Live, blow-by-blow updates for today’s UFC 218 preliminary card from Detroit, which is highlighted by a featherweight title rematch.
Join us today on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring, and play-by-play as UFC 218 goes down in Detroit.
The card features a featherweight title fight on top, with Max Holloway looking for a second win over former champ Jose Aldo. The co-main is a titanic heavyweight battle between Alistair Overeem and Francis Ngannou. In fact, every fight on the main card features fighters that are ranked at six or higher in their respective divisions.
This post will cover the main PPV card, which kicks off at 10pm ET/7pm PT and will feature five fights. The full lineup and schedule follows. The preliminary card will be covered in a separate post.
Henry Cejudo vs. Sergio Pettis
Round 1 – Inside leg kick from Pettis. Pettis lands a left, and a jab. Leg kick again. Cejudo starting slow. He shoots in and gets a takedown. Right into side control. Piettis gives up his back. Cejudo with knees to the legs and body. He’s controlling Pettis’ back and landing a few lefts here and there. Pettis got up briefly but was dragged back down. Pettis gets full guard back. Cejudo backs out, then drops a huge right on him. Knees to the body. All Cejudo, 10-9.
Round 2 –
Eddie Alvarez vs. Justin Gaethje
Round 1 – They both land hard leg kicks right away. Gaethje with a right. Alvarez with an uppercut. Eddie with a combo. Gaethje with another couple of leg kicks. Gaethje with a hardcounter. Eddie with a kick. Nice right hook too. Gaethje goes to the body. Again. Alvarez with a jab. Gaethje walking him down and hurts him with another leg kick. Jab from Gaethje. Alcarez with his own leg kick. Combo from Eddie. Another hard leg kick and Eddie looks like he’s limping. Two uppercuts from Alvarez. Two rights from Gaethje. Alvarez catches a kick but can’t put Gaethje down. They trade shots. Body shots from Alvarez. Alvarez goes body/head. Hard combo from Gaethje.Alvarez with three body shots and a right hook to the head. Gaethje is cut beside his left eye. More body shots and a big right from Alvarez. Leg kick from Gaethje. Alcarez with a cartwheel kick! That’s funny. 10-9 Alvarez.
Round 2 – Alvarez with an immediate leg kick. Gaethje with his owns. Quick right from Alvarez. Inside leg kick from Gaethje, Alvarez fires back with his hands. Jab from Gaethje. And again. Chopping leg kick. Reching left hook from Gaethje. Alvarez responds with two rights. Gaethje with a hard right. Alvarez fires back with an uppercut and a left hook. Two uppercuts from Gaethje and a left hook. Bit of a hockey fight now. Alvarez with a step-in knee. Counter shots from Gaethje. Knee to the body from Gaethje, and a leg kick. Another knee. Alvarez with a snappy left. Alvarez with his own knee to the body. Hard combo now, and more body work. Huge left hook! Gaethje eats it. Two more leg kicks from Gaethje. Alvarez forced to switch stances. Three uppercuts from Alvarez, Gaethje with a knee to the body. They trade uppercuts. Elbow from Gaethje. Alvarez with a left. Another big leg kick. More body shots from The Underground King. Alvarez with a big knee and kick! Great round. 10-9 Alvarez.
Round 3 – Gaethje right back to the leg kicks. Eddie fakes a takedown attempt. Alvarez with two jabs. Two hard leg kicks and Alvarez buckles. He had to switch stances again. Alvarez tried to pull guard. Gaethje tells him to get up. Body shot from Gaethje. Few uppercuts from Alvarez. Now one from Gaethje. Knee from Alvarez. Gaethje with another leg kick. Another. Eddie spins and misses. Alvarez spins around to his back and gets Gaethje to his knees. He spins away. Another brutal leg kick. Big uppercut. Another one. Inside leg kick chops Alvarez down again. Uppercut from Alvarez in the clinch. Alvarez looking to clinch. Huge uppercut from Gaethje. One from Eddie. One from Gaethje. What a fight. Big knee from Alvarez and Gaethje is down! He’s finished! WOW!
Eddie Alvarez defeated Justin Gaethje by TKO (knee), 3:59 of round 3
Tecia Torres vs. Michelle Waterson
Round 1 – Head kick from Waterson immediately. Torres presses forward. Waterson takes her back in a scramble. Torres scooted away. Waterson with a kick. She comes in with a right. Leg kick from Waterson. Torres with a combination. Fast hands. They trade knees in close. Torres with two hard elbows. They trade knees again. Torres controlling the clinch work. Waterson exits with a hard left though. Counter left from Torres. More clinch work. Torres with some lefts. Waterson with an oblique kick. Torres bullies her into the cage yet again. Torres with two hard elbows and some punches. 10-9 Torres.
Round 2 – Torres with a right. Nice knee from Torres. Knee to the body and a slick takedown from Waterson. She’s working from half guard, but not getting much done. Torres trying to attack a kimura. Waterson got her arm loose though. Back in full guard. Waterson stacks her up when Torres looks for a triangle. She switched to an armbar, which allowed Waterson to pass to side. Torres got up. Waterson landed two knees. 10-9 Waterson.
Round 3 – Waterson with a body kick. Torres with her own. Waterson landed a right as Torres threw a kick. Waterson looked for a takedown but Torres pushed her into the cage. Torres with a right on the break. Left from Waterson. Waterson with an overhand right. Torres with a counter right. Torres with an elbow and two rights. Waterson’s eye is damaged. Both throwing single shots. Waterson with the right as Torres kicks the body again. Shovel hook from Waterson. Torres pushed her to the ground as she threw a kick. Waterson landed an upkick. Torres took her back but she’s up high. Somehow she managed to flatten Waterson out. Pure strength. She’s landing big shots and Waterson is stuck. Torres stays on her back. Waterson spins into guard, but only 10 seconds to go. 10-9 and 29-28 Torres.
Tecia Torres defeated Michelle Waterson by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Main Card
Francis Ngannou vs. Alistair Overeem