Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) legend, Junior dos Santos, chases his first win in more than three years TONIGHT (Fri., May 20, 2022) when he headlines Eagle FC 47 opposite fellow Octagon veteran, Yorgan De Castro.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of tonight’s main card on FLXCast. The undercard broadcast begins at 6 p.m. ET, with the main card likely to kick off closer to 9-10 p.m. ET.
The co-feature sees former Bellator Middleweight champion-turned UFC Welterweight contender, Hector Lombard, move up to 205 pounds to face former American Top Team teammate, Thiago Silva. The main card will also see Contender Series graduate, Maki Pitolo, take on Doug Usher, LFA veteran Gabriel Checco welcome The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner Andrew Sanchez to the Eagle FC cage, and Akhmed Aliev open the show in a rescheduled clash with Darrell Horcher.
EFC 47 Quick Results:
Junior dos Santos vs. Yorgan De Castro — De Castro def. dos Santos by TKO (shoulder injury) at 0:35 of Round Three — HIGHLIGHTS
Hector Lombard vs. Thiago Silva — No Contest (illegal knee) at 1:44 of Round Two — HIGHLIGHTS
Maki Pitolo vs. Doug Usher — Pitolo def. Usher by KO (punch) at 0:30 of Round One
Gabriel Checco vs. Andrew Sanchez — Sanchez def. Checco by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Akhmed Aliev vs. Darrell Horcher — Aliev def. Horcher by KO (punches) at 0:30 of Round One
Islam Mamedov vs. Zach Zane — Mamedov def. Zane by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:50 of Round One
Ronny Markes vs. Reggie Pena — Markes def. Pena by submission (verbal) at 1:21 of Round Two
Alexandre Almeida vs. Roosevelt Roberts — Roberts def. Almeida by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Paulo Silva vs. Sean Soriano — Silva def. Soriano by split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)
Adi Alic vs. Shawn Bunch — Alic def. Bunch by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Dennis Hughes Jr. vs. Dylan Mantello — Mantello def. Hughes by TKO (doctor’s stoppage) at 5:00 of Round Two
EFC 47 Round-by-Round Coverage:
265 lbs.: Junior dos Santos vs. Yorgan De Castro
Round one: Both men tentative early. Low kick from JDS, de Castro comes back with a two-piece. Jabs to the body from dos Santos. One minute in. More low kicks, De Castro throws his own. Solid body shot by dos Santos and a low kick behind it. Two minutes in. Another heavy calf kick. Short left appears to land for De Castro as they trade. Leg kick answered in kind. Two minutes to go.
Solid counter right for De Castro appears to invigorate him and he absorbs a left hook without issue. Overhand right. dos Santos still looking for low kicks and jabs. One minute to go. De Castro slowly advancing but not really committing. There’s a solid overhand right. Hard straight right from dos Santos, then a teep and spinning back kick before another calf kick. 10-9 dos Santos.
Round two: De Castro comes out throwing, prompting dos Santos to wrap up a body lock. They separate. More pressure from De Castro a minute in. 1-3 from dos Santos, then a 1-2-3. Overhand right by De Castro, continuing to plod after JDS, who splits his guard. dos Santos body and low kick. De Castro digs a right to the body, eats a jab there. Two minutes in. Jabs, right cross by dos Santos. Hard low kick, his first good one of the round. Two minutes to go.
1-2 from dos Santos, low kick comes back at him. Heavy calf kick really seems to bother De Castro. Hard left hook from dos Santos, glancing overhand right. Apparently low blow. De Castro’s offense has lost steam. One minute to go. Now De Castro tries to swing after eating more leg kicks. JDS just misses with a spinning back kick behind a combo. 10-9 dos Santos.
Round three: Another brutal calf kick from dos Santos. As he tries to open up against the fence, though, dos Santos’ right shoulder comes out of the socket. He’s begging the referee not to stop it, but that’s all that can happen. God, what an absolute tragedy.
Final result: De Castro def. dos Santos by TKO (shoulder injury)
205 lbs.: Hector Lombard vs. Thiago Silva
Round one: Silva advancing, just avoids an overhand left. Lombard tries a two-piece, then wobbles him with a counter left. Silva goes down under the onslaught but manages to tie him up in half guard. one minute in. Lombard looking for short ground-and-pound. Side control for Lombard, potentially setting up a guillotine. He briefly gets full crucifix but Silva manages to stand. Two minutes in. Lombard looks to change levels. Little foot sweep gets Silva down, Lombard doesn’t establish. Still grinding against the fence. Two minutes to go.
Just sitting against the fence. They separate with a minute to go. Lombard looks gassed, whiffs on an overhand left. Low kick from Silva, then another that Lombard meets with a left hand. Lombard super flat-footed. 10-9 Lombard.
Round two: Check hook lands for Lombard. Body kick exchange. They trade on the fence. Both land low kicks. Lombard trying to open up against the fence, can’t land clean. One minute in. Silva picking away, then floors Lombard with a counter right before hitting him with an illegal knee to the face. Lombard says he can’t continue. Let’s see if they call it a DQ or NC.
Final result: No Contest (illegal knee)
185 lbs.: Maki Pitolo vs. Doug Usher
Round one: Usher advances as they trade punches. Low and high kicks from Pitolo, then a left hook that sends Usher face-first to the mat.
Final result: Pitolo def. Usher by KO (punch)
205 lbs.: Gabriel Checco vs. Andrew Sanchez
Round one: Checco tries a front kick. They exchange body kicks. Side kick and head kick attempt from Sanchez. He catches a body kick and comes back with punches a minute in. Counter right. Checco’s looking for low kicks and Sanchez is meeting him with combinations when he does. Knee and uppercut land for Sanchez in the clinch. Two minutes in. Sanchez finding openings for 1s and 2s. Body shot. Checco body kick. He looks for a low single, immediately rebuffed. Nice check hook by Sanchez with two minutes to go.
Checco shoots again, easily sprawled on, falls to his back. Sanchez kicks at his legs, then lets him up. Checco body kick. One minute to go. Sanchez tries a head kick and follows with combinations. Lead left from Checco in return. 1-2 to the body from Sanchez, 1-2-3 to the head. He flurries and stuffs another takedown before the bell.
Round two: Back to trading kicks at a distance. Sanchez clips him with a check hook after jabbing the body. One minute in. Good boxing sequence from Sanchez and Checco pulls guard. Sanchez avoids a leglock and grabs a front headlock, landing from top half. Solid right hands. Side control for Sanchez two minutes in. Checco rolls to his knees, eats punches. Two minutes to go.
Sanchez keeping a rear body lock, landing knees. He easily avoids a leglock and continues with the ground-and pound. Sneaky elbows with a minute to go. Elbows piling up. Back to the front headlock. Checco tries to pull guard. 10-9 Sanchez.
Round three: Checco still firing kicks, lands a right hand. Brazilian kick from Sanchez, who blocks a combination. Stiff jabs landing for him. Checco low kick. One minute in. Checco overhand left, more jabs come back at him. Sanchez with a body kick and 1-2. He’s in cruise control. Two minutes in. Checco shoots, denied. Trading punches in the clinch and Sanchez looks to have him hurt. He denies another takedown and follows him into guard with two minutes to go.
Steady ground-and-pound. He stands, then dives back in with a minute to go. Side control. Good elbow from Sanchez, then a few more punches to seal the deal. 10-9 Sanchez.
Final result: Sanchez def. Checco by unanimous decision
155 lbs.: Akhmed Aliev vs. Darrell Horcher
Round one: Low kicks from Aliev to start. Horcher tries to come back with a wide hook and Aliev just torches him with a four-piece, then a pair of coffin nails on the mat.
Final result: Aliev def. Horcher by KO (punches)
For more on Eagle FC’s stateside return this week in Miami click here.