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Stay up to date with what’s happening today with the UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Allen preliminary card, which is going down from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
The featured UFC prelim of the evening will be a featherweight tilt between ‘Downton’ TJ Brown and ‘Señor Perfecto’ Bill Algeo. Brown is fresh off of a third round submission win over Erik Silva this past December, and is now looking to make it two in a row. Algeo lost a tough split decision to Andre Fili in his last outing, so he will be trying to avoid a two-fight losing skid.
Before that there’s a fantastic top-ranked flyweight fight going on between the UFC’s #4 rated, Brandon Royval, and the #5 rated, Matheus Nicolau. Oddly enough, both of these guys finished Matt Schnell in their last matches. ‘Raw Dawg’ Royval pulled off a highly impressive first-round guillotine on Matt Schnell last May, and then Nicolau extended his wining streak to six with a second round knockout back in December.
The prelims begin at 5:30pm ET/2:30pm PT, immediately followed by the regular main card at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT. Both broadcasts can be streamed on ESPN or ESPN+.
UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Allen Prelims Results
(5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
- Bill Algeo def. TJ Brown by submission (RNC) at 1:40 of round 2: Featherweight
This was scrappy from the opening bell! Both fighters were launching combos back and forth, but it was Algeo who was first to hurt Brown. After a bit of wrestling, Brown started to let his hands go, and was hitting ALgeo with clean strikes. Algeo responded with some front kicks to the face, but Brown was eating them like a champ.
The second stanza witnessed Algeo score a big knockdown with at the sneakiest elbow of all time! He jumped on Brown with strikes, took the back, and squeezed away until he got the tap! Holy smokes, what a fight and what a finish!
- Brandon Royval def. Matheus Nicolau by KO at 2:09 of round 1: Flyweight
It was Royval who took the center of the Octagon, while Nicolau skirted along the outside on his bike. Then, a phenomenal knee from Royval landed right on the button! A dizzy Nicolau dropped to the ground, and Royval went after him with some brutal ground and pound. Nicolau was not responding intelligently so the referee stepped in to prevent any further damage. WOW!
- Zak Cummings def. Ed Herman by TKO at 4:13 of round 3: Light Heavyweight
Cummings was ready for this one! He bombed on Herman right away with heavy leather, stunning Ed before dropping him. An illegal up kick from Herman brought a time out, and the fight restarted on the feet. Herman started to get his own offense going, but wasn’t scoring with the same sort of power as Cummings.
We got another knockdown for Cummings early in the second round, but credit to Herman for jumping right back up. From there, Ed slowly pressured forward, as Cummings was looking to counter. A huge leg kick from Cummings buckled Herman, and then a monstrous left hook dropped him for the second time. Cummings got on top to maul his dazed opponent, but then we got another an illegal up kick from Herman. The referee deducted one point, and the fight restarted on the feet once again.
The leg attacks of Cummings started to add up in the final frame. He kicked out the leg several times, but Herman was toughing through it. Herman kept throwing his combos, but he just couldn’t sting Zak for any sustained period of time. Cummings started to pour it on late, and had Herman hurt up against the fence. He dropped Herman once again, and that’s when the referee had seen enough. This was a great showing for Cummings in front of his home crowd!
In his post-fight interview, Zak announced his retirement from the sport with a respectable record of 25-7. I absolutely love seeing fighters retire after a win! After Zak, Herman got on the mic to leave his gloves inside of the Octagon, as well. Herman was a TUF Season 3 finalist in 2006, and is exiting the sport with a quality record 24-16-1.
- Gillian Robertson def. Piera Rodriguez by submission (armbar) at 4:21 of round 2: Strawweight
The athletes were looking to strike to open up this one, with Rodriguez landing the better volume. Rodriguez found top position, but Robertson wrestled up to a single leg to put Piera on her back. A sizable knot formed on the forehead of Rodriguez, who did not make it back to her feet until the bell sounded.
Robertson blasted a takedown to open the second act, and continued to control her opponent. She took full mount, and dropped plenty of short elbows to soften up Rodriguez. Gillian spun for an arm like a boss, and Rodriguez seemed to be dead to rights, and the referee jumped in to stop the match. It didn’t appear as though Rodriguez tapped out, so she instantly protested the stoppage. The official result was a verbal tap, which is well within the referee’s discretion, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Rodriguez appeals this.
- Daniel Zellhuber def. Lando Vannata by unanimous decision (29-27. 29-28, 30-27): Lightweight
Vannata was being his usual stance-switching self from jump street, giving Zellhuber several different looks. Then, Zellhuber stung Vannata with a punch, and went in for the kill. Punch after punch was delivered by Zellhuber, with the referee warning Lando on a few occasions to improve his position. Somehow, Vannata survived the crazy barrage, and even worked back to his feet to return fire.
The second round began with Vannata getting to work. He was bobbing his way into range, and popping Zellhuber with some clean combos. Zellhuber was pawing his jab out there, and some front kicks up the middle, but the better strikes were coming from Lando.
Zellhuber started hot in the final round. He went after Vannata with an angry flurry that had Lando shelling up against the fence. Vannata got himself off the cage, and the fighters began engaging in close exchanges. Lando started to land the better strikes down the stretch, but he had to overcome what Zellhuber did at the start of the round.
- Denise Gomes def. Bruna Brasil by TKO at 2:42 of
- round 2: Strawweight
Gomes came out and cracked Brasil with some heavy strikes. From there, the fighters clinched up for awhile, jockeying for position with neither really being able to take over. Back in open space, it was Gomes who was landing the better shots. Towards the end of the round, Gomes unloaded a mean flurry that rocked Brasil, and then landed a takedown before the bell.
We got a couple of more stinging punches from Gomes to kick off the second round. She hit a trip takedown from there, but Brasil immediately sprung to her feet. Gomes ended up catching a head kick to put Brasil on her back, and then stood over her and ripped off a few leg kicks. Brasil stood up, but Gomes sat her right back down with a massive right hook. Denise pounced on her dazed opponent with a frenzy of ground strikes, giving the referee no choice but to step in and stop the fight.
- Gaston Bolaños def. Aaron Phillips by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28): Bantamweight
The power advantage held by Bolaños became apparent right away. He was visibly moving Phillips with his strikes, which is a factor you have to consider when considering significant strikes. This was a bad round for Phillips in terms of visuals.
Phillips would out-scramble Bolaños to take top position early in the second stanza. Bolaños remained calm and found a way to get back to his feet, and he landed a couple of strikes, but Phillips snagged a takedown. Aaron took the back and threatened with a rear-naked choke, but Bolaños quickly escaped it and stood back up. The round ended with Bolaños piecing up Bolaños against the fence, with Phillips appearing to be fading.
Phillips tried hard for the takedown in the final round, but Bolaños showcased some stellar takedown defense to remain standing. Some more combos landed for Bolaños, but he tried a spinning elbow one too many times and got his back taken because of it. This is where the round came to a close.
- Joselyne Edwards def. Lucie Pudilová by split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29): (W) Bantamweight
Pudilová found top position early on in the opening round, and spent a lot of time controlling Edwards on the ground. It wasn’t until there was less than a minute to go in the round that Edwards finally got up. Joselyne did connect with a flurry before the bell, but couldn’t prevent Pudilová from tying up again.
Edwards sprawled on Pudilová’s first takedown attempt of the second round, and was able to get some volume going on the feet. Pudilová would return to her grappling, however, and cemented Edwards on her back in the middle of the Octagon. She was dominating with her control, and postured up from the full mount to drop some elbows just before the bell.
The final round began with Pudilová entering back into the clinch, but she wasn’t able to get the fight down. Back in open space, Edwards started to get her striking going. She was throwing volume, but nothing seemed to really sting Pudilová. The swan still probably Edwards’ best round.
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