Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is about to kickoff its UFC on ESPN 1 mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which takes place TONIGHT (Sun., Feb. 17, 2019) from inside Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. Topping the promotion’s debut on “The Worldwide Leader in Sports” is the Heavyweight showdown that pits former 265-pound champion, Cain Velasquez, against power-punching ex-title contender, Francis “The Predator” Ngannou. Elsewhere on the “Fight Night” card, Lightweight “Irish Dragon,” Paul Felder, looks to get back into the win column opposite venerable 155-pound veteran, James “The Texicutioner” Vick.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC on ESPN 1 fight card below, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET, before the 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 “Ngannou vs. Velasquez.”
Without further delay, see below for the latest UFC on ESPN 1 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 1 LIVE RESULTS:
Francis Ngannou vs. Cain Velasquez
Paul Felder vs. James Vick
Cynthia Calvillo vs. Cortney Casey
Alex Caceres vs. Kron Gracie
Bryan Barberena vs. Vicente Luque
Andre Fili vs. Myles Jury — Fili def. Jury by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Jimmie Rivera vs. Aljamain Sterling — Sterling def. Rivera by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Manny Bermudez vs. Benito Lopez — Bermudez def. Lopez by submission (guillotine choke) at 3:09 of Round One
Ashlee Evans-Smith vs. Andrea Lee — Lee def. Evans-Smith by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Scott Holtzman vs. Nik Lentz — Lentz def. Holtzman by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)Jodie Esquibel vs. Jessica Penne
Renan Barao vs. Luke Sanders — Sanders def. Barao by KO (punches) at 1:01 of Round Two
Alexandra Albu vs. Emily Whitmire — Whitmire def. Albu by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:01 of Round One
UFC ON ESPN 1 PLAY-BY-PLAY:
265 lbs.: Francis Ngannou vs. Cain Velasquez
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Round 4:
Round 5:
Final result:
155 lbs.: Paul Felder vs. James Vick
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Final result:
115 lbs.: Cynthia Calvillo vs. Cortney Casey
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Final result:
145 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Kron Gracie
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Final result:
170 lbs.: Bryan Barberena vs. Vicente Luque
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Final result:
145 lbs.: Andre Fili vs. Myles Jury
Round 1: Fili on the advance, firing the jab. Check hook from Jury. Jury tries a body kick. Hard right hand from Fili. One minute in. Jab, low kick. More good jabs. Jury lands a 1-2 and a leg kick. Two minutes in. Fili staying busy with jabs and low kicks. Jury’s nose is already bleeding. Jury leg kick. Fili answers in kind. Two minutes to go.
Fili jabs, Jury left hook. Trading leg kicks. One minute to go. Jury lands a leg kick and a left hand behind it that stumbles Fili. Jury leg kick, eats a hard cross. 10-9 Fili.
Round 2: Both firing kicks. Jab exchange. Hook from Jury. He’s starting to keep up with Fili’s leg kicks and jabs. Right hand from Fili a minute in. 1-2 from Jury met by a counter right. Jury low kick, Fili jabs. This is not terribly compelling. 1-2 from Fili. Jury left hook and right cross. Two minutes in. Another Jury hook and right cross. Fili fires a spinning back kick. More Fili jabs. Fili lands a left hook as Jury throws one. Two minutes to go.
Fili tries a body kick. Straight left by Jury. Head kick attempt. Fili leg kick. Jab upstairs. Spinning back fist hurts Fili and Jury jumps on him with nasty elbows. Jury passes form half guard to mount. Fili regains guard. 10-9 Jury.
Round 3: Fili popping out his jab. Trading kicks. Right cross connects for Fili a minute in. Head kick attempt. Jab exchange. Another right cross by Fili. Jury body kicks, Fili 1-3. Left hook connects for Jury. Two minutes in. Big right hand and left hook lands for Jury. Jab exchange. Two minutes to go.
Jabs from Fili. Leg kick exchange. Low kick and jab by Fili. One minute to go. Jab and right hand from Jury. Fili continues to outland him with the jab. Jury presses forward with a good combination. 10-9 Fili.
Final result: Fili def. Jury by split decision
135 lbs.: Jimmie Rivera vs. Aljamain Sterling
Round 1: Sterling with an immediate shot against the fence. He has double underhooks. Rivera reverses. One minute in. Right hands inside. He separates. Low kick from Sterling. More kicks high and low. Backfist. Sterling goes for a single-leg two minutes in. Sterling with some nice chain wrestling, can’t get him down. Knees to the thigh. Knee to the body. Two minutes to go.
Knees to the body. Ref wants more, separates them. Inside low kick by Rivera. Sterling low kick. One minute to go. Sterling misses a head kick and Rivera shoots. Rivera with knees to the thigh, Sterling with hammerfists and knees. 10-9 Sterling.
Round 2: Rivera looks for the body. Sterling tries a jumping something and gets taken down into guard. Rivera separates and stands. Sterling shoots in for a single-leg. Knees from Sterling. One minute in. Rivera reverses and separates. Low kick from Sterling. Rivera’s mouthpiece falls out for the second time. Rivera looks for a body shot off a Sterling head kick. Two minutes in. Spinning back fist briefly drops Rivera. Sterling wades after him, opens up with his hands and feet. Body shot from Sterling on the fence. STraight left, combinations. Good body shot. Rivera’s mouthpiece falls out a third time and the ref says he’ll take a point next time. Two minutes to go.
Sterling shoots, sprawled on. Rivera lands to the body from the front headlock. Sterling stands and separates. Low kick lands. One minute to go. Right hook connects. Up-elbow connects for Sterling. Rivera comes back with a leg kick. Body kick and right hand land for Sterling. Spinning back fist. Rivera comes back to the body. 10-9 Sterling.
Round 3: Sterling landing kicks and punches early. Rivera catches a kick, can’t use it. Rivera struggling to close the distance. Rivera tries a head kick, lands counter rights. One minute in. Light back fist from Sterling. He shoots, can’t complete the single-leg. Body kick connects and a right hand behind it. Sterling’s range management has totally neutralized Rivera. Two minutes in. Now he lands a right hand off a Sterling combo. Sterling potshotting on the fence. Sterling slips on a head kick, lands an upkick, surrenders side control. Two minutes to go.
Sterling stays active, works his way to his feet. Rivera digs a body shot and takes a right upstairs. One minute to go. Sterling tries to spin, lands a side kick. Hook kick and backfist connect. Leg kick from Sterling. Sterling shoots in the waning seconds and Rivera tries to clamp down on a guillotine. 10-9 Sterling.
Final result: Sterling def. Rivera by unanimous decision
135 lbs.: Manny Bermudez vs. Benito Lopez
Round 1: Hard low kick from Lopez in the early going. Right cross. Bermudez gets underhooks, moves to the back, and slams Lopez to the mat. He looks for the choke, can’t get it. Lopez regains guard a minute in. Lopez gets a bit of space and stands. Bermudez still attached on the cage. Lopez looks for a knee, reverses. Two minutes in. Trading knees inside. Bermudez briefly threatens a guillotine. Another one and he snaps Lopez down. Lopez rolls to escape, but Bermudez adjusts and forces the tap.
Final result: Bermudez def. Lopez by submission (guillotine choke)
125 lbs.: Ashlee Evans-Smith vs. Andrea Lee
Round 1: Trading jabs in the center to start. Now both women land kicks. Evans-Smith on the front foot, switching stance as Lee lands low kicks and lefts. More leg kicks. One minute in. Evans-Smith continues to advance, eats a body kick. Body shot from Lee. Three-piece combo upstairs. Another leg kick. Jab exchange. Smith low kicks and a head kick. Two minutes in. Evans-Smith tries a spinning back kick. Leg kick and head kick attempt form Lee. Low-high counters. Lee body kick connects, dumped down off a failed axe kick. She pops up. Evans-Smith lands an illegal knee after a brief takedown, not called. Two minutes to go.
Evans-Smith head kick, Lee right hands. Evans-Smith lands well as they trade. Long right from Lee. Body kick lands. Inside low kick and left hook. Overhand right. Straigh right, left hook. Quality counters from Lee. One minute to go. Snap body kick from Smith and a 1-2 upstairs. Lee jabs and they trade leg kicks. More jabs. Evans-Smith answers body shots with a knee. Lee shoots in, denied. 10-9 Lee.
Round 2: Evans-Smith back on the advance, eats combinations. Low kick and jab from Smith. Evans-Smith catches a leg kick and looks for a takedown. She loses her grip on the leg and takes a hard body kick on the fence. One minute in. Evans-Smith with a lazy spin. Leg kick, right hand, body kick from Lee. Lee banging the body on the fence. Evans-Smith hits a takedown into side control. Two minutes in. Lee unsuccessfully looking to bridge. Now she spins to her knees, shoots, and disengages. Two minutes to go.
Evans-Smith shoots, nearly eats a knee on the way up. Straight right lands for Lee. Counter left. Evans-Smith lands a jab. One minute to go. Low kicks from Lee, right hand to the body. Counter right upstairs. Evans-Smith shoots under a jab, stuffed and they trade in the clinch. 10-9 Lee.
Round 3: Leg kick from Lee. Counter right stings Evans-Smith. Evans-Smith tries head kicks. Lee pops her with a corkscrew uppercut and Evans-Smith shoots through a knee. No dice a minute in. Combination from Lee. More low kicks. Punches upstairs, inside low kick. Two minutes in. Lee bangs the body. Lee landing to the head, body, and legs with regularity. Smith connects with right hand. Spinning back kick attempt. Head kick by Lee. Counter uppercut. Two minutes to go.
Evans-Smith shoots, stuffed. Low kick from Lee near the fence. Evans-Smith trying a Silva-Fryklund elbow without success. Lee easily stuffs another shot. Hard left from Lee and a body kick with a minute to go. Lee lands another right downstairs and looks for an outside reap. Trading in the clinch. They separate. Evans-Smith shoots again and Lee looks to scramble. 10-9 Lee.
Final result: Lee def. Evans-Smith by unanimous decision
155 lbs.: Scott Holtzman vs. Nik Lentz
Round 1: Lentz on the front foot, fires a body kick. Counter left lands for him. Holtzman with a body kick and jab, met by a straight left. Lentz with body and low kicks. Low kick again a minute in. Lead left by Lentz, hard right hook and knee on the cage. Head kick just misses. Holtzman lands a leg kick, takes a right hand. Both whiff on hooks, Lentz fires a head kick. Heavy right cross by Holtzman, then another on the lead. Lentz ties up two minutes in and fires knees. Lentz changes levels. He lands another knee, briefly gets him down. Lentz kneeing the thigh. Two minutes to go.
Lentz trying a variety of sweeps and trips. He again gets him down, again can’t keep him there. One minute to go. Lentz still grinding. This keeps up until the bell. 10-9 Lentz.
Round 2: Body kick from Lentz, gets tripped up by an inside low kick. Another Lentz body kick and a glancing head kick. Holtzman looks for a knee, digs a right downstairs and a knee upstairs. Lentz continues to send out the head kick, gets buzzed by a 1-2 a minute in. Another right lands clean for Holtzman. Lentz shoots, stuffed. Both try 1-2s. Left from Lentz, harder right from Holtzman. Lentz left, walks into a hook. Another clean right by Holtzman. Two minutes in. They trade body kicks. Lentz straight left. Leg kick on the counter. Holtzman fires a right, takes another low kick. Lead right this time for Lentz and a combination. Lentz puts him on the fence again. Two minutes to go.
Lentz trips him up and grabs a front headlock, jumping guard on a guillotine. Holtzman escapes, but Lentz stays latched onto the rear waist lock. One minute to go. Lentz completes the takedown with 30 seconds to go. 10-9 Lentz.
Round 3: Holtzman landing his right hand, walks into a heavy hook. Holtzman fires a body shot and stuffs the reactive shot. One minute in. Lentz connects with a head kick in combination. Booming straight left by Holtzman, right hook by Lentz. Lentz catches a body kick and puts Holtzman on the fence again. Holtzman escapes two minutes in. Good combination low-high. Lentz shoots off a Holtzman knee, forces him to his knees. Holtzman gets to his feet. Two minutes to go.
Holtzman with some Browne elbows. Hard hammerfists. More elbows and he circles away. One minute to go. Holtzman marching forward, landing brutal punches. Jumping knee, but Lentz catches it and shoots. He trips Holtzman down, ends the fight pressing him against the fence. 10-9 Holtzman.
Final result: Lentz def. Holtzman by unanimous decision
115 lbs. Jodie Esquibel vs. Jessica Penne
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Final result:
135 lbs.: Renan Barao vs. Luke Sanders
Round 1: Side kick lands for Barao in the early going. Inside leg kick next. Sanders missing with the left hand so far. Now it lands. One minute in. Sanders looking for his own body kicks, lands a hard straight left. Barao head kick just blocked and he follows up with body kicks, then punches. Barao continues to land body kicks. Right hook from Sanders in return. Two minutes in. Barao continuing to fire the right body kick. Sanders ties up and puts him on the fence. Barao circles off. Kick exchanges. Two minutes to go.
They trade inside, Sanders lands a cross. Sanders ties up again on the cage, eats knees before the break. He tries a head kick, lands a leg kick. Lead overhand right stings Sanders. One minute to go. Barao goes back to the body kick. Sanders catches one, absorbs a hard knee to the midsection. He catches another kick and takes another knee. 10-9 Barao.
Round 2: Sanders lands on the counter, then a right hook as they trade. Another body kick from Barao answered by a right hand. Counter left cross lands clean for Sanders, another right hook. 1-2 floors Barao and Sanders puts him to sleep with jackhammer right hands.
Final result: Sanders def. Barao by KO (punches)
115 lbs.: Alexandra Albu vs. Emily Whitmire
Round 1: They open the round trading in the center. Albu lands a left, only to get dumped to the mat in half guard. Albu regains guard 30 seconds in. Albu tries to make space, but winds up giving up her back. Whitmire immediately locks up the RNC, adjusts her grip, and gets the sub.
Final result: Whitmire def. Albu by submission (rear naked choke)