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UFC Fight Night 123 has come and gone; serving the MMA community yet another young prospect-turned-UFC contender in the form of Brian Ortega.
Additionally, the co-main event of the evening saw some ‘finger-biting’ going on—something that one can expect the MMA fans and experts to be debating on for the days to come. Regardless, the accused, Jason Knight ended up on the losing end in the aforementioned matchup.
Furthermore, preliminary fights saw a couple of upsets as well. So, without further ado, here are the complete results for UFC Fresno—
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Main Card (FOX Sports 1)
#1 Brian Ortega vs. Cub Swanson
Despite being the better striker and more well-rounded fighter as compared to Ortega, Swanson’s age coupled with his wear-and-tear showed on fight-night.
Ortega simply seemed faster, and more agile than Swanson; beating the latter to every strike and grappling initiative. ‘T-City’ locked in the Guillotine Choke in the second round of their main event matchup which was scheduled to go 5, ending the fight by way of a nasty submission.
Swanson didn’t get a chance to showcase any of his flashy striking skills in this fight. On the other hand, Ortega impressed one and all, potentially earning a shot at reigning UFC Featherweight kingpin Max Holloway. One ought to note that Ortega’s striking defence, timing and rhythm seemed vastly improved in the matchup against Swanson, as compared to his previous appearances inside the Octagon.
Result: Brian Ortega def. Cub Swanson via Submission (Guillotine Choke) (Round 2, 3:22)
#2 Gabriel Benitez vs. Jason Knight
This may very well go down as MMA’s own ‘bite fight’.
Knight bit Benitez’s fingers, and was deducted a point for the same. Regardless, Benitez was the better fighter overall, and scored the upset win over Knight in the co-headliner of the evening.
Benitez controlled the pace of this matchup, and kept Knight at bay throughout. All aspects of the fight were thoroughly dominated by Benitez; enough to sway the judges in his favour.
Result: Gabriel Benitez def. Jason Knight via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-27)
#3 Marlon Moraes vs. Aljamain Sterling
Moraes scored a KO of the year candidate, by turning Sterling into a statue inside the Octagon; courtesy a hellacious knee.
Moraes connected with a picture-perfect knee on Sterling’s chin, putting the latter to sleep in dramatic fashion, as fans and experts alike were worried about ‘Aljo’s’ well-being immediately following the fight.
Sterling’s whole body froze up instantly after getting hit by the knee, and there really wasn’t much else which transpired in this fight. Regardless, Sterling and the UFC later announced that he is indeed alright after the nasty-looking knockout loss. On the other hand, Moraes has now proven himself as a top contender in the UFC Bantamweight division.
Result: Marlon Moraes def. Aljamain Sterling via KO (Knee) (Round 1, 1:07)
#4 Scott Holtzman vs. Darrell Horcher
Scott and Darrell engaged in a grinding matchup, which as expected, led to the former edging this bout on the scorecards.
Scott dictated where this fight took place, and seized momentum at every turn. He never gave the reigns of the bout’s rhythm to Darrell, and dominated all departments of this showdown.
In the end, the judges scored this fight for Scott Holtzman, and rightfully so.
Result: Scott Holtzman def. Darrell Horcher via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
#5 Eryk Anders vs. Markus Perez
Anders dominated this fight, and simply was the better fighter overall.
Although Perez tried his best to push the pace throughout, Anders never gave him the room to capitalize on the traditional kickboxing movements and combinations. Anders stifled Perez’s offence, and that was seemingly enough to convince the judges to score this bout in his favour.
Result: Eryk Anders def. Markus Perez via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-25, 29-28)
#6 Benito Lopez vs. Albert Morales
This bout between Lopez and Morales didn’t see much offence or action from either side.
Lopez outworked Morales—most of which seemed rather lumbering. The striking in this matchup was rudimentary, and neither fighter seized the moment to showcase the full extent of their respective skill-set.
The bout ended with Lopez likely having out-pointed Morales, and the judges agreed with the same notion.
Result: Benito Lopez def. Albert Morales via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 1)
#1 Alexis Davis vs. Liz Carmouche
This was yet another match on this card which saw little to no action from either side.
The crowd in attendance grew increasingly impatient as this bout progressed. Both Davis and Carmouche seem to have lost a step, and looked sloppy with their striking inside the Octagon.
Davis seemed to have a slight edge in the proceedings, and the judges ultimately scored the bout in her favor.
Result: Alexis Davis def. Liz Carmouche via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
#2 Andre Soukhamthath vs. Luke Sanders
This matchup was fairly exciting, and saw Andre Soukhamthath decimate Luke Sanders.
Andre gauged the distance well in Round 1, and continued his great timing and distance management in the ensuing round as well. He caught Sanders with a few good combinations and finished off the fight with a barrage of punches.
Result: Andre Soukhamthath de. Luke Sanders via TKO (Punches) (Round 2, 1:06)
#3 Alex Perez vs. Carls John de Tomas
Perez was a step ahead of De Tomas all through the fight.
Perez dominated the exchanges on the feet, as he did on the mat. Although De Tomas seemed to be getting his timing and rhythm down, Perez slapped on an Anaconda Choke for the victory in the second round.
One ought to note that Perez showcased incredible poise and composure en route to the submission. In the sense that, Perez didn’t force the submission by any means. Instead, he simply followed the cardinal rules of BJJ and scored the win.
Result: Alex Perez def. Carls John de Tomas via Submission (Anaconda Choke) (Round 2, 1:54)
#4 Frankie Saenz vs. Merab Dvalishvili
Saenz seemed to have improved his porous striking in this matchup.
Nevertheless, his timing and distance still seemed to have a few holes. Dvalishvili seemed to have great movement but coasted a ton, which in turn may have cost him this fight.
Saenz edged this fight simply on the basis of not being on cruise control, as opposed to Dvalishvili. The judges scored the fight for Saenz in the end.
Result: Frankie Saenz def. Merab Dvalishvili via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
#1 Alejandro Perez vs. Iuri Alcantara
Perez’s freshness and youth showed on fight night against the veteran Alcantara.
Perez dominated the striking and was cautious wherever this fight went. Although Alcantara had his moments throughout the fight, this was Perez’s for the taking.
Ultimately, Perez did enough for the judges to score the bout in his favor.
Result: Alejandro Perez def. Iuri Alcantara via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
#2 Davi Ramos vs. Chris Gruetzemacher
Ramos controlled the pace of this matchup, with Gruetzemacher showing off a few slick maneuvers sporadically.
Nevertheless, Ramos showcased a well-rounded MMA skill-set in this fight. Ramos seized momentum and didn’t get fazed by his foe’s antics.
In the third and final round, Ramos saw an opening and capitalized on it big-time, as he trounced his opponent with a rear naked choke.
Result: Davi Ramos def. Chris Gruetzemacher via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) (Round 3, 0:50)
#3 Trevin Giles vs. Antonio Braga Neto
Giles showcased excellent boxing skills in this matchup against Neto.
The fighter may have surprised by an expert not only by letting go of his hands in slick fashion, but also with his patience and composure throughout the boxing exchanges. In the end, Giles’ expert pugilism was simply too much for Neto to handle.
Result: Trevin Giles def. Antonio Braga Neto via KO (Punches) (Round 3, 2:27)
