Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back in “Sin City” this weekend for the upcoming UFC 239: “Jones vs. Santos” pay-per-view (PPV) event, which is set to go down TONIGHT (Sat., July 6, 2019) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring a light heavyweight title fight main event between division kingpin Jon Jones and top contender Thiago Santos. In UFC 239’s championship co-headliner, two-division champion, Amanda Nunes, puts her 135-pound title on the line against former bantamweight queenpin, Holly Holm. In addition, welterweight contenders Ben Askren and Jorge Masvidal go to war for a spot in the increasingly-crowded 170-pound title race. Still not enough? Don’t forget about the fan-friendly showdown pitting Diego Sanchez against Michael Chiesa while Luke Rockhold makes his light heavyweight debut opposite Jan Blachowicz. All that and so much more!
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 239 fight card below, starting with the UFC Fight Pass “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Jones vs. Santos.”
Without further delay, see below for the latest UFC 239 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action.)
UFC 239 LIVE RESULTS:
Jon Jones vs. Thiago Santos — Jones def. Santos by split decision (47-48, 48-47 x2) — WATCH HIGHLIGHTS HERE!
Amanda Nunes vs. Holly Holm — Nunes def. Holm by TKO (head kick and punches) at 4:10 of round one — WATCH HIGHLIGHTS HERE!
Ben Askren vs. Jorge Masvidal — Masvidal def. Askren by KO (flying knee) at 0:05 of round one — WATCH HIGHLIGHTS HERE!
Jan Blachowicz vs. Luke Rockhold — Blachowicz def. Rockhold by KO (punches) at 1:39 of round two — RECAP HERE!
Michael Chiesa vs. Diego Sanchez — Chiesa def. Sanchez by unanimous decision (30-26 x3)
Arnold Allen vs. Gilbert Melendez — Allen def. Melendez by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Marlon Vera vs. Nohelin Hernandez — Vera def. Hernandez by submission (rear naked choke) at 3:25 of round two — WATCH HIGHLIGHTS HERE!
Claudia Gadelha vs. Randa Markos — Gadelha def. Markos by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Alejandro Perez vs. Song Yadong — Song def. Perez by KO (punch) at 2:04 of round one — WATCH HIGHLIGHTS HERE!
Jack Marshman vs. Edmen Shahbazyan — Shahbazyan def. Marshman by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:12 of round one — WATCH HIGHLIGHTS HERE!
Ismail Naurdiev vs. Chance Rencountre — Rencountre def. Naurdiev by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Julia Avila vs. Pannie Kianzad — Avila def. Kianzad by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26 x2)
UFC 239 PLAY-BY-PLAY:
205 lbs.: UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones vs. Thiago Santos
Round 1: Jones flicks out some early kicks. Low kick from Santos. Another one appears to sting Jones. Jones advancing, switching stance a minute in. Low kick from Jones. Santos answers in kind. Spinning attempt, leg kick. Jones with a side kick, catches a body kick, just misses with a spinning elbow. Two minutes in. Santos goes back to the lead leg. Jones tries a head kick. Santos two-piece falls short, leg kick does not. Two minutes to go.
Another two-piece knocks Jones’ mouthpiece out, though he seems unfazed. Oblique kick by Jones. Santos tries to flurry, lands a Superman punch. Jones looks to spin. Jones is ducking his head in and Santos is trying to capitalize. One minute to go. Jones tries to spin, eats another low kick. Jones leg kick. Jones tries a spinning back kick to the head. 10-9 Santos.
Round 2: Santos buckles after throwing a low kick, tries to flurry. He slows back down soon after. Low kick by Jones. Santos answers in kind. Knee kick by Jones, blocks a head kick. Two minutes in. Jones lands a jab. Santos fires a body kick. Steady pressure by the champ. Santos’ leg appears to give out on him and he falls, eats a shot on the way up. Jones leg kick, lands a front kick with two minutes to go.
Santos to the body. Flurry by Santos just misses. Glancing head kick, low kick lands. One minute to go. Body kick by Jones. Santos falls well short with a wheel kick. Jones avoids a flurry, tries his own spins. 10-9 Jones.
Round 3: Santos still throwing kicks early, moving alright despite a clearly damaged knee. Another glancing head kick. Leg kick from Jones answered in kind. Body kick from Santos a minute in. Flurry connects. Counter from Jones drops Santos, who pops up on the fence. Jones still marching in, tries a flying knee. They separate. Two minutes in. Jones fires a pair of leg kicks. Santos with a pair of inside ones in return, tries a head kick and eats an elbow. Two minutes to go.
Jones lands a spinning back kick to the body. Head kick lands, then a kick to the knee. Body kick. One minute to go. Jones fires a side kick upstairs, eats a leg kick and one to the calf. Another inside low kick by Santos. Jones tries a spinning elbow. 10-9 Jones.
Round 4: Santos opens with another leg kick, fires a flurry when Jones overextends. Spinning back kick from Jones. Wheel kick falls short just over a minute in. Oblique kick lands, then a leg kick. Santos visibly having issues with his left knee, but lands another leg kick. Two minutes in. Jones checks another low kick. Calf kick this time by Santos, slips an uppercut. Leg kick by Jones. Two minutes to go.
Jones spinning back fist goes high. Oblique kick lands. Low kick from Santos, falls short with a flurry. Jones high kick attempt with a minute to go. Jones checks a leg kick and Santos staggers back. Santos still throws and lands to the inside of the thigh, then tries a capoeira kick at the bell. 10-9 Jones.
Round 5: Santos steps in with a hard body kick. He looks like he’s going for broke, lands a looping right. Jones tries a wheel kick, goes back to attacking the lead leg. Low kick by Santos. One minute in. Jones fires a body kick. Santos stumbles trying to pursue. Lead left from Santos, then a 1-2 after a blocked head kick. Body kick lands. Leg kick from Jones. Oblique kick. Body kick soon after two minutes in. Jones checks a leg kick. Lands some of his own. Santos stumbles after landing one of his own. Jones picking off the lead leg, takes a glancing hook with two minutes to go.
Santos storms after Jones, lands a left hand. Jab from Jones. One minute to go. Santos catches a front kick, can’t use it. Santos slips landing a leg kick. Oblique kick by Jones. Santos can’t pursue on his injured leg. 10-9 Santos.
Final result: Jones def. Santos by split decision (see official scorecard here)
135 lbs.: UFC Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes vs. Holly Holm
Round 1: Nunes tries a body kick. Holm counters a low kick with a quick combo. One minute in. Side kick downstairs. Leg kick from Nunes. Head kick attempt. Counter right lands for her two minutes in. Nunes whiffs on an overhand right. Brief clinch. Nunes with some knees inside, hits a takedown, can’t establish. Back to the feet. Two minutes to go.
Leg kick lands for Nunes. 3-2 connects. Jab upstairs. Body kick and overhand right behind it, then a head kick that floors Holm. A few more punches and it’s over.
Final result: Nunes def. Holm by TKO (head kick and punches)
170 lbs.: Ben Askren vs. Jorge Masvidal
Round 1: Masvidal charges out of the corner and smashes Askren with an absolutely perfect flying knee for the fastest KO in UFC history.
Final result: Masvidal def. Askren by KO (flying knee)
205 lbs.: Jan Blachowicz vs. Luke Rockhold
Round 1: Both men open with kicks. Rockhold with a straight left behind it, shoots in against the fence. Blachowicz defending well. One minute in. Rockhold gets him to a knee, struggling to force him down. He looks for a guillotine, loses it, shoots in again. Short elbow from Blachowicz. Rockhold still pressing him against the fence, lands a knee. Another heavy elbow by the Pole. He exits with a left. Two minutes to go.
Rockhold tries a head kick, low kick checked. Body kick after eating a leg kick. Low kick from Blachowicz with a minute to go. Body kick by Blachowicz, checks a leg kick. Rockhold head kick misses, Blachowicz comes back with a right hand. Rockhold tries to spin. They trade and Blachowicz drops Rockhold with a head kick at the bell. 10-9 Blachowicz.
Round 2: Rockhold advances with punches, clipped by a left hook. Hard leg kicks from Blachowicz. He continues to punish the lead leg. Rockhold shoots, has over/unders a minute in. Trading knees inside. Blachowicz gets double underhooks, then obliterates Rockhold with a left hook on the break. A couple more punches send the former Middleweight champ to sleep.
Final result: Blachowicz def. Rockhold by KO (punches)
170 lbs.: Michael Chiesa vs. Diego Sanchez
Round 1: Sanchez hits an early takedown, swept via underhooks. Chiesa tries to spin to the back, then an armbar, but Sanchez powers through into top guard. Chiesa gets up, hits a hip throw. Sanchez pops up a minute in. Chiesa pressing him against the fence. Sanchez reverses with double underhooks. Chiesa gets one underhook and takes him down, looking for the back. Good punches and he gets the body triangle. Chiesa looks for the choke, loses it. Heavy elbows by Chiesa, Sanchez tries to elbow the thigh in response. Two minutes to go.
Sanchez slips out the back door, gets a rear waist lock. Chiesa hits the switch and drops an elbow. Good left hands from the top. One minute to go. Sanchez tries a helicopter armbar, can’t get it, has his feet on Chiesa’s hips. Sanchez rolls to his knees, gets to his feet, eats a knee. 10-9 Chiesa.
Round 2: Chiesa hits an immediate double-leg and drops an elbow. He pins a wrist and drops hard punches. Diego works his way to the fence, eating shots. He makes it to his feet a minute in, whiffs on an elbow on the break. Chiesa tearing into him with punches and knees, hits another takedown. Lovely, offbeat top control, riding well and landing heavy shots. Two minutes in. Diego tries to do something with Chiesa’s left leg, commits to a leglock, gives up the back. Chiesa flattens him out and goes to work with punches. Back to mount, then the back, more punches. Two minutes to go.
Sanchez somehow survives and gets to a rear waistlock. Fans roaring for Sanchez. He changes levels and Chiesa nearly spins right to his back. One minute to go. Chiesa on top in half guard. Looking for a kimura. 10-8 Chiesa.
Round 3: Chiesa goes for an early single-leg, easily dumps him to the mat against the fence. Rear crucifix for Chiesa. Sanchez turning into him. He manages to nearly take guard, but Chiesa gets out and returns to his feet just over a minute in. They separate and Chiesa hits another easy takedown. Two minutes in. Sanchez gets to his knees, Chiesa looking for the back. Sanchez gets up, Chiesa gets a hook in. Now both with two minutes to go.
Good punches and elbows. He has a wrist pinned, landing shots. One minute to go. Moves to the back, full body triangle. Chiesa looks for a neck crank at the bell. 10-8 Chiesa.
Final result: Chiesa def. Sanchez by unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Arnold Allen vs. Gilbert Melendez
Round 1: Allen lands a left to the body, avoids a flurry. Calf kick by Allen. They trade, low kick by Melendez. Allen to the body. They trade on the fence. One minute in. Straight left from Allen catches Melendez swinging. Melendez loops a right around the guard. Allen firing his jab, lands a calf kick and goes low-high. Melendez lands a left hook and they exchange until Allen uses a cut kick to send Melendez down. He doesn’t follow. Two minutes in. Allen with a body jab, looks for the uppercut, eats a straight right. Again Allen goes low-high and he continues to rip the body with his left. 1-2 catches a ducking Melendez. Melendez shoots, stuffed. Two minutes to go.
Allen lands a straight left, tries a head kick. Another left dings Melendez and Allen ties up. Melendez with an elbow on the break. One minute to go. Allen looks for the uppercut, bands the body, straight left upstairs. Total striking control. Melendez whiffs on a right hook. More clean left hands by Allen, spinning back kick. 10-9 Allen.
Round 2: Low kick from Melendez to start. Allen jabs the body. Glancing high kick, avoids hooks. One minute in. 1-2s bounce off Melendez’s guard. Melendez to the body, met by a low kick. Allen backs him to the fence and fires a combination. 1-2 lands. Calf kick, body jab. Left hand to the body, body jab. Two minutes to go.
Allen piecing him up from the outside. Melendez just looks slow tonight. Allen looking for uppercuts. Melendez tries a knee inside. Body kick lands after taking a jab downstairs. Uppercut from Allen. Check hook with a minute to go. Allen digs a left downstairs. They trade, Allen with the hardest shot. Melendez hook, Allen combination. 10-9 Allen.
Round 3: Allen goes back to the body, denies a takedown with underhooks. He hits his own double-leg into guard. Back to the feet a minute in. Good 3-2 by Malendez. Calf kick by Allen in return. Two minutes in. Counter 1-2 connects. Lead left and he avoids return fire. Counter hook from Melendez off an Allen jab. Right hand now. Allen responds witha leg kick, takes another right hand. Melendez switching stance after another calf kick. Two minutes to go.
Another calf kick. Hard straight left hurts Melendez. Allen patiently advancing. One minute to go. Body kick to head kick from Allen. Jumping switch kick attempt. Melendez steps in and lands a right hand that draws a smile. Allen charges in in response. 10-9 Allen.
Final result: Allen def. Melendez by unanimous decision
135 lbs.: Marlon Vera vs. Nohelin Hernandez
Round 1: Low kick lands for Vera. Hernandez blocks a body kick. One minute in. They trade in the center. Vera leg kick. Vera catches a leg kick and latches onto Hernandez’s back. One hook in. Now the other. Two minutes in. Full boody triangle. Left hands from Vera. Still looking to soften Hernandez up. Two minutes to go.
Switching up the body triangle. Now he transitions to an armbar. Harnandez manges to roll and tries to stack Vera. Vera looks for a bicep crusher, then attempts a triangle choke. Hernandez responds with a brutal series of punches and elbows from guard. Vera turns into him and Hernandez briefly threatens a d’arce. 10-9 Vera.
Round 2: Hernandez fires a combination in close. Head kick lands for him, Vera walks through it. Combination behind it. He checks a leg kick, eats a body shot. Hernandez takes him down into guard a minute in. Overhook control from Vera. Hernandez postures up in the guard. Two minutes in. Solid punches from Hernandez, using his length well. He stands over Vera, kicks at his legs. Vera stands with two minutes to go.
Vera rushing after him, lands a running knee and transitions directly to mount, then takes the back. In comes the RNC.
Final result: Vera def. Hernandez by submission (rear naked choke)
115 lbs.: Claudia Gadelha vs. Randa Markos
Round 1: Gadelha lands a right cross. Markos steps in and they trade. One minute in. Good exchange near the fence. Lotta feints. Both fall short with punches. Two minutes in. Hard combination from Gadelha starts with an uppercut. Gadelha answers a low kick with a left hook. Two minutes to go.
Low kick from Gadelha. Glancing high kick and they trade punches. One minute to go. Markos with a hard counter right and they slug at point-blank. Counters from Gadelha. Markos with a knee and right hand in the clinch. 10-9 Gadelha.
Round 2: Markos flurries on her way in, brief clinch. Low kick lands for her. Gadelha lands a left hook. One minute in. Clean jab by Markos. 3-2 connects for Gadelha. Markos comes back with an up-jab. Hard left hook comes back at her. Two minutes in. They exchange in the center. Gadelha goes low-high. Markos tries to counter a low kick, Gadelha backs out of range. Two minutes to go.
Gadelha fires a lead right. Nice clinch exchange, Markos exits with a knee. Counter right by Gadelha. Gadelha jab, Markos clinch punches. One minute to go. Spinning back fist from Markos met by a right cross. Gadelha lands an overhand right.Counter jab. She shoots, can’t complete it. Close round. 10-9 Gadelha.
Round 3: Gadelha connects with an early left hook. Jabs from Markos. One minute in. Gadelha in control of a slow-paced striking battle. Body shot. Uppercut to left hook. Two minutes in. Harder left hook. They wave each other on. Two minutes to go.
Markos tries a three-piece. Counter jab by Gadelha. She tries a check hook. Markos lands a leg kick, eats a left hook. One minute to go. Overhand right connects for Gadelha and she backs away from a combination. Markos coming on a little stronger in the final seconds, but they end the fight staring. 10-9 Gadelha.
Final result: Gadelha def. Markos by unanimous decision
135 lbs.: Alejandro Perez vs. Song Yadong
Round 1: Song switching stance, lands a four-piece combo. Left hook catches Perez as they trade. Counter right connects. One minute in. Perez looking to charge in, throwing leg kicks. Perez wings an uppercut, just avoids an overhand right. Two minutes in. Perez leaves his hands down when throwing a low kick and gets knocked into another dimension by a counter right.
Final result: Song def. Perez by KO (punch)
185 lbs.: Jack Marshman vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
Round 1: Shahbazyan opens with a leg kick. Good trades right off the bat. Body kick from Shahbazyan and he shoots, spinning Marshman into guard. Marshman turns for an armbar attempt, but Shahbazyan starts unleashing ground-and-pound. He passes to side control, then the back, and locks up the RNC in seconds.
Final result: Shahbazyan def. Marshman by submission (rear naked choke)
170 lbs.: Ismail Naurdiev vs. Chance Rencountre
Round 1: Naurdiev on the front foot early. Rencountre catches a kick, can’t use it. Sacrifice throw attempt by Rencountre, eats an elbow amid a ton of body and head kicks. Rencountre catches another kick, winds up on the bottom in the scramble. Naurdiev tries a head kick on the break, lands a right hand. Knees from Naurdiev, right hands, body kick. Naurdiev tearing him up but Rencountre’s caught the leg again. He runs the pipe and gets him down against the fence two minutes in. Rencountre on top in half guard. No strikes, but good control. Two minutes to go.
Rencountre driving his shoulder into Naurdiev’s jaw. One minute to go. Short shots from Rencountre. 10-9 Rencountre.
Round 2: Rencountre takes the back off a caught kick. Both hooks in. Naurdiev trying to slip out the back door, eats short left hands. Rencountre flattens him out, fires more shots. Naurdiev regains half guard. More control, periodic strikes. Two minutes to go.
More control. One minute to go. Briefly considers a d’arce. 10-9 Rencountre; not enough damage for a 10-8.
Round 3: Rencountre shoots, sprawled on. Denied again, lands a knee. 1-2 from Naurdiev, tries to catch him with a knee on the way in and uses a whizzer to deny the takedown. Counter right by Naurdiev, eats a hard straight left a minute in. Naurdiev tries a knee, lands a pair of punches as Rencountre shoots. Browne elbows landing. Rencountre looking for the single-leg. Naurdiev separates. Rencountre ducks an elbow, ties up, jumps on his back again two minutes in. He flattens Naurdiev out, starts punching, Back to mount. Naurdiev regains half guard. Two minutes to go.
Naurdiev trying to stand against the cage. Rencountre pulls his hips out from under him. Ref separates them with 20 seconds to go. Naurdiev hits a takedown of his own and drops a few shots. 10-9 Rencountre.
Final result: Rencountre def. Naurdiev by unanimous decision
135 lbs.: Julia Avila vs. Pannie Kianzad
Round 1: Kianzad with an early left hook. She ties up, eats an elbow as she takes Avila to the fence. Knee from Avila, who reverses. Kianzad lands one. Heavier knees by Avila a minute in. Kianzad lands a tight hook. Jockeying for position in the clinch. She changes levels, denied, cracked with a knee. Elbows behind it. Avila digs to the body and they trade on the break. Kianzad with a 1-2. Lead right. She gets underhooks and puts Avila on the fence. Kianzad throws, avoids a knee, changes level. 3-2 on the exit. Two minutes to go.
Counter right from Avila connects. Front kick downstairs. Low kick exchange. Another right hand by Kianzad, combination behind it bounces off the guard. Avila lands an uppercut and fires a combination on the fence. One minute to go. Kianzad reverses position. Avila with a knee to the body and a level elbow that’s met by a left hook. 10-9 Kianzad.
Round 2: Avila takes her to the fence, they jockey for position, Avila lands an elbow before they break. Kianzad answers a jab with a leg kick. One minute in. Again. Kianzad catches a body kick for a takedown, lands a body kick as Avila pops up. Kianzad jab, Avila teep, Kianzad combo. Kianzad tries to spin. Two minutes in. Kianzad left hook as she takes a low kick. Avila tries a combo. Avila with a right downstairs. Two minutes to go.
Leg kick from Avila, then a hard three-piece flurry as she muscles Kianzad to the fence. Elbow exchange on the break and Avila’s cut. Kianzad landing combos. They trade and suddenly Avila hurts Kianzad with a nasty overhand right. Avila swarms, ties up on the fence. Kianzad looking for a takedown. They fire on the break. Front kick from Avila, blocks a spinning back fist in return. Kianzad shoots, sprawled on, spins into Avila’s guard. 10-9 Avila.
Round 3: Nice exchange to start, both women landing clean. Kianzad answers a low kick with a combo. Avila backs her off with a flurry and takes her to the fence. Kianzad reverses. They separate, go back to exchanging in the center. Another overhand right floors Kianzad! Avila follows her down, caught in guard. She takes Kianzad’s back after avoiding an armbar. Kianzad regains half guard, eating elbows. Avila passes right back to the back. Kianzad rolling, Avila maintaining control well. Two minutes to go.
Still on the back. Mount, back. One minute to go. Avila stays on the back until the bell. 10-9 Avila.
Final result: Avila def. Kianzad by unanimous decision