Live, blow-by-blow updates for today’s UFC 257 preliminary card from Vegas. To stream UFC 257 live on ESPN+ PPV click here!
Join us today on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring, and play-by-play as UFC 257 goes down live on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.
Today’s show will feature the return of Conor McGregor to the Octagon, as he fights for the first time in a year when he meets former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier. The co-main event also takes place in the lightweight division, with three-time Bellator 155-pound champion Michael Chandler making his UFC debut against Dan Hooker.
This post will cover the preliminary card. The featured prelim bout came together at the last second, with Matt Frevola taking on Arman Tsarukyan at bantamweight.
Today’s show is a standard PPV even though it’s taking place in the UAE. There are two Fight Pass fights, which should kick off around 7pm ET/4pm PT. Things will move to ESPN and ESPN+ for four more fights at 8pm ET, and then we’ll go over to PPV at 10pm ET as per the norm.
Brad Tavares vs. Antonio Carlos Junior
Round 1 –
Julianna Pena vs. Sara McMann
Round 1 – Slow start. Leg kick from McMann. Two shots from McMann. Two nice rights from McMann. She shoots a single and gets Pena to her knees. She takes the back and sinks hooks. Pena grabs the fence to get up. Back to the ground, with McMann on top. Good pressure against the cage. 10-9 McMann.
Round 2 – McMann looks for a takedon bt falls into a guillotine. She uses the cage to bust out and work from top position. They stall out there, as McMann tries to readjust the guillotine. Eventually Pena squirms away, and they battle on the fence. Nice combo from Pena on the break. McMann with a right hook. Not a lot happening. 10-9 McMann.
Round 3 – They clinch immediately. Pena hits a sweet throw on McMann and has her stuck. She opens up with hammerfists. Up high on McMann’s back. Full back mount from below with a body triangle. She sinks a choke! McMann taps! NICE!
Julianna Pena defeated Sara McMann via submission (rear naked choke, 3:39 of round 3
Khalil Rountree vs. Marcin Prachnio
Round 1 – Front kicks from Rountree. Head kick from Prachnio. Side kick to the body from Prachnio. More body work. Nice counter right from Prachnio. Leg kick from Rountree. They exchange. Two straight lefts from Rountree. Rountree with a right hook. Prachnio with the side kick. Rountree presses with kicks, but Prachnio cracks back. 10-9 Prachnio.
Round 2 – Leg kicks from both men. A bit timid so far. Two lead rights from Prachnio. Rountree tries to counter but he’s too late. Prachnio is pressing. Rountree is trying to counter but not landing enough. He was putting major pressure on his opponent but backed off. Straight left from Rountree staggers Prachnio! He’s still there, but that rang his bell. 10-9 Rountree.
Round 3 – They trade shots early. Lentz shoots but gets stuffed, nothing there. Rountree misses with the lead right but eats the counter. Rountree looks for the takedown but gets touched. Rountree with a big shot! But he doesn’t seem to get how hurt this feels. Rountree cracks his opponent. Rountree looks for combos. Prachnio lands a couple of shots. I have it 10-9 and 29-28 Rountree, but it’s a toss up.
Marcin Prachnio defeated Khalil Rountree via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Movsar Evloev vs. Nik Lentz
Round 1 – Lentz lands a nice left uppercut. He drops for a guillotine, but Evloev fights it off and drops some nice punches on Lentz. He ended the round on top. 10-9 Evloev.
Round 2 – Lentz presses with strikes. Evloev with a response. Leg kicks from Lentz. He looks for a takedown but settles for a guillotine attempt. He tries to gator roll with no success. He jumps on a guillotine again but no dice, back to the feet. Evloev with a jab. Lentz wades in for a takedown, but there was a headbutt there that went undetected. Lentz looks for a guillotine again. Nada. Back to the feet. Nice right from Lentz. 10-9 Lentz.
Round 3 – Nice jab from Lentz, and a kick. Evloev with a right hook, and again. Evloev presses with punches but can’t land. Lentz shoots and looks for a kimura to drag him down, but no dice. Nice right from Evloev. Head kick too. Hard jab. The tide has turned. They trade shots. 10-9 Evloev, but 29-28 Lentz.
Mosvar Evloev defeated Nik Lentz via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Amir Albazi vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov
Round 1 – (This is Mookie on PBP for this fight so if I have a weird score please blame Tim anyway) Albazi working the jab. Lands a leg kick. Nice left hand upstairs by Zhumagulov. Just misses on the right hand. Body kick by Albazi. Jab to the body by Zhumagulov. Albazi gets drilled by a jab and then a right hand. Albazi on the offensive but not landing anything of substance. Good countershot by Zhumagulov but back comes Albazi with another leg kick. Albazi with the double leg takedown and he completes it with about two minutes left in the opening round. Zhumagulov uses the fence to stand back up. Leg kick by Zhumagulov and Albazi returns fire with the same strike. Solid right gets through for Albazi. Spinning backfist by Zhumagulov as Albazi was coming forward. Zhalgas with the late takedown as the final 20 seconds tick away. Zhumagulov in full guard and Albazi throwing elbows from his back. Late elbow by Zhumagulov and the horn sounds. 10-9 Zhumagulov.
Round 2 – Albazi lands yet another lead leg kick. Left hand scores for Zhumagulov but Albazi’s leg kick attack continues. Right hand by Albazi and then another one after missing the knee. Zhumagulov digs a left hook to the body but the calf kicks are not being stopped. Albazi with a sharp jab to the head of the Kazakh fighter. Outside leg kick by Albazi as Zhumagulov switches to southpaw for a brief moment. Albazi keeping up the pressure but eats a left to the side of the head. Smooth jab by Albazi, who looks like the faster of the two. One more hard leg kick by Albazi with two minutes left in the round. Right hand by Albazi looks to have partially landed. Zhumagulov can’t get the takedown but does land a jab. Uppercut by Zhumagulov but there’s one from Albazi and in a late sprawl he’s on top. Zhumagulov stands back up and the round ends. 19-19.
Round 3 – Leg kick by Albazi to begin the final round. Nifty knee to the body and then a shot upstairs by Albazi. Takedown by Albazi is denied but not the next one. He works inside Zhumagulov’s closed guard. Lands a left elbow and then a right one. Albazi passes to half guard with three minutes to go. Gets the other leg free to get into side control. Amir looking for back mount and he has one hook in. Almost gets the body triangle but he does have both hooks in. Slick grappling by Albazi as he searches for a fight-ending choke or a crank. Zhumagulov fighting the hands and trying to turn into Albazi but Amir adjusts and keeps control of the back. Nice job by Zhumagulov to get back to his feet but he surely needs something spectacular in order to win the round if not the fight. Aggressive striking by Zhumagulov as he lets his hands and kicks go. Leg kick by Albazi. They trade right hands but only Amir’s lands cleanly. Jumping knee to the body by Albazi. Short left from southpaw by Albazi. Zhumagulov misses on a standing hammerfist and then runs towards his opponent to throw a leg kick to end things. 29-28 Albazi.
Official result: Amir Albazi def. Zhalgas Zhumagulov by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Preliminary Card
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Matt Frevola