Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will sort through some of its heavyweight clutter by way of UFC Fight Night 166 mixed martial arts (MMA) event. That’s where top-ranked contender, Curtis Blaydes, goes to war with former 265-pound champion, Junior dos Santos. The winner of Saturday night’s (Jan. 25, 2020) main event, held inside PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, will sit atop a very short list of title contenders while the loser goes straight to the back of the line. Also competing in “Tar Heel State” are welterweight grapplers Michael Chiesa and Rafael dos Anjos, two former lightweights with their eyes on the 170-pound prize. Longtime veterans Nik Lentz, Angela Hill, and Sara McMann will also see action.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Night 166 fight card on Saturday, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” undercard bouts at 5 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN+ main card start time at 8 p.m. ET.
Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Blaydes vs. Dos Santos.” Without further delay, see below for the updated UFC Fight Night 166 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action.)
UFC RALEIGH QUICK RESULTS:
Curtis Blaydes vs. Junior dos Santos — Blaydes def. Dos Santos by TKO (punches) at 1:06 of Round Two
Michael Chiesa vs. Rafael dos Anjos — Chiesa def. Dos Anjos by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Jordan Espinosa vs. Alex Perez — Perez def. Espinosa by technical submission (arm triangle choke) at 2:33 of Round One
Hannah Cifers vs. Angela Hill — Hill def. Cifers by TKO (elbows and punches) at 4:26 of Round Two
Jamahal Hill vs. Darko Stosic — Hill def. Stosic by unanimous decision (29-27 x3)
Bevon Lewis vs. Dequan Townsend — Lewis def. Townsend by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Arnold Allen vs. Nik Lentz — Allen def. Lentz by unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)
Justine Kish vs. Lucie Pudilova — Kish def. Pudilova by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Montel Jackson vs. Felipe Colares — Jackson def. Colares by unanimous decision (30-26 x2, 30-25)
Lina Lansberg vs. Sara McMann — McMann def. Lansberg by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-25)
Tony Gravely vs. Brett Johns — Johns def. Gravely by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:53 of Round Three
Herbert Burns vs. Nate Landwehr — Burns def. Landwehr by KO (knee) at 2:43 of Round One
UFC RALEIGH PLAY-BY-PLAY
265 lbs.: Curtis Blaydes vs. Junior dos Santos
Round 1: Tentative start; not unexpected. Dos Santos lands a lead right, denies a single-leg and follow-up shot. One minute in. Dos Santos denies another shot, eats a couple jabs. JDS catches a body kick, can’t use it. Both throw low kicks. JDS whiffs on an uppercut two minutes in. Blaydes with a combination, can’t get a grip on the level change. Another shot gets in deep. Blaydes throws a right against the fence that catches Dos Santos in the ghoulies. They exchange in the center after restarting with two minutes to go.
Dos Santos dances out of the way of a shot. Low kick from Blaydes. 1-2 connects. Good right with a minute to go. Another. Blaydes shoots again, denied. Blaydes with a body kick and right hand. Dos Santos winds up for a monster uppercut and eats another right. 10-9 Blaydes.
Round 2: Low kick from Blaydes, jab from Dos Santos. Big right hand by Blaydes and he shoots. Stuffed again. Dos Santos looks for a head kick. Blaydes changes levels, denied. Dos Santos winds up for another uppercut and gets blasted by a right cross. He’s out on his feet and Blaydes smashes him with right hand after right hand until the ref intervenes.
Final result: Blaydes def. Dos Santos by TKO (punches)
170 lbs.: Michael Chiesa vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Round 1: Dos Anjos on the front foot early. Chiesa circling. One minute in. Dos Anjos rips the body with a right hook, cracks Chiesa with a counter left but has to fight off a takedown. Chiesa looking for the back. He pulls RDA down and gets both hooks in. Full body triangle. Dos Anjos manages to turn into half guard with two minutes to go.
Looking for the back again, but Dos Anjos slips out the back door and gets a body lock as they stand. They separate with a minute to go. Body kick from Dos Anjos, then a leg kick. Chiesa ducks a left hand for a takedown. 10-9 Chiesa.
Round 2: Low kick from Dos Anjos. Chiesa tries a combo, steps in with a knee and shoots. Dos Anjos defends with double underhooks. Low kick knocks Chiesa over as he advances; Dos Anjos gets a rear waist lock, then separates. One minute in. Chiesa shoots, gets him down against the fence. Dos Anjos stands and separates. Low kick lands for him. Again. Chiesa takes him to the fence. Two minutes in. Dos Anjos gets double unders, changes levels but can’t establish. Good defense from Chiesa and they separate with two minutes to go.
Counter left from Dos Anjos, then a leg kick. Body shot lands. Low kick met by punches from Chiesa. Chiesa shoots, puts him on his butt against the fence. Looking for the back as Dos Anjos stands. Can’t get it, tries again. 10-9 Dos Anjos.
Round 3: Both land left hands, then Chiesa shoots. He completes the takedown into half guard. Dos Anjos looks for a leg, abandons it a minute in. Chiesa looking for a kimura. Straight armbar now. He loses is and Dos Anjos looks for an inside heel hook. Two minutes in. Stuck in 50/50. Two minutes to go.
Dos Anjos loses it and ends up on the bottom in guard. Some GnP from Chiesa. Dos Anjos looks for an armbar, loses it and gives up half guard. Fight ends there. 10-9 Chiesa.
Final result: Chiesa def. Dos Anjos by unanimous decision
125 lbs.: Jordan Espinosa vs. Alex Perez
Round 1: Perez opens with leg kicks, then takes a finger in the eye. Right back to the action. Both looking for kicks. Perez punches his way into a takedown attempt and dumps Espinosa to the mat a minute in. On top in half guard, looking to set up an arm triangle. Two minutes in. Somehow, despite being on the wrong side of half guard, Perez puts on enough of a squeeze to put Espinosa to sleep. Wow; that was like half arm triangle, half von Flue.
Final result: Perez def. Espinosa by technical submission (arm triangle choke)
115 lbs.: Hannah Cifers vs. Angela Hill
Round 1: Cifers looking for low kicks, Hill for jabs. Counter rights land for Cifers. Good trade in the center. Hill body kick a minute in. Cifers low kick, Hill left hook. Again. 2-1 from Hill. Uppercut appears to connect. Cifers goes low-high with a combo two minutes in. Some more rapid-fire boxing exchanges. Right hand lands for Hill. Cifers counter right. Hill right hand, Cifers low kick. Two minutes to go.
Body kick from Cifers. Cifers ties up, gets taken to the fence. Both land inside. Hill jab counters a leg kick. 1-2. Low-high combo. Low kick connects. Cifers ties up, gets taken to the fence. Trading knees with a minute to go. Good trade on the break. More kicks from Cifers. Both land body kicks. Combo from Hill. Lead right. Body shot, spinning back fist. 10-9 Hill.
Round 2: Cifers sending out more low kicks. Trading in the center. Counter right lands for Cifers. Low kick connects. Hill lands a right downstairs. Both land right crosses a minute in. Step-in knee from Hill, who slings her down into side control from the Thai plum. Two minutes in. Hill looking for mount. Got it, nasty elbows. Two minutes to go.
Cifers trying to hold on, eating punches and elbows. Brutal elbows. One minute to go. The punishment continues and the ref steps in.
Final result: Hill def. Cifers by TKO (elbows and punches)
205 lbs.: Jamahal Hill vs. Darko Stosic
Round 1: Hill taking the outside, landing his jab. Stosic fores a hook, tries a takedown and slips. Trading kicks. Straight left and knee from Hill. Jab lands. One minute in. Hill straight left. Stosic flurries against the fence. Hill body kicks. Stosic with another heavy blitz and he ties up on the fence. Separation. Glancing head kick from Stosic answered by a knee attempt. Two minutes in. Stosic whiffs on a left hook, takes body shots. Low kick met by a Hill body jab. Body kick exchange. Overhand right from Stosic, eats a knee as he changes levels but takes him down into guard.
Two minutes to go. Stosic lets him up and lands a left hook, then takes a knee downstairs. Hill with an uppercut-straight left combo. Counter hook by Stosic with a minute to go. Hill body kick. Straight lefts. Hill lands a counter and circles off, gets cracked by a left hook soon after. Fun round. 10-9 Hill.
Round 2: Hill going back to the body kicks. Heavy body shot met by a Stosic left hook. Overhand right lands for Stosic as Hill fires jabs. One minute in. Stosic gets in on a single-leg but can’t complete it. Hill pursues with knees and punches. He’s piecing Stosic up as the latter circles along the fence. Hill tries a knee and head kick. Straight left two minutes in. To the body this time, then a right hook to the midsection. Stosic’s output has dropped immensely; Hill is potshotting without much return fire. Two minutes to go.
Uppercut to straight left. Stosic shoots, denied. Another knee from Hill, who avoids a left hook. Low kicks land. Superman punch attempt. Stosic blitz falls short. Hill rips the body. Low kick from Stosic. One minute to go. Hill with a step-in knee, then another, again voids the left hook. Stosic catches a knee to the body and takes him down, can’t keep him there. 10-9 Hill.
Round 3: Hill just piecing him up at range; Stosic not doing much besides covering up. One minute in. Big blast double by Stosic takes him down against the fence. Hard lefts from Stosic. Hill makes it back to his feet. Stosic tries an outside trip, can’t get it and they separate. More kicks from Hill. Jabs, straights. Another good takedown by Stosic. Hill works his way up against the fence, circles away with two minutes to go.
Hill lands some inside low kicks, then goes to the body. Another straight left and low kick. Glancing overhand right from Stosic. Another blast double and he’s on top in guard. 10-9 Stosic.
Final result: Hill def. Stosic by unanimous decision
185 lbs.: Bevon Lewis vs. Dequan Townsend
Round 1: Lewis on the advance early, catches a leg kick and punches his way into the clinch. Knee from Lewis. They separate, low kick form Lewis. Body kick attempt. One minute in. Townsend with a combo, gets taken back to the fence. Dirty boxing from Lewis, exits with a knee. Jab from Lewis. 1-2 and leg kick two minutes in. Townsend with a hard body shot and knees, gets put on the fence again. Two minutes to go.
Jockeying for position. Knees from Lewis and they separate. One minute to go. Overhand right from Lewis, Townsend swings big but whiffs. Counter right and low kick trip Townsend up. Bit of a staring contest in the center. Straight right from Lewis, Townsend tries to open up. 10-9 Lewis.
Round 2: Lewis opens with a leg kick. Right hand, another leg kick, back to the fence. Knee from Lewis downstairs. He exits with a two-piece. One minute in. Body kick from Townsend. Lewis lands a hard right cross, ties up, takes him to the fence again. Jockeying for position two minutes in. Good combo from Lewis as they separate. Townsend swings haymakers. Lewis ducks a big swing and ties up. Two minutes to go.
Pressing Townsend against the fence. Trading knees downstairs with a minute to go. They separate. Counter right lands for Lewis. Glancing low kick. He catches a kick and they clinch up again. 10-9 Lewis.
Round 3: Lewis gets an early body lock and puts him on the fence. One minute in. Lewis just keeping him pressed there. Now he changes levels, switches to a rear waist lock. They separate. Two minutes in. Good low-high combo, left hook into the clinch. To the fence once more. Two minutes to go.
Townsend just can’t get free. Now they separate. Lewis changes levels and hauls him to the fence again. Townsend reverses and separates with a minute to go. Body kicks form Townsend. Back to the clinch .Lewis changes levels, can’t get it. 10-9 Lewis.
Final result: Lewis def. Townsend by unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Arnold Allen vs. Nik Lentz
Round 1: Counter right lands for Lentz early. He’s the more aggressive of the two early. Allen whiffs on an uppercut. One minute in. Lentz still advancing. Jab downstairs from Allen, blocks a head kick and denies a tie-up. 1-2 from Allen as he takes a shot. Lentz body kick and right hook. Trading in the center. Two minutes in. Lentz lands a straight right and low kick, then takes him to the fence. Outside trip briefly gets Allen down. Then a bodylock takedown, again can’t establish. Lentz with a 1-2 on the break with two minutes to go.
Lentz continuing to press forward. Left hand lands for him. Allen’s moving well but not landing the counters. Lentz catches a kick, can’t use it, lands a body kick. One minute to go. Hard straight left by Allen. Uppercut connects. Body kicks from Lentz. Allen 1-2, Lentz looks to fire back, eats another left. 10-9 Lentz.
Round 2: Allen lands some early jabs. Low kick from Lentz, eats a 1-2 in return. Right hand connects for him. Another stiff Allen jab. One minute in. Heavy combination appears to sting Lentz, who comes back with a body kick. Trading jabs in the center, 1-2 from Allen. Lentz jabs and ties up. Allen takes him to the fence two minutes in. They separate. Body kick from Lentz. Again. Chopping left by Allen inside. More jabs. Two minutes to go.
Lentz 1-2. 1-1-2 from Allen. More jabs, swatting left. Lentz low kick. They trade against the fence with a minute to go. More jabs from Allen, pivoting uppercut. Lentz tries a jumping knee, goes for a late takedown. Allen reverses position on the fence, denies a takedown and both land knees. 10-9 Allen.
Round 3: Lentz continuing to advance, lands a leg kick. One minute in. Allen still working behind the jab. Lentz tries a combo. One minute in. Allen lands a lead left near the fence. Another left around the guard. 1-2 connects. Two minutes in. Overhand left knocks Lentz back, glancing head kick follows up. Lentz looks for a single-leg, can’t get it. Jab from Allen. Lentz shoots, gets taken to the fence with double unders. Two minutes to go.
Allen denies a takedown, keeps him on the fence. Big left by Allen on the break. Straight left splits Lentz’s guard with a minute to go. Lead left connects. Lentz shoots, denied. Head kick attempt. Body kick lands. Big counter left by Allen before the bell. 10-9 Allen.
Final result: Allen def. Lentz by unanimous decision
125 lbs.: Justine Kish vs. Lucie Pudilova
Round 1: Neither woman committing early. Low kick from Kish a minute in. Pudilova looking to jab, lands some. Mostly sparring so far. Kish leaning on the leg kicks. Two minutes in. Ugly spinning back fist attempt from Kish, who lands a leg kick and they trade knees inside. Kish slips, catches a body kick, lands two big knees. Left hook and low kick land for her. Two minutes to go.
Kish flurries her way in, lands a leg kick and fires knees. Pudilova looks to punch inside before they separate. Pudilova counters a leg kick with a left hook. Superman punch misses with a minute to go. Right hand lands for Kish. Pudilova jabs. Kish body and low kicks. 10-9 Kish.
Round 2: Kish catches an early kick and they duke it out in the clinch. Good elbows from Kish. Low kick lands for her a minute in. Glancing high kick. Low kick to side kick. Kish low kick, brief clinch. Pudilova’s gameplan doesn’t make sense, but she lands a 1-2. Now some good counters after taking a low kick. Jabs, right cross connect. Two minutes to go.
Kish leg kick. Jab from Pudilova. Kish low kick, Pudilova jab. One minute to go. Another 1-2. Good rights from Pudilova, Kish combination. 10-9 Pudilova.
Round 3: Pudilova lands a good right hand in the early going. One minute in. Kish moving quite a bit, not all of it in a productive fashion. Right hand from Pudilova after missing a Superman punch. Kish low kicks. Head kick blocked two minutes in. They trade, Kish with another low kick. Two minutes to go.
Both of them bouncing around the cage with no apparent plan. Jabs from Pudilova, walks into a spinning back fist. Left hook from Pudilova. One minute to go. Pudilova tries a front kick, eats a leg kick. Pudilova misses with another Superman punch and gets taken down for it. Pudilova fails an armbar, than starts throwing elbows off of her back. What a weird, terrible fight. 10-9 Kish.
Final result: Kish def. Pudilova by unanimous decision
135 lbs.: Montel Jackson vs. Felipe Colares
Round 1: Colares lands a body kick, eats a 1-2. Colares body kick, Jackson low kick. More kicks from both men. Jackson catches one and looks to take him down against the fence. Nice ankle pick to complete it. One minute in. Colares gets back to his feet, fails a hip toss. Jackson drags him down once again, lands a knee to the body as he stands. Two minutes in. Outside trip into half guard. Jackson has one hand pinned behind Colares’ back, but the Brazilian stands regardless and again fails a takedown before getting dragged back down away from the fence. Colares avoids a back take and rolls for a kneebar, can’t get it, stands. He jumps for a guillotine with two minutes to go.
Nothing on the guillotine. They jockey for position. Knee from Jackson, nice elbow met by a Colares knee. One minute to go. Jackson gets a bit of separation and unloads a ridiculous series of haymakers that Colares somehow absorbs. Another straight left on the break. Clean 1-0 and he rips into Colares until the bell. 10-8 Jackson.
Round 2: Early takedown from Jackson. One minute in. Colares suddenly locks up an arm-in guillotine and looks to crank. Jackson breaks his grip and pops his neck out. Two minutes in. Colares makes it back to his feet and puts him on the fence. Jockeying for position. Jackson takes him back down, has to settle for guard. Two minutes to go.
Colares goes for that hip toss again and nearly gets it, but Jackson denies and hits yet another takedown as they stand. Colares manages to jump on his back, can’t maintain with a minute to go. Jackson comes back with a foot sweep that dumps Colares on his face, which appears to rock him. Jackson again unloads a massive sequence of shots that Colares again survives with only a wobble. Jackson takes him down when he refuses to fall and has to wait out a guillotine. 10-9 Jackson.
Round 3: Jackson appears to have worn himself out beating the bejeezus out of Colares, who cracks him with a spinning elbow to start the round and gets clinched for it. Pressing Colares against the fence. They separate, 1-2 from Jackson. Huge counter left, more jabs. Colares sticks his tongue out at him and tries a head kick before looking for his own takedown a minute in. Rear waist lock for Colares. Jackson turns to face him and hits an outside trip into side control two minutes in. Colares scoots to the fence, then hits a wild arm spin after standing and looks for the back. Jackson manages to stand and put him back on the fence. Two minutes to go.
Elbow from Jackson, hard 1-2. Colares goes for that spinning elbow again and gets taken down via body lock. He again works his way back up. Failed hip toss from Colares with a minute to go. Colares jumps guard on a guillotine and squeezes with everything he’s got. Colare just can’t finish it. 10-9 Jackson.
Final result: Jackson def. Colares by unanimous decision
135 lbs.: Lina Lansberg vs. Sara McMann
Round 1: Tentative start, both looking to jab. McMann hits a low single into guard, quickly moves to half guard. McMann staying heavy a minute in. Looking to pass, cannot do so. Body punches. Two minutes in. Lansberg retaining half guard but not doing much else. Now she turns into McMann and has to fight off a Jamanese necktie with two minutes to go.
McMann gets a grip on her bicep for a full d’arce, then switches back to the necktie. Back to the d’arce. Loses it with a minute to go. Now looking for a kimura grip. McMann passes to side control and tries to wrench it. Nothing doing. 10-9 McMann, borderline 10-8 for one-sidedness.
Round 2: Body kick lands for Lansberg. McMann shoots, gets double unders, completes the outside reap and takes half guard. One minute in. McMann not doing much from on top, but staying heavy. Two minutes in. More of the same. Two minutes to go.
McMann hunting a kimura again. She loses it, shoves Lansberg back down when the Swede attempts to stand. One minute to go. McMann passes to full mount in the waning seconds. 10-9 McMann; not enough damage for the 10-8.
Round 3: Lansberg steps into the clinch and McMann obliges, grabbing double unders and dragging her down into side control. One Minute in. McMann transitions to the back, flattens her out and starts swatting. Two minutes in. McMann chipping away with punches. Two minutes to go.
McMann staying patient. More of the same until the bell. 10-8 McMann.
Final result: McMann def. Lansberg by unanimous decision
135 lbs.: Tony Gravely vs. Brett Johns
Round 1: Gravely slips on a spinning back kick, then shoots in. Johns threatening with a guillotine, but ends up on his back against the fence. Gravely keeps hold of an ankle to stymie Johns’ attempt to stand, remains attached when he does anyway. One minute in. Pressing Johns against the fence, but falls victim to a hip toss. Johns moves to the front headlock, looks for a knee as Gravely stands, then changes levels again. He manages to lock his hands and complete the double-leg, then jumps on his back two minutes in. One hook in as he plays backpack, looking for the RNC. He gets a hook in and looks to crank the neck, struggling to get his forearm under the chin. Two minutes to go.
Johns staying attached, looks for some GNP. He briefly threatens a Suloev stretch before looking to flatten Gravely out. Gravely gets off his knees, but Johns manages to finally sneak in the choke. Good hand fighting from Gravely, though, an dhe survives the round. 10-9 Johns.
Round 2: Early clinch, solid punches form Gravely. He lands a knee as Johns looks for a single-leg. manages to escape and reverse against the fence. One minute in. Big slam from Gravely, can’t establish. The second takedown gives way to a back take; one hook in. Johns slips out the back door two minutes in and hits his own takedown, only for Gravely to also escape out the back door. The scramble continues and Johns puts him on his back with an outside trip. He takes the back, but Gravely escapes and puts him on the fence. Two minutes to go.
Gravely puts him on his rear against the fence. Johns works his way back to his feet, Gravely still attached. They trade after getting a bit of space, then Johns gets him to the mat again. They break at the bell. Close round. 10-9 Gravely?
Round 3: Some early boxing exchanges until Johns catches a body kick and hauls him to the fence. Jockeying for position. Johns presses forward and gets head-and-arm thrown for his efforts. Gravely looks for a guillotine, ends up on the bototm but scrambles up. One minute in. Johns runs the pipe for a single-leg and retakes the back. Full body triangle. Looking for the RNC. Two minutes in. Johns flattens him out and starts cracking him with both hands. Once Gravely commits to defending the punches, Johns sneaks in the choke and forces the tap.
Final result: Johns def. Gravely by submission (rear naked choke)
145 lbs.: Herbert Burns vs. Nate Landwehr
Round 1: Burns opens with a body kick, tries a head kick and slips. He’s on the front foot early, sending out kicks. Burns shoots and completes it with an outside reap, immediately locking up a d’arce. Landwehr rolling for his life, manages a stalemate against the fence. One minute in. Burns chilling on top, adjusts his grip. Burns appears to claim a tap, but Landwehr powers through and stands. Two minutes in. Landwehr pops his head free, lands a shoulder strike and elbow on the break. Good uppercuts by Landwehr, but his overeagerness results in Burns demolishing him with a knee to the face. Out cold.
Final result: Burns def. Landwehr by KO (knee)