Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Live, blow-by-blow updates for today’s UFC Vegas 9 event on ESPN+, which features a heavyweight headliner.
Join us today (September 5th) on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring, and play-by-play as UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Sakai, aka UFC Vegas 9, goes down at UFC Apex in Vegas.
The headliner is a heavyweight bout between Alistair Overeem and Augusto Sakai. In the co-main event, former interim title challenger Ovince Saint Preux meets light heavyweight prospect Alonzo Menifield.
This is an ESPN+ exclusive show, and due to the series of cancellations for this event, there is no preliminary card. Seriously. The seven-fight main card is literally the entire card and will kick off at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT on ESPN+.
We are only doing play-by-play for the main event.
Main Card (ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET)
Alistair Overeem vs. Augusto Sakai
Round 1 – Utterly nothing happening in the opening 45 seconds or so. Sakai lands a counter right as Overeem blitzes forward. Good body kick from Sakai and now he charges ahead with big punches and knees in the clinch. Overeem returns fire. Sakai has an underhook, loses it, but lands a right before Overeem lands a knee. Good knee on the exit from Sakai. Right hand sends Sakai stumbling back against the cage. Solid uppercut connects for Sakai. Inside leg kick from Overeem. Right hand and a knee by Sakai, who’s throwing and landing more. 10-9 Sakai.
Round 2 – Neither man landing anything of significant in 30 seconds. Body shot from Sakai and he lets his hands go but Overeem covers up well. Overeem digs in with a knee to the body. Head kick by Sakai is blocked. Lunging left to the body by Overeem, who fires off a knee to the midsection. Sakai throwing a lot of head shots that are blocked but he is getting through to the body. It’s a positioning battle in the clinch and Sakai gets away with holding the fence. Overeem connecting on more knees. Quick elbow by Overeem. Really good work in the clinch by Overeem and he cracks Sakai with a left hook. Sakai getting in some short elbows. Late blitz from Sakai accomplishes nothing. 20-18 Sakai.
Round 3 – Outside leg kick and a right hand by Overeem. Inside leg kick by Overeem. Left hook and right hand and another right by Sakai. Overeem shells up, circles, and kicks the thigh of Sakai and connects on a left hook downstairs. Nice combination by Sakai ending in a leg kick. Counter uppercut by Sakai. Big swarm by Sakai against the fence and even if Overeem is defending well he’s not doing much in return. Jumping switch kick to the body from Overeem. Great leg kick low by the Brazilian. Thudding body blow from Sakai. Takedown from Overeem is successful and he lands some punches from top position. Sakai trying to kick Overeem off and then upkicks him in the face. Overeem trying to pass the legs and get inside the guard and does. Hard hammerfist from Sakai but Overeem responds with big ground-and-pound to the body and head. Overeem has Sakai bleeding heavily and he got into side control late. 29-28 Sakai.
Round 4 – Jab by Overeem. Outside leg kick by Overeem. Sakai trudges forward with strikes but he looks so much slower compared to previous rounds. This is still a lot of Sakai pushing the action. Overeem is cut from an elbow. Spinning back kick to the pills and it’s pause time. On the restart, Overeem gets another takedown and looks to deliver some more punishing blows. Big right hand by Overeem and he’s in his open guard. Sakai pushes him off but then doesn’t make an effort to get back up. Sakai hurt by hammerfists and elbows! Sakai is in trouble. Overeem takes the back and lands some big right hands. Sakai is on his back again and Overeem divebombs with a right. Wicked elbow by Overeem and a hammerfist. Twenry seconds to go and Sakai is in survival mode. Herb Dean tells Sakai to fight back. Looks like he’ll survive but this is up for grabs! 38-38.
Round 5 – Overeem wastes no time shooting and Sakai gets taken down right away and elbows and punches Augusto until Herb Dean stops it! The Reem comes back to win once again!
Official result: Alistair Overeem def. Augusto Sakai by TKO (strikes) at :26 of round 5
Ovince Saint Preux def. Alonzo Menifield by KO (punch) at 4:07 of round 2
Michel Pereira def. Zelim Imadaev by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:39 of round 3
Andre Muniz def. Bartosz Fabinski by submission (armbar) at 2:42 of round 1
Brian Kelleher def. Ray Rodriguez by submission (guillotine choke) at :39 of round 1
Viviane Araujo def. Montana De La Rosa by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Hunter Azure def. Cole Smith by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)