Join us today on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring, and play-by-play as UFC on ESPN+ 8: Jacare vs. Hermansson comes to the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.
The headliner takes place in the middleweight division, where a series of changes have led Jacare Souza to take on Jack Hermansson, who is fighting for the second time in a month. Jacare has allegedly been offered a title shot with a win here.
The co-main event will see controversial Greg Hardy looking for his first UFC win when he meets Dmitry Smolyakov.
The event was originally scheduled to fully air on big ESPN, but due to the changes, it is now an ESPN+ main card. The three-fight preliminary card starts at 5:30pm ET/2:30pm PT on ESPN 2. Things move to big ESPN for four fights at 7pm ET, and then the six-fight main card goes to ESPN+ at 9pm ET.
Check out this week’s MMA Vivisection for predictions, analysis and betting odds on the each matchup.
Ronaldo Souza vs. Jack Hermansson
Round 1 – Leg kick from Hermansson. Oblique kick. Jacare looking for his range. Kind of a slow start. Inside leg kick from Hermansson. The Joker scores with a right. Jacare responds in kind. Jacare lands a right as Hermansson kicks him. Hermansson hurts Jacare and falls back with a guillotine! Jacare is defending well. He get his head out and gets back to his feet. Hermansson lands a couple knees against the fence. Jacare lands to the body and scores with a right hook on the break. Hermansson with a low kick and a jab. 10-9 Hermansson.
Round 2 – Hermansson lands some kicks. Jacare seems a little gunshy. Hermansson ends up on top and they just sort of stall out. Jacare can’t get anything going from his back, but Hermansson isn’t really doing much either. Just enough to maintain the position. Few elbows. Hermansson busier now. Another elbow gets through. Easy Hermansson round again, 10-9.
Round 3 – Jaare is checking kicks now. Jacare with a right and he stuffs a takedown. Hermansson with a jump knee. Inside eg kick too. They both land rights at the same time. Hermansson evading Jacare’s strikes well, circling away. Jacare does land a straight left though. Jacare with a trip but Hermansson is up right away. Hard right from Souza. Body shot and a big right. More body work. Hermansson in on a single but can’t get anywhere. Uppercut from Hermansson. Jab from Jacare. Jab from Hermansson. Jacare with a big right hook! And another! He’s pouring it on. Jacare drops an off-balance Hermansson with a right. 10-9 Jacare.
Round 4 – Hermansson shoots but gets nowhere. Jacare almost threw an illegal knee. Big uppercut from Hermansson! He’s swarming! Jacare fires back! Hermansson is really pressuring though. They go back to more even work, but Hermansson seems to be landing harder. Jacare has gone away from his body work. Hermansson jabbing away Another big uppercut. Souza’s nose is bleeding. Hermansson with a right hook. Slapping right. Jacare with a hard right hook of his own. They tie up and Hermansson lands a knee. More knees. Jacare circles out. Two rights from Souza. 10-9 Hermansson.
Round 5 – Hermansson looks for an immediate takedown and gets it. Jacare is up but Hermansson holds him agains the fence. Javare with a throw but it gets him nowhere. The pace has finally slowed, but Hermansson is still pawing away. Jacare is loading up for one big shot but isn’t landing it so far. Hermansson land a three-piece combo. Jacare with a right hook over the top. Hermansson with his own combo. Hermansson with another clean right. Jacare returns it. Jacare finally goes back to the body. Might be too late. Another body shot. Hermansson with a counter. Jacare chasing right now. He scores with a left. Knee from Hermansson. Jacare has Hermansson a bit hurt it seems. Two rights land. Hermansson back with the uppercut though. Clinch battle. 20 seconds. Hermansson with a takedown. That should ice it. 10-9 and 49-46 Hermansson on my card.
Jack Hermansson defeated Jacare Souza via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)
Greg Hardy vs. Dmitrii Smoliakov
Round 1 – Hardy with a left. He’s the one coming forward. Smoliakov charges at Hardy like a…well, like a football player. Predictably he gets nowhere. Smoliakov with a right. Head kick from Hardy. Smoliakov can’t get a takedown. Hardy hurts him. He’s on top trying to land big shots but Smoliakov is covering up. One big one gets through and Smoliakov’s mouthpiece falls out. It’s over.
Greg Hardy defeated Dmitrii Smoliakov via TKO (strikes), 2:15 of round 1
Alex Oliveira vs. Mike Perry
Round 1 – Cowboy comes out and spins right away. He tries again. Leg kick from Oliveira. Crowd is on Perry’s side. Body shot from Perry and they clinch. Perry has a body lock but still can’t get Cowboy down. They separate. Leg kick from Oliveira, and he’s looking for a takedown now. Oliveira almost slams him and ends up on his back standing. Oliveira misses with a couple of punches and they’re back in the center. Body kick from Perry. Oliveira with two big rights and misses with a wheel kick. Back in the clinch. Knee to the body from Oliveira. Perry with an elbow and they break. Perry has a cut under his left eye. They both land big right hooks. Oliveira with a huge three-punch combo! Perry with a knee. Outside leg kick from Perry, and a right. Perry with a bunch of punches at the horn. 10-9 Oliveira.
Round 2 – Cowboy with a nice combo to open. Perry was just a little behind him. Oliveira presses again but a left hook from Perry hurts Cowboy! He’s on his back but Perry gets him to stand back up. Oliveira just smiles. Quick inside kick from Oliveira trips up Perry, but Perry scoops him up and slams him to the mat pro wrestling style. Oliveira gets up and charges right at him. Oliveira with an oblique kick. Perry with another right and ends up on top with 90 seconds to go. Big rights from Perry. Cowboy is trying to tie him up. Perry gets him against the cage and he’s just lighting him up with an arm trapped. Knee to the body and Cowboy pops up. He may have injured his foot. 10-9 Perry.
Round 3 – Cowboy with a right. Perry goes body/head and lands hard. Cowboy with an outside leg kick. Huge right hook from Perry. Oliveira off balance a bit. Perry with a counter right. He’s got Oliveira’s timing now. Cowboy almost landed a big back elbow though. Perry unloading on Oliveira against the cage. Cowboy circles out. Jab from Perry. Oliveira trips him up with an inside leg kick. Oliveira with a winging left that connects. Perry eats a leg kick and resets. 30 seconds. Oliveira spins and misses. He goes to the ground but it’s over. 10-9 and 29-28 Perry.
Mike Perry defeated Alex Oliveira via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Glover Teixeira vs. Ion Cutelaba
Round 1 – Head kick from Cutelaba right away. Front kick. They trade rights. Glover tries to scoop a single but can’t. Couple of knees from Cutelaba. He stuffs another takedown. Two knees and a right from Ion. Glover fires back. Cutelaba is cut. Spinning back fist from Cutelaba stuns Glover! He falls down and Cutelaba jumps on him. He can’t pound him out though. Teixeira is back up, and he’s looking for a guillotine. Not there but he resets. He’s still a little wobbly. Cutelaba slows the pace, since he may have worn himself out a bit. Teixeira wades in with a hard combo, but he eats a counter. 10-9 Cutelaba.
Round 2 – Teixeira presses with lefts and he stuns Cutelaba! He returns fire. Counter right from Cutelaba lands hard. These guys are really throwing down early here. Cutelaba works the body. He lands low but the ref missed it. Cuteloba with a left hook. Teixeira lands hard now. Looks like Cutelaba is playing possum a bit. They trade huge shots. Teixeira with two more big ones. He pushes Cutelaba to the floor. Glover steps into mount. 90 seconds left. Big punches. Gets the back and flattens him out. Cutelaba taps! Wow.
Glover Teixeira defeated Ion Cutelaba via submission (rear naked choke), 3:37 of round 2
John Lineker vs. Cory Sandhagen
Round 1 – Sandhagen walking forward with his hands down. Leg kick from Sandhagen. Lineker lands a combo as Sandhagen tries a jump knee. They exchange inside. Lineker digs to the body. Sandhagen with a cartwheel kick. Lineker with a hard shot. Another left hook. Sandhagen with a leg kick. Sandhagen with a short hook. Body shots from both. Leg kicks from both. 10-9 Lineker.
Round 2 – They trade kicks. Lineker wades in with two shots. Sandhagen with a hard lead right. Jab from Sandhagen. Lineker with body shots and he presses. Sandhagen with a jump knee, but it just missed. Sandhagen digs to the liver. Lineker with a hard outside leg kick. Lieker with a winging left. Lineker opens up with a combo as Sandhagen ducks low. Sandhagen almost gets a takedown, and then he does. Lineker up quick though. Body kick from Sandhagen that may have been low. No break though. Sandhagen jabs. Lineker ducks under and gets his own takedown. Surprising. He’s on Sandhagen’s back with a no-hooks choke. Sandhagen squirms away. Lineker with a right hook. Sandhagen pops a jab off a Lineker uppercut. They trade at range. 10-9 Sandhagen.
Round 3 – Slower pace in the third. Lineker is still going body/head. Sandhagen is adjusting well. Sandhagen is landing much more though, with body work and jabs mixed in with power shots. Lineker charges forward wit ha combo against the cage. Sandhagen with another jump knee. Sandhagen slipping the worst of Lineker’s power. But he lands a two-punch combo, and another right. Linkeker swarms wit ha massive combo! Sandhagen falls right into a guillotine! He is leaking blood but survives to the horn! Wow! Lineker may have stolen the fight! 10-9 and 29-28 Lineker.
Cory Sandhagen defeated John Lineker via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Roosevelt Roberts vs. Thomas Gifford
Round 1 – Roberts spins Gifford around against the cage. Gifford gets away, and he’s stalking. They’re throwing but no one has really connected yet. Roberts lands a 1-2, but eats a counter. Roberts with a takedown. He settles into side. He looks for a key lock. Gifford defends and gets half back. Roberts steps over and they land some strikes in a weird position. Elbows to the body and head now. Gifford not even trying to get up. Gifford looking for an armbar. Roberts steps over again but he might have made it worse for himself. Gifford changes to a kimura and Roberts slips his arm out. He spins and lands a few more punches. 10-9 Roberts.
Round 2 – Roberts presses with a big combination. Gifford not bringing the pressure he did in the first round. He does slowly walk him down once, but gets countered. Roberts lands a slick backfist. Outside leg kick from Roberts. Roberts lands and ties Gifford up. Gifford looks for a standing guillotine but slips off. Roberts holds him against the fence in Gifford’s full guard, halfway through the round. They stall out for a while, but Roberts manages to drop some punches. North south now. Gifford looking for some sort of awkward reverse triangle. It’s negating Roberts’ offense. They spin back to guard and Gifford looks for an arm. 10-9 Roberts.
Round 3 – Low kick from Roberts. They trade punches. Gifford pressuring, but Roberts lands a hard combo. Gifford looks for a takedown. It takes a while but he eventually trips Roberts up. Gifford works from the top against the cage, but Roberts isn’t allowing him any space. Finally Gifford postures up and Roberts uses it to get to his feet. Roberts with a right. He scoops a single but there’s nothing there. After adjusting, Roberts dumps Gifford to the floor. He’s in half guard against the cage, with a minute to go. Roberts opens up with his hands. 10-9 and 30-27 Roberts.
Roosevelt Roberts defeated Thomas Gifford via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ben Saunders vs. Takashi Sato
Round 1 – Saunders with a right over the top. Leg kick. Sanuders charges in but can’t get anything accomplished. Another leg kick. Clinch knees. Sato hasn’t got anything going yet. Saunders staggers Sato with a left. Head kick. Sato with a counter left. They trade lefts. They trade in close. Outside leg kicks from Saunders, and a right hook. Knees to the body from Saunders. Sato not kicking at all, just hands. Body shot from Sato. Saunders with more clinch knees. 10-9 Saunders.
Round 2 – Sato with a quick lead left. Saunders kicking. Snapping left lands again for Sato. Saunders with a few jabs. Sato lands the big left again and drops Saunders! Big elbows on the ground! Saunders is cut up! The ref stops it and Sanders staggers to his feet and falls down again. Yikes.
Takashi Sato defeated Ben Saunders via TKO (elbows), 1:18 of round 2
Andrei Arlovski vs. Augusto Sakai
Round 1 – Arlovski with a straight right. Another. Sakai misses with the comeback. Counter left makes Arlovski stumble. Seemed like a slip. Arlovski lands a right, but protests an eyepoke. They both miss with big punches. Leg kicks from both men. Arlovski with an overhand right. Jump knee to the body from Sakai. Jab to the body from Arlovski. They both land hard. Two overhand rights miss for AA. Lead straight right connects though. Sakai flurries against the cage, and they clinch. Side kick from Arlovski on the break. 10-9 Arlovski.
Round 2 – Slow start to rond two. Sakai presses and lands a big combo against the cage. Arlovski lands to the body. Low kick from Sakai. Front kick from Arlovski. Slapping leg kick from Sakai. Body shot from Arlovski. He lands on the break from a brief clinch too. Sakai with a weak jump knee attempt. They trade knees in the clinch. Not very exciting. Ball kick from Arlovski. Seems like the crowd doesn’t believe Sakai, but the cornuts cam confirms that it landed to the cup. Sakai with a right on the restart. Leg kick. AA returns it. He lands to the body. 10-9 Arlovski.
Round 3 – Arlovski steps in and lands a hard elbow. They battle inside a bit. Body and low kick from Arlovski. Arlovski with a right. Sakai with an outside leg kick and a right hook. AA goes head/body. Couple of knees from Sakai to the body. Body kick from Arlovski. Sakai land a couple of punches. Body kick from Arlovski as a right hook of Sakai’s connects. Knees to the legs from Sakai. They stall out against the cage. Arlovski presses but eats a counter right. Arlovski with a right. 10-9 Sakai but 29-28 Arlovski.
Augusto Sakai defeated Andrei Arlovski via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Carla Esparza vs. Virna Jandiroba
Round 1 – Jandiroba looks for a high kick. Esparza catches it and trips her opponent to the mat. Esparza methodically tries to move to mount, but Jandiroba defends and gets up. Esparza with a power double and bulldogs Jandiroba to the mat. Esparza grinding but she’s not doing much. Jandiroba reverses position. They get up and jockey in the clinch. Knees from Esparza. Vandiroba looks for a judo throw but Esparza uses the whizzer to maintain. They finally split. 10-9 Esparza.
Round 2 – Jandiroba looks for a takedown, but nothing there. Esparza lands a knee to the body. Esparza with a sloppy shot from the outside that is easily stuffed. Jandiroba with a takedown off an Esparza kick. Esparza explodes to her feet after 45 seconds or so. Esparza caught with a right as she fakes a takedown attempt. Esparza with a much better attempt and she ends up on Jandiroba’s back standing. Jandiroba looked for another judo throw but they nullify each other and return to the feet. Brief single leg takedown from Esparza but Jandiroba locks up a guillotine. She sweeps to mount with the guillotine still on. She gives it up. Esparza gets half guard back. Jandiroba deftly takes her back, then mount. But Esparza sweeps right back. Good grappling there. 10-9 Jandiroba.
Round 3 – Jandiroba misses with a right hook. Slower start to the last round. Jandiroba charges in but Esparza just shoulderblocks her to the mat. Jandiroba working the rubber guard, or trying to. Esparza with some punches as she settles in half. Jandiroba gets full guard back, then butterflies Esparza back to her feet. 2:15 to go. Jandiroba lands a right. They both land rights. Jab from Esparza. Esparza shoots, pulls out, then lands a straight kick to the face of her opponent. Jandiroba gets a strange takedown where Esparza looked for a choke in the middle of it. Esparza is on her back with her opponent in half. Jandiroba tries to mount but Esparza gets up. She’s immediately dragged down again, but she’s back up again. 20 seconds. They battle on the cage. Jandiroba drops for a sweep takedown, and ends in side. Close fight. I’d say 10-9 and 29-28 Esparza.
Carla Esparza defeated Virna Jandiroba via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Gilbert Burns vs. Mike Davis
Round 1 – Burns goes to the low kicks right away. Davis jabs his way into a combo. Davis fights off a takedown attempt and lands a nice knee to the body. Durinho with a body kick. Burns scoops a single, then drops Davis to the ground. Burns is on his back. No hooks yet. One now. Davis was able to work his way back up. Burns misses with a head kick. Davis with a big right! Burns cracks him back with a left and a straight right over the top. Low kick. Body kick. Davis presses and fires back. Burns with an uppercut and a sweeping leg kick. Davis with a combo. Durinho fires right back. Counter right hook from Burns. Again. Burns gets a takedown. Hammerfists. Big elbow. 10-9 Burns.
Round 2 – Leg kick from Durinho. Burns shoots and gets a takedown. Davis tries to escape and Burns takes his back. He secures a body triangle. Big hammerfists. Side elbows. Those looked nasty. He rolls through with full back control. This looks like the beginning of the end against a guy like Durinho. Davis is trying to defend the choke, so Burns transitions to mount. Davis gets half guard back. Guess I spoke too soon. Davis scoots to his knees, but Burns takes his back again and drags him back into danger. Burns slaps him a few times. He can’t sink the choke. 1:15 to go. Burns finally gets an arm under and goes palm-to-palm. Night night Mike Davis.
Gilbert Burns defeated Mike Davis via submission (rear naked choke), 4:15 of round 2
Round 1 – Gonzalez with an inside leg kick. Miller with a hard straight left. They trade shots. Miller lands a combo. Gonzalez with a body kick. They trade low kicks. Miller bullrushes and jumps and Gonzalez’s back. Miller keeps trying to sink a hook and Gonzalez peels it off. Miller gets him down and he’s got a body lock. Back mount. Choke. Wrap!
Jim Miller defeated Jason Gonzalez via submission (rear naked choke), 2:12 of round 1
Angela Hill vs. Jodie Esquibel
Round 1 – Quick start from both ladies. Hill with a right. Esquibel with front kicks. She scores with a right. Esquibel chasing but Hill plants and lands a hard shot. Another right scores. Esquibel wades inside again but can’t connect with much. Lead right from Hill. Esquibel moves in with a left. Hill with a knee up the middle. Hill catches a kick and throws Esquibel to the ground. She cracks her with a right as she gets up. Hill with a jump knee to the body. Esquibel with a left. Front kick from Esquibel to the chest. Esquibel shoots and looked to have a takedown secured, but Hil somehow fought it off. Knee from Esquibel. Head kick from Hill. 10-9 Hill.
Round 2 – Esquibel comes forward and lands a left. She’s really pressing, throwing combos. Hill with a knee. A hard counter right from Esquibel scores. Hill might have a bloody nose from it. Hill ith an uppercut. And a knee. Hill with a lead right over the top, a knee, and another right. Esquibel chasing. She lands a right hook. Body kick from Hill. Esquibel clinches but is spun around quickly. They break. They trade jabs. Hill with a counter right as she backs up. Esquibel with a combo. Hill with a hard step-in knee and a right. They trade to close out the round. 10-9 Hill.
Round 3 – Hill with a knee to the body again. Esquibel continues to press. Esquibel with a body punch, but Hill lands a head kick in respoonse. Esquibel is bleeding. She trips up Hill. Wasn’t a knockdown, just a slip. Hill rips to the body. She lands a counter. Esquibel is being stuck with the jab as soon as she tries to advance now. Counter left and a combo from Hill. Lead right hook. Counter left. Hill is feelin’ it now. They trade in close. Esquibel sticks Hill with a left. They trade some more. Front kick from Hill. Esquibel with a nice right, but Hill caught her right back. Another jump knee. They brawl to the horn. Fun fight. 10-9 and 30-27 Hill.
Angela Hill defeated Jodie Esquibel via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Court McGee vs. Dhiego Lima
Round 1 – McGee wades in with a left but Lima lands a hard counter left. Body kick from McGee. Inside left kick as well. Lima with a nice left. Another left scores for Lima. McGee goes back to body kicks. McGee bringing the pressure as usual. Looping left scores for Lima. McGee eats it, but Lima lands yet another left. McGee can’t adjust. Lima digs to the body with a right. McGee ducks under and was in deep on a takedown attempt, but couldn’t get it. McGee with a shovel hook. Lima sluffs off a takedown attempt and he immediately looked for one of his own. Whoa, McGee with a sick judo throw! Lima rolls right through it though. McGee looks for another takedown but can’t get it. 10-9 Lima.
Round 2 – McGee with a low kick. Lima with a left hook. Lima with a big combo. McGee just takes it. Court with an inside leg kick, but eats yet another counter. Straight right from Lima ovr the top. McGee shut down on another takedown attempt. Lima with the overhand right again. They trade in the pocket and Lima gets the best of it. Lima digs to the body again but can’t and the follow-up right hook. Lima with a leg kick. McGee with an inside kick. Looping left hook from Lima. Lima catches a kick and spins around to McGee’s back. McGee looks for a late guillotine. 10-9 Lima
Round 3 – Lima leads off with, what else? Another counter left. McGee fails on another takedown attempt. Lima with a straight right. Lima misses with a big right. The pace hasn’t really slowed but they’re landing less. Leg kick from Court. Again. Lima with a counter jab and a turnover right hook. McGee with a right. He’s chasing Lima a bit now. Lima with a long right. McGee ducks under again but Lima is fighting him off against the cage. Last minute. Lima scoots away. Counter right from Lima. Leg kicks from McGee. One more takedown thwarted. They come up brawling and McGee drops Lima with a few seconds to go! Lima survives and looks fine as he got up, but that was close! 10-9 McGee but 29-28 Lima.
Dhiego Lima defeated Court McGee via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
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