UFC on FOX 18: Johnson vs Bader – live results, discussion, play by play

Live results and blow-by-blow updates for tonight’s UFC on FOX 18 card starring light-heavyweights Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Ryan “Darth” Bader.

The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey is the setting for UFC on FOX 18: Johnson vs. Bader, and Bloody Elbow will be churning out live and detailed results of the action from start to finish.

Upper echelon 205-pounders Anthony Johnson and Ryan Bader are set to squabble in the main event while battle-hardened heavyweights Josh Barnett and Ben Rothwell duke it out in the penultimate clash. Rounding out the four-fight featured card are bantamweights Iuri Alcantara and Jimmie Rivera along with rising welterweight Sage Northcutt taking on the scrappy Bryan Barberena.

A six-fight ensemble on Fox Sports 1, captained by an intriguing welterweight match-up pitting Jake Ellenberger vs. Tarec Saffiedine, will precede the main card on Fox. Live results and play-by-play will commence with the event’s opening trio of bouts on UFC Fight Pass. The full lineup and schedule follows. Check out this week’s MMA Vivisection for detailed analysis, predictions and betting odds for each skirmish.

Main Card
(FOX channel, 8 p.m. ET)

Anthony Johnson vs. Ryan Bader
Josh Barnett vs. Ben Rothwell
Iuri Alcantara vs. Jimmie Rivera
Bryan Barberena vs. Sage Northcutt

Preliminary Card
(Fox Sports 1, 5 p.m. ET)

Jake Ellenberger vs. Tarec Saffiedine

R1: Saffiedine lands a crisp left body kick. Ellenberger’s forward movement causes a clinch and he glances with some dirty boxing before separating. Saffiedine switching stances but he settles on southpaw. Ellenberger shield blocks another left body kick. Saffiedine slips a right and grazes with a counter left. Ellenberger comes up just short on a hook/cross combo.

Outside low kick lands for Saffiedine, who blasts another left kick into Ellenberger’s forearms. Ellenberger fakes a clinch and catches Saffiedine off guard with a stinging right hand, and it staggers Saffiedine briefly. Ellenberger vaults back into range with both hands whirring as Saffiedine circles away. They trade lefts and Ellenberger closes with a glancing right. 10-9 Ellenberger for the big right hand.

R2: Saffiedine pops Ellenberger with a quick right. Ellenberger looking for clinch entries when Saffiedine’s footwork doesn’t propel him out of range. Saffiedine with a left body kick and a snapping jab to back Ellenberger off. Saffiedine spending more time on his bike in this round, steering well clear of Ellenberger’s power with an endless array of defensive angles.

Saffiedine lands a low kick and sidesteps an Ellenberger flurry. Now it’s a right body kick for Saffiedine, whose movement is opening up opportunities. Saffiedine goes for a single leg but bails on it to fire a left. They collide in the clinch and Saffiedine apologizes after landing a knee below the belt. Ellenberger doesn’t take the full five and we restart with Saffiedine snapping off two kicks to the body. Ellenberger gets a takedown in the final seconds but can’t keep position. 10-9 Saffiedine.

R3:

Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Diego Ferreira

R1: Ferreira prods with low kicks and long front kicks in the center of the cage. Aubin-Mercier gets on the board with a stout kick to the midsection. Lead uppercut is there for Aubin-Mercier, who pushes Ferreira away on the clinch exchange. Clean counter right lands for Ferreira. Aubin-Mercier deflects a Ferreira kick and lands a low kick to the thigh. Ferreira lands a short right, then, in sequence, catches Aubin-Mercier with a clean spinning back fist.

Aubin-Mercier catches a kick but can’t capitalize, again separating from the clinch. Another left round kick to the ribs for Aubin-Mercier. Inside low kick glances for Ferreira but he bobs Aubin-Mercier’s head back with a left. Aubin-Mercier grazes with a left high kick and a one-two. They clinch and trade knees to the body with a minute left. Aubin-Mercier pushes Ferreira to the cage but opts to disengage and reset. Ferreira glances with a knee to the body on his way into the clinch and lands a left on the break. 10-9 Ferreira.

R2: They trade quick combos and take turns getting the better of the first two exchanges. Aubin-Mercier clinches and looks for a single leg but Ferreira defends and darts out of range. Ferreira flashes his hands to set up a slapping right high kick to the face. Aubin-Mercier shoots for a single leg and drives Ferreira to the cage. Aubin-Mercier hits a quick trip but Ferreira pops back to his feet and separates, heaving a three-piece combo on the reset.

Hard right kick to the body lands for Ferreira, then a counter right. Aubin-Mercier clinches and Ferreira shakes him off with a counter whizzer throw attempt. Aubin-Mercier glances with a left body kick, then goes high with a kick and it’s half-blocked. Aubin-Mercier lands a solid left hand, then a right uppercut. Decent string of combos late in the round from Aubin-Mercier. 10-9 Ferreira.

R3: Ferreira glances with a punch and lands an inside low kick. Aubin-Mercier with a left body kick, then a lead uppercut. Aubin-Mercier shoots a double and, despite the counter knee to the body from Ferreira, finishes it. Ferreira is quickly back to his feet but Aubin-Mercier dumps him with an outside trip. Ferreira reverses position fluidly, ending up on top in the scramble, then flows into back mount with both hooks in.

Elegant Jiu-Jitsu from Ferreira, who’s now looking for the mata leao. Aubin-Mercier spins into him and Ferreira lands a volley of heavy forearms. Half-nelson from Ferreira to maintain back control and to pull Aubin-Mercier away from the cage. Ferreira switches to a body triangle and maintains control until the horn sounds. 10-9 Ferreira. I have it 30-27 his way.

Kevin Casey vs. Rafael Natal

R1: Casey closes the distance and Natal circles away while forming counters. Casey has a big left high kick blocked. Casey slips a clean left through, then another, prompting Natal to shoot. Casey defends and circles off the fence with a single leg. Natal keeps his balance and yanks his leg out, looking to circle off with a strong right whizzer. Casey peels Natal’s left arm open with wrist control and lands a knee to his exposed midsection.

Natal carves a sharp exit angle to separate. Natal switching stances. No dice on Casey’s one-two and uppercut. Natal holds his ground and pops him with a right, then completes a blast double. Casey works back to his feet from an open guard somewhat easily, then catches Natal off-guard with a double leg. Natal gives up his back to regain his footing, then separates. Natal ducks under a looping left but Casey defends the level change and pushes him away. Casey lands a lead uppercut, then chases Natal down, landing two more clean rights, but Natal plants his feet and wallops Casey with a right hand, and it makes him take a seat. The last-second but legit knockdown steals the round for Natal at 10-9.

R2: Natal opens with an inside low kick that connects squarely with Casey’s cup. We pause for the obligatory nut-shot recovery. Casey doesn’t take the full five and the fight is restarted to the tune of a Natal right that staggers Casey. Natal swarms his rubbery-legged opponent and hits an easy takedown. Casey closes his guard and controls posture to catch a breather. Natal passes to half guard and lands a few short lefts to the face. Casey boots Natal away to create enough space to stand back up.

Casey lands an uppercut from the clinch; a knee to the body is the answer from Natal, who circles off the fence and scores with some dirty boxing on the clinch break. Inside low kick lands for Natal. Casey tries to catch the next kick lazily, then over-commits with his forward movement and walks into a Natal takedown. Closed guard for Casey as Natal looks for openings with hammer-fists. They come in bunches during the final seconds of the round to end a dominant round for Natal. 10-9 Natal.

R3: Natal uses his hand-speed advantage to keep Casey on his heels. Casey lumbers forward with a labored right hand that Natal easily sidesteps. Natal baits Casey forward and then hits a duck-under takedown. Open guard for Casey and Natal steps over into half guard. Casey closes the half guard and Natal grapevines his legs and throws right hands. Casey flat on his back with no hip movement. He tries to buck Natal off but Natal gets in arm-triangle position, then bails on it to pass to mount. Natal hammers down punches mercilessly until the ref waves it off.

Dustin Ortiz vs. Wilson Reis

R1: Ortiz pesters from outside with low kicks and one-twos. Reis glances with a left high kick. Ortiz scores with a rear-leg teep to the body. Inside low kick for Reis. Ortiz clinches, then grazes with a right on the break. This time Ortiz glances with a high kick, then he again clinches up only to separate and score with his hands. Reis sneaks in a counter right.

Reis punches his way into the clinch, then changes levels for a single leg. Ortiz goes down momentarily but he’s back up quickly. Reis chops his footing out with an outside trip but Ortiz escapes and lands a right body kick in open space. They trade short lefts upstairs. Ortiz catches a kick but can’t capitalize. Ortiz stuffs a double leg attempt and lands a hard knee to the body. Smooth level change for Ortiz on a single leg but Reis counters and gets in the rear waist lock. Reis completes the takedown as the horn sounds. 10-9 Ortiz.

R2: Reis finds Ortiz’s chin with a short counter right and they trade body kicks. Ortiz shoots and Reis shuts him down with a powerful front headlock before separating. Ortiz grazes with a Superman punch, then goes to the kimura hold to counter a Reis takedown attempt. Reis slithers around to his back and looks for a takedown from the rear waist cinch. Ortiz spins to face him and separates, landing a body kick on the break. Switch low kick glances for Reis and Ortiz answers by firing a shot down the middle that lands.

Ortiz jams a Reis kick with a clinch entry and Reis hits a trip but Ortiz pops back up and separates. Ortiz gets deep on the hips of Reis on the reset but Reis defends and finishes a counter double leg. Ortiz bounces back up to his feet and separates. Reis times a takedown on an Ortiz kick and finishes it, then snakes into back control with both hooks in. Reis threads his forearm under the neck of Ortiz, who hand-fights the choke attempt. Reis transitions into an armbar in the closing seconds and nearly gets it. 10-9 Reis.

R3: They start the final frame trading crisp shots. Ortiz sneaks a straight right in. They clinch and Reis again seemingly teleports to back control though he can’t secure any hooks. Ortiz tries to spin into him but Reis off-balances him, then moves to back control. Ortiz is slippery and able to escape and separate. Glancing counter left from Reis. Ortiz answers in kind though his was slightly cleaner.

Reis flashes his hands to set up a clinch entry, then gets the waist lock and grounds Ortiz with a trip. Ortiz pops back up but Reis slams him down authoritatively. Ortiz is back up with Reis firmly attached. Reis with an uncanny ability to slip under Ortiz’s arm to get the rear waist lock. Ortiz separates briefly but Reis stays on him, pursuing a double leg and finishing it. Now Reis slithers to full mount, then takes the back of Ortiz with both hooks in. Reis flattens him out and bombards left hands off the wing block of Ortiz. 10-9 Reis. I have it 29-28 Reis.

George Sullivan vs. Alexander Yakovlev

R1: Yakovlev chips away with hard body and low kicks from southpaw. Yakovlev catches a Sullivan kick and converts it into a takedown. Sullivan gets back to his feet and Yakovlev keeps him on the cage. Sullivan cross-faces to create space and separate. Yakovlev changes levels on the reset and puts Sullivan on his back, quickly scrambling to side mount. Knee-on-belly to full mount for Yakovlev and Sullivan gives up his back while escaping.

Yakovlev gets up with Yakovlev in tow with the rear waist lock, landing round knees to the body. Sullivan is able to slip away and separate. Counter left kick lands to the body for Yakovlev, followed by a low kick. Sullivan answers in kind but gets laid out flat by a scorching right hand from Yakovlev. No follow-up shots are necessary.

Alexander Yakovlev defeats George Sullivan by KO (punch) R1 3:59

Alex Caceres vs. Masio Fullen

R1: Caceres flings out a few long right kicks from outside, then digs a left roundhouse kick to the body. Sharp inside low kick lands for Caceres and the fighters tough gloves after a near clash of heads on the exchange. Caceres continues the kicking onslaught with a spinning and front kick. Fullen gets on the board with a left hook. Caceres with another sharp left kick to the ribs. And another kick slips under Fullen’s right arm and into the ribs. Inside low kick from Caceres is half-checked.

Fullen glances with a spinning kick to the body. Caceres lands a front-leg side kick to the body and Fullen glances with a pretty left high kick. Caceres continues to walk Fullen into corners, chambering off kicks. Now it’s a flashy tornado kick from Caceres; it glances but he tags Fullen with a left in the exchange. Fullen counter clinches and Caceres hits an outside trip; Fullen pops back up. Glancing left knee upstairs from Caceres, then another to the body on the break. Fullen comes up just short on a heavy right counter. 10-9 Caceres.

R2: Fullen opens with a right, then lands a spinning left kick to the body. Caceres attacks in opposites with a left high kick and a right outside low kick to the thigh. Caceres glances with a left down the middle. Two short punches land for Caceres, who’s still pressuring Fullen incessantly. A left roundhouse kick low sets up a nice right roundhouse kick up high for “Bruce Leroy.”

Fullen charges with a 1-2-2 and lands the latter of the bunch. Caceres plants a heavy left knee to the solar plexus, drawing a grimace from Fullen. Caceres forces a clinch and lands a round knee to the thigh, then a left knee to the ribs. Caceres darts in with a left kick and darts out of range before Fullen can counter. Fullen scores on the next exchange but Caceres keeps pouring on the methodical aggression with another right/left kick combo. 10-9 Caceres.

R3: Caceres sidesteps Fullen’s opening barrage but eats a counter right on the reset. Inside low kick is good for Caceres, who then grazes with an uppercut. Caceres glances with a left kick to the body, then lands a flashy 360-degree low kick. Caceres loses his balance flinging a question mark kick and digests a left upstairs on the next exchange.

Glancing counter right lands for Fullen. No dice on Caceres’s spinning kick. Caceres lands a knee downstairs from a quick single collar tie, then sneaks a kick through Fullen’s defense. Fullen keeps him honest by plugging him with a straight left. Caceres is swarming Fullen with a calculating grace, unfurling kick after kick and mixing up his hands and throwing knees at close range. 10-9 Caceres. I have it 30-27 his way.

Fight Pass Prelims
(UFC Fight Pass, 3:30 p.m. ET)

Randy Brown vs. Matt Dwyer

R1: Dwyer opens with an outside low kick. Brown glances with a counter left hook. Another light outside low kick for Dwyer. Brown half-checks the next one. Rear-leg teep lands to the body for Brown. Dwyer heaves a big right over the top but it looked like Brown blocked it. Brown has a left high kick blocked and glances with a counter left.

Inside low kick lands for Dwyer but his next low kick is checked. Another glancing teep to the body from Brown, followed by a blocked left high kick. Dwyer chips in another low kick and Brown whiffs on a spinning kick. Dwyer with another short outside low kick. 10-9 Dwyer.

R2: Dwyer wheels out a pair of sweeping kicks from range but it’s the outside low kick that connects. Now another inside for Dwyer, who clinches up and puts Brown on the fence. They trade positions on the fence with Brown ending up on the outside. Dwyer reverses position and they trade knees to the body. The ref separates them. Dwyer lands an outside low kick and dodges two high kicks from Brown. Two low kicks for Dwyer.

Brown snaps his head back with a long right. They clinch and trade knees with Brown landing the harder shots before putting Dwyer on the fence. Brown nails a beautiful hip throw and transitions to a D’arce choke as Dwyer turtles. Brown bails on it and Dwyer gets back to his feet. Brown keeps him on the cage though Dwyer’s working a counter single to circle off the cage. Dwyer switches to a double leg and Brown defends the first attempt but succumbs to the second. Brown gets back on his feet quickly, landing downward elbows to both sides of Dwyer’s head. 10-9 Brown.

R3: Brown pressures behind a pair of long, snapping right hands. Brown keeps his momentum and clinches but Dwyer nearly takes his back in the transition. Brown ditches a hook and returns the favor by slipping behind Dwyer with the waist lock, then he hops on his back with one hook in. Dwyer shakes him off and glances with a right as they separate. Dwyer bleeding from his left eye as commentator Joe Rogan insists that Brown poked Dwyer in the eye, then claims it was a punch. Now Brown lands a knee below the belt in the clinch and we pause while Dwyer recovers.

Brown lands a counter knee, then ducks Dwyer’s right hand and attacks his hips. Dwyer looks to reverse it but Brown ends up on top in the scramble, again hunting for a D’arce choke as Dwyer turtles and looks for a counter single. Dwyer peels his head out and shoots a single leg that Brown stuffs before spiking down an elbow to the temple. Dwyer tries a sloppy lateral drop and Brown ends up on top; Dwyer scrambles free and they close the round trading leather in the clinch. 10-9 Brown. I have it 29-28 Brown.

Damon Jackson vs. Levan Makashvili

R1: Jackson comes out busy with his hands but doesn’t land much. Jackson whiffs a right high kick over the head of Makashvili, who flings an inside low kick. More forward pressure from Jackson behind a busy jab. Jackson clinches and locks his hands in the over-under. Makashvili circles off the fence with an under-hook but Jackson follows suit to reverse position again. Short up-knee to the ribs from Makashvili. They trade knees to the body, Makashvili’s back still on the fence. The ref breaks them up.

Makashvili glances with a right and follows with a heavy left hook. Jackson shoots again but ends up putting Makashvili on the cage wall. Jackson forces a high-crotch attempt until Makashvili lands a volley of short left uppercuts to dissuade him. Makashvili goes back to the short lefts as Jackson clings to a double-leg that’s not there. 10-9 Makashvili.

R2: Jackson continues to stalk and jab at a fairly fervent pace. Makashvili doubles up on left kicks to the body, landing both, then glances with a left hook. Jackson rushes him with a takedown attempt but Makashvili stuffs in double under-hooks to keeps his balance, then separates into open space. Makashvili wings a right and shoots a halfhearted single leg.

Jackson forces another clinch and puts Makashvili on the fence. Over-under for Makashvili to force a stalemate on the cage. Short knee to the ribs from Makashvili before they’re separated. They trade jabs on the reset. Makashvili catches a lazy kick and glances with a pair of rights to the face. Jackson, determined to stay in contact range, puts Makashvili back on the cage and holds him there. Jackson is warned for grabbing the fence. Jackson separates long enough to whiff with a right hand. 10-10.

R3: The roles reverse as Makashvili forces a clinch and Jackson lands a counter knee to the body. Jackson circles off the cage but keeps Makashvili there, throwing the occasionally ineffective knee. The ref is all over the lulls in action and separates them. Makashvili hits a duck-under single leg on the reset but backs out after Jackson counters with a guillotine. Makashvili peppers with kicks from range.

Jackson corners him and ties up but Makashvili circles off the fence in pursuit of a double leg, completing it after a short struggle. Jackson looks for the switch as Makashvili pinches the knees together to prevent the escape. Jackson gets to his feet but eats a clearly intentional knee to the head while his hand was still posted. We pause to sort it out, however, Makashvili accidentally pokes Jackson in the eye on the restart. The ref takes a point for “the knee to the head and the eye poke.” We restart with 45 seconds left and Makashvili is trying to make up for the point loss with aggressive combos but he can only manage a takedown in the waning seconds. 10-9 Makashivili, making it 9-9 with the point deduction. I have it 29-27 Makashvili.

Tony Martin vs. Felipe Olivieri

R1: Olivieri touches him with a probing outside low kick. Olivieri torques off another outside low kick and it sweeps Martin’s footing out. Another hard outside low kick from Olivieri as Martin forces a clinch. Martin gets in high-crotch position and hoists Olivieri up and onto the canvas but he’s back on his feet quickly. Martin gets a body lock to keep Olivieri on the fence and switches to a single leg, then another high-crotch attempt — all to no avail.

The ref separates them with two minutes on the clock. Olivieri crushes Martin’s leg with another outside low kick and he falls into a desperation double leg upon impact. Olivieri gets a wide base to defend the takedown and spikes down an elbow to the head. Olivieri circles off the fence and lands a knee to the body before Martin reattaches. Olivieri goes to the Thai plum to circle off the fence and throws a low kick and a right hand as soon as he’s free. 10-9 Olivieri.

R2: Olivieri lands a low kick and glances with a long jab. Now Olivieri tacks on a right cross and it gets through, and it’s followed by a pair of low kicks. Martin responds with a solid outside low kick to the thigh. Olivieri answers in kind. Olivieri goes inside with the kick and shells on Martin’s counter punch. Martin lands a long jab and grazes with a right. Olivieri stuffs two jabs in his sternum and thwacks him with another low kick.

Martin fires a clean right and glances on a follow-up combination. Olivieri blocks a heavy right horizontal elbow but it lands with a thud. Olivieri lands a jab downstairs. Olivieri has a cut over his left eye and suddenly looks to be plodding around the cage, exhausted. 10-9 Martin.

R3: Martin comes out prodding with jabs and short left hooks. Olivieri cracks him with an outside low kick, then one inside. Double hook and cross combo from Martin. Olivieri fakes low and glances with a right upstairs. Olivieri goes to the left body kick and catches Martin hard in the ribs, then lands a strong jab. Martin ducks under the next jab and gets the waist lock, putting Olivieri on the cage. Slick outside foot sweep for Martin, who lands in half guard with Olivieri sitting up on the fence.

Olivieri goes on his right hip and hand-fights but allows Martin to take back control with one hook in. Olivieri rolls with Martin in tow but Martin quits fighting for the second hook and switches to the rear-naked choke, encircling Olivieri’s unprotected neck and catching him by surprise. Olivieri fights it off briefly, then goes out.