Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to its APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the UFC Vegas 78 mixed martial arts (MMA) event TONIGHT (Sat., Aug. 12, 2023) streaming LIVE on ESPN and ESPN+. UFC Vegas 78 will be headlined by the 170-pound showdown between Top 10 welterweight contender Vicente Luque and former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. Before that five-round clash of styles gets underway, long-time featherweight veteran “Killer” Cub Swanson battles venerable 145-pound standout “Mean” Hakeem Dawodu in the UFC Vegas 78 co-main event.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 78 fight card below, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” undercard bouts at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN/ESPN+ main card start time at 7 p.m. ET. Bet on all the UFC Vegas 78 action with our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook right here.
Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Luque vs. Dos Anjos.” Without further delay, see below for the latest UFC Vegas 78 results. (Note: This will be updated from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action).
UFC VEGAS 78 QUICK RESULTS:
170 lbs.: Vicente Luque vs. Rafael dos Anjos — Luque def. dos Anjos by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47 x2)
145 lbs.: Hakeem Dawodu vs. Cub Swanson — Swanson def. Dawodu by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
205 lbs.: Khalil Rountree Jr. vs. Chris Daukaus — Rountree def. Daukaus by TKO (punches) at 2:40 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS!
115 lbs.: Iasmin Lucindo vs. Polyana Viana — Lucindo def. Viana by submission (arm triangle choke) at 3:42 of Round Two
185 lbs.: AJ Dobson vs. Tafon Nchukwi — Dobson def. Nchukwi by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
185 lbs.: Josh Fremd vs. Jamie Pickett — Fremd def. Pickett by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
135 lbs.: JP Buys vs. Marcus McGhee — McGhee def. Buys by TKO (punch) at 2:19 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS!
155 lbs.: Mike Breeden vs. Terrance McKinney — McKinney def. Breeden by TKO (punches) at 1:25 of Round One
145 lbs.: Isaac Dulgarian vs. Francis Marshall — Dulgarian def. Marshall by TKO (elbows) at 4:48 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS!
265 lbs.: Martin Buday vs. Josh Parisian — Buday def. Parisian by submission (kimura) at 4:11 of Round One
115 lbs.: Jaqueline Amorim vs. Montserrat Conejo — Amorim def. Conejo by TKO (punches and elbows) at 3:41 of Round Three
135 lbs.: Da’Mon Blackshear vs. Jose Johnson — Blackshear def. Johnson by submission (twister) at 3:47 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS!
125 lbs.: Juliana Miller vs. Luana Santos — Santos def. Miller by TKO (punches) at 3:41 of Round One
UFC VEGAS 78 LIVE PLAY-BY-PLAY:
170 lbs.: Vicente Luque vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Round 1: Solid body kick from Luque. RDA pressuring as always. Swatting right hook from RDA, who tries a head kick behind it. Straight left into a double-leg attempt a minute in. Jockeying for position against the fence. Two minutes in. Continuing to swap position. Solid shots from RDA on the exit. Luque goes low kick to head kick, then lands a check hook with two minutes to go.
RDA straight left, low and body kicks from Luque. Nasty body shot by Luque. RDA backs him up with punches. Luque body kick. Flying elbow from RDA into a level change. One minute to go. Luque reverses and takes RDA down into half guard. RDA cranking on a guillotine, but Luque slips out and lands some hard punches from turtle. They deadlock before the bell, Luque looking for a single-leg and RDA looking for a kimura. 10-9 dos Anjos.
Round 2: Luque on the front foot early. RDA catches a kick, can’t use it, lands a straight left. Luque moves to tie up and RDA puts him on the fence again. Again Luque gets an underhook and reverses. RDA exits with an elbow. Two minutes in. Luque tries a head kick. Good lead right. RDA backs him to the fence and hits a double-leg, moving to the body lock when Luque pops back up. Solid elbow. Luque reverses and looks for his own takedown. Two minutes to go.
Luque grinding against the fence. He changes levels, again RDA defending with the kimura. One minute to go. Luque looks for an arm triangle on the way up, can’t finish it. Body shots, heavy elbow on the exit. Solid kicks. RDA pressures and looks for another level change. 10-9 Luque.
Round 3: Sharp jabs from Luque. Body shot. RDA comes back with a body kick. He fires an uppercut and ties up against the fence. Fighting for position a minute in. Elbow from dos Anjos. Luque changes levels and looks for ankle picks. Two minutes in. Luque tries a single-leg, then separates. They trade left hands. Big cross from RDA. Counter rights with two minutes to go.
RDA body kick, Luque jab. Clubbing left by RDA. Left hand exchange. Trading in the center. Solid connections from both men. RDA shoots and Luque latches onto a guillotine. RDA slips free and moves to the front headlock, only for Luque to spin out and grab the rear waist lock with a minute to go. RDA turns to face him as Luque looks for a single-leg. 10-9 dos Anjos.
Round 4: Luque backs RDA to the fence and puts together a heavy combination. Head kick attempt, combo behind it. Big knee by Luque into a level change. One minute in. Ref wants more action from Luque, and he obliges with a successful takedown. RDA escapes the cradle and separates. Two minutes in. RDA puts him on the fence, gets reversed. Fighting for position. They trade knees to the body. Two minutes to go.
Luque changes levels. RDA grabs the front headlock. RDA turns, separates, shoots with a minute to go. Luque breaks the grip and reverses with double underhooks. Luque gets him down with a single-leg and looks for the back. One hook in before the bell. 10-9 Luque.
Round 5: Body kick from Luque. RDA straight left, Luque jab. Counter right from RDA after avoiding a jump knee. He pressures Luque to the fence and shoots, only to get reversed yet again. One minute in. Luque controlling him against the fence. Ref wants more. Two minutes in. RDA turns and separates. Nice head kick by RDA, not a ton behind it. Jabs from Luque, combo and body kick from RDA in return. RDA punches into the clinch and, yet again, Luque reverses and presses him against the fence. Solid level change by Luque, can’t get him down with two minutes to go.
Luque changes levels, gets him to a knee, can’t keep him there. RDA reverses with over-unders, gets reversed in turn. Jockeying for position with a minute to go. Nice elbow on the break from RDA. Another after absorbing a check hook. RDA showing a lot of pressure and volume. Luque tries a half-hearted level change and ends up on his back, trying to control RDA as the latter drops elbows from guard. 10-9 dos Anjos.
Final result: Luque def. dos Anjos by unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Hakeem Dawodu vs. Cub Swanson
Round 1: Early low kicks from Dawodu. 1-1-1-2 knocks Dawodu back a minute in. He answers with a leg kick. Good exchange, Swanson caps it with a right cross. Left hand exchange. Dawodu low kicks, then a body kick. Two minutes in. Both swing, Swanson lands a low kick. Heavier one from Dawodu. Solid body shot by Swanson. Dawodu low kick and counter combo. Two minutes to go.
Stiff jab from Dawodu. Every time Swanson tries to open up, Dawodu punishes him with a leg kick. Jabs landing for him. 1-2-3. Nice exchange in the center and Dawodu stings him with a body kick before following with a jab. One minute to go. Teep from Dawodu. Low-high 3-2. Body kick. Lead right from Swanson, low kick from Dawodu. Dawodu’s output has taken over the latter half of the round. Head kick by Swanson. Dawodu ends the round with a leg kick. 10-9 Dawodu.
Round 2: Spinning back kick from Dawodu. Combinations piling up. Nice cross counter from Swanson, who answers a 1-2 with clinch uppercuts. Dawodu ties up, eats body shots, takes Swanson to the fence. One minute in. Nice knees to the body from Dawodu. They separate. Solid low kick from Dawodu, better punches from Swanson. Dawodu connects with a counter right two minutes in, then a stiff jab. Swanson now fighting southpaw. Dawodu advancing behind his jab, just misses with a head kick. Two minutes to go.
Counter hook by Swanson and they trade in the center. Dawodu sticks him with the jab again and puts him on the fence. Landing knees. One minute to go. Swanson body shot. More knees from Dawodu, nothing major. There’s some good ones to the body. Elbow on the break. Big counter right and leg kick as Swanson invites him to throw down. They’re throwing heat and a left hook catches Swanson just after the bell. 10-9 Dawodu.
Round 3: Swanson comes out aggressively. 1-2 from Dawodu, good flurry from Swanson in return. They trade low kicks. Jabs from Dawodu, then a heavier one a minute in. Swanson lands a right and they trade leg kicks. Dawodu clunches up and Swanson tries a high-amplitude throw, but can’t keep him down and gets taken to the fence. Clinch knees by Dawodu, one of which strays low two minutes in. Swanson advancing with volume, Dawodu comes back with counters before taking him to the fence again. Dawodu throws a knee and catches Swanson in the cup again, but again Swanson is quick to return to action. Dawodu putting together sharp combos, nearly lands a flush head kick. Swanson coming after him with aggressive punches. Two minutes to go.
Big left hook from Swanson, who gets knocked back by a 1-2. More combos by Dawodu, big right from Swanson inside. Continuing to trade hands in center cage. Dawodu shovel hook, then a surprise double-leg by Swanson into guard. One minute to go. Swanson moves to half guard, then wants an arm triangle. Dawodu kicks his way free but Swanson finds his way to the back, looking for the RNC. Dawodu sweeps into guard at the bell. 10-9 Swanson.
Final result: Swanson def. Dawodu by unanimous decision
205 lbs.: Khalil Rountree Jr. vs. Chris Daukaus
Round 1: Solid three-piece from Daukaus to start. Straight ight met by a check hook from Rountree. Another check hook glances off. Straight left from Rountree. The check hook lands yet again and rattles Daukaus. Another check hook. Daukaus shoots, then tries to open up against the fence. Jockeying for position. Knee from Daukaus on teh break. Two minutes in. Another check hook from Rountree. Another check hook, then a straight left that flattens Daukaus. Rountree jumps on him with his usual spiteful ground-and-pound and in comes the ref.
Final result: Rountree def. Daukaus by TKO (punches)
115 lbs.: Iasmin Lucindo vs. Polyana Viana
Round 1: Viana opens with head kicks, only to get staggered by a left hook. Lucindo doesn’t follow up. Low kick. Nice combo by Viana, who ties up and hauls her to the fence a minute in. Nice body lock takedown. Lucindo regains guard. Ref wants more action two minutes in. Lucindo holding onto an overhook. Ref stands them up with just over two minutes to go.
Lucindo tries a spinning back kick. Viana catches a body kick, but it’s Lucindo taking her down into side control. One minute to go. Lucindo equally inactive from the top as Viana holds her tight. Now Lucindo postures up for a good hammerfist. 10-9 Lucindo?
Round 2: Early kicks from Lucindo, who hurts Viana with an overhand right but again doesn’t capitalize. Body kick to 1-2 attempt a minute in. Lucindo being extremely patient, just flicking out kicks. Another big overhand right on the counter. Another counter right from Lucindo, who grabs a body lock and takes her down into half guard once again. Two minutes in. Ref asking for more. Viana holding on tight. Two minutes to go.
Lucindo finally slips her head free of Viana’s control and immediately locks up an arm triangle, moving to side control to force the tap.
Final result: Lucindo def. Viana by submission (arm triangle choke)
185 lbs.: AJ Dobson vs. Tafon Nchukwi
Round 1: Both whiff on their first big punches. Trading kicks. Double jab to low kick by Nchukwi. Dobson body kick a minute in. Neither man committing to much so far. Body jab to leg kick to body kick from Nchukwi. Low kick exchanges two minutes in. Again they trade leg kicks. Dobson tries a 1-2-3. Pure sparring at the moment; staring for a while, then an Nchukwi leg kick, then a Dobson low kick. Rinse and repeat. Two minutes to go.
Nchukwi tries a head kick, Dobson tries a better one. Low kick exchange. One minute to go. Still just bouncing kicks off each other. Dobson catches a body kick for a takedown, then drops punches from half guard until the bell. Still going to shade it to Nchukwi for the harder kicks. 10-9 Nchukwi.
Round 2: Back to trading kicks early on. 3-2 just misses for Dobson. One minute in. Solid right hand from Dobson. Nchukwi catches a head kick and comes back with a pair of rights. Low kick exchanges. Dobson 1-2, Nchukwi body jab two minutes in. Another short right by Dobson in combination. They trade inside and Dobson puts him on the fence. Dobson whiffs an elbow on the break. Nchukwi leg kick, then a back fist with two minutes to go.
Combo from Dobson to answer a low kick, doesn’t land clean. One minute to go. Dobson 1-2. Body kick, Nchukwi catches it but can’t counter. Dobson catches a body kick and shoots in the last 10 seconds. 10-9 Dobson.
Round 3: Still pure sparring to start the round. Dobson catches a low kick and scores a takedown. Half guard a minute in. Heavy shoulder pressure. Two minutes in. Dobson controlling well but not landing anything from the top. Two minutes to go.
Pure control by Dobson, Nchukwi doing nothing off of his back. Now Nchukwi regains guard. One minute to go. Dobson’s corner asks him to posture and he replies that he’s trying, but Nchukwi is strong. Nchukwi scrambles free and Dobson grabs the clinch, then tries a head kick at the bell. 10-9 Dobson.
Final result: Dobson def. Nchukwi by unanimous decision
185 lbs.: Josh Fremd vs. Jamie Pickett
Round 1: Early body kick from Fremd. Oblique kick. 1-2 by Pickett as Fremd continues to pile up kicks a minute in. Head kick from Fremd into the clinch. Two minutes in. Pressure from Fremd, not a lot of damage despite his corner asking for violence. Pickett tries to reverse, can’t. Fremd eats a knee near the cup, but quickly waves the ref off when he tries to pause the action. Two minutes to go.
Fremd continuing to control against the fence. Ref wants more action. One minute to go. Fremd whiffs on an elbow and Pickett reverses with underhooks. Looking for short knees. Fremd exits with one to the body. Pickett looks for punches and Fremd comes back with a flying kick. Flying knee lands for Fremd before the bell. 10-9 Fremd.
Round 2: Early body kick from Fremd, then a left hand behind it. He gets overeager in his pursuit and nearly gives up his back when Pickett sidesteps, but manages to turn it into a takedown attempt. Pickett circles and separates. Body kick from Fremd a minute in. Lots of oblique kicks. Pickett answers with a flurry. Fremd slowly advancing. Solid jab, then a clinch against the fence. Jockeying for position two minutes in. Elbow from Fremd. He looks for a spinning back fist on the break and Pickett shoots underneath it, surviving a tight guillotine to land on top in guard. Two minutes to go.
Fremd turns to his knees and Pickett looks for the back. Fremd works his way up, turns, and lands a couple elbows as Pickett tries to lock his hands. With a minute to go, he locks up a guillotine and uses it to force Pickett to his back. On top in guard. He stands over Pickett, then dives back in with a right hand. 10-9 Fremd.
Round 3: Pickett comes out throwing heat, walking through a flying knee to rack up volume before taking Fremd down into guard. Pickett looking for the back a minute in, but sloppy positioning lets Fremd ride into top half guard. Short elbow. Two minutes in. Heavy pressure from Fremd but, as usual, limited strikes. Pickett works to his knees and stands, still stuck against the fence. Two minutes to go.
Fremd grinding. Pickett briefly reverses, gets stuck on the fence again. One minute to go. Ref breaks them up for lack of action. Pickett not showing any of that earlier urgency. Fremd fires a right hand and clinches again. Solid knee on the exit. He tries a flying knee and lands one more right hand before the bell. 10-9 Fremd.
Final result: Fremd def. Pickett by unanimous decision
135 lbs.: JP Buys vs. Marcus McGhee
Round 1: McGhee tries a spinning back kick. Buys trying to find the distance with jabs and low kicks. Hard low kick by McGhee, blocks a head kick in return. They collide a minute in, neither gets anything out of it. Good left hands from McGhee. Buys tries to change levels, lands a body kick. Brutal 1-2 from McGhee rattles Buys. McGhee staying patient as Buys tries to punch his way back in. Two minutes in. Buys, still trying to get McGhee’s respect, steps in with a lead right and gets absolutely melted by a counter right. Buys is barely clinging to consciousness on the mat and McGhee elects not to follow up, and after an awkward stoppage from the ref sees Buys wobble around the cage before it’s called, McGhee gets the walk-off TKO.
Final result: McGhee def. Buys by TKO (punch)
155 lbs.: Mike Breeden vs. Terrance McKinney
Round 1: Early pressure from McKinney, who tries a takedown but settles for punches. Sharp straight lefts. He catches a body kick, tries a head kick on the break. Counter body shott stings Breeden and McKinney opens up with heavy punches against the fence. Breeden shoots a minute in, eats clinch knees for his trouble. McKinney continues to pour on punches until the ref stops it standing.
Final result: McKinney def. Breeden by TKO (punches)
145 lbs.: Isaac Dulgarian vs. Francis Marshall
Round 1: Trading low kicks to start. Powerful double-leg puts Dulgarian on top in guard. Marshall holding him close, Dulgarian landing arm punches a minute in. Marshall not doing much to stand as Dulgarian chips away. Two minutes in. Solid elbows by Dulgarian, who passes to half guard. Two minutes to go.
More elbows. Marshall makes a solid attempts to stand, can’t do so. Dulgarian putting some heat behind these shots with a minute to go. Brutal shots from Dulgarian and Marshall has no answer but to cover up, sending the ref into action.
Final result: Dulgarian def. Marshall by TKO (elbows)
265 lbs.: Martin Buday vs. Josh Parisian
Round 1: Pressure from Buday, sharp potshots from Parisian. Parisian’s doing well early, but Buday bullies him back and blasts him with a hard left hook. Buday mugging him against the fence with punches and knees. Parisian firing back. One minute in. Parisian backs him off with a spinning back fist, prompting Buday to land a knee and press him against the fence. Buday staying heavy, keeping good head position. Trading short uppercuts two minutes in. Right from Buday on the exit. Low kicks and coutners from Parisian as Buday wades in. Buday’s punches clearly have more impact and he puts Parisian on the fence again. They separate, good jab from Buday into another clinch. Trading in close with two minutes to go.
Buday muscling him around the cage as both land at point-blank. Parisian reverses against the fence and changes levels. Buday gets an underhook, wrenches him down into side control, and looks for the far-side kimura. The fence is in his way, but Buday gets enough of an angle to crank and force the tap.
Final result: Buday def. Parisian by submission (kimura.
115 lbs.: Jaqueline Amorim vs. Montserrat Conejo
Round 1: Amorim shoots at the 10-second mark and puts Conejo on the fence before dumping her down into half guard. Heavy shoulder pressure. One minute in. Looking for mount, caught in quarter guard. Now in mount, trying to set up an arm triangle. Decent punches. Ruiz trying to bridge but Amorim’s balance is strong two minutes in. Amorim staying heavy, periodically posturing up for punches. Two minutes to go.
Solid punches from Amorim, who spins to Ruiz’s back and wraps up the body triangle. Back to mount, good elbow. Amorim turns for the armbar and it’s deep. Terrific defense by Ruiz to land on top with a minute to go. Amorim in something of a rear crucifix, which she uses to grab the RNC. When it’s not there, she takes mount and swats Ruiz with Donkey Kong punches until the bell. 10-8 Amorim.
Round 2: Trading kicks to start the round. Lots of lateral movement from Ruiz. Ruiz ducks into a head kick, but manages to catch it, prompting Amorim to jump guard. One minute in. She sweeps into mount 15 seconds later and goes back to dropping punches before taking the back. Body triangle locked up. Two minutes in. Short punches from Amorim as Ruiz fights her hands. Back to mount. Two minutes to go.
Not as many punches from Amorim this time but her control is still airtight. Ruiz surviving and not doing much else. Amorim patiently moves Ruiz’s arm into position for an arm triangle, still can’t get it and postures up for punches instead. Elbows, hammerfists, punches with a minute to go. Amorim continues to hammer her until she can try the armbar again. It isn’t there, so back to clubbing her she goes. Ruiz saved by the bell. 10-8 Amorim.
Round 3: They trade right hands in the opening seconds. Both still look fresh. Jab by Ruiz, who avoids a head kick and pursues until Amorim pulls guard against the fence. Near-sweep by Amorim, denied by the fence a minute in. One minute in. Amorim keeping her guard closed. Two minutes in. Ruiz postures up for a couple of decent shots. Amorim largely content to play defense and Ruiz can’t get any sustained output going. Two minutes to go.
Amorim looking for a kimura, uses it to sweep into mount again. She opens up with ground-and-pound and the ref quickly intervenes.
Final result: Amorim def. Ruiz by TKO (punches and elbows)
135 lbs.: Da’Mon Blackshear vs. Jose Johnson
Round 1: The pair get right to slugging, first with kicks and then with heavy close-quarters punches. Blackshear breaks the stalemate by changing levels and dumping Johnson to his back. One minute in. Johnson works his way up and Blackshear knees his thighs against the fence. Nice switch by Johnson to avoid the initial takedown, but an attempted elbow allows Blackshear to chain his way back into top position and drop punches. Blackshear looking for the back two minutes in. One hook in for Blackshear. Considering a banana split or twister with two minutes to go.
Johnson lands some arm punches but Blackshear’s getting closer with the twister. Though Johnson does his best to fight the hands, Blackshear puts on the squeeze and there’s the tap. Da’Mon Blackshear scores UFC’s third-ever twister.
Final result: Blackshear def. Johnson by submission (twister)
125 lbs.: Juliana Miller vs. Luana Santos
Round 1: Miller ultra-aggressive to start, hurling heavy punches before putting Santos on the fence. Trading knees in the clinch. Santos turns and separates. Right hands from Miller a minute in. Santos wings punches into the clinch, gets hit on the way in and out. Body kick exchange. Big overhand right by Santos and they trade sloppy bombs against the fence. Nasty shots by Santos. Miller stuck on the fence, eating big shots and trying to punch back. Two minutes in. Santos grabs a front headlock and forces Miller to the mat, but can’t keep her down. Keeping Miller against the fence. They separate. Stiff jabs by Santos, walking Miller down. Two minutes to go.
Miller keeps backing herself to the fence. Swatting overhand from Santos and she’s going for the kill. Miller swinging for her life but Santos just continues to punish her until the ref stops it standing.
Final result: Santos def. Miller by TKO (punches)
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