Updated Saturday, September 17, 2022 at 6:23pm MST
After a couple get PPV cards, the UFC is following it up with a fight nights. To me, fight nights are just as exciting because, for one, it does not come with the big price tag of the UFC PPV cards. Still, you get high level fighting from some top tier guy’s. Just look to the Cyril Gane fight just a few weeks ago. I mean, how did we get that as a fight night? No complaints here…
This week, we have the pleasure of watching Song Yadong go at it against Cory Sandhagen. Although at this moment Song is a +165 underdog, I can’t bet against him. He quickly became one of my favorite up-and-comers a few years ago. Though he is young, he has displayed great skill, power, and quickness with counter strikes. Anytime his name shows up on a card, you can bet I’m tuning in.
Before the fights get started, I’ll post the odds for each of the fights on the card. As the fights take place and end, I’ll update the post with social media commentary and the final result. If you happen to catch this post before the fights, leave your predictions below.
Prelims (ESPN+, 4 pm ET)
Nikolas Motta Def. Cameron VanCamp via TKO
Pre-Fight Odds: Nikolas Motta (-180), Cameron VanCamp (+155)
After the fight started, you could slowly see the ending taking shape. Motta just kept finding ways to get the left to come through. Most of the time, it was set up by a right jab or hook. VanCamp didn’t seem to adjust or find a way to stop the left from finding his chin. Unfortunately for him, that led to his end.
Javid Basharat Def. Tony Gravely via Unanimous Decision
Pre-Fight Odds: Javid Basharat (-165) vs. Tony Gravely (+140)
Gravely started off pretty good and it could be said that he took the first round. But he quickly faded there after. The wrestling that looked good in the first round was not as crisp in the second and Basharat started to take advantage of his length while getting some good ground control time recorded. Although both guys went into the third round tired, Gravely just looked more gassed which is probably what the judges saw and why they ruled in favor of Basharat who remains undefeated.
Gillian Robertson Def. Mariya Agapova via Submission
Pre-Fight Odds: Mariya Agapova (+135) vs. Gillian Robertson (-155)
What a win! I thought this one was done within the first minute. But things kept going as the two fighters had their moments in the first round. During the fight, it seemed that every time Robertson was going for the single or double leg takedown, Agapova started to hitting her with multiple nasty elbows. I thought that would end the fight sooner or later, but Robertson found a way and came out with the submission victory. What a fight!
Trey Ogden Def. Daniel Zellhuber via Unanimous Decision
Pre-Fight Odds: Trey Ogden (+300) vs. Daniel Zellhuber (-365)
This one started off as a stand up striking match throughout the first and remained that way into the second until about the 2:38 mark when Ogden unsuccessfully shot for a takedown. Throughout, the two seemed to be even, contrary to the oddsmakers predictions.
At :38, Ogden went for another takedown and got it but Zellhuber got up pretty quickly and nothing much happened in the second round. The oddsmakers had Zellhuber as the biggest favorite on the undercard, but they proved to be VERY wrong. Ogden came out as the winner in this snooze fest.
Loma Lookboonmee Def. Denise Gomes via Unanimous Decision
Pre-Fight Odds: Denise Gomes (+175) vs. Loma Lookboonmee (-205)
This fight started off with fireworks. Knockdowns. Dueling submission attempts. Sharp elbows. And lots of blood. Loma look to be in control throughout the second round. Then Gomes came firing back in the early part of the third. Somehow, Loma escaped submission attempts which looked very secure and finished out the third round with elbows and ground and pound. The judges decided they had seen enough to give the win to Lookboonmee, and I agree with them.
Trevin Giles Def. Louis Cosce via Unanimous Decision
Pre-Fight Odds: Louis Cosce (+180) vs. Trevin Giles (-110)
Earlier I said another fight was a snore fest… this fight could’ve topped that. Almost nothing happened in the first round. No real highlights throughout the fight. On to the next.
Damon Jackson Def. Pat Sabatini via TKO (verbal tap)
Pre-Fight Odds: Damon Jackson (+170) vs. Pat Sabatini (-200)
DC started this fight by saying, “Now this fight won’t be boring.” And he was definitely right! This was probably the most emotional fight and win of the night so far. Damon Jackson just found out on Tuesday that his brother had passed away. He decided to move forward with the fight and dedicated this fight to his brother even before the fight happened. As a tribute, he borrowed his brothers old football nickname, Action Jackson, for just this match.
Even with the oddsmakers saying Sabatini was the favorite, I think everyone watching not related to him was choosing Jackson as our favorite to win. It needed to happen that way and it did. Jackson hurt him early and finished it quickly. Congrats to him and his family for that win!
Main Card (ESPN+, 7 pm ET)
Anthony Hernandez Def. Marc-Andre Barriault via Submission
Pre-Fight Odds: Marc-Andre Barriault (+180) vs. Anthony Hernandez (-210)
This fight was consistently going Anthony Hernandez’s all the way until the submission. From the spike shown above to the total strikes, significant strikes, and control time. The oddsmakers got this right, for once.
Rodrigo Nascimento Def. Tanner Boser via Split Decision
Pre-Fight Odds: Tanner Boser (-180) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (+155)
There is nothing like two a heavyweight fight. Two big guys just in there throwing the heaviest of shots at each other. It’s also the weight class where you can have the craziest weight gaps. There is a floor weight to qualify for the class but their seems to be no ceiling. In this fight, Boser was the leaner of the two fighters. More mobile. Much more of a striker. Nascimento had a thirty pound weight advantage and naturally wanted to use that against Boser. He was more of a ground gamesman. Focused on smothering Boser and taking him down. He had more than a minute of ground control in each round, and that’s what gave him the edge in this one.
Joe Pyfer Def. Alen Amedovski via TKO
Pre-Fight Odds: Alen Amedovski (+380) vs. Joe Pyfer (-475)
What’s knockout! This one was exciting. The commentary started by focusing on Joe Pyfer’s comments about being confident about this fight. They were talking against it saying Pyfer should have some concern because it’s hard to come into the UFC after competing in Dana White’s Contender Series and impress. The rationale was that if he failed to impress our get a win, it would be hard to live it down or climb back up into Dana’s, or the fans, good graces. So basically the message was it’s healthy to have some concern. Man, Pyfer put on a clean performance which symbolically responded to the commentary with, “Hush all that noise!”
Andre Fili Def. Bill Algeo via Split Decision
Pre-Fight Odds: Bill Algeo (+110) vs. Andre Fili (-130)
This fight was close to even throughout until about the third round. Then Fili almost had Algeo out of there with a rear naked choke. SOMEHOW, Algeo was able to fight out of it while giving up his back, fighting Fili’s hands, and throwing punches to distract from the submission attempt. Not sure how that happened. Algeo made it to the end of the round, but couldn’t do enough to get on the right side of a split decision.
Gregory Rodrigues Def. Chidi Njokuani via TKO
Pre-Fight Odds: Chidi Njokuani (-130) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (+110)
The first round was all fireworks. And Njokuani kneed Rodrigues which caused a deep cut above his nose. After the first round, the doctor told the ref to watch Rodrigues’s cut very closely, giving him a very short leash. That’s all Rodríguez needed to hear to turn things up. Somehow, Njokuani didn’t get the same message or try to take advantage of Rodrigues’s injury. Rodrigues started the second with thoughts of ending it quickly. And he did.
Cory Sandhagen Def. Yadong Song via TKO (Doctor Stoppage)
Cory Sandhagen did what he had to do. He opened up a cut on Song Yadong’s brow with an elbow which eventually got too bad for the ref and Doctor to allow to go further. I’m disappointed, but Song definitely had a good fight. I’ve added the score cards below. There cut is a result of the fight. But if the fight were not stopped, Song had a punchers chance…or at least a chance to earn a split decision.
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