Live, blow-by-blow updates for today’s UFC Vegas 18 event in Vegas on ESPN+, which features a heavyweight tilt on top.
Join us today on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring, and full play-by-play (main card) as UFC Vegas 18: Overeem vs. Volkov goes down in Vegas.
The headliner of the card comes in the heavyweight division, with veteran Alistair Overeem taking on Alexander Volkov. The co-main will see Frankie Edgar look to beef up his bantamweight resume when he meets Cory Sandhagen. Askar Askar vs. Cody Stamann was a late scratch from the main card.
This is an ESPN+ show and is kicking off slightly earlier than usual. The seven-fight preliminary card is scheduled to start at 5pm ET/2pm PT on ESPN+. The six (or five)-fight main card will kick off at 8pm ET/5pm PT on the same streaming network.
Alistair Overeem vs. Alexander Volkov
Round 1 – Volkov with a hard leg kick. Overeem backs up to the fence and covers up. Volkov with another low kick. Volkov fakes a front kick. Overeem taking his time. He tries to catch a Volkov kick, without success. More low kicks from Volkov. Overeem with two big lefts. Those got Volkov’s attention. Overeem tries to clinch but Volkov is having none of it. Jab from Volkov. Another left from Overeem. Uppercut from Overeem, and a body kick. Oblique kick too. Counter left from Volkov drops Overeem! He’s up right away, he might have just been caught off balance. Volkov with a jab. Overeem backs up, and Volkov lands a couple of right and a knee. Low kick from Volkov. Another. Overeem misses with the left. Volkov with a big flurry. Overeem shells up. Overeem bleeding. 10-9 Volkov.
Round 2 – Hard jab from Volkov. Head kick from Overeem is blocked. Three more jabs and a right from Volkov. Overeem tries to clinch. Oblique kick from Overeem. Overeem wades in with a right. Volkov wobbles Overeem with a combo! Big right over the top and Overeem retreats! Volkov resets. Overeem is bleeding badly and looks for a takeown. Volkov defends. Volkov drops Overeem again with another combo! He’s not getting up that time and the ref pushes Volkov away. It’s over.
Alexander Volkov defeated Alistair Overeem via TKO (strikes), 2:06 of round 2
Cory Sandhagen vs. Frankie Edgar
Round 1 – Edgar takes the center right away. Nice left from Sandhagen, and a low kick. Edgar with a combo. A JUMP KNEE FROM SANDHAGEN KNOCKS EDGAR CLEAN OUT! FACE DOWN! HOLY HELL!
Cory Sandhagen defeated Frankie Edgar via KO (flying knee), :28 of round 1
Michael Johnson vs. Clay Guida
Round 1 – Inside leg kick from Guida. Again. Johnson with 1-2 that wobbles Guida. They both land a counter. Guida with a right. They both clip their opponent. Guida with a big right hook. Counter left from Johnson. Head kick from Guida. Step-in knee from Johnson, but Guida grabs his leg. Guida scoop Johnson up and puts him on the mat. Johnson has his head against the cage wall. Guida looks for the topside guillotine. Johnson defends and gets up. Guida is bleeding. They jockey on the fence, then break. Big knee from Johnson. He lands to the body. Two kicks. Guida clinches. Johnson makes some space. Guida with a right hook. Johnson with a fast combo. Another right hook from Guida. Johnson lands a counter. Guida with a body shot. Good round. 10-9 Guida.
Round 2 – Counter combo from Johnson. Hard right from Johnson. Guida shoots and puts Johnson onto his butt against the cage. Johnson gets up to one knee, then his feet. Guida keeps a hold of Johnson’s legs. Johnson lands a couple of hammerfists. Another and Johnson gets away. He immediately lands a knee to the chin. Guida jumps in on a takedown attempt against the cage again. Foot stomps from Guida. Johnson separates, then sluffs off another takedown attempt. He reverses and almost gets a takedown of his own. Knees to the body from Guida. Back to the center with a minute to go in the round. Two low kicks from Guida. Guida shoots again. They stall out. 10-9 Guida.
Round 3 – Guida takes the center immediately. They both throw big shots. And miss. Jab from Johnson. Johnson lands a hard shot, but Guida shoots in immediately and gets Johnson to his knees. Johnson is back up and looks for underhooks. Guida holds on. They’re not doing anything. The ref warns them. Guida gets onto Johnson’s back and sinks one hook. He looks for the choke, and he looks to have it secured! Johnson is hand fighting to survive. Body triangle from Guida. Guida gives it up but tries to reapply it. Johnson trying to roll away, but the body triangle is tight. 10-8 ad 30-26 Guida.
Clay Guida defeated Michael Johnson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Manel Kape
Round 1 – Pantoja pressing right away. Kape circling on the outside. Pantoja with a right hook. Low kick. Kape catches a body kick. Body kick scores this time for Pantoja. Kape with a quick left. More kicks from Pantoja. Kape is being a little timid. Two rights from Pantoja connect. Inside leg kick from Pantoja. They both land rights. Pantoja flurries. Hard body kick from Pantoja. Kape looks for a cartwheel kick, and ends up on his back. Kape is back up with a leg, but runs out of time. 10-9 Pantoja.
Round 2 – Low kicks and front kicks from Pantoja. Kape starts kicking now. Kape with a back heel kick. Leg kick from Pantoja. Body kick. They stall out a bit. Two body kicks from Pantoja. Kape with a left. Kape with a nice counter combo to the body. Kape with a low kick. Pantoja with a nice right. They trade rights. Body kicks from Pantoja. Kape with a counter left. Head kick from Kape. Kae shoots and takes the back. Pantoja rolls through and gets up. Kape catches a kick and dumps Pantoja to the mat at the horn. 10-9 Pantoja.
Round 3 – Kape with a quick left. Another. Kape spins and misses. Pantoja with a low kick. He shoots but KApe easily swats him away. Left from Kape. Pantoja fires back. Kape avoids a leg kick but eats a body kick. Kape with a kick and he’s clowning a bit. Head kick from Pantoja stops that. Body kick from Pantoja. Kape scores to the body. Head kick from Pantoja is blocked. Kape with a combo. Pantoja checks his eye but the ref lets them continue. Body kick from Pantoja. 30 seconds to go. They both land counter rights. Takedown from Kape but Pantoja gets up immediately and lands a knee. Another takedown from Kape. 10-9 Kape, but 29-28 Pantoja.
Alexandre Pantoja defeated Manel Kape via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Diego Ferreira vs. Beneil Dariush
Round 1 – Front kick from Ferreira. Long right from Dariush. Head kick from Ferrerira. Couple of lefts from Dariush. He shoots in but Ferreira stays up. Ferreira jumps for an armbar! Dariush deftly defends and Ferreira gets up. Dariush looks to put him back down again. He can’t. They start chucking knouckles. Big shots from both men! A step-in knee from Dariush hurts Ferreira! He goes to his back and Dariush opens up with strikes. Ferreira threatens with a submission, then closes his guard. Ferreira tries to roll for a leg. Dariush spins and defends, falling into Ferreira’s guard. More big punches from Dariush. Ferreira gradually gets up with 30 seconds to go. Nice combo from Ferreira, and a body kick. Dariush with a right hook! Front kick to the face from Ferreira! Great round. 10-9 Dariush.
Round 2 – They get right after it again. Trading head kicks. Another front kick from Ferreira. Low kick from Dariush. Right hook from Ferreira. Ferreira stuffs a double leg. Dariush stays on it though and trips Ferreira to the mat. They stall out. Dariush backs out and eats an upkick. Dariush defends an omoplata attempt. Ferreira gets to his feet, then rolls for a leg lock Dariush defends and takes Ferreira’s back with one hook. He’s up high, and breaks. Ferreira throws a lazy right hook and is double-legged to the mat. Up quick though. Ferreira with a spinning back fist but it’s blocked. Dariush cuts a corner and gets another takedown. Beautiful. Bg overhand right from Dariush as he backs out of the guard. Ferreira tries to squirm away but can’t. 10-9 Dariush.
Round 3 – They start trading right away again. Hard left from Ferreira. Dariush with a low kick. Dariush with a left. Dariush looks for a single leg but gets popped with a shot. He dives in on Ferreira’s legs. SStill can’t get him down. Cup kick from Dariush. Cornuts cam confirms. Ferreira takes about a minute and they get back to it. They trade body kicks. Dariush slips on at takedown attempt. Ferreira lands. Big left from Dariush! Ferreira stops a takedown and literally runs right into the referee. Two big shots from Ferreira. Counter left from Dariush connects. Dariush slips and goes to his back. He lands a quick upkick and gets up after a leg lock attempt. Step-in knee to the body from Dariush. Left from Ferreira. Dariush shoots, then ragdolls Ferreira back the other way and gets him down. He rolls onto Ferreira’s back. He looks for a leg lock. Ferriera on his feet and lands a shot. 10-9 and 10-9 Ferreira but 29-28 Dariush.
Beneil Dariush defeated Diego Ferreira via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Mike Rodriguez vs. Danilo Marques
Round 1 – Marques scoops a single right away. He manafes to get Rodriguez to his back. He uses the fence to get back up, but ate a few punches. Marques looks for another trip takedown. He eventually gets Rodriguez to a seated position. Now he has him flat on his back. Back to seated. Flat on his back again. Marques tries to pass but can’t. Rodriguez gets up again. And right back down with a body lock. Few punches from Marques. Rodriguez finally gets up and spins away. 10-9 Marques.
Round 2 – They trade low kicks. Rodriguez blocks a takedown attempt and lands a shot. Marques tries again and gets him down this time. He’s just riding him, not really landing much. Back up, back down. He’s on his back now. He secures a body triangle and looks for a choke. It looks like he’s got it, but the round is almost over. Rodriguez is out! Nice win!
Danilo Marques defeated Mike Rodriguez via submission (rear naked choke), 4:52 of round 2
Preliminary Card (5 PM ET, ESPN+)
Devonte Smith def. Justin Jaynes by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 2:38 of round 2
Karol Rosa def. Joselyne Edwards by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Lara Procopio def. Molly McCann by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Seungwoo Choi def. Youssef Zalal by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Timur Valiev def. Martin Day by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-26)
Ode Osbourne def Jerome Rivera by TKO (punches) at :26 of round 1