Join us today on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring, and play-by-play as UFC 235 goes down in Vegas.
The main event will see Jon Jones looking to defend his UFC light heavyweight title against the upstart Anthony Smith. The co-main is a grudge match in the welterweight division, with champion Tyron Woodley taking on Kamaru Usman for the title. Also of note is the debut of undefeated Ben Askren, who meets former 170-pound champion Robbie Lawler.
The featured prelim comes in the featherweight division, with veteran Jeremy Stephens taking on Zabit Magomedsharipov.
This post will cover the preliminary card.
The show kicks off on Fight Pass 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. The full lineup and schedule follows. The main card will be covered in a separate post.
Check out this week’s MMA Vivisection for predictions, analysis and betting odds on the each matchup.
Jeremy Stephens vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov
Round 1 - Inside leg kick from Zabit. Magomedsharipov with the left over the top. Outside leg kick from Stephens. Front kick from Magomedsharipov. Stephens spins and misses. Straight left from Zabit. Stephens still beating up the outside of the leg. Body shot from Stephens. Zabit with a counter left. Zabit sticks him with another left and two brutal calf kicks. Magomedsharipov spins and misses. Stephens lands to the body. Zabit spins again but it’s blocked. Stephens is chasing a bit, but lands a right over the top. Side kick from Zabit. Stephens with another leg kick. Zabit with a kick to the cup. Cornuts cam confirms. Stephens restarts after about 45 seconds. Zabit with an outside trip attempt. Zabit went for an even crazier Showtime kick but didn’t land. Hard body kick from Magomedsharipov. Body kick again. 10-9 Magomedsharipov.
Round 2 - Another low kick from Zabit, but they retstart right away. Stephens really pressing and lands a right. Hook kick from Magomedsharipov. Sick. Head kick from Magomedsharipov is blocked. Stephens with an uppercut and a big right hook. Zabit with a straight left. Side kicks to the belly. Left hook. Stephens swings and misses. Body shot from Magomedsharipov. And a straight left. He scoops a leg, then chains a body lock in and gets Stephens down to his butt. He’s back up but Zabit is stuck to him. He’s just dragging him all over the place and he sinks one hook. He gives it up, but drags him down again. Now hes got both hooks on Stephens’ back. He lands two elbows. Stephens can’t do anything and now he’s mounted. Gives up his back. He rolls onto his back. Stephens gets back to half but eats a big elbow. 10-9 Magomedsharipov.
Round 3 - Inside leg kick from Stephens. Stephens spins and misses. Hard body kick from Zabit. Stephens with another inside leg kick. Straight left from Zabit. Stephens finally gets Zabit close and lands a left. Zabit spins and misses. Body shot from Stephens, but Magomedsharipov lands a knee. Zabit dives in on a leg but eats a bit shot for his troubles. Zibit with a stiff straight left. They trade rights. Step-in elbow from Zabit but Stephens lands to the body. He lands another right. Jump knee from Magomedsharipov, who keeps looking at the clock. They trade hooks. Stephens pops him with a straigh t right. They’re throwing down! Zabit gets a late takedown. They went wild to the horn! 10-9 Stephens but 29-28 Magomedsharipov.
Zabit Magomedsharipov defeated Jeremy Stephens via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Misha Cirkunov vs. Johnny Walker
Round 1 - Inside leg kick from Cirkunov. Jump knee from Walker connects right on the chin and Cirkunov is down! Few punches and he’s out! JOHNNY WALKER HAS DONE IT AGAIN!
Johnny Walker defeated Misha Cirkunov via KO (flying knee and punches), :36 of round 1
Cody Stamann vs. Alejandro Perez
Round 1 - Slow start. Perez jabbing. Stamann wades in with a hard right. Not a lot going on. Outside leg kick by Perez. Stamann just sticking his lef in Perez’s face. Stamann catches a kick but can’t take advantage. Stamann catches another kick and cracks him with a left hook. Perez with a counter right. Inside leg kick from Stamann. Outside too. Perez with a left hook to the body and a hard right to the chin. They trade leather. Stiff left from Stamann twice in a row. Stamann ducks under and gets a partial takedown at the horn. 10-9 Stamann.
Round 2 - Hard right from Stamann. Nice quick inside leg kick from Perez. Perez getting the right off, but is getting countered. Front kick from Stamann. Stamann lands the counter left twice more. Stamann ducks under a power punch but Perez has some stout takedown defense. Stamann comes in with a pawing left and a side kick to the body. Perez spins and misses. Cody spins too. Stamann with a long right and a front kick. Hard outside leg kicks from Perez. Stamann backs him into the fence but Perez defends the takedown again. Nice knee to the body from Stamann in close. 10-9 Stamann.
Round 3 - Perez pressuring right away. He scoops Stamann up way high in the air and throws him to the mat. Wow. He’s kicking the legs before Stamann pops up. Perez with a left. Perez looks for another takedown but settles for a left hook on the break. Stamann lands two rights to the body. Perez lands a nice right over the top. Oblique and front kick from Stamann. Perez with a hard left that gets Stamann’s attention. Body kick from Perez. Stamann in deep with his hands clasped. Perez goes down to one knee to defend. The ref restarts them really quickly. That was lame. Stamann with a left and a right hook. Perez misses with a jump knee but lands a body kick at the horn. 10-9 Perez but 29-28 Stamann.
Cody Stamann defeated Alejandro Perez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Round 1 - They get right to it. Gall attacks with power strikes but gets clubbed with a anchez uppercut. They battle in the clinch and Gall lands his own uppercut. Gall gets him against the fence and lands a bunch of punches. They separate. Hard inside leg kick from Gall. Sanchez gets a body lock against the fence. Sanchez gets a takedown as Gall briefly looked for a D’Arce. Sanchez scrambles but Gall gets full guard back. Gall gets back to his feet but Sanchez is on his back. He drags him back down. Gall rolls through but Sanchez keeps the body lock. He throws Gall to the ground again. Gall trying to land punches from the bottom. Sanchez landing elbows to the body. Sanchez stacks him up, then moves to side. 10-9 Sanchez.
Round 2 - Sanchez backs Gall into the fence. Body kick from Sanchez after the break. Gall pressures but eats a knee. He lands a wide left though. A huge left hook lands for Gall! Gall is slowing down though. Knee in the clinch from Sanchez and Gall looks hurt! He jumps on Gall’s back but slips off. He’s back on though, and he’s landing body shots. Back up, then down. Sanchez to mount. Gall looking to use the cage to secure an inverted triangle, but he can’t. Sanchez is in side landing big elbows. He’s in half mount, and now mount. Sanchez is smashing him with elbows. Another big shot. More and more. This is close to being stopped. Gall eating punches. He’s flattened out. It’s over.
Diego Sanchez defeated Mickey Gall via TKO (strikes), 4:13 of round 2
Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Charles Byrd
Round 1 - Byrd pawing with the jab and lands an outside leg kick. Shahbazyan wit ha left and an uppercut. Byrd looking for a takedown but eats a bunch of elbows! Byrd is hurt and goes down, and Shahbazyan pounds him out!
Edmen Shahbazyan defeated Charles Byrd via TKO (elbows and punches), :38 of round 1
Round 1 - Mazany with a left. Chiasson puts together a combinaton punctuated with a kick. Another body kick from Chiasson, and a right. Two thumping body kicks from Chiasson. Mazany fires back to the body and head. Chiasson clinches. Mazany separates but Chiasson lights her up with punches! Mazany is down and this is over just like that!
Macy Chiasson defeated Gina Mazany via TKO (punches), 1:49 of round 1
Polyana Viana vs. Hannah Cifers
Round 1 - Inside leg kick from Viana. Cifers returns it. Cifers wades in with a combination. Cifers with a right hook over the top. Viana with a body kick. They trade inside. Inside leg kick from Viana. Body shots and a kick from Cifer. Inside leg kick from Viana. Cifers catches a kick and Viana pulls guard. Viana looks to secure a leg lock but Cifers lands a few punches. They return to the feet. Cifers kicks the inside of the leg and lands a counter right. Body kick from Viana as Cifers lands a left. A counter right from Cifers drops Viana! Beautiful! She won’t jump into her guard though, and kicks her legs a few times. Inside and body kick from Viana. Two knees from Viana. Cifers with a right. 10-9 Cifers.
Round 2 - Both land a bevy of leg kicks. Cifers lands a couple of counter rights. They brawl inside and Viana lands a shot that stumbles Cifers. Viana dives for a guillotine, and ends up on the bottom. Cifers is stuck in her guard. Viana is trying to isolate one arm, then the other, but Cifers is defending well. They have stalled out on the ground. The ref has repeatedly warned them but hasn’t stood it up. Viana has landed some elbows from the bottom. 10-9 Viana.
Round 3 - Inside leg kicks from Viana again. Cifers kicking the outside of the leg. Body kick from Viana. Cifers lands a counter straight right and a combo. Body kick from Cifers. More body work. Nice step-in knee from Viana. Cifers catches a kick. The intensity has been turned up. They trade body kicks. Viana with a right over the top. Cifers goes to the body four times in a row, then lands a right over the top. Big body shot again. Viana lands first. Body kick from Viana but Cifers caught it. They clinch up. Knees from both ladies. Cifers separates with a hard left hook. Viana with a quick right, but Cifers lands the counter. Viana with a combo and body kick. They battle to the horn. That wasa fun round! 10-9 and 29-28 Cifers.
Hanna Cifers defeated Polyana Viana via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
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