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UFC stopped over at the Yas Island in Abu Dhabi for one of the most anticipated fight cards of the year. Khabib Nurmagomedov put his undisputed Lightweight Championship on the line against Interim Champion Dustin Poirier.
All the fighters involved in the card put on a highly entertaining event despite the sweltering heat. The fans too turned out in large numbers at the Arena and were as loud as ever for what ended up being an engaging card from top to bottom.
So without any further delay, here are the results and highlights of UFC 242:
UFC 242 Results: Prelims
Joanne Calderwood def. Andrea Lee via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Zubaira Tukhugov vs. Lerone Murphy — Split draw (28-29, 29-28, 28-28)
Sarah Moras def. Liana Jojua vs. via TKO (elbows) (2:26 of Round 3)
Ottman Azaitar def. Teemu Packalen via KO (punch) (3:33, Round 1)
Belal Muhammad def. Takashi Sato via submission (rear-naked choke) (1:55, Round 3)
Muslim Salikhov def. Nordine Taleb via KO (punch) (4:26, Round 1)
Omari Akhmedov def. Zak Cummings via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Don Madge def. Fares Ziam via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
UFC 242 Results: Main Card
#1. Mairbek Taisumov vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira (Lightweight)
Carlos Diego Ferreira came into the fight on a 4-fight win streak and with the desire to break into the Lightweight rankings. A win over Mairbek Taisumov would accomplish that.
Taisumov's fights have never been short on fireworks, however, the Russian-Austrian's UFC career has not reached the intended levels due to inactivity. Ferreira stated that he planned on using his black belt level Jui Jitsu to finish off Taisumov. But it wouldn't that simple now, would it?
Round 1: Ferreria shifted stances twice before settling for the Orthodox position. He pushed forward in the early stages. Taisumov looked to counter with a 1-2 but Ferrerira moved his head. Taisumov kept moving around to keep Ferreria guessing.
Nice counter and straight body kick from Ferreira. Taisumov replied with an uppercut. Taisumov started freeing up his legs and landed a few body kicks. Taisumov swept Ferreira off his feet with a calf kick.
Ferreria connected with a right hook. Taisumov defended the second. Taisumov connected with a good shot that wobbled Ferreria. The Brazilian moved back as Taisumov pressed forward for a potential finish. Ferreira recovered and both men were back moving around as usual.
After a brief spell of inactivity, Taisumov made a good read. He avoided a kick and landed with a straight right.
Good right hand from Ferreira and a few pressing kicks and combination attempt to wrap up the round. 10-9 Taisumov
Round 2: Ferreira with a push kick to begin the round. The Brazilian showed a little more urgency as he pressed forward and looked to land a combination. Big right hand from Ferreria.
He shot for the double leg and got Taisumov down for a few seconds. They clinched against the cage, however, the fight was momentarily stopped as Ferreira landed a deliberate head butt. A warning was issued and the fight resumed.
Ferreira's striking looked crisp as he landed the better combinations. Taisumov too began to find his range as the round went by. Left jab and a right hook from Ferreira, followed by an outside low kick.
Ferreira shot for another takedown but Taisumov stayed upright and avoided going down. Ferreira kept landing with the 1-2s and sneaked in a kick or two in the middle.
Ferreira went for a good-looking spinning head kick to end the round. Ferreira won that round due to his volume and pressure, which also resulted in a cut on Taisumov's face. 10-9 Ferreira.
Round 3: Ferreira had thrown 230 strikes thus far. He began the round with a knee strike and punch to follow it up. Ferreira focussed on using the left jabs as a set up for the right that came from an unpredictable angle.
Ferreira kept up the fast pace and it paid dividends. Taisumov was finding it tough to deal with the pressure. Ferreira was nearing 300 total strikes as he mixed it up well with kicks to the leg and body.
Ferreira landed a solid head kick before going back to the jab. Non-stop combinations from the Brazilian. Right hook followed by a shot to the body by Ferreira. The oblique kicks to the body kept Taisumov at bay. Ferreira then went back to stringing together a few combinations.
Ferreira with a three-piece combo which set up a head kick. He ended the round without taking any sort of damage.
Carlos Diego Ferreira def. Mairbek Taisumov def via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
Ferreira showed up and put on a striking clinic. It takes quite a skillset to outwork Taisumov on the feet and Ferreira displayed that very important facet of his seemingly well-rounded game. A job well done for the Brazilian.
#2. Curtis Blaydes vs. Shamil Abdurakhimov (Heavyweight)
Curtis Blaydes was coming off a unanimous decision win over Justin Willis, which happened in March earlier this year. His opponent, Shamil Abdurakhimov defeated Marcin Tybura via TKO in April this year in his last fight.
Round 1: It took Blaydes 20 seconds to shoot for a takedown and he got Shamil down with ease. He got hold of Shamil's back against the cage and got in a few strikes from the back.
Shamil got back to his feet before Curtis took him back down without any resistance. Curtis worked in side control for a few seconds but Shamil worked his way back up again. The fans loved to see the fight happen in the centre.
Blaydes shot for another takedown and successfully landed it. We hadn't even gotten to the 4th minute of the first round and Curtis had landed three takedowns.
Blaydes looked to control the hands and wrists of Shamil from the back while also landing punches with his left hand from the back. Blaydes with a couple of knees to Shamil's hips. Shamil got up. Curtis slammed him back down with authority.
Blaydes landed right-hand strikes to Shamil's face. He landed in full mount position and began unloading massive shots on Shamil. Elbows, right and lefts rained down on Shamil, who was saved by the hooter. 10-8 Blaydes
Round 2: Shamil landed a few strikes in the opening seconds but Curtis just absorbed them, shot for the double leg and dumped him down to the mat.
Full mount again for Curtis. He moved to side control before taking Shamil's back. Curtis continued with the hand control and big rights. Shamil couldn't defend as Curtis had locked up his arms. Wrestling 101.
Curtis took the half guard position and connected with a few brutal elbows. One of the elbows broke Shamil's nose. He covered up his face and the referee stepped in to stop the fight.
Result: Curtis Blaydes def. Shamil Abdurakhimov via TKO (2:22, Round 2)
Takedown. Ground and pound. TKO. Curtis Blaydes stuck to his strengths and got the win with relative ease.
#3. Islam Makhachev vs. Davi Ramos (Lightweight)
Popularly known these days as the man who was involved in the post-fight fracas between the camps of Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev was billed as the next big thing since his Russian compatriot in the UFC. Did he live up to all the hype? Let's find out.
Round 1: Islam in southpaw while Ramos was in orthodox. Ramos began with a kick to Islam's body. A tentative start from both men.
Islam connected with the body kick before going for the lead left and a takedown attempt. Ramos stuffed it. Islam connected with a good 1-2 uppercut combo.
The crowd continued to chant for Islam but Ramos looked calm despite the hostility. Islam attempted to get his reach going with the right-hand jabs. He went for a body shot but Ramos moved away.
Both men went for one-punch shots instead of combinations. The first round was quite uneventful as both men waited for the other to pull the trigger. How would you score that?
Round 2: The second round was panning out to be much better than the first. Ramos pushed forward with a wild combination before shooting for the takedown. Islam stuffed it and both men clinched for a while against the cage.
Back in the centre, Ramos went for an oblique kick to the body. Islam landed a left. Islam with the right jab and left hook to the body.
Ramos connected with a solid right that hurt Islam. Ramos continued to land the jabs that kept Islam away. Islam landed with a good combination. They swung their hands wildly before clinching. Islam connected with a knee on the break.
Islam began to get into the groove as the round went by as he strung together his combinations and mixed things up with kicks. 10-9 Islam
Round 3: It was a frantic start to the final round as Islam knocked Ramos down after landing with a few big shots. A big knee from Islam got Ramos down and Islam went on to connect with countless strikes from the top at breakneck speed. The shots landed fast and furious but Ramos somehow survived the onslaught.
Islam managed to pin Ramos down to the ground until the end of the round. He exerted his dominance on the ground and dished out a lot of punishment to a clueless Ramos.
Result: Islam Makhachev def. Davi Ramos via unanimous decision (29-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Islam waited for his opportunity and executed his game plan in the third round to get a comfortable win in the end. He mentioned in his post-fight interview that he would be waiting for the winner of Edson Barboza and Paul Felder. He extended his active win streak in the UFC Lightweight division to 6 victories, which is third behind Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.
#4. Paul Felder vs. Edson Barboza (Lightweight)
Felder vs. Barboza II! The first ended with a win for Barboza but would it be a repeat outcome in the sequel?
Round 1: Felder with a spinning strike from the get-go. No surprises there.
He went for another spinning back fist. Barboza kept him at bay. He walked into an elbow while getting into the clinch. Felder pressed Barboza up against the cage.
A few punches and a knee from Felder followed. Felder went for a wild overhand right. Barboza ducked. Felder clinched with Barboza again and landed a solid knee in the clinch.
They separated and Barboza landed a good kick to the body. Felder suffered a cut above his eye which happened as a result of an accidental headbutt. The doctors checked on Felder and the fight continued. Felder avoided a big Barboza right and attempted a big overhand right. Barboza used his speed to avoid getting hit.
Felder kept up the pressure and Barboza didn't like that one bit. The round ended with Felder pushing forward. Barboza found success with the body kicks while Felder landed with a few spinning attacks. 10-9 Barboza
Round 2: Body kick from Barboza who got a Felder left in return. Barboza attacked the body of Felder with kicks. Felder pushed forward with a 1-2. Barboza moved out.
Barboza shot for the double leg and landed a swift takedown. That was slick. Barboza looked to get some ground and pound in full guard. Felder stayed active from the bottom with elbows. Barboza got a few strikes in from the top to the body and the side of Felder's head.
Felder got hold of Barboza's arm in a transition for the armbar. Barboza got his arm out of the trouble and we were back to the stand-up game. That was a good exchange.
Barboza with a solid inside leg kick. He followed it up with a nice counter hook. Barboza with an outside leg kick. Both men clinched against the cage.
Felder tried to take him down with the single leg but Barboza maintained his balance and slithered away. Felder shot for the takedown but Barboa defended it well. Clinch against the cage as the round entered the final ten seconds. 10-9 Barboza
Round 3: Great show of respect from both men as the final round got underway. Felder with a right hand to the back of Barboza's head.
Felder with a nice right hand to Barboza's body. Barboza landed to the body. Felder pressed with a right and left. Nice jab from Felder. Barboza with a counter right in response to Felder's jab. The fans reacted to a big Barboza strike.
Barboza landed a few good strikes from the back leg. Felder landed a big jab. Barboza edged Felder 61 to 57 on the significant strike differential.
Felder's jabs landed hard all fight. Felder came in with a big 1-2 before clinching against the cage. Barboza landed a big takedown in the final ten seconds of the fight that may prove significant on the scorecards.
Result: Paul Felder def. Edson Barboza via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
That seemed a little harsh on Barboza as we had him for the win on our scorecards. Nonetheless, Felder may have done just enough in the final two rounds to get the nod from two of the judges. Barboza stormed out of the Octagon in frustration as Felder put him over in his post-fight interview.
#5. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Dustin Poirier (Undisputed Lightweight Championship)
Main Event time! Champion vs. Champion. The Eagle vs. Diamond! An unstoppable wrestler vs. a quintessential striker! It doesn't get any better than this!
Round1: Loud Khabib chants to begin the fight. Poirier let his legs loose. Both men felt each other in the early going of the fight.
Khabib drew first blood and went for a combination. Poirier moved his head well and Khabib shot for the takedown. Dustin resisted for a bit before getting taken down by a Khabib leg trip.
Khabib got Dustin's back and locked in the hooks. Dustin got out before any damage was done. Khabib continued to work towards a Rear Naked Choke. He almost got in his hands under the chin of Dustin, but the American survived and briefly got back up to his feet.
Khabib got him down again and kept up the pressure. Classic Khabib on display. Khabib had already notched up three minutes of ground time. Khabib got in some nasty ground and pound to end the round. He stared Dustin down! Intense! 10-9 Khabib
Round 2: Dustin came out strong with a few strikes to the body. Khabib jumped for the flying knee. Dustin landed a few good shots, particularly a big right hand, that had Khabib retreating.
Dustin looked off balance while attempting a majority of his offense and Khabib took advantage of the same. He shot for the takedown and got Dustin down with three minutes to go.
Khabib controlled Dustin's legs and kept firing off punches to the body and face against the fence. Dustin suffered a significant cut that seemed to be giving him some trouble. He got back to his feet but Khabib yanked him down yet again.
Back up against the cage and Khabib kept working on the underhooks. Khabib landed a good right and a knee in the clinch. The round came to a close with Khabib all over Dustin. 10-9 Khabib
Round 3: Both men exchanged body kicks to begin the third round. Dustin got hold off Khabib's neck and attempted the Guillotine. He tried to prevent Khabib from turning over and releasing the pressure but Khabib was just too darn good. He flipped positions and got hold off Dustin's back. He tried to get in the hooks for the rear-naked choke. He sank his hands in behind Dustin's head, got his right hand under his chin and locked in the choke. Dustin tapped and the fans went bananas!
Result: Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Dustin Poirier via submission (Rear Naked Choke) (2:06, Round 3)
It ended up being just another day at the office for the undefeated Dagestani mauler. Poirier had his moments, especially when he clipped Khabib in the second round, but in the end, Diamond proved to be no match for Khabib's elite wrestling. Dustin didn't cut corners and couldn't get Khabib's respect on the feet. Khabib fought his fight and out on another convincing performance.
Now, all we need is Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov to happen. MMA gods, please! Let it happen this time!
