Live, blow-by-blow updates for today’s UFC 234 preliminary card from Melbourne, Australia.
Join us today on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring, and play-by-play as UFC 234 goes down in Melbourne, Australia.
The main event was supposed to see Robert Whittaker defending his UFC middleweight title on home turf against Kelvin Gastelum. Unfortunately Whittaker was scratched at the last second due to a hernia he has to have immediate surgery on. So the new main event of the show will see the legendary Anderson Silva taking on Israel Adesanya.
The prelims featured fight will see Devonte Smith taking on Dong Hyun Ma in a lightweight battle.
This post will cover the preliminary card.
The show kicks off on Fight Pass at approximately 7pm ET with two fights. The card then moves to ESPN at 8pm ET for four more bouts, then onto the main PPV card. 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.
Kai Kara-France vs. Raulian Paiva
Round 1 – Low kicks from both men. Measured start from both men. Kara-France with a big overhand right that knocks Paiva off balance. He lands another one. Paiva looking to jab but he’s coming up short. He scoops a single butcan’t get a takedown. Paiva with a short right that lands. Kara-France with an uppercut. Paiva kicks low and high. Another right scores for Kara-France. Paiva steps in with a right and looks for a takedown, but can’t get it once again. Head kick from Paiva. 10-9 Kara-France.
Round 2 – Kara-France dives on a leg as Paiva threw a kick, but Paiva ended up on top. He’s working from side control. Kara-France scrambles to his feet and lands a left and a right. Kara-France looks for another takedown but can’t get it. Low kicks from both men. Paiva with a 1-2. Kara-France ends up on his back with Paiva standing over him. He lands an upkick and gets up. Kara-France lands a big left. Left uppercut from Paiva on the counter. They trade rights. Hard leg kick from Paiva. Counter left lands for Paiva. Kara-France fires back. Paiva looks for a guillotine at the horn. 10-9 Paiva.
Round 3 – Kara-France wades in with punches but misses. Counter right hook from Paiva. Again. Paiva putting together nice combinations. Left connects for Paiva. Paiva tries to catch a kick and fire back, but he lands a super hard kick directly to the cup. Yikes. Cornuts cam confirms. They get back to it after a couple of minutes and a hard warning for Paiva. Paiva with a left and a nice combo. Kara-France looks for a takedown and gets it. Paiva is up right away though. Big right scores for Paiva. Kara-France goes to the body. Kara-France lands two lefts Paiva walks him down and fires back. Kara-France looks for a takedown and gets it right at the horn. 10-9 and 29-28 Paiva.
Kai Kara-France defeated Raulian Paiva via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Teruto Ishihara vs. Kyung Ho Kang
Round 1 – Kang throwing hands quickly. Ishihara fires back. Kang flurries with punches but Ishihara drops him to a knee with a counter. He looks for a guillotine but Kang gets back up. They go back to fire-fighting. Both men are hurt! Big shots! They reset and the pace slows a bit. Kang goes to the body and lands a big knee to the chin. Uppercut! They’re hockey fighting now, just throwing with no defense! The crowd is fired up. Kang looks for a takedown. He takes the back but he’s up high. He sinks a choke. Ishihara grabs the cage but no one even notices. Ishihara went out and the ref steps in. Great fight.
Kyung Ho Kang defeated Teruto Ishihara via submission (rear naked choke), 3:59 of round 1
Callan Potter vs. Jalin Turner
Round 1 – Potter with an inside leg kick. He presses forward with a right and looks for a takedown. He just pulls guard instead. He attacks an arm, then a leg. Turner gets back up. Turner with two big rights and a body kick and Potter is down! It’s over just like that.
Jalin Turner defeated Callan Potter via KO (punches), :53 of round 1
Wuliji Buren vs. Jonathan Martinez
Round 1 – They trade some low kicks. Buren dives in on a takedown. Martinez has underhooks but Buren still trips him to the mat. He’s working in full guard. Martinez reverses. Buren looking for a guillotine, then a Von Flue choke from the bottom. Martinez ends up on Buren’s back. Things stall out there. 10-9 Martinez.
Round 2 – More low kicks. Jump knee and a body kick from Martinez. Not a lot going on. Buren looking to jab. Martinez looks for a guillotine and falls to his back with it. Buren gets his head out and lands a couple of strikes. Martinez sweeps him again. Buren comes right back and butterfly sweeps his opponent. He takes the back and look for a choke. Martinez scrambles to his feet and gets a bodylock from the back. He drags Buren down and lands a few strkes. He’s looking for a choke but Buren is defending well. Knees to the body. 10-9 Martinez.
Round 3 – Buren with an immediate trip and he goes to mount. He transitions to an armbar and it looks bad, but Martinez survives and ends up on Buren’s back. He lands a few big strikes. He rolls over and takes mount. Now he’s on the back again. Big hammerfists. Buren still trying to scramble out. Martinez goes to his back, but Buren spins into guard. Martinez gets his legs up and uses butterflies to push Buren off. He jumps back on and looks for a guillotine, then an Anaconda. He doesn’t have it and Martinez gets back up. He works a front headlock into getting Buren onto his back. They’re exhanging punches from Buren’s full guard. Big shots from Martinez to the horn. 10-9 and 30-27 Martinez.
Jonathan Martinez defeated Wuiji Buren via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Undercard (ESPN at 8 p.m. ET)
Devonte Smith vs. Dong Hyun Ma