Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is locked and loaded for the UFC Vegas 45 mixed martial arts (MMA) event TONIGHT (Sat., Dec. 18, 2021) from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, streaming LIVE on ESPN+. Main event duties fall to heavyweight title contenders Derrick Lewis and Chris Daukaus, who collide for a spot in the 265-pound title chase. In the UFC Vegas 45 co-headliner, kickboxing phenom and two-time welterweight title contender Steven Thompson looks to shut down the stifling offense of 170-pound bruiser Belal Muhammad, who wants fight fans to “Remember the Name” this weekend in “Sin City.”
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 45 fight card below, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” bouts at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN+ main card start time at 7 p.m. ET.
Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Lewis vs. Daukaus.” Without further delay, see below for the updated UFC Vegas 45 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action).
UFC VEGAS 45 QUICK RESULTS:
Derrick Lewis vs. Chris Daukaus — Lewis def. Daukaus by KO (punches) at 3:36 of Round One
Belal Muhammad vs. Stephen Thompson — Muhammad def. Thompson by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26 x2)
Angela Hill vs. Amanda Lemos — Lemos def. Hill by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Raphael Assuncao vs. Ricky Simon — Simon def. Assuncao by KO (punches) at 2:14 of Round Two — HIGHLIGHTS
Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Gamrot — Gamrot def. Ferreira by submission (injury) at 3:26 of Round Two — HIGHLIGHTS
Darren Elkins vs. Cub Swanson — Swanson def. Elkins by TKO (wheel kick and punches) at 2:12 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Dustin Stoltzfus — Meerschaert def. Stoltzfus by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:58 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTSRaoni Barcelos vs. Victor Henry
Harry Hunsucker vs. Justin Tafa — Tafa def. Hunsucker by TKO (head kick) at 1:53 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS
Sijara Eubanks vs. Melissa Gatto — Gatto def. Eubanks by TKO (body kick) at 0:45 of Round Three — HIGHLIGHTS
Andre Ewell vs. Charles Jourdain — Jourdain def. Ewell by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-27)
Raquel Pennington vs. Macy Chiasson — Pennington def. Chiasson by submission (10-finger guillotine choke) at 3:07 of Round Two — HIGHLIGHTS
Don’Tale Mayes vs. Josh Parisian — Mayes def. Parisian by TKO (elbows) at 3:26 of Round Three — HIGHLIGHTS
Jordan Leavitt vs. Matt Sayles — Leavitt def. Sayles by submission (inverted triangle choke) at 2:05 of Round Two — HIGHLIGHTS
UFC VEGAS 45 PLAY-BY-PLAY:
265 lbs.: Derrick Lewis vs. Chris Daukaus
Round 1: Tentative start, unsurprisingly. Daukaus circling, Lewis slowly advancing. One minute in. Low kick from Daukaus. Lewis tries a right cross. Warned for outstretched fingers. Low kick connects. Good right elbow by Daukaus two minutes in. Lewis tries a head kick. Daukaus low kicks. Two minutes to go.
Lewis attempts a jumping switch kick, then unloads on the fence. Hard knee to the body, then a vicious right hand in the clinch that takes Daukaus’ legs out. Two more bombs and out go the lights.
Final result: Lewis def. Daukaus by KO (punches)
170 lbs.: Belal Muhammad vs. Stephen Thompson
Round 1: Side kick from Thompson as Muhammad pushes forward. Straight left. Hook kick lands. Muhammad shoots, denied, eats punches on the way up. Combination and wheel kick attempt by Thompson. Good left by Muhammad. One minute in. He shoots under a right hand, completes it against the fence. Punching each other in the face point blank. Nice reversal by Thompson two minutes in. Muhammad puts him back against the fence. Thompson reverses. Muhammad briefly considers a guillotine. Good knee from Thompson. Two minutes to go.
Muhammad reverses and hits a single-leg. Looking for the back. High-amplitude takedown and he jumps on Thompson’s back with a minute to go. Racking up punches. Thompson trying to just weather it. 10-8 Muhammad.
Round 2: Straight left from Thompson to start. Head kick attempts. 2-1. Heavy counter left, two-piece. Muhammad shoots, completes it against the fence. Thompson pops up a minute in. Nice ankle pick to land on top in half guard. Short punches. Kimura attempt two minutes in. Straight armbar, no dice. Still targeting that arm. Two minutes to go.
Still looking for the kimura. One minute to go. Side control. One minute to go. Back to half guard. Short elbows. 10-9 Muhammad.
Round 3: Thompson fires a two-piece and Muhammad immediately shoots back in. Successful double-leg. Low mount in the fence. Short punches. One minute in. Thompson bursts to his feet, Muhammad still attached. Thompson wrenches him down with a guillotine, then separates with two minutes to go. Quick double-leg by Muhammad puts him back on top in half guard. Short punches. Two minutes to go.
Thompson completely unable to dislodge Muhammad, who continues to land short punches. Side control. One minute to go. Elbows now. Piling up. 10-9 Muhammad.
Final result: Muhammad def. Thompson by unanimous decision
115 lbs.: Angela Hill vs. Amanda Lemos
Round 1: Hill light on her feet, looking to work her way inside. Good left hook upstairs. Both whiff with combos. Right after I type that, Lemos trips Hill with a vicious front kick and tries to pounds her out. Hill gets her wits back and closes up her guard. Elbows from Lemos. Hill looks for upkicks, then manages to pass to half guard when Lemos jumps on a guillotine. Two minutes to go.
Lemos uses an underhook to work her way back up. Elbow and right hand on the break. Combo by Hill in response. Suddenly, she stings Lemos with a clean overhand right. Lemos tries to throw back as Hill holds back. One minute to go. Jab by Lemos. Hill tries a single-leg, lands a knee and right hand on the break. Lemos shoots, denied, they trade in the clinch. 10-9 Lemos.
Round 2: Lemos tries a head kick, lands punches. Trading heat. Hill catches a kick and puts her on the fence. Lemos reverses. One minute in. Hill reverses, lands knees to the body. Trading knees. Good elbow from Hill on the break two minutes in. Clinch knee, puts her on the fence. More knees to the body. Lemos tries to shove her away, gets put back in the same spot. Hill lands an elbow on the break. Two minutes to go.
Jab from Lemos. Low kick connects. Good overhand right, low kick behind it. Hill tries to blitz. Counters from Lemos. One minute to go. Hill shoots, back to the clinch knees. Lemos separates. Heavy exchange. Hill pushing forward, tries a late takedown. 10-9 Hill.
Round 3: Low kick exchange, jab from Lemos. Front kick lands for her again. Hill low kick. Lemos body kick, uppercut on the break. Sending out jabs a minute in. Body kick. Hill times a leg kick to take her down into guard. Lemos makes it back to her feet, Hill still attached. Nice foot sweep, but Lemos slips out and grabs her own waist lock two minutes in. Hill reverses and puts her on the fence. Elbow on the break. Two minutes to go.
Jab from Lemos. Hill whiffs on a pair of overhands. Spinning back kick from Lemos. Hill ducks an overhand right for a double-leg, but Lemos scrambles back to her feet. Hill firing knees in the clinch. They separate. One minute to go. Right cross by Lemos met by a body kick and combination. Trading on the fence. Heavy right hands by Lemos. Hill counters one with a spinning elbow that puts Lemos on her seat. She pops back up and they continue to exchange until the end. 10-9 Hill.
Final result: Lemos def. Hill by split decision
135 lbs.: Raphael Assuncao vs. Ricky Simon
Round 1: Simon lands an early kick to the nuts. Good left hook lands for him when they resume. Assuncao firing low kicks. Successful double-leg by Simon a minute in. Keeping Assuncao stuck against the fence. Looks for the back two minutes in. Assuncao works his way up, tries a spinning back fist. Simon lifts him up and carries him to his corner before slamming him down. Two minutes to go.
Elbow from Simon, settling in half guard. More elbows. Body shots. One minute to go. Piling up short shots, nothing devastating. Assuncao regains guard with an overhook. Hammerfists from Simon in the waning seconds. 10-9 Simon.
Round 2: Low kick from Assuncao. Both potshotting. Low kick exchange. Simon overhand right. He shoots, denied a minute in. Counter hook lands for Simon. Nasty right cross two minutes in. Another one floors Assuncao soon after and Simon polishes him off.
Final result: Simon def. Assuncao by KO (punches)
155 lbs.: Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Gamrot
Round 1: Low kick from Ferreira. Gamrot tries a trip, eats a combo. More kicks from Ferreira. Gamrot tries a head kick, lands a low kick. One minute in. Gamrot body kick. He shoots, Ferreira scrambles, then stands after threatening from guard. Lead right by Gamrot, low kick soon after. Two minutes in. Low single from Gamrot puts him on top. He lets Ferreira up. Right cross by the Brazilian. Two minutes to go.
Trading kicks. Ferreira catches a body kick, tries head kicks. Overhand left lands for Gamrot. Good exchange, Ferreira gets the better of it. One minute to go. Great shot by Gamrot puts him on top again. Solid right hands, then one as Ferreira stands. Clean 1-2 lands for Ferreira. Gamrot tries a head kick. Big exchanges to end the round. 10-9 Ferreira.
Round 2: Right hook lands for Gamrot. Counter right. Ferreira with a right hand to body kick. Gamrot counter right, can’t land the low single and has to bail to avoid a head kick. 1-2 by Ferreira a minute in. Gamrot shoots, denied, stays on it, scrambles into top position. He lets Ferreira up. Both land crosses. Two minutes in. Ferreira on the front foot, walks into a jab. Another. Gamrot low single, no dice. Ferreira 1-2. Two minutes to go.
Low single for Gamrot, looks to take the back. Ferreira signals to the ref that he hurt his rib after eating a knee, and Gamrot grabs an RNC in the confusion before the ref can pull them apart.
Final result: Gamrot def. Ferreira by submission (injury)
145 lbs.: Darren Elkins vs. Cub Swanson
Round 1: Stiff counter jab lands for Swanson. Quick exchange. Overhand right lands for Elkins. More Swanson jabs. He stuffs a shot, eats a tight right n the exit. one minute in. Heavy counter two-piece by Swanson. Leaping right hand buckles Elkins, but Swanson backs off when Elkins tries to shoot in response. Clean left hook. Elkins overhand. Brutal three-piece drops Elkins again. Swanson lets him up, lands a wheel kick, and Herb Dean steps in as Elkins’ legs give out.
Final result: Swanson def. Elkins by TKO (wheel kick and punches)
185 lbs.: Gerald Meerschaert vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
Round 1: Meerschaert opens with a left hand, then a clean 1-2. Hard body kick, low kick from Stoltzfus in return. Meerschaert lands a long-range double-leg against the fence. Stoltzfus holding onto a front headlock. One minute in. Meerschaert keeping up the shoulder pressure, looking for mount. Stuck in half guard. Tries for the back, can’t get it, rolls for a leglock. Two minutes to go.
Stoltzfus gets his leg out and grabs a front headlock. Meerschaert pulls half guard. Good elbows from Stoltzfus. Meetschert tries to burst to his feet, can’t, but makes a slick armbar transition. Stoltzfus gets his arm out and takes side control with a minute to go. Short punches, elbow attempt. 10-9 Meerschaert.
Round 2: Counter left lands for Stoltzfus. Low kick lands. Meerschaert looks spent. Knee lands for him. Stoltzfus shoots into guillotine, pops his head out. Staying heavy in guard. Two minutes in. He slams his way out of an omoplata setup. Two minutes to go.
Stoltzfus passes to half guard. Meerschaert turns to his knees, Stoltzfus holding him down with a Peruvian necktie setup. Meerschart goes back down, gives up side control. Nice elbow by Stoltzfus. 10-9 Stoltzfus.
Round 3: Meerschaert comes out with a front kick. Good elbow in the clinch. He falls back for another guillotine attempt. Position’s not there. Stoltzfus passes to side control. Elbow from Stoltzfus. Meerschaert scrambles to his feet and separates. Trading heavy punches a minute in. Head kick attempt. He’s looking spent. Stoltzfus hits an easy double-leg into side control. Meerschaert scrambles into top position two minutes in. Looking for the back. Stoltzfus rolls for a leg, denied. One hook in for Meerschaert. He gets the RNC under the chin and there’s the tap.
Final result: Meerschaert def. Stoltzfus by submission (rear naked choke)
135 lbs.: Raoni Barcelos vs. Victor Henry
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Final result:
265 lbs.: Harry Hunsucker vs. Justin Tafa
Round 1: Hunsucker fires side kicks to the lead leg, then eats a counter left that drops him. Tafa follows him down, grabs the front headlock. Looking for the back. Hunsucker trying to counter with a kimura. Going hard for it, but Tafa comes down into half guard and tucks it in a minute in. Wild scramble and they’re back to their feet. Overhand right by Hunsucker, who walks into a right hook. He shoots, gets rebuffed, then gets violently kicked in the face against the fence and, despite blocking it with both forearms, crumbles. Ouch.
Final result: Tafa def. Hunsucker by TKO (head kick)
125 lbs.: Sijara Eubanks vs. Melissa Gatto
Round 1: Gatto lands a low kick, eats a flurry in response but counters a takedown into top position. Eubanks immediately grabs an underhook and uses it to sweep into guard. One minute in. Gatto trying to isolate an arm. Elbows form Eubanks in return. Two minutes in. Gatto tries hammerfists off her back. Omoplata attempt, nothing doing. Eubanks tries for the back with two minutes to go, passes to half guard.
Eubanks staying patient. Gatto hunting a kimura. One minute to go. Gatto regains guard, tries a sneaky back take without success. Elbows from Eubanks. Solid shots to end the round. 10-9 Eubanks.
Round 2: 1-2 from Gatto. Eubanks shoots in, gets double unders. Gatto tries a sneaky trip, eats right hands. One minute in. Knee from Gatto. Elbow lands, eats a body shot, comes back with a 1-2. Another 1-2 by Gatto. Eubanks lands a double-leg. Lovely sweep from Gatto puts her on top in half guard two minutes in. Heavy shoulder pressure, short right hands. Two minutes to go.
Gatti staying heavy, chipping away when she can. Eubanks playing defense. One minute to go. Potential Japanese necktie setup for Gatto as Eubanks tries to use an underhook. Solid pressure. She tries to do some damage before the bell. 10-9 Gatto.
Round 3: Eubanks looking for flurries of arm punches. Low kick lands for Gatto, then a snap kick to the body that absolutely crumples Eubanks. She takes a moment to watch Eubanks collapse, then jumps on her to send the ref into action.
Final result: Gatto def. Eubanks by TKO (body kick)
145 lbs.: Andre Ewell vs. Charles Jourdain
Round 1: Jab and body kick from Ewell. Low kick exchanges. Jourdain’s seem like the heavier of the two. One minute in. Big swings whiff, low kick doesn’t. Ewell tries a left hook, staying mobile. Solid two-piece and body shot. Jourdain tries to attack the body in return. Body kick connects, answered in kind. Two minutes in. Good step-in left, eats a flurry, comes back with a right hand. Nice exchanges so far. Ewell body kick. Flying knee attempt, eats a leg kick in return. Counter left by Jourdain, then a near-miss on a head kick. Ewell tries to answer with a 1-2. Two minutes to go.
Lead left and knee from Jourdain. Low kick, Ewell punches in response. They trade lefts. Jourdain body kick, Ewell two-piece. Ewell with a flurry inside. One minute to go. Jourdain slips throwing a flying knee and ends up on the bottom in guard. Jourdain uses a front headlock to stand, then fires a huge left hand and body kick. Close round. 10-9 Ewell?
Round 2: Jourdain comes out kicking. Ewell catches a kick, eats a low kick. Right hand from Jourdain, then a clean overhand left. Another low kick. Ewell straight left, eats low kicks in return a minute in. Head kick lands for Jourdain. Front kick to the body. Ewell not moving as well this round. Good body shot though. They trade low kicks and Jourdain follows up with a heavy straight two minutes in. Long left by Ewell. Jourdain low kick. Straight left. Ewell trying to jab off the back foot. Jourdain body shot and overhand left. Two minutes to go.
Lead left into the clinch for Jourdain. Brutal low-high combination. Hard lead left kicks off another combo upstairs. Counter left from Ewell, solid shot. Jourdain unloads in response and Ewell stumbles to the ground. Jourdain into top position, dropping shots with a minute to go. Nasty ground-and-pound. He threatens a sub, then postures up to bomb away until the bell. 10-8 Jourdain.
Round 3: Low kick from Jourdain. He blitzes in, tries to spin. Another low kick. Continuing to push forward. Low-high right hooks. 1-2 attempt a minute in. Another leg kick by Jourdain. Ewell tries a combo. Snapping left comes back at him. Body shot. Ewell fires a low kick, avoids the return fire. They trade on the fence. Clean front kick suddenly lands for Ewell. Jourdain comes back with with heavy punches, backing him to the fence two minutes in. More leg kicks. Ewell to the body. Hard right cross by Jourdain, then a hook behind it. Two minutes to go.
Jourdain backs him to the fence and looks to do damage. Body shots, hard knees. Ewell looks hurt from one of them, stumbles from a trip. Jourdain bellows at him, then starts kneeing him from the front headlock. One minute to go. Knees to the face piling up. . Jourdain gets a bit of room, then wheel kicks Ewell in the face before Sparta-kicking him to his seat. Damn. 10-9 Jourdain.
Final result: Jourdain def. Ewell by unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Raquel Pennington vs. Macy Chiasson
Round 1: Solid body jab from Pennington, who eats a hard 1-2-3 in response. Pennington runs in with a right cross. Chiasson body kick a minute in. Hook kick misses. Combination lands for her as Pennington backs her up. Left hook from Pennington, body jab. Heavy right hand in combination two minutes in. Chiasson looks for a combo in return, eats a leg kick. Counter jab. Pennington punches into the clinch and puts her on the fence. Chiasson gets over-unders, eats a knee downstairs. Two minutes to go.
Brutal exchange on the break, heavy punches and knees from both. Left hook by Chiasson, who circles around as Pennington charges. One minute to go. Trading knees to the body. Chiasson wrenches her down into guard. Pennington looks for a leg. Chiasson swats her legs for a while, then lands a series of shoulder strikes. 10-9 Chiasson.
Round 2: Body kick from Chiasson, 3-2 from Pennington. Good combo from Pennington, throwing heat to the body and head. Chiasson with a right cross and body kick. Counter right lands for her, but she can’t get the whizzer kick. Pennington puts her on the fence a minute in. Chiasson frames, digs in some hard knees as they separate. Pennington eats an uppercut, lands a right cross. Continuing to pressure. Counters land for her against the fence. Clean Superman punch two minutes in. Body jab. Chiasson low kick, Pennington body shots. Body kick exchange. Pennington forces her back with a nice combo. Chiasson responds with a level change, only to get caught in a 10-finger guillotine that forces a tap.
Final result: Pennington def. Chiasson by submission (10-finger guillotine choke)
265 lbs.: Don’Tale Mayes vs. Josh Parisian
Round 1: Early low kick from Mayes. Jab from Parisian in response. Teep by Mayes, who hauls Parisiaon to the fence and basically punches him to the ground. Nasty upkick by Parisian. One minute in. Mayes dives in with a right hand to land in side control. Short elbows. Solid left hands on the way up. He wrenches Parisian back down into side control two minutes in. Parisian does a good job of scrambling to his feet. Another nice takdeown by Mayes with two minutes to go.
Mayes gets the crucifix and starts dropping punches. Nasty elbows piling up. Looking for an americana, loses it. Parisian regains half guard. One minute to go. Mayes staying heavy. He steps over for a kneebar attempt at the bell. 10-9 Mayes.
Round 2: Parisian tries a fancy low kick and Mayes comes back with a flying knee, then lands some solid punches on the fence before shooting in. High-crotch puts Mayes on top. Parisian looking for a kimura. One minute in. Body punches from Mayes as he defends. He gets the arm out and settles in side control. Parisian kicks off the fence to stand, then lands a knee to the body. Looking for his own takedown, but Mayes counters it to land on top in half guard. Elbows to the body and head from Mayes. Two minutes to go.
Parisian looking for a kimura again. Mayes gives him a little headbutt to the ribs. Arm’s free. Hard elbow with a minute to go. Mayes looking for the back, landing punches from turtle. He pulls Parisian down back into side control. North-south. Aggressive humping from Mayes. Sorry, “hip strikes.” 10-9 Mayes.
Round 3: 1-2 and front kick from Mayes, who follows with a jumping crane kick. Parisian comes back with a clean spinning elbow, but gets taken down into half guard. Elbows from Mayes. Parisian spins for a leg a minute in, can’t get it. Mayes standing over him, tries an uppercut as Parisian stands. Nice body lock takedown. Looking for the back. Side control, crucifix. Dropping elbows with two minutes to go.
Parisian trying to bridge but the elbows pile up until the ref intervenes.
Final result: Mayes def. Parisian by TKO (elbows)
155 lbs.: Jordan Leavitt vs. Matt Sayles
Round 1: Sayles catches an early body kick. Leavitt with a glancing front kick. Sayles to the body, stuffs a shot. One minute in. Leavitt nearly lands a spinning back fist. He shoots, sprawled on. Sayles holding onto the front headlock. Leavitt manages to turn and re-shoot. Can’t get the inside trip two minutes in. Sayles wraps up a guillotine, can’t get it, back to the clinch. The next trip puts Leavitt on top in half guard. Sayles trying to scoot to the fence. Two minutes to go.
Leavitt moves to mount, Sayles regains butterfly guard. Elbow from Leavitt, who wraps up an anaconda choke. Leavitt squeezing for his life as they roll. Sayles manages to work his way free and looks for his own takedown. Another gator roll from Leavitt, then an attempted back take. Sayles stands and throws before the bell. 10-9 Leavitt.
Round 2: Sayles digs a right to the body, then sprawls on the first shot. Trying to open up on the fence. Low kick connects, more body work. One minute in. Leavitt tries a flying knee. He shoots, denied, lands a knee and jumps guard on a guillotine. Sayles rolls free and looks for his own double-leg, slamming Leavitt to the mat. Leavitt with an odd inverted triangle sort of position two minutes in. It doesn’t look deep, but it forces Sayles to tap.
Final result: Leavitt def. Sayles by submission (inverted triangle choke)
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