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Live, blow-by-blow updates for today’s UFC 247 preliminary card from Houston.
Join us today on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring, and play-by-play as UFC 247 goes down in the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
The main event will be a light heavyweight title fight between champ Jon Jones and challenger Dominick Reyes. The co-main is for a belt too, with Valentina Shevchenko putting up her UFC women’s flyweight title against challenger Katlyn Chookagian.
This post will cover the main card up to the headliner.
We’ll start on Fight Pass and ESPN+ at approximately 6:30pm ET with three fights. The card then moves to ESPN at 8pm ET for four more bouts, then onto the main PPV card at 10pm ET. The full lineup and schedule follows. The preliminary card and main event will be covered in separate posts.
Main Card
Round 1 –
Round 1 – Slow start. The crowd is restless already. Lewis finally winds up and misses, so Latifi clinches. Jump knee! From Derrick Lewis! Latifi took it. Latifi scoops a single, but Lewis stays on his feet. They battle in the clinch. They stay there for a while until the ref separates them. Head kick from Lewis. Another one, and a right hook. Back in the clinch. Again he scoops a single, and again Lewis defends deftly. Lewis breaks and lands another knee. 10-9 Lewis.
Round 2 – Lewis looks for the high kick again. Latifi with a low leg kick. Latifi clinches again. Lewis spins him around and lands an elbow. Latifi trips Lewis to the mat. He’s working from half. Latifi lands some light ground and pound but doesn’t get much going. The ref stands them up with 45 seconds to go. Head kick from Lewis is blocked. Latfi with another takedown. Some good rights on the ground. 10-9 Latifi.
Round 3 – Lewis is coming forward early. He steps in with a hard right. Another, but Latifi clinches. He’s working hard for a takedown and he gets it. He’s staying just busy enough on top to maintain position, but this isn’t exciting. Lewis finally gives up his back and gets up with two minutes to go. Jump knee from Lewis misses. Lewis creates a bit of distance and lands a knee. Latifi trips him, but Lewis is up immediately. One minute to go. Head kick wobbles Latifi. He clinches again. Elbows from Lewis. He separates and and a big right! Latifi is running! Lewis chases but can’t land hard again. Wild action though. 10-9 Lewis and 29-28.
Derrick Lewis defeated Ilir Latifi via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Katlyn Chookagian