Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to the hurt business this Saturday night (Nov. 26, 2016) for UFC Fight Night 101: “Whittaker vs. Brunson,” which takes place inside Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, live on FOX Sports 1.
The promotion’s latest mixed martial arts (MMA) card will feature a middleweight showdown pitting top 185-pound prospect Robert Whittaker against fellow up-and-coming contender Derek Brunson. Elsewhere on the card, Andrew Holbrook and Jake Matthews hook ’em up for a spot in the 155-pound title chase.
Because of the discrepancy in time zones, the action pops off “Down Under” on Sunday — but airs live on Saturday night for stateside audiences.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Night 101 fight card below, starting with the Fight Pass “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, and then the remaining undercard balance on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 10 p.m. ET, also on FOX Sports 1.
Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Whittaker vs. Brunson.”
Without further delay, see below for the latest UFC Fight Night 101 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action.)
UFC FIGHT NIGHT 101 QUICK RESULTS:
Derek Brunson vs. Robert Whittaker
Andrew Holbrook vs. Jake Matthews
Kyle Noke vs. Omari Akhmedov
Yusuke Kasuya vs. Alex Volkanovski
Tyson Pedro vs. Khalil Rountree
Seo Hee Ham vs. Danielle Taylor
Chris Camozzi vs. Daniel Kelly
Damien Brown vs. Jon Tuck
Jonathan Meunier vs. Richard Walsh — Meunier def. Walsh by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x2)
Geane Herrera vs. Ben Nguyen — Nguyen def. Herrera by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
Daniel Hooker vs. Jason Knight — Knight def. Hooker by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-26)
Marlon Vera vs. Ning Guangyou — Vera def. Guangyou by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Jenel Lausa vs. Yao Zhikui — Lausa def. Zhikui by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
UFC FIGHT NIGHT 101 PLAY-BY-PLAY:
185 lbs.: Derek Brunson vs. Robert Whittaker
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Round 4:
Round 5:
Final result:
155 lbs.: Andrew Holbrook vs. Jake Matthews
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Final result:
170 lbs.: Kyle Noke vs. Omari Akhmedov
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Final result:
155 lbs.: Yusuke Kasuya vs. Alex Volkanovski
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Final result:
205 lbs.: Tyson Pedro vs. Khalil Rountree
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Final result:
115 lbs.: Seo Hee Ham vs. Danielle Taylor
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Final result:
185 lbs.: Chris Camozzi vs. Daniel Kelly
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Final result:
155 lbs.: Damien Brown vs. Jon Tuck
Round 1: Tuck on the advance. He lands a right hand and shoots in. Brown locks up a guillotine in the scramble. It looks deep, but Tuck toughs it it and secures half guard. One minute in. Short left hands from Tuck. Two minutes in. Brown not doing too much to stand, unable to get the underhook. Tuck postures up and drops some massive punches. Brown makes it back to his feet and separates, two minutes to go.
Brief clinch. Tuck looks a bit tired, I think. One minute to go. Combination from Brown. Tuck drops him with a straight right and scrambles his way to the back. Tuck landing heel strikes as he looks for the choke. Brown survives the round but is just pouring blood. 10-9 TUck.
Round 2:
Round 3:
Final result:
170 lbs.: Jonathan Meunier vs. Richard Walsh
Round 1: Low kicks from Walsh to start. Meunier answers in kind. Both land right hands in sequence. Meunier tries a head kick. One minute in. Walsh seems to catch a finger in the eye but continues. Head kick blocked. Both throw, Meunier briefly ties up. Two minutes in. Low kick lands for him, avoiding a backfist. No major contact yet. Good exchange inside. Two minutes to go.
Meunier ducks a spinning backfist and tries an elbow on the break. Straight left by the Canadian. Counter right and he avoids a flurry. One minute to go. Spinning back fist lands for Meunier. 1-2 afterwards and he hits a takedown into guard, then half guard. 10-9 Meunier.
Round 2: Walsh comes out aggressively, looking to do damage in the clinch as Meunier goes for knees. Meunier fighting off takedowns and separates. One minute in. Wheel kick attempt from Meunier, right hand from Walsh. Meunier fakes a takedown and lands a knee. Walsh gets a nice entry into a takedown but gets stuffed, eating a knee. Two minutes in. Spinning back kick by Meunier, right hand by Walsh. Meunier controlling the fight at range thus far. He shoots, can’t complete it. Two minutes to go.
Walsh separates with a knee. Walsh just can’t consistently reach Meunier, who isn’t landing everything but is keeping Walsh at bay. One minute to go. Walsh shoots, can’t complete it. They jockey for position on the fence. Good knee by Meunier after they separate. Front kick and wheel kicks by Meunier, followed by jumping knees to end the round. 10-9 Meunier.
Round 3: Meunier lands a front kick and gets taken down for it. He pops back up and Walsh presses him against the fence. Double underhooks for Walsh. One minute in. Walsh trying to land knees, eats a bigger one and can’t complete the takedown. Meunier separates. Walsh bleeding from above the left eye. Two minutes in. They tie up, scramble, and Meunier slips out to take side control. Walsh works his way back to the feet and rocks Meunier with an overhand right. Meunier tries a shot, lands a knee. Two minutes to go.
Short right hand lands for Walsh. Straight left by the Canadian, staying busy with the kicks. One minute to go. Walsh shoots off an oblique kick and briefly gets Meunier down on the fence. Meunier gets to his feet, grabs the fence on the way down. Again Meunier gets up, again he’s wrenched down. Walsh throws wild until the bell. 10-9 Walsh.
Final result: Meunier def. Walsh by unanimous decision
125 lbs.: Geane Herrera vs. Ben Nguyen
Round 1: Geane Herrera fires a jumping side kick to start the fight, then hits a lateral drop but can’t keep Nguyen down. Counter dings Nguyen, who comes back with a pair of lefts. Hard 2-1 by Nguyen. Low kick and left hand. One minute in. Nguyen moving forward, tries a head kick, walks into a jab. Body kick lands for Nguyen. 2-1 from Nguyen. Two minutes in. Low kick from Nguyen and he drops Herrera with a left at the end of a flurry. Herrera pops back up but he’s giving a lot of ground. Herrera eats a kick to the nards and takes some time to recover. Herrera comes back throwing heat. Solid right hook to the body. Nguyen comes back with a combo. Two minutes to go.
Low kick from Nguyen. 1-2 connects. Body kick and 1-2, Herrera fires a flurry. Body kick by Herrera, 1-2 by Nguyen. 2-3 lands. One minute to go. Nguyen’s winning the majority of these exchanges. Nice flurry. Herrera presses him against the fence and changes levels. Nguyen circles free. 10-9 Nguyen.
Round 2: Herrera’s corner didn’t bring an Enswell. Dumb.
They get right back to trading and Nguyen lands a pair of combinations before shrugging off a clinch. Check hook by “La Pulga.” One minute in. Body kick from Nguyen. 1-2 , left hook, knee connect. Low kick afterwards. 2-3, right cross. 1-2 by Herrera in return, two minutes in. Straight left this time by “Ben 10.” Body kick from Herrera met by body punches. Counter right lands for Nguyen. Jabs to the body. Two minutes to go.
2-3 from southpaw lands. 1-2 from orthodox. Flying knee and 1-2 from Herrera, Nguyen takes them and comes back with a straight right. Left hook connects. 1-2. Hook on the break. He’s just outworking Herrera in a big way. 1-2 exchange. One minute to go. Nguyen tries a jumping back kick, settles for body shots. Herrera shoots and completes a nice takedown at the bell. 10-9 Nguyen.
Round 3: Herrera shoots immediately, can’t complete it and Nguyen goes to work with combinations. Nice shots from Nguyen, mixing it up to the body as well. Herrera just misses a counter right. One minute in. Straight left by Nguyen. Herrera shoots under a 1-2, can’t get it. Nice right hand and left hook from Nguyen. Two minutes in. Counter right this time. Body shot, overhand right. Low kick connects. Lead uppercut. Overhand right. Herrera’s really not giving him much return fire. Two minutes to go.
Nguyen’s picking him apart. 1-2 lands for Herrera. Flurry lands for Nguyen. One minute to go. Herrera whiffs on an overhand right, eats one in return. Body kick by Nguyen. Herrera connects with a body kick and tries to clinch. Herrera throws a right hand after the bell. 10-9 Nguyen.
Final result: Nguyen def. Herrera by unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Daniel Hooker vs. Jason Knight
Round 1: Knight immediately pressing forward. Body kick lands for him. Right hand connects upstairs. Another right hand drops Hooker, who pops up quickly and comes back with a straight left. Body shot, straight right by Knight. One minute in. Hooker pops him with straight lefts. He’s moving well, lands another left. Knight slugs back with a right. Another straight left. Two minutes in. Hooker’s leaving his chin out. That left is money so far for “The Hangman.” Knight still storming after him and landing a few good shots. Two minutes to go.
Nice takedown from Knight, who quickly passes to half guard. Hooker manages to scramble up and land a counter left, only to get taken down again. Knight looking for the back on the fence. One minute to go. Knight looks for the choke, then locks up mission control when Hooker spins to top position. 10-9 Knight.
Round 2: Knight still on the advance, lands a counter right. Sharp lefts from Hooker in return. Knight switches to southpaw, shoots, stuffed. More lefts from Hooker. One minute in. Counters from Knight. Hooker with a low kick. Good takedown from Knight, hits a near-suplex and then locks up the body triangle. Two minutes in. Hooker defending well thus far. Knight gets the forearm under Hooker’s chin, but can’t lock up his grip. Two minutes to go.
Short elbows from Knight, trying to soften Hooker up. Hooker survives another near-choke. One minute to go. Hooker takes top half guard before the bell. 10-8 Knight.
Round 3: Head kick from Hooker draws a smile. Knight still hurling 1-2s, blocks a head kick. 1-2 lands clean. Knight shoots from too far out, easily avoided. More 1-2s land for him, though. One minute in. Knight shoots as soon as Hooker starts moving forward and takes him to the fence. Knight looks for a single-leg as Hooker threatens his neck, neither succeeds and they separate. Straight rights from both. Two minutes in. Knight lands a body kick. Right from Hooker, bigger right from Knight. Knight falls short on a takedown and they trade power shots. Two minutes to go.
1-2s yet again for Knight; Hooker’s head is barely moving. Better shot this time, still doesn’t get the takedown. Flying elbow from Knight after a Hooker right hand. Hooker avoids a takedown and nearly lands a soccer kick. Nice rights from Night. One minute to go. Knight tries to pull guard. Right hand from Hooker, Knight comes back with an uppercut. Superman punch from Knight but now Hooker’s landing hard punches. They’re trading good shots. Knight hits a single-leg, loses top position, and sets up rubber guard before the bell. 10-9 Knight.
Final result: Knight def. Hooker by unanimous decision
135 lbs.: Marlon Vera vs. Ning Guangyou
Round 1: Low kick from Guangyou to start. Vera checks the next one and avoids the left hand behind it. One minute in. Vera tries a front kick. Next one lands to the body. Guangyou falls short with a wheel kick. Vera shakes his hips and his corner tells him not to “f*ck around.” Two minutes in. Head kick from Vera blocked and answered with a leg kick. Guangyou whiffs on a 1-2. Good body kick by the Ecuadorian. Two minutes to go.
Vera backs away from a 1-2, catches a body kick, and hauls Guangyou to the fence. He hops into back mount, kicks off the fence, and gets full back control. One minute to go. Body triangle for Vera, looking for the choke. Heel kicks from Vera and he continues trying to soften him up until the bell. 10-9 Vera.
Round 2: Vera opens with leg kicks, lands a knee when Guangyou presses forward. Body kick from Vera, leg kick from Guangyou and a body kick after that. One minute in. Guangyou blocks but can’t catch a head kick. Vera checking low kicks. Not enough of them, though, as Guangyou tees off on his legs. Two minutes in. Counter right lands clean for Vera. Vera finally leans down to catch a low kick and looks to take the back. The fence kick doesn’t work this time and Guangyou takes top position, firing off punches and elbows. There was another fence grab there. Vera attacks the leg. Two minutes to go.
Guangyou takes side control and digs in with short elbows. Vera briefly threatens a McGeary-style inverted Americana, then regains guard and looks for the triangle/armbar sequence. Guangyou riding well, takes half guard. One minute to go. Guangyou passes to mount, postures up, and lands some solid shots before Vera regains half guard and then full guard. Guangyou continues to punish and Vera gets to his feet. 10-9 Guangyou.
Round 3: Guangyou continues to batter the legs and swarm with punches behind them. Vera checking enough to stay afloat, still eating some. One minute in. Vera baks away from jabs but, out of nowhere, he drops Guangyou with a hard left hand and another punch behind it. Guangyou goes out during the ground-and-pound, but wakes up in time to survive. Vera takes the back, Guangyou scrambles out and shoots in. Two minutes in. Vera separates. Guangyou tries to spin, eats a head kick. Two minutes to go.
Vera marching forward as a tired Guangyou throws leg kicks and tries a wheel kick. Body kick from Vera. One minute to go. Quick exchanges from both men. Solid right on the break and another, met by a low kick. Body knee and left hook by Vera. Solid knee at the bell. 10-9 Vera.
Final result: Vera def. Guangyou by unanimous decision
125 lbs.: Jenel Lausa vs. Yao Zhikui
Round 1: Left hook from Lausa, met by a low kick. Combination from Zhikui, who eats a flush straight right. Fun exchanges so far. Nice counter right knocks Zhikui off-balance. One minute in. Lausa catches a low kick and scores a brief takedown before letting him up. Zhikui falls short with a right hand, appears to land with a finger in the eye. Two minutes in. Zhikui low kick. Hard lead right stings Zhikui, left hook behind it lands. Lausa lands another right hand, stalking forward. Zhikui pops him with a leg kick. Again. Two minutes to go.
Lead right again by Lausa. Zhikui lands a counter left and scrambles up after slipping. One minute to go, another straight right by Lausa. Zhikui tries to grab an ankle, cannot. Zhikui lands a left hook in a flurry. Both land right hands and Lausa knocks Zhikui as they trade. Lausa storms after him and throws heat until the bell. 10-9 Lausa.
Round 2: Another counter left by Zhikui. Sharp jab from Lausa. Zhikui continues to throw the leg kick. Dart right hand and a jab behind it land for Lausa. One minute in. Zhikui shoots, Lausa muscles him away. Head kick drops Zhikui and Lausa swarms. He moves to the front headlock and slams on a guillotine, pulling half guard. Two minutes in. Zhikui slips out. After a short time, Lausa scrambles and escapes out the backdoor. Lausa pressing forward with hard punches. Major overhand right and Zhikui goes to his knees. Two minutes to go.
Zhikui works his way to a single-leg from turtle position, can’t get it and separates. Both land right hands. Lausa fires a head kick and Zhikui lands a well-timed takedown. One minute to go. Lausa scoots to the fence, then gets to guard. Zhikui postures up and drops some heavy ground-and-pound. Nice elbows from Zhikui. Lausa eats a diving punch, then comes back with a cracking elbow off his back. 10-9 Lausa.
Round 3: Zhikui just misses with a hard counter right. Lausa conects on teh lead. One minute in. Another dart lands for Lausa. Again and a hard jab behind it. 2-3 lands. Two minutes in. Zhikui whiffs on an overhand right and stumbles to his knees, though Lausa lets him up. More right hands by the Filipino. Leg kick by Zhikui. Two minutes to go.
Straight right connects for Lausa. Huge counter right dings Zhikui, who smiles. Lausa in full control of the striking. Dart, left hook. One minute to go. Zhikui shoots, juked. Lausa avoids some flurries. Yet more right hands from Lausa before the bell. 10-9 Lausa.
Final result: Lausa def. Zhikui by unanimous decision