UFC 226: Miocic vs. Cormier prelims live results, discussion, PBP

Live, blow-by-blow updates for today’s UFC 226 main card from Vegas, which is highlighted by a superfight for the heavyweight title. Join us today on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring, and play-by-play as UFC 226 goe…

Live, blow-by-blow updates for today’s UFC 226 main card from Vegas, which is highlighted by a superfight for the heavyweight title.

Join us today on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring, and play-by-play as UFC 226 goes down in Las Vegas.

The main event is a superfight, with heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic putting his belt on the line against light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier.

The co-main was supposed to be a featherweight title fight, but will now feature fellow heavyweights with Francis Ngannou facing off with Derrick Lewis.

This post will cover the preliminary card. The show will kick off with two Fight Pass fights starting at 7pm ET. Then things will move to FS1 for the televised prelims for four more fights starting at 8pm ET. The full lineup and schedule follows. The main card will be covered in a separate post.

Check out this week’s MMA Vivisection for predictions, analysis and betting odds on the each matchup.

Raphael Assuncao vs. Rob Font

Round 1 – Assuncao with a low kick. Font responds in kind. Slow start. Font is trying to counter. He’s pressuring, but Assuncao is avoiding his leg kicks. Assuncao with a big combo that gets Font’s attention. A straight right appears to drop Font, but he might have been off balance. Font with a front kick that missed. Flying knee attempt from Font. Really not a lot of action overall though. 10-9 Assuncao.

Round 2 – Assuncao shoots immediately and got the takedown. Hes in a high half guard for now. Big elbow and just misses with a huge punch that hits the mat. It takes almost half the round for Font to get up. Font tries to set up combinations but keeps getting caught by Assuncao’s quick lefts. Nice combo and a follow-up left from Assuncao. Font tries to walk him down but gets caught with a shot again. Lead right from Assuncao. 10-9 Assuncao.

Round 3 – Font walks down Assuncao early but can’t get off. Assuncao cuts Font down with an inside leg kick. The next punch is apparently ruled an eyepoke, so he gets some time. Marc Goddard is very assertive about essentially nothing. On the restart, Assuncao gets a nice takedown. Font briefly looks for an armbar from the bottom, but Assuncao is spinning around on top and in no danger. He postures up for some punches late, knowing he’s got the fight in his hands. 10-9 and 30-27 Assuncao.

Lando Vannata vs. Drakkar Klose

Round 1 – Klose gets in…well, close. Land a couple of hard knees. Vannata with a spinning back elbow and takes the back. They separate. Outside keg kick from Klose. He gets his own bodylock. Knee to the gut. Vannata rolls out. He catches Klose with a kick and a backfist while Klose advances. Klose with good defensive coverage, handling most of Vannata’s strikes with his arms. He lands a low kick right as Vannata tries to spin. Knee to the body from Klose. Front kick from Vannata lands. Klose keeps tripping Vannata up with low kicks as he tries to do something fancy, Klose catches Vannata spinning and they clinch up. Klose with some knees from the position. They separate with a few seconds left. 10-9 Klose.

Round 2 – Hard shot from Vannata. Klose fires right back. They’re staying in range so far but nothing’s coming of it. Right hook from Vannata. Klose ties him up and lands a short right. Klose with a big elbow in the clinch. Vannata looks for a throw but ends up on his back briefly. Klose with a hard left as Vannata advances. He lands a low kick too as Vannata debates a takedown attempt. Vannata with a long right off of a combination. Vannata briefly attempts a takedown but eats a knee. Klose clubs him with a low kick again. Nice uppercut from Klose. 10-9 Klose.

Round 3 – Vannata with a switch kick and he spins. The backfist doesn’t affect Klose at all though. Short superman punch from Klose lands and he clinches. He’s pressuring for a takedown but Vannata is staying upright. They hang there for a while until the ref separates them with 90 seconds to go. Vannata with a nice single leg and he immediately takes the back. Slick. He gives it up because he’s too high and realized it. Klose with a single now. He turns and finishes it. He only gets Vannata to his butt, but it’s enough for a little bit of control time. 10-9 and 30-27 Klose.

Drakkar Klose defeated Lando Vannata via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Curtis Millender vs. Max Griffin

Round 1 – Griffin bringing it right away. Right, leg kick, and jab. Millender with a jump knee. Long feeling out process. Griffin with an inside leg kick. Griffin with a takedown. He lands a couple of elbows in half. Millender is trying to escape but no dice, and Griffin is making him pay with elbows. Griffin postures up with strikes and he’s in complete control. 10-9 Griffin.

Round 2 – Body kick from Millender. Right from Griffin. They’re both firing off. Millender is trying to set up big shots but he’s not landing a ton. Griffin is working to the inside, but doing a good job of circling out when he sees big shots coming. A knee to the body stops Grtiffin in his tracks. Millender with a night right and Griffin is a little wobbled. He came in and got a takedown. Big shots on the ground, but the horn goes. 10-9 Millender.

Round 3 – Body shot from Millender. Griffin presses for a takedown. Millender with a hard knee. Griffin keeps pressing but gets nowhere. They separate. Griffin with a wide right hook that lands partially. e looks a little gassed. Millender steps up and lands a straight knee. He corners Griffin and lands two hard shots. Knee! Spin but no strike attempt. Griffin ends with a head kick. 10-9 and 29-28 Millender.

Curtis Millender defeated Max Griffin via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Daniel Hooker vs. Gilbert Burns

Round 1 – Hooker with an inside leg kick but Burns cracks him with a right hook. Hooker took it but he might be a little stunned. Burns checks a low kick. Hooker drops Burns with a right! He tries to snatch up a D’Arce choke but Burn escapes. A knee wrecks Burns and he’s out! Dan Hooker is for real!

Daniel Hooker defeats Gilbert Burns via KO (punch), 2:28 of round 1

Jamie Moyle vs. Emily Whitmire

Round 1 – Whitmire is peppering her opponent with short strikes right away. Nice jab. Moyle is responding with combos but no one is landing anything significant early. Whitmire with an inside leg kick. Moyle moving a lot on the outside. Bit of a nothing round so far. They trade low kicks. Body kick from Whitmire. 10-9 Whitmire.

Round 2 – Moyle with a low kick. Whitmire responds in kind. Combo finished with a straight right from Moyle. Moyle clinches and looks for a takedown but Whitmire defends. She goes for her own takedown but Moyle easily defends. Moyle with a right over the top. Whitmire with a good shot but Moyle just eats it and presses. 10-9 Moyle.

Round 3 – Whitmire with a body kick and a nice takedown. She steps out of guard to kick the legs, then jumps back in. She passes to half and tries to land some punches. They have sat in the same position for a long time. She retained full guard late but Whitmire stacks her and lands a big right. Moyle can’t dump her off. Whitmore stands and lands punches. Clearly her round. 10-9 and 29-28 Whitmire.

Emily Whitmire defeated Jamie Moyle via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Here’s the prelims lineup:

FS1 Card (8pm ET)

Uriah Hall vs. Paulo Costa