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UFC Fight Night 143: Cejudo vs Dillashaw saw the beginning of a new era in the UFC. UFC started their 5-year television contract with ESPN.
The main event was a huge fight between UFC Bantamweight Champion TJ Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo for the UFC Flyweight Championship. Dillashaw went down to Flyweight to face him, knowing that if he won, he would become a double Champion in two different divisions simultaneously.
In the co-main event, Greg Hardy will face Allen Crowder in his debut fight in the UFC. Elsewhere on the card, Joseph Benavidez will face Dustin Ortiz, and Paige VanZant will face Rachel Ostovich.
Preliminary Card
Lightweight: Donald Cerrone vs Alexander Hernandez - Results: Donald Cerrone defeated Alexander Hernandez via TKO (Round 2, 3 minutes and 43 seconds)
Women's Flyweight: Joanne Calderwood vs Ariane Lipski - Results: Joanne Calderwood vs Ariane Lipski via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
Light Heavyweight: Alonzo Menifield vs Vinicius Moreira - Results: Alonzo Menifield defeated Vinicius Moreira via TKO (Round 1, 3 minutes and 56 seconds)
Bantamweight: Mario Bautista vs Cory Sandhagen - Results: Cory Sandhagen defeated Mario Bautista via Submission (Armbar, Round 1, 3 minutes and 31 seconds)
Early Preliminary Card
Lightweight: Dennis Bermudez vs Te Edwards - Results: Dennis Bermudez defeated Te Edwards via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Welterweight: Belal Muhammad vs.Geoff Neal - Results: Geoff Neal defeated Belal Muhammad via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Welterweight: Chance Rencountre vs Kyle Stewart - Results: Chance Rencountre defeated Kyle Stewart via Submission (Rear Naked Choke, Round 1, 2 minutes and 25 seconds)
#1 Light Heavyweight: Glover Teixeira vs Karl Roberson
Round 1: Karl Roberson and Glover Teixeira faced off in a fight that neither fighter had time to prepare for. The two faced off, and Teixeira went for the level change and tried for a takedown. Unfortunately for him, Roberson took advantage and hit him with elbows knocking Teixeira down, and then went for the Ground and Pound.
Teixeira closed the distance on the ground but was almost knocked out. Teixeira got up and took Roberson down, and mounted him instead of going for the Ground and Pound himself and an Arm Triangle.
Teixeira put Roberson in a tight Arm Triangle, and that was it. Roberson tapped out.
Results: Glover Teixeira defeated Karl Roberson via Submission (Arm Triangle, Round 1, 3 minutes and 21 seconds)
#2 Women's Flyweight: Paige VanZant vs Rachael Ostovich
Round 1: VanZant started off big, with two leg kicks, and right high kick. However, Ostovich absorbs them and gets the takedown on VanZant. The referee had to break them out when there was not enough action.
Ostovich immediately hit a huge right hand, right into a takedown. Ostovich seemed to have the advantage in the early going of the fight. The two struggled on the ground, but VanZant maintained her guard, not allowing Ostovich to get the lock-in.
Paige rolled over and managed to get Ostovich's knee in an almost knee-bar. Ostovich got out and got VanZant back on the ground in an almost armbar.
Round 2: VanZant and Ostovich exchanged a few kicks, but Ostovich hit a good punch, and into the takedown. However, VanZant took Ostovich down, and tried for a Rear Naked Choke but got a back-mount instead. She pounded on Ostovich, and then in an angle, VanZant and Ostovich's weight were both on Ostovich's right elbow.
That was it, Ostovich tapped and the fight ended.
Results: Paige VanZant defeated Rachel Ostovich via Submission (Armbar, Round 2, 1 minute and 50 seconds)
#3 Flyweight: Joseph Benavidez vs Dustin Ortiz
Round 1: Benavidez started off hard and early, with a couple of big low kicks on Ortiz. The two exchanged blows, and Benavidez threw a nice left. Ortiz came out and hit a big shot to the head of Benavidez, but found himself in a Guillotine instead.
Benavidez started choking out Ortiz with the Guillotine, but Ortiz was able to wiggle out. Ortiz knocked down Benavidez with a body shot, but he got right back up. The two scrambled on the mat with neither getting the advantage. Beautiful action by both fighters in Round 1!
Ortiz hit a big kick, but it left him open, and Benavidez hit a brilliant left hand and the two went to ground. The two ended the first round well.
Round 2: The two maintained more distance at the beginning of the second round. The two finally closed distance as Benavidez tried for a Single Leg takedown, and Ortiz countered with short punches. The two went to ground and got right back up.
Ortiz took Benavidez down and tried to get his back. Instead, Benavidez took his back and the two ended up getting back on their feet. An extremely equal fight so far.
Benavidez hit Ortiz with two lefts, and the two clinched against the cage. Ortiz took Benavidez down, and attempted a Rear Naked Choke but could not cinch it in.
Round 3: Benavidez got a big takedown on Ortiz, but Ortiz tried to elbow him. A transition by both fighters saw an excellent display of mat wrestling. Ortiz accidentally elbowed Benavidez twice on the back of the head. Benavidez got a body triangle in and looked for a Rear Naked Choke.
Benavidez retained control for a long while, but Ortiz got back to his feet. Benavidez kept his back and took him down again. The grappling exchanges between the two were brilliant to see. The round came to an end with Benavidez in control.
Results: Joseph Benavidez defeated Dustin Ortiz via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
#4 Lightweight: Gregor Gillespie vs Yancy Medeiros
Round 1: Gregor Gillespie and Yancy Medeiros faced each other inside the Octagon in a fight where Gillespie kept trying to go back to wrestling Medeiros.
Gillespie kept the back of Medeiros and kept rolling him around and tried to keep him down on the mat. Medeiros, on the other hand, kept getting up.
Gillespie locked in the Body Triangle, but he got back up. Medeiros had no way to get some breathing room, as Gillespie's locks were like a dead man's grasp.
Round 2: Gillespie stayed back on Medeiros back not giving him any space whatsoever. Medeiros tried to stop the offence but in the last two minutes of the round, Gillespie hit him with a few amazing knees.
Gillespie ended round 2 by pounding on Medeiros, and at the very end of the round, the referee had to stop the fight.
Results: Gregor Gillespie defeated Yancy Medeiros via TKO (Round 2, 4 minutes and 59 seconds)
#5 Heavyweight: Greg Hardy vs Allen Crowder
Round 1: Greg Hardy started fast and good in his UFC debut against Allen Crowder. Shot after shot on Crowder saw him in trouble, but thankfully for Crowder, his chin held up.
Crowder suddenly took advantage and took Hardy down. Hardy tried to get out with elbows to the back of Crowder.
Hardy reversed and took Crowder to the cage. Crowder looked to get a submission in, but Crowder hit a good elbow from the bottom that shook Hardy.
Round 2: Hardy seemed to slow down a bit, but Crowder trash-talked Greg Hardy and came out throwing huge fists.
Hardy had a good defence but then he threw a huge knee to Crowder when he was already on the ground. That was an illegal shot!
Referee shouted that he would disqualify Greg Hardy if Crowder could not continue, and he could not, so the fight came to an end.
You can read more about it here and here.
Results: Allen Crowder defeated Greg Hardy via Disqualification (Illegal Knee, Round 2, 2 minutes 28 seconds)
#6 Flyweight: Henry Cejudo (c) vs TJ Dillashaw
Round 1: Henry Cejudo and TJ DIllashaw started off throwing the shots fast and strong. Dillashaw was not ready for Cejudo to come out swinging in the way that he did, and got knocked down with multiple shots to the face.
Henry Cejudo was able to take advantage of him not being ready and hit him with multiple shots to the face, as well as a leg-kick to the chin of TJ Dillashaw. The refree called a stop to the fight immediately.
TJ Dillashaw had dropped a huge amount of weight to make the fight at Flyweight. He was hoping that he would make the weight and he did. The UFC Bantamweight Champion wanted to fight and win the UFC Flyweight Championship, but it was not to be.
Dillashaw protested the stoppage, but the fight was over.
Henry Cejudo challenged Dillashaw to a rematch at 135 for the UFC Bantamweight Title.
Results: Henry Cejudo defeated TJ Dillashaw via TKO (Round 1, 34 Seconds)
