Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to its APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the UFC Vegas 71 mixed martial arts (MMA) event TONIGHT (Sat., April 22, 2023), streaming LIVE on ESPN+. UFC Vegas 71 will be headlined by the 265-pound showdown between Top 5-ranked heavyweight contenders Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes. Before that five-round clash of styles gets underway, long-time middleweight veteran, Brad Tavares, will test his beard against Brazilian smashing machine, Bruno Silva, in UFC Vegas 71’s co-main event. Elsewhere on the card, fan favorite lightweight competitors Jared “Flash” Gordon and “King” Bobby Green hook ‘em up at 155 pounds.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 71 fight card below, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” undercard bouts at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN+ main card start time at 7 p.m. ET. Bet on all the UFC Vegas 71 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 “Pavlovich vs. Blaydes.” Without further delay, see below for the updated UFC Vegas 71 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action).
UFC VEGAS 71 QUICK RESULTS:
265 lbs.: Sergei Pavlovich vs. Curtis Blaydes — Pavlovich def. Blaydes by TKO (punches) at 3:08 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS
185 lbs.: Brad Tavares vs. Bruno Silva — Silva def. Tavares by TKO (knee and punches) at 3:35 of Round One
155 lbs.: Jared Gordon vs. Bobby Green — No contest (headbutt) at 4:25 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS
125 lbs.: Iasmin Lucindo vs. Brogan Walker — Lucindo def. Walker by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
170 lbs.: Jeremiah Wells vs. Matthew Semelsberger — Wells def. Semelsberger by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
155 lbs.: Christos Giagos vs. Ricky Glenn — Giagos def. Glenn by TKO (punch) at 1:35 of Round One
135 lbs.: Montel Jackson vs. Rani Yahya — Jackson def. Yahya by KO (punches) at 3:42 of Round One
145 lbs.: Norma Dumont vs. Karol Rosa — Dumont def. Rosa by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
265 lbs.: Junior Tafa vs. Mohammed Usman — Usman def. Tafa by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
145 lbs.: William Gomis vs. Francis Marshall — Gomis def. Marshall by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
135 lbs.: Danaa Batgerel vs. Brady Hiestand — Hiestand def. Danaa by TKO (punches) at 4:21 of Round Three — HIGHLIGHTS
UFC VEGAS 71 LIVE PLAY-BY-PLAY:
265 lbs.: Sergei Pavlovich vs. Curtis Blaydes
Round 1: Blaydes flicking out jabs. Two-piece from Pavlovich knocks him back. Counter right lands for Blaydes, then another. Pavlovich looking aggressive, walks into another counter right and lands an uppercut a minute in. Blaydes blocks a four-piece. Low kick, jab behind it. Pavlovich tries a combo, connects with a right hand. 1-2 drops Blaydes in eerily similar fashion to the second Ngannou fight, though he pops back up and lands a left hook. Two minutes in. Stiff jab by Pavlovich and Blaydes is rocked again. Again Blaydes survives. He tries to shoot, denied, lands more jabs. Pavlovich wading in with big swings. Two minutes to go.
Jab uppercut by Pavlovich kicks off another combo that sends Blaydes stumbling to the mat, where a follow-up onslaught brings in the ref.
Final result: Pavlovich def. Blaydes by TKO (punches)
185 lbs.: Brad Tavares vs. Bruno Silva
Round 1: Quick 1-3 from Tavares in the opening seconds. Ugly exchange, neither lands clean. Tavares body kick. Solid counters when Silva tries to wade in, clean jab a minute in. Tavares threatening with head kick. Landing combinations as they exchange. Good 1-2 by Silva, his first clean connection of the fight. Body kick answered by a harder one from Tavares. Speed and fluidity definitely on Tavares’ side two minutes in as he racks up clean combinations. Hard right cross gets Silva’s attention. Another good body kick by Tavares. 1-2 with two minutes to go.
Tavares reaches in with another 1-2 and gets visibly wobbled by a counter right hook. Silva attacking and they’re slugging it out. Big knee by Silva, followed by a crushing straight right that sends Tavares to the mat. The ref jumps in before Silva can follow up with more than one punch; Tavares looks like he was still lucid and he’s enraged by the stoppage, but the decision is final.
Final result: Silva def. Tavares by TKO (knee and punches)
155 lbs.: Jared Gordon vs. Bobby Green
Round 1: Green advancing with his hands low. Leg kick from Gordon. Body jab lands for Green after eating another leg kick. One minute in. Green backs him to the fence, eats a counter a minute in. Nice exchanges, both land well. Green catches a head kick and dumps him to the mat, but doesn’t follow up. Good two-piece by Gordon two minutes in. Left hook kicks off a boxing exchange. Green limp-legs out of a single-leg and they trade on the fence. Two minutes to go.
Gordon holding his own on the feet so far, lands a low blow as I type that. Body kick lands for him. Fake level change. Green threatens a flying knee. Snap kick downstairs, double jab. One minute to go. 2-1 by Gordon. Green jumps in and what’s clearly a lunging headbutt sends Gordon to the mat. Green puts him to sleep with punches, but we’ll see whether that holds up to review.
Final result: No contest (headbutt)
125 lbs.: Iasmin Lucindo vs. Brogan Walker
Round 1: Hard straight right lands for Lucindo early on. Another long right. Another clean right. Yet another when Walker tries a naked low kick. One minute in. Walker fires a head kick and eats a flurry. Lucindo fires some more high-speed combos. Two minutes in. Body kick and right hand knock Walker back. Spinning back kick. Walker whiffs on an overhand and tries to tie up, avoiding a spinning back kick with two minutes to go.
Lots of feinting from Walker, but not a lot of offense, as Lucindo constantly punishes her when she tries to open up. Another big flurry by Lucindo near the fence. One minute to go. Lucindo falls short with a flying knee. Spinning back fist likewise falls short, though a subsequent flurry does not. 10-9 Lucindo.
Round 2: Walker trying to do a little more to start the round. Lucindo falls short with a spinning back fist. Big blitz a minute in. Neither woman landing much clean. Lucindo spinning back kick falls short. Two minutes in. Walker ducks a spinning back fist and hauls Lucindo to teh fence. Continuing to grind. Two minutes to go.
Lucindo tries a hip toss, can’t get it but manages to separate. Hard right hand lands for her. Walker tries a head kick, eats some hard 1-2s. One minute to go. Walker tries a head kick and Lucindo ties up before dragging her down with an outside trip. Back up, back down, this time into mount with 30 seconds to work. 10-9 Lucindo.
Round 3: Lucindo tries a flying knee, can’t land it but stays aggressive. She answers a body kick with a combo a minute in. Spinning back kick attempt. Big four-piece flurry. Spinning back fist falls short. Walker tossing out some kicks as her corner implores her to actually do something. Heavy right hand from Lucindo in response. Two minutes in. Lucindo in cruise control, as Walker seems to hesitant to try any sort of offense. Two minutes to go.
Another hard flurry by Lucindo opens a cut on Walker. Body kick. Walker tries a head kick, eats more counters. Lucindo tries some more flurries and quickly breaks out of Walker’s attempted clinch. One minute to go. Lucindo catches a kick, then waves her up. She grabs a body lock and takes her down into mount at the bell. 10-9 Lucindo.
Final result: Lucindo def. Walker by unanimous decision
170 lbs.: Jeremiah Wells vs. Matthew Semelsberger
Round 1: Semelsberger lands a good shot in the opening seconds and the brawl begins. Heavy counter right sends Wells to the mat and Semelsberger gets to smashing. Wells somehow survives and starts fighting for takedowns. Semelsberger defending well, lands some solid Browne elbows a minute in before putting him on the fence. Lovely trip by Wells puts him on top in full guard, where he goes to work with punches and hammerfists. Two minutes in. Wells doing some good work from guard, continuing to land ground-and-pound. Two minutes to go.
Semelsberger trying to kick him off, manages to get to his feet. Wells puts him right back on the fence. He considers a throw with one minute to go, then fires a flurry before taking him down again. Wells continuing to launch ground-and-pound. 10-9 Wells.
Round 2: Wells falls short with some wide swings. Hard 3-2 from Semelsberger and down goes Wells again. Semelsberger follows him down into guard, where Wells clamps down. Wells stands a minute in and they separate. Another counter right by Semelsberger, Wells tries to come back with a flurry after getting tossed to the mat. Trading heat in teh center. Semelsberger loads up on a big right hand and it allows Wells to change levels and put him on his back again. Two minutes in. Elbow from Semelsberger off his back. Two minutes to go.
Wells doing nothing from the top, Semelsberger not doing much more off his back. There’s a few elbows from Wells. One minute to go. Semelsberger tries to roll, gives up, settles for guard. More ground-and-pound from Wells. 10-9 Wells.
Round 3: Semelsberger comes out slugging. Wells tries a flying knee. Wells ties up again snt puts him on the fence. Big lift and slam by Wells puts him on top in guard again. Semelsberger kicks him off, gets taken down again. One minute in. Wells passes to half guard for the first time. Semelsberger spins for a leg, gets stuck on his knees and forced back to his back two minutes in. Wells trying to attack a keylock, but Semelsberger gets to his feet. Wells immediately hauls him to the fence again. Two minutes to go.
Semelsberger sells out looking for a kimura and ends up on his back again. Loses it. Half guard for Wells, back to full. Semelsberger considering a triangle, gives up side control. Wells tries to latch onto his back on the way up, then hits yet another takedown. 10-9 Wells.
Final result: Wells def. Semelsberger by split decision
155 lbs.: Christos Giagos vs. Rick Glenn
Round 1: Good early combo by Giagos. Body kick blocked. Quick exchange in the center. One minute in. Giagos body shot; he’s the faster and busier of the two so far. Solid low kick. Glenn steps in to trade in the center and gets lamped by a left hook to the temple that sends him pitching face-first to the mat. The ref steps in immediately, much to Glenn’s displeasure, but that was a bad fall.
Final result: Giagos def. Glenn by TKO (punch)
135 lbs.: Montel Jackson vs. Rani Yahya
Round 1: Yahya tossing out low kicks to start. One minute in. Jackson tries a combo against the fence. Counter 1-2 lands for him. Yahya’s first shot comes 90 seconds in and he’s in deep on a single-leg. Strong defense by Jackson to land on top in half guard. Yahya regains full two minutes in. Clamping down on the left overhook, trying to bring his legs up. Jackson pops his arm free and lands a punch, then lets Yahya up after the ref warns Yahya for grabbing the gloves. Two minutes to go.
Body kick by Jackson. Yahya feints a shot and lands a right hook. Body kick comes back at him. Yahya tries to keep the exchanges going and runs headfirst into a nasty counter volley that sends him crumpling to the mat, where Jackson pounds away for the finish.
Final result: Jackson def. Yahya by KO (punches)
145 lbs.: Norma Dumont vs. Karol Rosa
Round 1: Slow start, both women content to sit outside of each other’s range. One minute in. Hard combo by Rosa, who eats a clinch knee in return. That’s about the only action for the next 50 seconds, though Rosa finally steps in and swings when the ref warns them. Two minutes in. Low kick from Dumont. Another 30 seconds of nothing and the ref again demands more action. Dumont lands a low kick and puts her on the fence. Two minutes to go.
Dumont holding double underhooks, landing the occasional knee to the body. Ref again asks for more action. One minute to go. Ref breaks them up. Rosa tosses out low kicks and they trade in the center. Good left hook by Dumont. Rosa lands a right hand and some knees before the bell. 10-9 Dumont.
Round 2: Some actual exchanges to start the round, all favoring Dumont. Dumont puts her on the fence once again. One minute to go. Rosa cut around the right eye, not doing anything to get off the fence and Dumont not doing anything with the clinch. Short shots from Dumont. She exits with punches, then lands some good counters before Rosa puts her on the fence. Two minutes to go.
Rosa doing the grinding now. One minute to go. Solid knee by Rosa. Knee from Dumont, short elbow by Rosa. They swing in the final seconds. 10-9 Dumont.
Round 3: They start the round periodically exchanging, neither getting the better of it. One minute in. Solid counter right from Rosa to answer a low kick. Rosa blitzes and tries to tie up, but gets put on the fence when Dumont grabs underhooks. Two minutes in. Dumont holding onto the underhooks, not doing anything with it. Rosa trying to strike, lands a decent elbow before reversing position. Dumont hits a head-and-arm throw, can’t keep her down with two minutes to go.
Dumont 1-2. Cross counter by Rosa kicks off an exchange in the center. Huge 1-2 from Rosa sends Dumont to the canvas, and Rosa ties up on the fence and slams home elbows once she stands. One minute to go. Dumont gets over-unders and reverses, gets reversed in turn. Right from Dumont on the exit. Both women throwing hard. Nice trip by Rosa and she lands right hands on the way up, then cracks Dumont with a spinning elbow. 10-9 Rosa.
Final result: Dumont def. Rosa by unanimous decision
265 lbs.: Junior Tafa vs. Mohammed Usman
Round 1: Both men keeping their distance in the early going. Usman shoots and they jockey for position against the fence. One minute in. Knees to the thigh from Usman, keeping Tafa stuck against the side. Two minutes in. Tafa tries to break free and a wild scramble ensues, including a near-miss on a knee to the head and a clear fence grab from Tafa before Usman puts him back on the fence. Two minutes to go.
Usman keeping him stuck against the cage, not offering much offense but keeping Tafa neutralized. One minute to go. Tafa finally breaks free with a big left hook and goes to town. Huge uppercut to overhand right. Tafa swinging for the fences, Usman answering in kind. Massive level elbow by Tafa prompts Usman to keep him on the fence for a bit. Head kick to left hook before the bell. 10-9 Tafa.
Round 2: Usman shoots, rebuffed, lands an uppercut on the way up. Tafa stalking and throwing heat. That uppercut’s doing work for him. Big left hook rattles Usman, who shoots in response. Looking for a single-leg against the fence a minute in. He completes it into half guard. Usman staying heavy, not throwing much two minutes in. Ref wants more action. Decent elbow by Usman. Two minutes to go.
Usman just smothering so far and Tafa’s content to just hold on. One minute to go. Usman chipping away, not putting a lot behind anything or looking to pass. 10-9 Usman.
Round 3: Usman shoots, denied, avoids some big swings. Another shot under a Tafa left hook takes them to the fence. Awkward high crotch lift puts Usman on top in half guard at the base of the fence. Same as usual; Usman landing short shots and Tafa doing his best dead fish impression off of his back. Two minutes in. Tafa looks like he’s totally given up. Two minutes to go.
Tafa finally tries to kick him off with a minute to go, but he’s so lethargic that Usman manages to tie right back up. Now Tafa makes it to his feet as Usman leans on him. Solid elbows from Tafa, then a huge uppercut on the break. Tafa swings for his life, but can’t find the finish. 10-9 Usman.
Final result: Usman def. Tafa by unanimous decision
145 lbs.: William Gomis vs. Francis Marshall
Round 1: Gomis staying at a distance, lands a solid body kick as Marshall falls short with punches. Hard counter right from Marshall to answer the next body kick. One minute in. Marshall ties up after whiffing a right hand and puts him on the fence. Separation soon after. Gomis still playing keep-away. Two minutes in. Glancing head kick lands for Gomis, who slips but pops back up. Heavy body kick. Marshall continuing to pursue to limited success. Gomis body kick, avoids a combo with two minutes to go.
Marshall just can’t get inside so far. Long-range double-leg attempt. One minute to go. Marshall keeps him against the fence until the bell. 10-9 Gomis.
Round 2: Marshall trying to push forward with right hands. Gomis content to keep his distance and potshot. One minute in. Nice counter knee by Gomis into a body lock. They separate soon after. Two minutes in. Marshall continuing to fall short with his punches. Gomis tries a head kick with two minutes to go.
They’re in a stalemate, Marshall unwilling to commit to getting inside and Gomis unwilling to throw anything meaningful. There’s a decent combo by Marshall. Gomis tries a head kick. One minute to go. Both men whiffing on their punches. Straight left and low kick by Gomis. Low kick catches Marshall in the groin. Another low kick when they resume. Straight left at the bell. 10-9 Gomis.
Round 3: Marshall continuing to fall short with punches as Gomis runs circles around him. Low-high 3-2 lands for Marshall. Gomis low kick a minute in. Side kicks downstairs. Two-touch head kick attempt. Gomis tossing out kicks, Marshall responding with nothing two minutes in. There’s a powerful double-leg by Marshall, who looks to jump on Gomis’ back against the fence. Foot stomps. Gomis working to stand, gets pulled back to his knees. Back up. Two minutes to go.
Stalemated against the fence, Gomis on all fours and Marshall attached to teh body lock. Now Marshall forces him down and wraps up the RNC. Gomis fighting the hands but it’s getting deeper. One minute to go. Good defense by Gomis. Marshall switches to an arm triangle, doesn’t have the angle. He loses it with 10 seconds to go and bombs away instead. 10-9 Marshall.
Final result: Gomis def. Marshall by split decision
135 lbs.: Danaa Batgerel vs. Brady Hiestand
Round 1: Danaa on the front foot to start. Both tossing out kicks, neither landing clean. One minute in. Low kicks land for Danaa. Solid one from Hiestand in return. Hiestand’s really looking for the head kick. Two minutes in. Solid level change by Hiestand puts Danaa on the fence. Both landing in the clinch. Danaa shoves him aside with an underhook and lands on the way up before separating. Two minutes to go.
Danaa body jab, Hiestand still sending out switch head kicks. Body kick lands for Hiestand, his best shot in a while. Danaa answers the next head kick with a left hook. One minute to go. Surprisingly slow fight so far. Danaa sprawls on a shot, then dings Hiestand with a left hook and punishes the next level change with a knee. Solid jab. Big blitz from Danaa, who appears to get dropped by a counter left but bounces back with some big swings. 10-9 Danaa.
Round 2: Danaa comes out slugging, dropping Hiestand with a left hook in the opening seconds before stopping a takedown and firing haymakers. Hiestand powers through some elbows to hit the next takedown, but can’t keep him down. Danaa continuing to do damage as Hiestand tries to complete another level change. Hiestand does so, but his nose looks busted a minute in. Hiestand hunting the back. One hook in, aided by some toes in the fence. Good adjustment to get the other in and prevent Danaa from turning into guard two minutes in. Body triangle. Danaa working to turn into guard, does so and drops elbows with two minutes to go.
Danaa making up for lost time with punches and elbows. One minute to go. Hiestand gets to his feet and separates. Danaa pushing forward, eats a body kick. 10-9 Danaa on damage.
Round 3: Body kick lands for Hiestand. Both men look like they’re feeling the pace. Low kicks from each. One minute in. Glancing head kick by Hiestand, who’s throwing a lot more than Danaa so far this round. Nice jabs. Another head kick after firing an overhand right. Two minutes in. Danaa’s output is nonexistent at the moment as he eats another low kick. Trading jabs, quick lead right by Hiestand. Danaa comes back with a leg kick. Two minutes to go.
Things have largely devolved into slow-mo sparring. Lovely double-leg by Hiestand puts him on top in half guard, where he goes to work with punches. Danaa stuck on his knees, continuing to eat shots. One minute to go. Hiestand looking to the ref as the left hands continues to pile up, and with Danaa showing no sign of improving the decision, the ref steps in. Wild comeback finish for Brady Hiestand.
Final result: Hiestand def. Danaa by TKO (punches)
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