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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to action TONIGHT (Sat., May 16, 2020) with the UFC on ESPN 8 mixed martial arts (MMA) event, held (once again) inside VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. For those of you looking to rely on your digital devices, UFC on ESPN 8 will also stream LIVE on ESPN+ (sign up here). Leading the charge will be heavyweight headliner Alistair Overeem, who looks to spoil the return of surging 265-pound knockout artist Walt Harris. In the UFC on ESPN 8 strawweight co-main event, former division title contender Claudia Gadelha locks horns with grizzled 115-pound bruiser Angela Hill. Elsewhere on the card, Edson Barboza brings the featherweight heat to dangerous Dan Ige.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC on ESPN 8 fight card blow, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” undercard bouts at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN/ESPN+ main card start time at 9 p.m. ET.
Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Overeem vs. Harris.” Without further delay, see below for the latest UFC on ESPN 8 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action.)
UFC ON ESPN 8 QUICK RESULTS:
Alistair Overeem vs. Walt Harris — Overeem def. Harris by TKO (head kick and punches) at 3:00 of Round Two — HIGHLIGHTS!
Claudia Gadelha vs. Angela Hill — Gadelha def. Hill by split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)
Edson Barboza vs. Dan Ige — Ige def. Barboza by split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)
Eryk Anders vs. Krzysztof Jotko — Jotko def. Anders by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Marlon Vera vs. Song Yadong — Song def. Vera by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Matt Brown vs. Miguel Baeza — Baeza def. Brown by KO (punch) at 0:18 of Round Two — HIGHLIGHTS!
Anthony Hernandez vs. Kevin Holland — Holland def. Hernandez by TKO (knees and punches) at 0:39 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS!
Giga Chikadze vs. Irwin Rivera — Chikadze def. Rivera by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27 x2)
Darren Elkins vs. Nate Landwehr — Landwehr def. Elkins by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x2)
Mara Romero Borella vs. Cortney Casey — Casey def. Borella by submission (armbar) at 3:36 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS!
Don’Tale Mayes vs. Rodrigo Nascimento — Nascimento def. Mayes by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:05 of Round Two — HIGHLIGHTS!
UFC ON ESPN 8 PLAY-BY-PLAY:
265 lbs.: Alistair Overeem vs. Walt Harris
Round 1: Both men patient early. Overeem circling, Harris advancing. Overeem avoids a straight left. Harris jabs the body, takes a spinning back kick downstairs. Harris follows a head kick attempt with a straight left. One minute in. Overeem fires a low kick and Harris counters with a vicious combination that drops Overeem. Harris piling on the damage. Overee gets up, dropped again. Heavy ground-and-pound by Harris. Overeem somehow survives, using a leglock attempt to stand. They separate and Overeem covers up, only to take Harris down as the latter tries to capitalize. Overeem on top in side control two minutes in. Looking for the back. Left hands from Overeem. Two minutes to go.
More left hands piling up. Harris grabbing the cage. One minute to go. More punches from Overeem. Harris trying to sit up. Brutal knee to the body from Overeem, then another on the way up. 10-9 Overeem.
Round 2: Both try to land crosses. Neither man committing to anything. Low kick from Overeem. He follows up with a clean head kick, left hook, and uppercut that floor Harris. Overeem starts pounding away after jumping on his back. Both hooks in. Punches still coming. Finally, the stoppage.
Final result: Overeem def. Harris by TKO (head kick and punches)
115 lbs.: Claudia Gadelha vs. Angela Hill
Round 1: Left hook lands for Gadelha. Lead right hand. Hill pressuring, denies a level change. Counter right by Gadelha. One minute in. Both women doing good work with their lead hands. Gadelha to the body, eats an overhand upstairs. Back to the body. Stiff jab. Again, right hand behind it. Hill tries to flurry in response and gets taken to the fence. Double unders for Gadelha. Two minutes to go.
Gadelha fighting for a takedown, finally drags her down into side control. One minute to go. Gadelha staying heavy. Hill attempting to use the fence to stand, eats left hands. Hill gets to her knees and eats punches from the crucifix. 10-9 Gadelha.
Round 2: Hill uppercut, Gadelha low kick. Left hooks from Hill around the guard. Good combination. Counter elbow from Hill, jab connects a minute in. Big right cross and down goes Gadelha! Hill’s corner screams at her to let her up and she obliges. Hill uppercut, Gadelha left hook. Another right hand from Hill, another big left hook from Gadelha. Two minutes in. Right hand lands for Hill. Gadelha ties up, takes her to the fence. Hill reverses, lands a knee. Two minutes to go.
They separate. Gadelha jabs the body. Counter combination falls short. Hill lands a 1-2. Counter right. Big right cross by Gadelha gets Hill’s attention. Another right hand met by a Hill left hook. One minute to go. Nice body shots from Hill, nice 2-1 from Gadelha. Stiff jab by the Brazilian met by a combo. Gadelha left hook. Hill with a snap kick downstairs and a right cross up top. 10-9 Hill.
Round 3: Good exchanges to start the round. Gadelha landing left hooks. Both connect as they trade. Hill right hand, eats a leg kick that seems to bother her and comes back with a combo a minute in. Hard exchange in the center. Good left hook by Hill. Head kick attempt. Right hook. Gadelha lands a clean left hook. Two minutes in. Good right cross. Hill lands a jab and uppercut. Gadelha leg kick. More good exchanges in the center. Hill lands a right hook on the retreat, lands a hard left hook. Body kick connects. Gadelha 1-2 with two minutes to go.
Hill lands a chopping right and gets cracked by a left hook. Another right hand by Hill. Both try to spin. One minute to go. 2-3 from Gadelha. Cross counter attempt. She puts Hill on the fence, jockeys for position, lands a clean elbow. Both fire right hands. More great exchanges until the bell. Damn close round. 10-9 Hill?
Final result: Gadelha def. Hill by split decision
145 lbs.: Edson Barboza vs. Dan Ige
Round 1: Ige tries a two-piece, takes a knee downstairs. Ige pressuring, throwing regularly. Counter elbow and a huge right hand floor Ige, who manages to wrap up his guard as Barboza follows him down. Brutal hammerfists from Barboza. He lets Ige up. Hard combination from Barboza. Ige trying to loop the right hand around his guard two minutes in. Barboza leg kick. Ige to the body. Stiff jab. Two minutes to go.
Ige whiffs on a wild right hand, lands the next one glancingly. Leg kick spins him around. Combination by Ige, who gets blasted by a low kick and left hook before firing a flying knee and ripping the body. Another Barboza low kick. Brief clinch with a minute to go. Barboza fires a switch kick. Counter knee. 10-9 Barboza.
Round 2: Ige marches forward with some heavy punches. Continuing to advance. Body kick from Barboza. Sneaky left hook. Hard leg kick. 2-1-body shot by Ige, who puts him on teh fence. One minute in. They trade body blows and separate. Barboza body kick and low kick. Ige lands a jab. Two minutes in. Big right hand stings Barboza. Ige answers low kicks with combinations. Body jab, low kick. Two minutes to go.
Body kick from Barboza, then a leg kick. Jab exchange. Barboza body shot answered in kind, then a sneaky elbow form Ige. Ige shoots off a Barboza leg kick, gets sprawled on. Barboza wrapping up an anaconda choke, can’t get it. He tries a spinning back kick, eats a body shot, lands a left hook. Lead right from Ige, then a swatting one from Barboza. One minute to go. Ige lands a jab, eats a hard body kick and gets sprawled on. Hard punches from Barboza on top in guard. 10-9 Barboza.
Round 3: Barboza jabs the body, then kicks it. 1-2 connects. Hard kick. One minute in. Ige right hand blocked. Low kick lands. Barboza with a counter body kick. Hard leg kick. Stiff jab by Ige, then a right to the body. Two minutes to go. Barboza lands some knees to the body. Hard left hook downstairs and Ige tries to shoot, can’t get it. Body kick by Barboza. Big right hand and jab from Ige in return. Left hook lands. Two minutes to go.
Leg kick from Barboza. Ige whiffs on an overhand, gets plugged by a jab. Lead right lands and he takes Barboza to the fence. Successful takedown and he drops left hands. One minute to go. Barboza using butterfly guard. Ige elbows. 10-9 Ige.
Final result: Ige def. Barboza by split decision
185 lbs.: Eryk Anders vs. Krzysztof Jotko
Round 1: Jotko pressing forward, avoids a left hand. Low kick lands for him. Anders falling short with his punches, eats a check hook. One minute in. Spinning elbow misses and Anders puts him on the fence. They separate. Jotko misses with an up-elbow but connects with an uppercut. Two minutes in. Anders changes levels against the fence, takedown denied by a whizzer. They separate. Both swing and Anders puts him on the fence again. Two minutes to go.
Good left hand from Anders on the exit. Jotko whiffs on an uppercut. 2-1 glances off, low kicks land. Jotko shoots in for a double-leg and gets the body lock. One minute to go. Jotko wrenches him down, nearly gets his back taken, and gets cracked by a pair of hard shots as he stands. Left from Jotko in the clinch. Anders swinging hard at point blank. Jotko grabs a body lock. 10-9 Anders.
Round 2: Anders shoots in, tries to spin on the break. 1-2 from Jotko met by a body kick. Anders just misses with an overhand left and head kick. Anders tries to catch a kick, forces him to the fence and opens up. Jotko digs a knee to the body in return. Spinning elbow from Jotko glances off, check hook lands. One minute in. Hard straight left by Jotko. Anders changes levels and hauls him to the fence. Knee to the body after a failed takedown. Two minutes in. Jotko tries a knee as they separate. Swatting left lands for Jotko. Landing off the back foot. Anders shoots, switches to a signle, can’t get it, fires a spinning elbow on the break. Two minutes to go.
Counter left from Jotko and Anders shoots again. Anders with a knee downstairs. One minute to go. Anders has the body lock, can’t wrench him down. Knees to the body. 10-9 Jotko.
Round 3: Anders lands to the body. Jotko tries a spinning elbow and Anders hauls him to the fence. Knees to the body. One minute in. Jotko separates. 1-2 from Jotko on the counter. Uppercut attempt. Two-piece, counter right two minutes in. Anders to the body. Jotko shoots, denied. Good left by Anders knocks Jotko back. Counter hook by Jotko, then a counter left catches Anders leaning. Another counter left. Anders again ties up on the fence. Two minutes to go.
Anders changes levels, denied. Jotko reverses with an underhook, tries his own takedown before they separate. Lead left lands for him. Combination connects. One minute to go. Anders again puts him on the fence. Jotko reverses, reversed in turn. Right hand on the break, failed spin. 10-9 Jotko.
Final result: Jotko def. Anders by unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Marlon Vera vs. Song Yadong
Round 1: Low kicks from Vera to start. Song tries a two-piece. Low kick lands for him, answered by a Vera jab. One minute in. 1-2 from Song. Simultaneous kicks. Vera oblique kick met by a counter right. Song body kick two minutes, low kick comes back at him. Song catches a kick and puts Vera on the fence. Short left and knee from Song on the break. Two minutes to go.
More Vera low kicks. Song with a body shot and combination. Vera lands a low kick and eats a right hand as he ties up. Song puts him on the fence. One minute to go. Vera verses, punches his thigh. Short uppercut from Song, hard elbow from Vera. Vera with some more knees. 10-9 Song.
Round 2: Song sending out kicks. Vera with a body shot, eats a right cross upstairs. More kicks from Vera. Song digs a right downstairs a minute in. Vera catches a kick and fires a combination. Brief clinch. Back to trading in the center. Two minutes in. Vera lands a body kick and they trade. Both rip the body. Big 1-2-3 from Song, firing heat at point blank. Vera still pressing forward, caught by a left hook. Vera tries head kicks with two minutes to go.
Left hook from Song. Cross counter connects. Vera presses in with a combo, lands a knee to the body as Song enters the clinch. Vera reverses on the fence. Hard hooks from Song and Vera comes back with gnarly elbows. They separate with a minute to go. Back to exchanging. Big right hand knocks Vera back for a moment. Jab lands, overhand from Song. Anotehr overhand. Vera rips the body, walks into a jab, lands a right hand on the break. Combination from Song. 10-9 Song.
Round 3: Vera marches in with a knee and gets pressed against the fence. Nice trip from Vera into half guard, then full guard. Vera postures up for some left hands. One minute in. Song scoots to the fence. He makes it up, eats a body shot on the break. Song looking for 1-2s. Jab exchange. Left hands from Vera. Two minutes in. Stiff jab by Song. Vera body kick. Low kicks as well. Song finds the mark with a left hook, fires right hands inside. Big counter hook connects. He catches a kick, eats a left hand for his trouble. Right hands from Song landing well. Vera continues to march in, fires a knee to the body. They’re trading. Two minutes to go.
Vera with a 1-2, Song with some clinch punches. Big shots from both men. Good knee by Vera, big left uppercut and knee as he takes Song to the fence. Another trip puts Vera on top with a minute to go. Song kicks him off and nearly eats a knee on the way up. Big left hand and elbow land for Vera. Song changes levels and Vera sprawls, looking for the back. Song rolls to his knees and stands while taking shots. Vera tries a cartwheel kick at the bell. 10-9 Vera.
Final result: Song def. Vera by unanimous decision
170 lbs.: Matt Brown vs. Miguel Baeza
Round 1: Brown on the front foot. Baeza tries a counter right. Brown head kick misses, Baeza jab and low kick do not. Another few low kicks a minute in. Left hook lands for Baeza, but Brown comes back with a heavy combination. Counter lands for Baeza. Brown backs him up and tees off on the fence, knocking out Baeza’s mouthpiece with a heavy right hand. Big elbows and Baeza’s still hurt despite throwing back. More elbows from Brown. Baeza to the body. They pause to put Baeza’s mouthpiece back in and he lands a 1-2 on the restart. Two minutes to go.
Two 1-2s from Baeza, then low kicks. Brown blasts him with a four-piece in return, only to get dropped hard by a right hand. Baeza follows him down into the crucifix. Left hands from Baeza. Brown works his way to the fence and stands with a minute to go. Brown back on the advance, eats a right hand. Hard elbow in response. Brown lands a clean left hook and Baeza tries to blitz. Great round. 10-9 Baeza.
Round 2: Baeza forces Brown back with a combo, then absolutely sparks him with a counter left for the finish.
Final result: Baeza def. Brown by KO (punch)
185 lbs.: Anthony Hernandez vs. Kevin Holland
Round 1: Holland lands a right hand, then a long side kick. Body jab and teep. Nasty elbow and a knee to the body folds Hernandez. Holland follows up with punches as “Fluffy” falls to his knees and forces the ref into action.
Final result: Holland def. Hernandez by TKO (knees and punches)
145 lbs.: Giga Chikadze vs. Irwin Rivera
Round 1: Rivera looks to rush in with punches. Low kick from Chikadze, head kick falls short. Rivera briefly tries a level change. Another low kick and Rivera tries to rush with punches. Rivera jumps over a low kick, plugged by a counter right a minute in. Rivera Superman punch, Rivera highly aggressive early on. Two minutes in. Rivera shoots, denied. He tries a jumping knee. Chikadze body kick. Rivera tries a high kick. Two minutes to go.
Chikadze looking to time him with knees. Chikadze Brazilian kick and straight right. Hard counter left from Chkadze, then a leg kick. Wheel kick falls short, side kick lands. Lots of feinting from both. 10-9 Chikadze.
Round 2: Chikadze slips in an early exchange. Rivera body jab. Chikadze Brazilian kick falls short. He looks for counters. Lead uppercut by Rivera a mintue in and they trade big shots. Left hand lands for Rivera. Front kick catches Rivera in the grill. Body kick and uppercut land for Chikadze. Right cross. Brazilian kick and straight left two minutes in. Side kick. Chikadze patiently potshotting at range. Rivera lands a jab. Rivera with a two-piece downstairs. Two minutes to go.
Hard knee by Chikadze, then a straight left behind it. Heavy body kick. Rivera still marching after him. Counter left lands for him. Chikadze with a counter knee and uppercut, met by an overhand left. One minute to go. Chikadze counter left. Good side kick to the body. Axe kick attempts. 10-9 Chikadze.
Round 3: Rivera steps in and Chikadze’s counter knee lands perfectly, flooring him. Rivera immediately pops up, unloads some haymakers, and ends up taken down. Back to the feet soon after. Another clean knee by Chikadze a minute in. To the body this time. Rivera still on the front foot. Chikadze head kick just misses. Two minutes in. Axe kick falls short, counter knee lands downstairs. Rivera not exploding in as he was earlier. Two minutes to go.
Chikadze comfortably potshotting, responds to a body kick with a Brazilian kick. Low kick exchange. Rivera ducks a right hand, can’t get the takedown. One minute to go. Chikadze showboating. He chases after Rivera, can’t get a clean connection. Slap and straight left connect. Rivera tries a tornado kick, then charges after Chikadze, ending up on top and going for a desperate heel hook after avoiding a rolling thunder. 10-9 Chikadze.
Final result: Chikadze def. Rivera by unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Darren Elkins vs. Nate Landwehr
Round 1: Landwehr pressing forward, Elkins looking to jab. Right hand lands for Elkins, then a left hook. Long right hand, another double jab and left hook. Fake level change into left hook. One minute in. Cross counter connects. Elkins looks for a single-leg, completes an outside trip. Elbow lands for Elkins, who threatens a guillotine as Lendwehr tries to stand. Landwehr takes top position, but is forced to roll by the guillotine. Elkins firing knees from the front headlock, tries to change levels on the break. They trade shots before separating. Overhand right from Elkins. Landwehr body kick. Two minutes to go.
Landwehr continuing to advance, gets popped by a left hook and taunts Elkins. Good jab from Landwehr. Elkins changes levels, both land on the break. One minute to go. Landwehr swats him with a pair of hard right hands. Low kick lands. Elkins body kick, Landwehr right hook off a failed level change. Counters from Elkins. Both fire combos. Elkins slips throwing a head kick. 10-9 Elkins.
Round 2: Early left hook from Elkins. Low-high 2-3. Elkins shoots, denied, good punches by Landwehr. Counter right lands for him. Overhand rights from Elkins. One minute in. They bash each other with right hands in the clinch. Elkins lands the jab. Lead right. Body shot answers a Landwehr low kick. Elkins the cleaner puncher so far, Landwehr the harder one. Good right hands by Landwehr answer a level change. Two minutes in. Elkins fakes a level change, lands a low kick. Elkins wades in with some punches. Double jab. Low kick and overhand right. 1-3 from Landwehr in return. Landwehr denies a shot, doing damage with knees. Two minutes to go.
Landwehr reverses position on the fence, separates. Elkins body shots, Landwehr knee. Landwehr lands a counter right after eating a body kick, then eats a 1-2. One minute to go. Landwehr counter right. Brutal lead elbow. They trade in the center, then pause to look at Elkins’ chopped-up face. The doctor gives the all-clear. Landwehr taunting as Elkins wades forward. 10-9 Landwehr.
Round 3: Back to exchanging in the early going. Elkins shoots, loses the grip, re-shoots. Good scramble and they punch on the exit. Left hook from Elkins, jab from Landwehr a minute in. Elkins continues to press the action, knocked over by a low kick as he shoots and caught with a right. Landwehr counter right. Elkins shoots, lands a hard 3-2 on the break. Two minutes in. Trading jabs. More jabs, short right from Landwehr as Elkins shoots. jockeying for position. Elkins knocks him back with a straight right on the break. Two minutes to go.
Overhand right lands for Elkins, then a straight. Clean Landwehr 1-2. Elkins left hook and body kick. Landwehr jab, Elkins right cross. One minute to go. Another body kick from Elkins, slinging some haymakers. Big 1-2. He continues to march forward and land, gets blasted by an uppercut. Big right from Landwehr at the bell. 10-9 Elkins.
Final result: Landwehr def. Elkins by unanimous decision
125 lbs.: Mara Romero Borella vs. Cortney Casey
Round 1: Low kicks from Casey. Looking for punches, denies a level change. Borella muscles her to the fence anyway. One minute in. More grinding along the fence. Knees from Borella. She gets Casey to her back, caught in guard. Casey looks for an armbar, gives up half guard doing so, regains guard soon after. Now looking for a triangle with two minutes to go.
Casey loses it, tries a sweep, goes back to the armbar when it’s not there. This one’s deeper. Casey manages to break Borella’s grip and extend the arm, drawing a yelp and a tap.
Final result: Casey def. Borella by submission (armbar)
265 lbs.: Don’Tale Mayes vs. Rodrigo Nascimento
Round 1: Both men starting with kicks. Low kick lands for Nascimento. Mayes answers in kind. They continue to take turns whacking the lead leg. Combination from Nascimento and he ties up. Mayes reverses, gets reversed in tur na minute in. Jockeying for position on the fence. Ref wants more action. Both try to swing on the break two minutes in. Jab from Mayes, combo from Nascimento. Mayes with a body shot to spinning back fist. More low kicks from Nascimento. Mayes oblique and body kick with two minutes to go.
Good lead right from Nascimento into the clinch. He slings Mayes to the canvas and sets up in half guard. He postures up, lands punches before re-entering guard with a minute to go. Mayes stands, lands a counter left. Slow lead right, then another missed overhand. 10-9 Nascimento.
Round 2: Nascimento follows a low kick with a head kick, then walks into a left hand. Mayes tries a head kick. Nascimento punches his way into the clinch and they again look for dominant position on the fence. Nascimento trips him to the canvas, jumps on his back, and immediately locks up the RNC for the finish.
Final result: Nascimento def. Mayes by submission (rear naked choke)