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Long-time UFC flyweight contender, Joseph Benavidez, will battle top 125-pound title hopeful, Deiveson Figueiredo, for the vacant flyweight title surrendered by Henry Cejudo when the promotion stages its UFC Fight Night 169 mixed martial arts (MMA) event on ESPN+ TONIGHT (Sat., Feb. 29, 2020) from inside Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. That was supposed to be the big draw for “Old Dominion,” but Figueiredo took some shine off the card when he failed to make the contracted weight. That means that only Benavidez can claim the title with a win, while Figueiredo will go home empty handed.
And company president, Dana White, is mad as hell. Oh well, “stuff happens.”
Elsewhere in the UFC Fight Night 169 line up, Zarah Fairn and Felicia Spencer hook ‘em up in featherweight action, while Magomed Ankalaev and Ion Cutelaba go to war at 205 pounds.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Night 169 fight card below, 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 “Benavidez vs. Figueiredo.” Without further delay, see below for the updated UFC Fight Night 169 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action.)
UFC NORFOLK QUICK RESULTS:
Joseph Benavidez vs. Deiveson Figueiredo — Figueiredo def. Benavidez by KO (punches) at 1:54 of Round Two
Zarah Fairn vs. Felicia Spencer — Spencer def. Fairn by TKO (elbows and punches) at 3:37 of Round One
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba — Ankalaev def. Cutelaba by TKO (head kicks and punches) at 0:38 of Round One
Megan Anderson vs. Norma Dumont — Anderson def. Dumont by KO (punch) at 3:31 of Round One
Grant Dawson vs. Darrick Minner — Dawson def. Minner by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:38 of Round Two
Kyler Phillips vs. Gabriel Silva — Phillips def. Silva by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Brendan Allen vs. Tom Breese — Allen def. Breese by TKO (punches and elbows) at 4:47 of Round One
Serghei Spivac vs. Marcin Tybura — Tybura def. Spivac by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Luis Pena vs. Steve Garcia — Pena def. Garcia by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Jordan Griffin vs. T.J. Brown — Brown def. Griffin by technical submission (guillotine choke) at 3:38 of Round Two
Spike Carlyle vs. Aalon Cruz — Carlyle def. Cruz by TKO (elbows and punches) at 1:25 of Round One
Sean Brady vs. Ismail Naurdiev — Brady def. Naurdiev by unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)
UFC NORFOLK PLAY-BY-PLAY:
125 lbs.: Joseph Benavidez vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Round 1: Both men switchign stance early. 1-2 from Benavidez. Figueiredo catches a kick and dumps him to the mat. Benavidez immediately gets to his knees and scrambles thorugh, only to get caught in an armbar. An incredible scramble ensues and Benavidez lands a right hand on the exit. Counter right by Figueiredo glances off. Flurry from Benavidez in return, low kick lands. Two minutes in. Body kick and overhand right. Figueiredo lands a jab, eats a leg kick. Another flurry by Benavidez. Figueiredo with an up-jab, lands a counter right. Benavidez shoots, stuffed. Figueiredo lands a straight right with two minutes to go.
Overhand left by Benavidez and another good shot, denied. Knee from the Brazilian, who eats a left on the break. Heavy right hand by Benavidez, then another. Figueiredo looking to throw back, caught on the break again. One minute to go. They trade right hands. Benavidez combination. Figueredo knocks him back with a pair of counters. Hard right to the body. Benavidez cracks him with a big hook in exchange and they slug it out. 10-9 Benavidez.
Round 2: Figueiredo looks to spin. Benavidez low kicks. Combination upstairs. Figueiredo blasts him with a counter right. Hard body kick by Benavidez, caught with another right after flurrying. More flurries. One minute in. 1-2 connects. Hard left hand. Another good left and low kick. Just as he seems to have the fight under control, albeit sporting a nasty cut, Figueiredo undoes all of his hard work with a murderous right hand. Down goes Benavidez and a few more hammerfists seal the deal.
Final result: Figueiredo def. Benavidez by KO (punches)
145 lbs.: Zarah Fairn vs. Felicia Spencer
Round 1: Fairn looking to counter early, Spencer tossing out kicks. Stiff jab from Fairn. Spencer with a right hand and lead hook. Fairn knocks her back with another jab a minute in. Spencer lands a head kick, eats right hands, and puts her on the fence. Fairn defends, gets puts on another side of the fence. Spencer muscles her to the mat and takes mount. High mount now, landing elbows and punches. Heavy shots from Spencer and she takes the back, dropping more shots. Two minutes to go.
Back to mount, more elbows. Hammerfists too. The onslaught continues until the ref steps in.
Final result: Spencer def. Fairn by TKO (elbows and punches)
205 lbs.: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba
Round 1: Cutelaba aggressive early, firing kicks. Two-piece counter from Ankalaev and a head kick that hurts Cutelaba! Ankalaev unloads with power shots and head kicks, Cutelaba wobbling as he tries to throw back, and the ref intervenes.
Final result: Ankalaev def. Cutelaba by TKO (head kicks and punches)
145 lbs.: Megan Anderson vs. Norma Dumont
Round 1: Dumont advances, trades punches. 3-2 falls short. Anderson lands a jab, gets pressed against the fence. Dumont with double unders. Anderson showing good balance a minute in. Knees from Dumont. Two minutes in. Anderson gets an underhook and reverses, gets reversed in turn. Dumont tries a single-leg and a scramble ensues. Anderson back to her feet, still stuck on the fence with two minutes to go.
Anderson exits with an elbow. They stare at each other for a moment, then Anderson obliterates her with a single right cross that catches her throwing.
Final result: Anderson def. Dumont by KO (punch)
145 lbs.: Grant Dawson vs. Darrick Minner
Round 1: Low kicks from Minner. Dawson gives for a jumping knee, slips, and gets caught in a guillotine. Minner pulls guard, loses it. Now he threatens an armbar, not there. Another attempt, still not there as Dawson tries hammerfists. Now he scores a takedown of his own, jumps for a guillotine, loses it but gets on top. Dawson sits up two minutes in. caught in another guillotine. Minner takes top position, continues to squeeze, ends up on the bottom. Dawson on top in half guard. Two minutes to go.
Dawson slow to pass. One minute to go.Now side control for Dawson. Full mount, lots of shots to the back of the head and now some legal ones. He locks up the RNC but runs out of time. 10-9 Dawson.
Round 2: Dawson marching forward, takes him down into side control. Low mount on the fence a minute in. He transitions to the back and locks up the rear naked choke for the finish.
Final result: Dawson def. Phillips by submission (rear naked choke)
135 lbs.: Kyler Phillips vs. Gabriel Silva
Round 1: Silva on the advance, firing right hands. Phillips tries a flying knee and wheel kick before they tie up. Inside reap attempt, knee lands. Front kick attempt, counter 1-2. Silva still pressing forward, lands his own 1-2. One minute in. Low kick from Phillips. Both land in the center. Silva with a 1-2 into a level change. Phillips tries an elbow and some bombs on the break. Spinning back kick downstairs. 1-2 exchange two minutes in. Counter knee by Phillips, head kick attempt, 1-2. Silva continues to march forward. Phillips 1-2, , Silva combination on the fence. Phillips follows a body shot with low kicks. Two minutes to go.
Phillips picking him off as he comes in. Hard counter left. Big combination and he’s unloading. Phillips low kick, clean jabs. Low kick catches him in the nuts. Fake shot into head strike, met by a spin. One minute to go. Counter right wobbles Silva. Phillips tries a wheel kick, opens up inside. Silva shoots, kicks his leg out and takes top position. Good right hand form Silva, slips on the way up. 10-9 Phillips.
Round 2: Phillips landing combinations early. Silva lands a heavy right hand and muscles into the clinch. Rear waist lock. Looking for a hook. One minute in. Phillips takes top position, looks to take the back in turn as Silva stands. Silva reverses position in the scramble, continues to drive. Browne elbow from Phillips. Silva uses a whizzer to land on top in guard, looks to pass to side control. Phillips turns to his knees and stands, pulled back down but takes top position. Two minutes to go.
Phillips looks for the back, avoids a leglock attempt, and takes mount. Silva regains half guard, has to deal with a brief guillotine attempt. Silva turning, looking for a sweep, goes for a leg with a minute to go. Kneebar attempt, but Phillips pulls his knee out. Silva looks for a leg again and eats hammerfists. 10-9 Phillips.
Round 3: Silva looking tired, Phillips moving well. Head kick attempt from Phillips. Heavy combination, wheel kick, knee. Easy double-leg into guard. Silva trying to elbow off of his back. One minute in. Silva looks for a leg, gets caught in a d’arce choke. Silva escapes, blasted with an elbow as he stands. 1-2 from Silva. Silva still going for it as he gets pieced up. Phillips shoots, Silva tries to jump guard on a guillotine and loses his grip on the way down. Phillips on top in half guard. Silva again tries a failed guillotine. Two minutes to go.
Silva looks for a kimura now, nothing doing, takes more elbows. Phillips denies an attempt to escape and takes side control. Full mount with a minute to work. Elbow from Phillips, punches. Big punches under the armpit, elbows to follow up. Questionable knee by Phillips, hard shots as he defends a takedown. 10-8 Phillips.
Final result: Phillips def. Silva by unanimous decision
185 lbs.: Brendan Allen vs. Tom Breese
Round 1: Heavy exchanges in the early going. Allen puts him on the fence and looks for an outside reap. Breese defends with a whizzer. Foot stomps from Allen. Breese reverses. One minute in. Breese tries his own takedown, looks for the back. Awkward spot for a moment, then Allen takes half guard. Now looking for a kimura. Two minutes in. Side control now. Allen loses it, drops right hands. Now looking for the kimura again. Elbows with two minutes to go.
Breese trying to turn into him. Now looks for a back take, can’t get it with a minute to go. He threatens a leg, then looks to set up a triangle. Allen postures out and drops hard punches and elbows. Ref tells Breese to move under the onslaught, then stops it when he doesn’t.
Final result: Allen def. Breese by TKO (punches and elbows)
265 lbs.: Serghei Spivac vs. Marcin Tybura
Round 1: Tybura steps in with an overhand right to start. Double jab. Spivac 1-2 blocked. Three-piece cracks Tybura. 1-2 from the Pole in return. One minute in. Spivac 1-2, Tybura tries a head kick. Tybura slams a right hook into Spivac’s guard. Both swing big rights. Knee from Spivac. Tybura tries another head kick two minutes in. He ducks a right hand for a takedown into guard. Two minutes to go.
Elbows from Tybura. Staying busy with short punches and elbows. One minute to go. Tybura postures up, drops some good punches. 10-9 Tybura.
Round 2: Good exchange in the early going. Spivac putting together combinations. Tybura tries a head kick. Spivac with a knee in the clinch. Quick level change by Tybura and he takes Spivac to the fence a minute in. Still grinding. Two minutes in. Ref separates them for a lack of action. Tybura tries a head kick. Spivac fires a combination. 1-2 from Tybura. Two minutes to go.
Tybura shoots under a 1-2 and takes top position when Spivac flubs a throw. Looking for the back, both hooks in. One minute to go. Punches from Tybura. 10-9 Tybura.
Round 3: Counter right lands for Tybura as Spivac looks for combinations. Good uppercut by Spivac through the guard. Tybura shoots, puts him on the fence. They separate a minute in. Knee lands for Spivac. Trading in the center. Tybura changes levels, denied, avoids a right on the break. Combination by Spivac, Tybura complains of a headbutt. He shoots, stuffed two minutes in. Spivac lands a lead right, eats a cross in return. 2-1 connects. Low-high. Jab exchange. Tybura shoots, dumps him against the fence with two minutes to go.
Elbows from Tybura. One minute to go. Continuing to land from half guard. 10-9 Tybura.
Final result:
155 lbs.: Luis Pena vs. Steve Garcia
Round 1: Garcia with some heavy swings in the early going. Good body shot. Pena ties up and takes him to the fence. Garcia catches a knee for a takedown. Pena makes it to his feet and looks for the back a minute in. One hook in. Pena landing punches from the back, eats an elbow. Two minutes in. Questionable elbow from Pena. Now looking for the RNC. Two minutes to go.
Back to chipping away. Both hooks in now. Garcia with some behind-the-back elbows. One minute to go. Pena cranking on the RNC, loses a hook. He re-inserts it, lands elbow. Body triangle. Trading elbows. 10-8 Pena.
Round 2: Garcia charges out of the gate, only to get caught in a rear waist lock. Both hooks in for Pena, gets him to the ground. Body triangle. One minute in. Still looking for the RNC. Two minutes in. Elbows from Pena. Neck crank attempt with two minutes to go.
Garcia grits it out. Still working. One minute to go. Garcia with some wild reverse two-fisted punches. That was a thing. 10-8 Pena.
Round 3: Pena rushes out, takes top position, and suddenly finds himself in a triangle. That’s deep. Garcia looks to transition to an armbar and loses his grip. Pena quickly retakes the back. One minute in. Still looking for the choke. Two minutes in. Still got the full body triangle. Garcia looking to turn into guard, can’t quite do so. Two minutes to go.
Still working from there. One minute to go. Fight ends with them flailing at each other. 10-9 Pena.
Final result: Pena def. Garcia by unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Jordan Griffin vs. T.J. Brown
Round 1: Counter right buzzes Griffin in the early going. Brown shoots into a guillotine, pops his head out. Griffin looking to stand against the fence. Hard lefts from Brown as they stand. Elbow from Brown against the fence. He changes levels, puts Griffin on his butt. He uses a cradle to get Griffin on his back, lands elbows. Two minutes in. Short rights from Brown, Griffin using the fence to stand and does so. Brown changes levels for another takedown. Griffin trying to set up a guillotine. Two minutes to go.
Griffin again using the fence to try and stand, taking right hands. Back up, back down. Good ground-and-pound. One minute to go. Knee lands for Brown on the way up. He changes levels again. Griffin suddenly wraps up a nasty-looking bulldog choke, but Brown pops his head out and slugs against the fence. Griffin tries a Marcelotine before the bell. 10-9 Brown.
Round 2: Wild exchange in the early going, Brown rocked by a head kick and Griffin by a counter left. Brown looks for a low single and ends up on top in guard. One minute in. Griffin gives him a slap as Brown lands short shots. Good balance and control from Brown, passes to side control. Griffin works his way to his feet two minutes in. Good elbow from Brown, eats a knee. Brown with a quick flurry into another takedown. Two minutes to go.
Griffin stands, eats an elbow, taken down again and looking for a guillotine. Improbably. his squeeze is so powerful that it actually puts Brown to sleep.
Final result: Griffin def. Brown by technical submission (guillotine choke)
145 lbs.: Spike Carlyle vs. Aalon Cruz
Round 1: Cruz advancing, sending out his customary assortment of kicks with both legs. Hard low kick from Carlyle. One minute in. Nice head kick by Carlyle gets through, forcing Cruz to shoot. Carlyle responds by clubbing him with an elbow, then pulverizing him to the mat with follow-up shots until the ref steps in.
Final result: Carlyle def. Cruz by TKO (elbows and punches)
170 lbs.: Sean Brady vs. Ismail Naurdiev
Round 1: Naurdiev patiently advancing, lands and eats a leg kick. He backs Brady to the fence, flicks out his jab. Left hand exchange a minute in. Low kick exchange. Brady catches a kick, gets cracked by elbows inside before they separate. Both land body kicks. Brady with a step-in hook two minutes in. Combination from Naurdiev meets it, then a lead right. He hops in with a knee, separates. Brady shoots behind a left hook, denied. 3-2-body kick by Naurdiev in return. Brady lands a left hook and a heavy 1-1-2. Two minutes to go.
Low kick exchange. Naurdiev tries a wheel kick. Hook from Brady. Naurdiev body kick, left hooks from Brady. One minute to go. Brady keeps landing his left hook, takes a 1-2 and avoids a flying kick. 1-2-3 from Brady, low kick exchange. Brady shoots, denied, gets reversed on the fence. Brady was strong late, but 10-9 Naurdiev.
Round 2: Trading jabs to start. Counter right from Brady as he avoids 1-2. Naurdiev body kick, eats a leg kick after a flurry. Brady 2-3. Naurdiev with an uppercut to hook, met by a combination. Naurdiev stuffs a takedown, lands knees, gets taken to the fence a minute in. Brady switches to a single-leg, stymied by a fence grab, gets him to a knee. Nice little outside trip and he’s about got the back. Two minutes in. Brady chipping away with one hook. Still trying to secure back mount against the fence. Two minutes to go.
Naurdiev turns into him, avoids a front headlock, stands. He goes for his own takedown, denied, has to fight off a shot on the fence again. Brady completes the double-leg into half guard. Looking to pass, landing short punches and elbows. 10-9 Brady.
Round 3: Trading lefts, Brady lands a 2-3. Low kicks from Brady, good combination. Naurdiev lands a low kick and denies a takedown. He tries a flying knee and gets taken down on the fence. One minute in. Brady chipping away, takes top position. Two minutes in. Naurdiev makes it back to his feet, tripped back down into half guard. Two minutes to go.
Brady continues to go to work with short punches and look to take the back. He sweeps Naurdiev’s base out and now he’s got both hooks for a moment. Brady goes hard for a guillotine in the waning seconds, runs out of time. 10-9 Brady.
Final result: Brady def. Naurdiev by unanimous decision