UFC 207 prelims results and video: Magny beats Hendricks, Oliveira-Means ends in bizarre NC

The UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey preliminary card is in the books, with the first three fights all ending in round 1. While two of those three bouts ended in impressive finishes, the opening bout between Alex Oliveira and Tim Means concluded in mass confusion, much of it completely unwarranted. Here’s how the UFC 207 prelims played out inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Neil Magny def. Johny Hendricks via unanimous decision (29-28 x3) - Catchweight

A smattering of boos rang out for Hendricks, who came into this fight 2.5 pounds over the welterweight limit, thus the catchweight status. After 2 minutes of striking, with Hendricks loading up on the left hand, Hendricks utilized his wrestling skills and took Magny down. Magny kept an active guard, throwing elbows off of his back and throwing up his legs for possible submissions. The former UFC champion threw some elbows of his own, but then got caught in a triangle choke attempt. It wasn’t tight enough, but Magny elbowed Hendricks several times while searching for the triangle-armbar.

Hendricks got Magny to the ground again in the 2nd round, this time into half-guard and with his sights set on side control. Magny scrambled to his feet but found himself taken down again and eating shots as Hendricks punched him while lurched on his back. Magny wasn’t nearly as active from his guard and Johny quite clearly took the 2nd.

Magny fared better stuffing the takedowns of Hendricks, who looked considerably winded. Neil wasn’t landing much of consequence, however, even with the 11 inch reach advantage. Hendricks did slam Magny to the mat with 90 seconds, but Magny was more active from the bottom and again had Hendricks in a triangle choke, taking elbows to the head. The round ended on that late triangle attempt, which proved to be enough for Magny. It’s a bounceback win for Magny (despite the crowd’s dislike of the decision) and a 3rd loss in a row for Hendricks.

Antonio Carlos Junior def. Marvin Vettori by unanimous decision (29-28 x3) - Middleweights

Vettori was accidentally poked in the eye inside of 20 seconds, but continued after being looked at by the doctor. He was poked in the eye again later in the round, but no point deduction was issued. Carlos Junior then was poked in the eye by Vettori, irritating the fans inside the T-Mobile Arena. Vettori showed impressive balance on his takedown defense, but the Brazilian was persistent and briefly got him down. This was a foul-filled round with very little legal action.

Round 2 saw Vettori get control of Carlos Junior’s back but accomplish little with the position. He picked up the pace considerably at the halfway point and took Carlos Junior down and hammered away with elbows. Vettori had a guillotine choke on the Brazilian, but Carlos Junior had the thumbs-up signal. It was still a prolonged period of dominance from the top for the Italian.

With the fight slowly getting away from Carlos Junior, he secured a much-needed takedown on Vettori, but Vettori was able to get back to his feet, although he took some hard knees to his right calf. Antonio essentially won round 3 through control, as he took Vettori down once more in the closing stages, got in minimal ground-and-pound, and went for a guillotine choke as time expired. Not a scintillating fight, but it’s a win for Carlos Junior, who has won 2 in a row, while Vettori drops to 1-1.

Alex Garcia def. Mike Pyle via KO (punch) at 3:34 of round 1 - Welterweights

“The Dominican Nightmare” viciously kicked Pyle in the body and hurt him, then took him down after escaping the front headlock. Pyle scrambled to his feet at the midway point of the round. As the 41-year-old threw a leg kick, Garcia unleashed a walloping right hand that put Pyle to sleep before he even hit the canvas. A sensational 1st round KO for Garcia, who improves to 4-2 in the UFC. Pyle has lost 4 of his last 5, and this was his 2nd brutal KO defeat in as many fights.

Niko Price def. Brandon Thatch via submission (arm-triangle choke) at 4:30 of round 1 - Welterweights

UFC newcomer Niko Price went for a takedown on Thatch just a minute into the opening round, but Thatch tried to take his back. When that failed, Thatch hit Price with a hard knee in the clinch, but was taken down seconds later. Thatch tried to use a kimura lock to sweep Price, but gave up his back in a scramble, and was briefly put in an arm-triangle. Price dominated Thatch on the ground and put in a tighter arm-triangle choke, and locked it in for the finish. That’s 4 losses in a row for Thatch, and surely the end of his UFC career. Price remains undefeated, with just his 2nd career victory by submission.

Tim Means vs. Alex Oliveira ends in a no-contest (accidental knee to the head of a downed opponent) - Welterweights

This was a good fight with a terrible ending. Means threw some leg kicks early on the Brazilian, then brilliantly stuffed a takedown into some time in half-guard. He drilled Oliveira on the way up with a big knee. A big spinning back kick to the body sent Means flying across the cage. Means survived and didn’t seem too hurt, and used a double wristlock to prevent a takedown, but lost that and was finally put on the mat. Oliveira lost position and then Means took him down. After a few strikes from top position, Means threw some very illegal knees to the head of Oliveira, who had his knee down. Oliveira was badly hurt and eventually had to be stretchered out of the cage. For reasons nobody can comprehend, Joe Rogan and Marc Ratner suggested the knee was legal, even though the rules suggest otherwise. Even more incredibly, the two clearly intentional illegal knees were deemed “accidental” by Dan Miragliotta, which meant that instead of a possible DQ win for Oliveira, the fight was ruled a no contest. Complete and utter insanity, and a bad outcome to what was looking to be a great fight. Oliveira’s team is planning to appeal the decision.