Live, blow-by-blow updates for today’s UFC 239 main card from Vegas, which has a featherweight attraction as the featured preliminary fight.
Join us today on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring, and play-by-play as UFC 239 goes down in Vegas.
The main event will see light heavyweight champ Jon Jones defending his title against Thiago Santos. The co-main is a women’s bantamweight title fight between Amanda Nunes and former champ Holly Holm.
The featured preliminary bout comes at featherweight, with former Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez fighting Arnold Allen
This post will cover the preliminary card.
The show kicks off on Fight Pass at approximately 6:15pm ET with three fights. The card then moves to ESPN at 8pm ET for four more bouts, then onto the main PPV card. Remember that you can only order UFC PPVs now through ESPN+, so you have to sign up for that service beforehand if you haven’t already.
The full lineup and schedule follows. The main PPV card will be covered in a separate post.
Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Jack Marshman
Round 1 – High leg kick from Shahbazyan. They trade in the pocket. Shahbazyan ducks under with a single leg and gets Marshman to the ground. He lands some huge shots! Marshman spins and gives up his back. Choke. Nighty night! Impressive.
Edmen Shahbazyan defeated Jack Marshman via submission (rear naked choke), 1:12 of round 1
Ismail Naurdiev vs. Chance Rencountre
Round 1 – Naurdiev with the takedown and some punches from the top. They’re back up. Nice knee up the middle from Naurdiev, and a couple of big body kicks. Rencountre spins him around and takes him down against the fence. Naurdiev is in a seated position, but can’t counter to his feet. Rencountre turns the corner but still can’t flatten Naurdiev out. He grabs a front headlock, but it doesn’t work and he’s finally laid out. Slow pace now. He’s not doing much on top. He’s in half and trying to posture up but there’s not much happening. 10-9 Naurdiev.
Round 2 – Rencountre immediately gets a takedown and takes the back. He flattens him out and looks for the choke. He settles for strikes with wrist control from the back and the ref as warning Naurdiev. He spins over into half guard. Not much happening now. Naurdiev tries to hip escape but can’t. Elbow from Rencountre. Again. This is really stalled out, but he’s doing enough to maintain top position. 10-8 Rencountre.
Round 3 – Rencountre shoots but Naurdiev defends. Again. Body shot from Rencountre and they scramble in a takedown attempt. It ends up neutral. Naurdiev with a flying knee but Rencoutre goes right back to the takedown. He has a single but Naurdiev pulls it away and defends. He’s right back on it. Naurdiev is warned for grabbing the fence but Rencountre jumps on his back at the same time. He gets him him down and flattens him out, just like that. Naurdiev rolls back to half. Two minutes left. Relentless grappling. Not a lot happening, but it’s effective. Naurdiev gets up with 35 seconds to go, but Rencountre is still tying him up. The ref separates them. Naurdiev gets a late takedown but it shouldn’t matter. 10-9 and 29-27 Rencounture.
Chance Rencountre defeated Ismail Naurdiev via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Pannie Kianzad vs. Julia Avila
Round 1 – Low kick from Avila. They clinch. Kianzad is pressing but not getting anywhere. Three good knees from Avila in close. She reverses, but Kianzad gets right back and looks for the takedown. Knees from Avila. Good clinch work. Body shots and a right cross on the break. Kianzad responds with a sot. They both land again. Kianzad tries to clinch again but it seems ill-advised. She looks for a takedown again. Nice left from Kianzad on the break. Avila cracks her back with a right hook though. They trade low kicks. Kianzad with a looping right hook and a combo that scores. Avila comes right back with pressure. Clinch again. Knee up the middle from Avila. 10-9 Avila.
Round 2 – Avila clinches this time and is looking for the takedown. Kianzad fights it off though. Right over the top from Avila and Kianzad wants no more of that. Low kick from Penny. Again. Body kick from avila and Kianzad takes her down. Avila is up right away though. They trade jabs. Avila with a low kick that wobbles Zianzad. She fires back with a right hook. Avila presses with a combo and a right hook. Knee to the body and an elbow. A big Zianzad elbow over the top opens up Avila’s eyebrow! Good place though, no blood in the face. Avila catches Zianzad with another right and she’s hurt! Back to the clinch. That wasn’t wise. Zianzad reverses and recovers while looking for a takedown. Avila brawls out with 30 seconds to go. Front kick. Kianzad shoots but she’s wrapped up on the ground. 10-9 Avila.
Round 3 – Low kick from Avila. Kianzad presses. That gets nowhere, and Avila presses right back. Clinch work. Nothing happening, and they separate. Right over the top from Avila. Avila drops Kianzad with a right hook! She jumps in but gets wrapped up. Obviously Zianzad is good because she frames an armbar. Avila evades and steps over into a high mount. She’s looking for a choke now, with full back control. Back to mount. Kianzad is deftly defending. 90 seconds to go. Avila has back contro and she’s still hunting. She steps over to a high mount again but, Zianzad again defends. She almost reverses but can’t. Kianzad survives but loses. 10-8 and 30-26 Avila.
Preliminary Card (8pm ET)
Gilbert Melendez vs. Arnold Allen
Marlon Vera vs. Nohelin Hernandez
Claudia Gadelha vs. Randa Markos
Alejandro Perez vs. Yadong Song
Fight Pass Card (6:15pm ET)