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#2 Curtis Blaydes vs. Mark Hunt
Mark Hunt almost finished Curtis Blaydes in Round 1; dropping the latter with a couple of slick punches, and continuing his striking clinic.
Nevertheless, Blaydes reverted back to his wrestling roots as soon as he felt Hunt’s power; securing a takedown on the latter but not landing any significant ground strikes whatsoever. The second round saw more of the same take place, whereas Round 3 saw both fighters exhausted—a round in which Blaydes managed to get Hunt on the ground, but again didn’t risk opening up with heavy strikes as Hunt threatened to secure leverage and stand up.
In the end, the judges scored the bout in favor of Blaydes. And although most in the MMA community agreed with the result, two of the three scorecards had Hunt losing by 4 points—something that was pointed out to be a significant error as the fight was much closer than what the scorecards indicate.
Hunt's future is the topic of intense speculation now after the loss. The outspoken Super Samoan could be on his way out of the promotion with his contract expiring soon.
Result: Curtis Blaydes def. Mark Hunt via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-27)
#3 Tai Tuivasa vs. Cyril Asker
Tai Tuivasa further solidified his status as a legitimate Heavyweight prospect, by making a huge statement at UFC 221.
Tuivasa dominated Asker on the feet; gauging the distance expertly, and tagging the latter at will. Tuivasa caught Asker with a barrage of punches in Round 1, and followed up with a few slick elbows to end the bout.
Result: Tai Tuivasa def. Cyril Asker via TKO (Punches & Elbows) (Round 1, 2:18)
#4 Jake Matthews vs. Li Jingliang
Jake Matthews did what he had to do against Chinese KO artist Li Jingliang.
Matthews stayed wary of the latter’s power, and carefully waded in and out of range without planting his feet and throwing heavy leather. Regardless, Jingliang should’ve been deducted a point for the blatant eye-gouge he used in order to escape from a submission attempt by Matthews.
In the end, Jingliang’s eye-gouging didn’t affect the outcome of the bout after all, as the judges scored the fight in favor of Matthews—as the Aussie not only out-struck Jingliang but also out-grappled him throughout the matchup.
Result: Jake Matthews def. Li Jingliang via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-26)
#5 Tyson Pedro vs. Saparbek Safarov
Tyson Pedro made a huge statement in what appeared to be somewhat of a squash match.
Pedro beat Safarov from pillar to post, and pursued the finish with ruthless aggression. While Pedro could’ve finished the fight had he kept it on the feet, his grappling exchanges with Safarov brought an end to the fight in the very first round, with a beautiful Kimura.
Result: Tyson Pedro def. Saparbek Safarov via Submission (Kimura) (Round 1, 3:54)
