for Eubanks. She punctuates a combination with a leg kick, which was the only thing that landed. Clinch ensues and Murphy throws a couple of knees to the body, Eubanks tried to throw an uppercut but Murphy exited. Eubanks with a couple of winging rights to end the round. 10-9 Eubanks.
Round 2 – Eubanks gets countered in an exchange but not before landing a flush right hand. She doubles up on the jab as Murphy throws a half-hearted leg kick. Murphy jabs the body. Good body kick by Murphy, as Eubanks tries to back Murphy up with the jab. Eubanks going for the takedown, lets go of the single leg, now has Murphy tied up against the fence. Eubanks tries again and slams Murphy down, as Murphy bails on the guillotine and looks for rubber guard. Right hand to the face by Eubanks. Murphy looking for a triangle choke but that’s not there, either. Eubanks trying to stay busy with ground-and-pound. She passes to half-guard with under a minute to go. Eubanks trying to pass to mount but can’t get there. Murphy staying active from her back but Eubanks connects on some quality shots and elbows Murphy to end round two. 20-18 Eubanks.
Round 3 – Early right hand by Eubanks. Murphy steps into a high kick but it doesn’t find its target. Murphy drops for a single leg. And she almost gets it. Eubanks with a couple of short punches to the head before Murphy gets to her feet. Murphy dodges Eubanks’ flurry of head shots. Ugly overhand right by Eubanks. Sijara goes to the body and head. Murphy needs to up the urgency and she shoots again for a takedown. Eubanks throws an elbow but Murphy ducks under it. Body kick by Eubanks, followed by a couple of jabs. Both fighters clearly look tired and are pushing their strikes. Eubanks times Murphy coming forward and takes her down. Sijara in half-guard and dropping down some elbows. Upkick from Murphy but that’s all she can muster. 30-27 Eubanks.
Official result – Sijara Eubanks def. Lauren Murphy by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Nik Lentz vs. David Teymur
Round 1 – Lentz throwing head shots early, but Teymur times him perfectly and rocks Lentz with a left.Lentz pressures but Teymur circles away. Knee in the clinch by Lentz. Takedown is stopped by Teymur. The Swede lands a long right hand. Body kick by Teymur forces a body lock and a takedown by Lentz, but Teymur is back up. He gets Lentz in the eyes twice and grabs the fence. Poor reffing. Teymur with a left over the top. Lentz with a body kick, then another one. The kicks are taking a toll on Lentz’s right leg. 10-9 Teymur.
Round 2 – Lentz has no answer for Teymur’s counter left. Slapping power right hand and then a leg kick from Lentz, but Teymur slams home another leg kick. Teymur with one more leg kick and then he keeps on moving. Next leg kick sees Lentz almost take Teymur down but he can’t hold him there. Kick to the lower thigh by Teymur. Lentz slips and Teymur looks for a temple shot. Low blow? Fight continues after it looked like a low shot from Teymur. Spinning high kick by Teymur, followed by his umpteenth leg kick. Left hand partially there for Lentz. Another round in Teymur’s favor. 20-18 Teymur.
Round 3 – Lentz pressuring after taking an uppercut. Good left hand lands for Lentz but Teymur is showing great footwork and defense. Spinning back kick to the body by Teymur. Quick uppercut by Teymur. Lentz with a takedown as Teymur might have grabbed the fence again. Lentz drops down for an arm-in guillotine and Teymur slips free. Leg kick and right hand by Teymur. Lentz catches Teymur with a hard right. Left hand by Lentz as he looks for a rally. Teymur has slowed down but Lentz is unable to take advantage. Front kick by Teymur right after another leg kick slammed against Lentz’s thigh. I shade the round to Lentz but Teymur wins the fight. 29-28 Teymur.
Official result – David Teymur def. Nik Lentz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Belal Muhammad vs. Chance Rencountre
Round 1 – Slow paced fight in the early stages. Rencountre landed a leg kick. Muhammad answers with a leg kick of his own. Calf kick by Muhammad. Rencountre throws a kick back. Muhammad catches Rencountre with a good shot. Grazing right hand by Muhammad. Good counter right by Muhammad. Rencountre with a left hand that catches Muhammad. Belal with a high kick and Rencountre is short on a left. 10-9 Muhammad.
Round 2 – Rencountre throws a left hook but Muhammad answers back with some power punches of his own. Sneaky left connects for Muhammad. He shoots for a takedown and gets Rencountre down. It doesn’t last long on the ground as Chance is back to his feet. Outside leg kick by Muhammad. Belal rips the body and exits before he can eat a counter. Muhammad with a lunging right hand. Rencountre with a liver kick. Then he gets in a counterpunch. Level change and an easy stuffed takedown. Good defense by Rencountre. Superman punch by Rencountre is nowhere near, then Muhammad slips and rips a left hook. Right hand and two jabs and another right by Muhammad to end the round strongly. Axe kick and a spinning kick, too! 20-18 Muhammad.
Round 3 – Rencountre starts out throwing left hands. Leg kick by Muhammad from the outside. Chance with a nice slipping left but he got tagged twice in the process. Muhammad throwing some heat. Hook by Muhammad stunned Rencountre right on the jaw. Takedown by Muhammad with over two minutes to go and he throws some hammerfists as Rencountre makes his way back up. Right hand to the side of Rencountre’s neck. Another takedown by Muhammad and this time he spins to the back. Muhammad works on Rencountre’s beck with the body triangle locked in. No choke comes, as Rencountre returns to his feet and this is over. 30-27 Muhammad.
Official result – Belal Muhammad def. Chance Rencountre by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Desmond Green vs. Gleison Tibau
Round 1 – Leg kick by Green. Body kick is blocked. Green lands a left and evades a spinning backfist. Counter right hand scores for Green. Gets in a two-punch combination. Takedown stuffed by Green and he lands some more shots against the fence. Tibau lands a left hand on the counter. Double leg by Tibau is easily thwarted. Green with the upper hand on the feet thus far. Jabs the Brazilian and snaps his head back. Green with a body kick and a jab to end the round. 10-9 Green.
Round 2 – Green with a left hand over the top. Tibau with a strong jab from southpaw position. Green snaps off a body shot. Tibau just misses with a power left. Jab by Green again. Pace and volume has slowed. Green trying to work at the end of his reach. Tibau with a decent left. Clinch knee to the body by Green as Tibau throws a right on the exit. Tibau tags Green with a left. Front kick to the body by Green, then a jab. Green keeps jabbing Tibau. Jumping knee by Green and it’s blocked. Crowd gets excited. 20-18 Green.
Round 3 – Not much happening to start this final round. Tibau throws a leg kick. Spinning backfist nowhere near for Tibau. Green staggers Tibau with a hook. Huge uppercut drops Tibau and for some reason Green doesn’t pounce for the finish. Short right hook connects for Green. 90 seconds remaining and it’s Green’s fight to lose. Tibau trade in the pocket and lands a few but takes a few in return. Green is clapping and showboating. Flying knee by Green. Seconds tick down and that’s a wrap for this fight. 30-27 Green.
Official result – Des Green def. Gleison Tibau by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-27)
Preliminary Card (Fight Pass, 7 PM ET)
Johnny Eduardo vs. Nathaniel Wood
Round 1 – Wood with the early leg kicks. Eduardo with a short right in the clinch. Another right hand counter by Eduardo. Leg kick and a quick jab by Wood. The Brit connects with a right. Eduardo continues to land that counter shot, now he lands a jab. Left hook by Wood but he eats a shot and gets stunned. Leg kick countered by a right hand. Wood answers with a left. Wood chasing with the lead left but missing. Eduardo firing off a combination but Wood evades everything. Now Eduardo is teeing off on Wood! Big right to the head and to the body. Combination punching as Wood is getting caught repeatedly with free-flowing boxing. Wood is bloodied as round 1 ends. 10-9 Eduardo.
Round 2 – Eduardo comes out firing a right hand upstairs. Slow spinning back kick to the body by Eduardo. They trade leg kicks before Wood looks for an overhand right. Wood may have been poked in the eye. They trade punches before Eduardo shoots for a takedown. Wood is on top and is going for the d’arce choke. He slide the arm underneath the chin and Eduardo taps!
Official result – Johnny Eduardo def. Nathaniel Wood by submission (d’arce choke) at 2:18 of round 2
Jarred Brooks vs. Jose Torres
Round 1 – Short left hook by Brooks. He shoots on Torres and then lands an uppercut on the way out. Nice right hand over the top by Brooks. Spinning backfist is blocked. Another spin drops Torres and Brooks is in on a choke. Brooks with a headlock and knees to the body and the shoulder. Torres is back to his feet and separates. Brooks tags Torres with a right. Spins again but it’s stopped. Torres with a leg kick after a glancing right hand. Brooks changes levels beautifully and gets the takedown. He takes the back and Torres stands up, but with Brooks backpacked on him and both hooks in. Brooks looking for the neck crank as the round ends and he’s going to let it go. 10-8 Brooks.
Round 2 – Brooks immediately shoots on Torres, who stays up, but Brooks clips Torres with a right on the exit. Spinning backfist fails and Torres has control of Brooks’ back, then pulls a mat return before Brooks gains control of an underhook. Good body shot by Brooks in a striking exchange. Torres lets his hands go and gets in a few good shots. Takedown is stuffed and Torres answers with knees to the body. Another level change and Brooks is ready for a big slam, and he gets it, but he looks out of it. Torres punches Brooks and that’s the end! Wow! Brooks basically knocked himself out.
Official result – Jose Torres def. Jarred Brooks by TKO (self-slam and punches) at 2:55 of round 2
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