UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov – live update

Bonfirm attempts early takedown which Sola stuffs. Sola landing heavy strikes defending the takedown against the cage wall. Sola stuffs another takedown attempt. Sola tangles up Bonfim with a D'arce choke.
That's it, its all over, Bonfim taps to the D'arce, impressive win from Axel Sola

Some good exchanges so far, both landing a selection of strikes.
Patterson swinging big hooks, landing with follow up front kicks. Excellent work from Patterson.
Clean 1-2 from Patterson lands, pushing Ponzinibbio backwards, follows up with some crisp jabs.
Clapper sounds for the end of the round - Good, entertaining round which Patterson takes.

Ponzinibbio 9 - 10 Patterson

Both fighters come out for the start of Round 2 with Ponzinibbio wearing a bloody nose.
Some wild shots thrown here from both fighters, majority of which are just inches from landing.
Patterson landing excellent jabs here, just stabbing Ponzinibbio, letting him know who's dictating the fight, Ponzinibbio face is really bloody here.
Ponzinibbio dropped twice and its all over. Sam Patterson knocks out Ponzinibbio with a huge right hand.

Two minutes down in round one and fairly little action, whilst Jacoby is setting up his strikes, little is landing cleanly.
Missed spinning kick from Saidov
WILD overhand right just missed from Saidov
Saidov almost lands another big leg kick but Jacoby wise to it and blocks it.

What started off as a pretty tentative start is now slowly forming into some good action! - At the end of the round I have Saidov up

Dustin Jacoby 9 - 10 Muhammad Saidov

Round 2 opens up with some leg kicks in the centre of the Octagon
Good exchange a minute and a half in with Saidov landing a good combo to push Jacoby back
Excellent jab from Jacoby lands with just 2 minutes left of this round
Spinning back kick from Saidov just skims passed Jacoby's face.
HUGE right hand followed up by a left leg kick lands on Jacoby followed up by a massive forray of strikes that ends the fight. In my opinion that could have been stopped a couple of strikes earlier.

Failed takedown attempt from Walker ends with Peterson in half guard at 4:10 of this round.
Walker sinks in a heel hook, Peterson defending well, but Walker turns this into a calf slicer.
AND its done! What a submission!

Izagakhmaev opens up with a missed overhand right which allows Vagaev to dodge and setup a takedown
2:50 into a round which has seen Vagaev easily control Izagakhmaev on the ground
Both fighters now up Vagaev has Izagakhmaev pinned up on the cage softening him up with short knee strikes

Vagaev takes that round

Vagev 10 - 9 Izagakhmaev

Izagakhmaev lands a heavy leg kick causing Vagaev to chance stance
Big right hand from Vagaev lands off the back of a jab
Izagakhmaev shoots and secures a takedown but Vagaev manages to get right back up and reverses Izagakhmaev on the cage
Izagakhmaev eats a hard body shot, he seems to be visibly hurt here.
UFC stats show that Vagaev has landed 24 - 20 significant strikes in this round.

At the end of that round it is another clear round to Vagaev in my book

Vagaev 20 - 18 Izagakhmaev

We start the third and final round with Izagakhmaev swinging wildly in the centre of the Octagon, he seems the much fresher fighter here landing heavy, he knows he needs a stoppage here.
Vagaev secures the takedown, Izagakhmaev gets up and is now stuck on the cage, but uses a Kimura to reverse the position, great use of the technique from Izagakhmaev.
BIG shoot and takedown secured by Vagaev
Massive moment here for Izagakhmaev, he's on top and trying to secure an arm-triangle choke. Vagaev escapes, but Izagakhmaev is stil on top.
Izagakhmaev is working here for an arm bar, but with seconds left he's unable to secure it. Izagakhmaev wins that round in my opinion

Vagaev 29 - 28 Izagakhmaev

Kuniev pressuring well here at the 2:30 mark, pushing Fortune back
Big knee from Kuniev lands up against the fence
Spinning back kick lands to Fortune's body which has him hurt, Fortune also has a cut over his right eye.
Kuniev controls this round well earning a 10-9 in my eyes.

Kuniev 10 - 9 Fortune

Huge start for Kuniev as he lands heavy up on the cage, the right eye of Fortune we picked up on late in the first is now closing up here.
Big uppercut crushes into the face of Fortune, he's really hurting here
Fortune's eye is a real mess here, a massive welt on the right side of his face is developing, keep an eye (not pun intended) on this, it could feature big inbetween rounds if it gets there
34-8 significant strikes landing for Kuniev in this round

Kuniev 20 - 18 Fortune

Looking at the right eye of Fortune inbetween rounds, whilst there is significant swelling there is no danger of the eye being closed up so this will see a third round. However Fortune has told his corner he cannot breath due to a rib injury picked up from that heavy knee landed by Kuniev.

Kuniev is striking hard here, I sense a finish coming
And with that it is all over, big knee lands that drops Fortune.

Very blatent eye poke from Zaynukov lands on Rzepecki followed up by an elbow. Marc Goddard calls for a timeout and the doctor has been called in. Whilst this is accidental, I expect Marc to give a very stern warning to Zaynukov. As it stands as we're in the first round should this be called off here and now it will be a no-contest as the majority of the fight has not concluded

The fight is able to resume, as expected Marc giving a very stern warning for the eye poke.
Big takedown from Rzepecki that is reversed in the scramble followed up by a wild spinning elbow attempt from Zaynukov.

Good round, Zaynukov takes that in my opinion.

Rzepecki 9 - 10 Zaynukov

Fast start to the second, Rzepecki just skims a right kick over Zaynukovs head.
Zaynukov lands a takedown
Rzepecki cut wide open from an elbow, which is shortly followed up by another.
Zaynukov with a nice jumping knee followed by a combo of elbows to end out the round and get another in the bag.

Rzepecki 18 - 20 Zaynukov

The round opens up with a heavy strike from Zaynukov which reopens Rzepecki's cut and its now pouring into his eye.
Another massive elbow lands and it sounded HARD!
Rzepecki, not one to to give in, lands a heavy elbow of his own.
Is this MMA or is this Muay Thai!? Both fighters exchanging elbows in this round, Zaynukov's seem to have a bit more pepper to them.
Zaynukov fakes the single leg then comes up with an elbow, excellent exhange!
Zaynukov is taking over big time here landing a front kick that knocks out the mouth guard of Rzepecki.

An excellent display from Zaynukov in this round, and fight.

Rzepecki 27 - 30 Zaynukov

FAST start to this one, Temirov lands big with a spinning kick dropping Erceg seconds into the round.
Pace has slowed a little bit as Erceg attempts a single leg but misses
Right hand from Temirov as Erceg comes forward stopping him in his tracks, beautifuly timed.
Right hands puts Erceg down, he scrambles for a leg but nothing there. Erceg is but on the back foot.
Massive rights lands dropping Erceg and its done! WOW, just WOW.

Man, that was fast paced from the get go, Temirov is dangerous, speed is as good as anyone at 125lb, but that power is going to be trouble!

Here we go, main event time Ank is looking for a comeback win since his title loss to Pereira back in October.

Warning from Goddard to Gsukov to watch the fingers as he is pawing out
Quite a slow burner of a round with fairly little action to seperate both fighters, with that said Ankalaev secures the round with a little rally at the end

Ankalaev 10 - 9 Guskov

Goddard gives stern warning to Guskov before the round opens about extended fingers, know this, if Goddard needs to take points, he absolutely will do so, Guskov needs to heed this warning.

Two minutes down into this round and again its a slow one, lots of movement but very little happening.

Guskov lands a nice right hand which changes up the round forcing Ank to initiate the grappling. Ank has Guskov up on the cage but showing little advancement. At 30 seconds left of the round if we apply the scoring criteria, effective striking, which is the first criteria... You have to give it to Guskov based on the effectiveness of that strike.

A poor round of very little action.

Ankalaev 19 - 19 Guskov

A better start from both fighters here with both landing
Ank misses with a spinning back fist but follows up with a crist left body shot
Nice exchange of kicks by both fighters here
DC saying it best on commentary here, when you fight a fighter so down in the rankings to you coming off a title loss, you have to impress.... Ank is doing anything but that here at the moment

Nice right landed from Ank in the last 15 seconds. He's run the round here but he's doing fairly little.

Ankalaev 29 - 28 Guskov

Ank comes out stronger here landing a takedown right off the bat, he's in half guard landing some softening blows
Ank has Guskov pinned up on the cage in half guard landing strikes, Guskov is cut on his right eye.

This is something Ank gets the back and is starting to setup the Rear Naked Choke, adjusting to a face crank, this is a much better round for Ank.
Ank attemps another RNC but Guskov defends well, Ank continues to pepper with softening blows, elbows and short hands
30 seconds left and Ank sinks in another face crank but lets it go.

MUCH better round, Ank dominated that one,

Ankalaev 39 - 37 Guskov

Guskov goes for a choke here, but Ank is out
Ank on Guskovs back, pounding away, warnings from Goddard to move.
That is it Goddard calls the fight!