In particular, the May 7 PFL card will be headlined by a familiar name as the former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum fights Renan Ferreira. Additionally, the card will feature one of the winners of the previous PFL season. That will see Olympic gold medalist in Judo Kayla Harrison return to action. The decorated Olympian is looking to start her PFL season off strong and take home her second million-dollar prize.

PFL: Werdum vs. Ferreira – Three Fights That Demand More Detail

Prior to the action kicking off, here is a closer look at a trio of fights that need more attention. First, a pivotal scrap at 155lbs between Cindy Dandois (16-5) and Kaitlin Young (11-10-1) is on deck. Then, a closer look at the heavyweight slobber knocker between UFC alum Justin Willis (8-2) putting his record on the line against Denis Goltsov (25-6). In an effort to save the best for last, we will conclude this segment with an examination of UFC champion Kamaru Usman’s brother, Mohammed Usman (7-1), who is looking to fend off fellow heavyweight Brandon Sayles (5-1) in the main event of going under the radar.

The company is already preparing fighters by placing them in a safety bubble ahead of their scheduled fights. 

.@Umohammed97 checks in at @thehealthrover testing pod ahead of his #2021PFL3 debut! pic.twitter.com/RjRhez83w4

— PFL (@PFLMMA) May 1, 2021

Cindy Dandois vs. Kaitlin Young – 155lbs

Following two decision loss results, Dandois understood it was time for a change. Seemingly, the 36-year old fighting since 2009 flipped a switch after the split-decision loss to Iony Razafiarison. After the close loss, the Belgium-born fighter went on a four-fight win streak. Interestingly, Dandois hasn’t fought since 2019, where she had probably the best year of her entire career. Not only did she rack up four wins, but she also was able to finish each fight by submission (3 subs in the first round, 1 sub in the second round).

https://twitter.com/DandoisCindy/status/1386865572282044416

On the other hand, Young doesn’t have the momentum Dandois has, but her tenacity has won her many fights that she was counted out in. When she lost to Pam Sorenson at Invicta FC 36, many were curious if the 35-year old could right the ship and mount another title run. With one win, and possibly another on the way, there is no doubt that Young has the tools and willpower to control the fight, but she will need to weary of Dandois and her ability to submit opponents when they have a false sense of security on the mat.

Justin Willis vs. Denis Goltsov – PFL: Werdum vs. Ferreira Under The Radar Co-Main 265lbs

Prior to getting clipped by a right hook and finished by Ali Isaev from ground and pound, Goltzof was riding high with a six-fight win streak. Overall, the Russian fighter’s record is downright impressive because of his versatility. The 30-year old heavyweight is young for the division and he has ten professional wins by TKO/knockout and ten wins by submission. Since the Russian’s finishing abilities are so diverse, a tentative game plan might be necessary to find a strategy to outwit “The Russian Bogatyr”.

Conversely, for Willis, perhaps his best chance at success is a wrestling-centric game plan to wear on the arms and power of Goltsov. Then, later in the fight when an opportunity presents itself, Willis would be more comfortable in the striking exchanges to carry out the necessary damage. Following his decision loss to Curtis Blaydes and the subsequent release from the UFC, certainly fans and pundits are curious to see how he bounces back from career adversity.

PFL: Werdum vs. Ferreira – Under The Radar Main Event – Mohammed Usman vs. Brandon Sayles 265lbs

In 2019, fans witnessed the Usman family power on full display as the African powerhouse slept two of his opponents in a row at Titan FC. Then, at Titan FC 63 Mohammed earned himself a hard-fought unanimous decision victory against Terrance Hodges. Without a doubt, the win illuminated his potential as a mixed martial artist, as he’s no longer just a one-round fighter, but capable of carrying dominance through three rounds on a consistent basis. The 32-year old training out of Fortis MMA is at a good camp, and it seems the heavyweight is steadily making improvements.

However, he has a tall task ahead of him in the 6″5″ package named Sayles. Also, the 39-year old is on a three-fight win streak. The Hawaiian has always packed a punch but hasn’t been active throughout his career. While there are advantages to only having six professional fights, like taking less damage, it’s paramount to see how he adapts to higher-level competition.

In the end, this heavyweight tilt should have it all because both athletes swing for the knockout, and when these two titans throw down, surely the fight world is anxious to see the type of weapons that UFC champion Kamaru Usman’s brother has sharpened while watching his brother ascend to heights that many believed couldn’t be reached.

The third event of the third PFL season goes down Thursday night in Atlantic City, airing on ESPN2/ESPN+ in the U.S.

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Jordan Young, Johnny Case, Clay Collard, Cindy Dandois, and Laura Sanchez have also been added to the fold, with additional fighters to be announced at a later date.

One name that will absolutely stand out to fight fans is Mohammed Usman. That’s the brother of UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. Mohammed is getting a step up this year, and will join the PFL’s heavyweight division. Thus far, he’s 6-1 as a pro, with his only loss coming to current UFC fighter Don’Tale Mayes.

Johnny Case (27-7-1) is a former UFC athlete, who was last seen competing for RIZIN FF in their lightweight grand prix.

Marcin Held has spent time in both Bellator and the UFC. The Polish fighter, just 28-years old, has been competing since he was 16, and holds a record of 26–7. He left the UFC off a win over Nasrat Haqparast, and has won his last four fights, the other three coming under the ACB and ACA banners.

Justin Willis (8-2) was a one-time veteran of the World Series of Fighting, the PFL’s predecessor. He moved on to the UFC, going 4-1 at heavyweight. However, he was cut off an uninspiring loss to Curtis Blaydes last March.

Bubba Jenkins (14-4) is best known for his lengthy Bellator MMA run, but most recently, he’s been fighting for Brave CF. He happens to be their reigning featherweight champion.

Cindy Dandois (15-5) has competed for the UFC, Bellator, and RIZIN — a single fight for each promotion. She also had a three-fight stint for Invicta FC from 2014 to 2016. Coming off a three-fight win streak on the regional scene, she’ll join the PFL’s lightweight division.

Jordan Young (11-1) is something of a surprise addition to the PFL. Young had been a highly touted Bellator prospect, with just a single loss in his pro career, back in November to Julius Anglickas. He’ll represent a solid addition to the league’s light heavyweight division.

Clay Collard (18-8, 1NC) is a former UFC fighter and current SteelFist lightweight champion. Laura Sanchez (1-0), meanwhile, is the least experienced addition, having turned pro earlier this year. She’s a Team USA amateur MMA World Champ, not to mention a former Division-1 basketball player.   

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With things heating up at Friday’s weigh-ins, Curtis Blaydes vs. Justin Willis promised to be a thriller. With Willis making it personal (“Daddy can’t help you,” he remarked, with Blaydes’ father shouting from the back of the room), Blaydes would likely be extra motivated to do some damage — but might it throw him off his game in their UFC Nashville co-main event fight?

Early on, Blaydes looked cool and collected. He stayed outside, firing a leg kick. When an opening presented itself, he closed the distance, driving Willis into the fence then powering him down. Takedown secured. Blaydes began moving towards mount and Willis had to risk giving up his back to avoid that. The only saving grace for Willis was that he trapped his opponent’s leg, but he was still in a horrendous position. Willis made it to one knee, but Blaydes was controlling, adding some knees to the thigh, and then came the suplex that slammed Willis back down.

Willis looked out of his element laying against the cage, and while Blaydes was yet to unleash any of his razor-like elbows, he was in the driver’s seat.

Round two saw a heavy right hand land for Blaydes, and Willis was wobbled. Willis escaped to the cage, but Blaydes caught him and dumped him to the canvas. Willis was once again at risk of being mounted. He’d continue to survive, and do nothing else. You’d be forgiven for struggling to remember if Willis had gotten off any offense throughout the fight. As Willis struggled back up, Blaydes dragged him down again. Willis would finish the round wearing Curtis Blaydes like a blanket.

The third round had Willis needing a finish, but whether he had any means of obtaining that finish was another matter. The pair exchanged early, allowing Willis to finally let his hands go, but nothing landed flush. Willis went high with a kick that was blocked, while Blaydes switched stances. Blaydes was stuffed on a takedown, but muscled his opponent to the fence moments later, hoping to finish the sequence with a single leg takedown. He wouldn’t get it there, but back in the center of the octagon he’d score one more takedown, to underscore the one-sided, grinding, dominant wrestling clinic he was putting on.

After the fight, he told UFC broadcaster (and heavyweight champ, of course) Daniel Cormier that he wanted one of Junior Dos Santos, Derrick Lewis, or Stipe Miocic next.

Curtis Blaydes def. Justin Willis by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-25)

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Mark Hunt entered the UFC as the fighter no one wanted. At least not among the UFC brass. When the UFC acquired Hunt as part of their acquisition of Pride, they saw a fighter on a nasty losing skid. That led to an attempt to buy out his contract. In effect, they were willing to pay Mark Hunt to stay home. Given he was entering the octagon at UFC Adelaide, you know how that turned out.

Hunt wanted to compete. He insisted, even after losing his first UFC fight. And then came the turnaround. The string of knockouts. Hunt went from loser to fan favorite, even earning a fan campaign to grant him a title shot. Eventually he would fight for interim gold, coming up short against Fabricio Werdum.

Along the way, he became the UFC’s knockout king, a fearsome figure in the heavyweight division. Yet if you know that story, you likely know the other as well: Hunt’s growing dissatisfaction with a promotion continually pairing him up with drug cheats, alleged or otherwise. Werdum, Bigfoot, Mir, Overeem, Brock Lesnar. The last, at UFC 200, led to Hunt launching a lawsuit against the very promotion that employed him. It’s still ongoing today.

So when Mark Hunt entered the octagon at UFC Adelaide, likely for the final time, there were numerous story lines on the go. Hunt had said he’d fight at least five more times, despite being in his mid-forties. Having fought out his contract, and suing the promotion, it was likely those fights would come outside the UFC. Justin Willis, meanwhile, got into an altercation at the weigh-ins Friday, adding to the drama.

So how would Hunt respond in the cage?

When the pair faced off, Willis flashed feints and fired off a kick to the body. Hunt pressed forward, slowly, methodically, firing off a punch but missing. He ate a leg kick, that was soon gushing blood. Despite the injury, Hunt returned fire with a kick of his own. He was stood up by a punch from Willis, but continued walking Willis down. Hunt fired a heavy blow that missed, then landed a kick. Then another. Slipped a big swing by Willis, who fired a left. As the round wore on Hunt went to the body, but neither man seemed willing to commit to a firefight, well aware of the knockout power of the other. Hunt landed another kick to the body later in the round; Willis fired off his jab.

But it was single strikes, not combos. A lot of respect, not a ton of action — but edge of your seat anticipation, with the feeling that soon enough, someone would go to sleep. In the second, Willis wisely went after that wounded leg of Hunt. A jab connected for Willis. A straight left. Hunt had eased off the kicks, and didn’t really throw one until the final minute of round two. But it was Willis building a small lead in strikes landed as the buzzer sounded.

Round three began as the second had left off. Hunt eating jabs, Willis able to land his right hand almost at will. ‘Big Pretty’ then connected with a head kick. Not flush, but it still connected. Hunt threw a big overhand, but threw it almost blind, positioning his leg away from Willis, protecting it from further damage. Willis fired off an uppercut. Hunt continued to walk after him, but he was tiring. Despite Hunt throwing some heavy punches in the dying minutes, Willis was nearly always out of range, playing it safe until the bell.

It wasn’t the ending fans wanted for Mark Hunt. But maybe it was fitting. Hunt was never a world-beater, just a fighter who could entertain fans with big knockouts when he did connect. Thanking the fans and the UFC, he finished Saturday by saying “I’ll see you somewhere else.”

Justin Willis def. Mark Hunt by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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With two events set to go down this weekend, the second UFC card in the next two days had fighters hit the scales Friday. Topped by a heavyweight contest between Junior Dos Santos and Tai Tuivasa, and featuring Mark Hunt in what figures to be his final UFC fight, UFC Adelaide (UFC Fight Night 142) is a solid offering for the second of back-to-back cards. Especially for a non-PPV, overseas card.

Reportedly, a clash between Hunt and opponent Justin Willis took place during the weigh-ins, which could lead to some real fireworks in the octagon Saturday. And a fired up Mark Hunt is certainly a scary thought.

All fighters made weight Friday, and all fights are a go!

UFC Adelaide Weigh In Results:

Main Card (Fox Sports 1, 10PM EST)

Junior Dos Santos (255) vs. Tai Tuivasa (262)
Tyson Pedro (205) vs. Mauricio Rua (206)
Mark Hunt (264) vs. Justin Willis (263.5)
Tony Martin (170) vs. Jake Matthews (171)
Suman Mokhtarian (145) vs. Sodiq Yusuff (145)
Paul Craig (206) vs. Jim Crute (205)

Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1, 8PM EST)

Alexey Kunchenko (170) vs. Yushin Okami (170)
Ben Nguyen (125.5) vs. Wilson Reis (125.5)
Keita Nakamura (171) vs. Salim Touahri (171)
Kai Kara France (126) vs. Elias Garcia (124.5)

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass, 7PM EST)

Christos Giagos (155) vs. Mizuto Hirota (156)
Alex Gorgees (156) vs. Damir Ismagulov (155)

The post UFC Adelaide Weigh-In Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Mark Hunt, submitted earlier this month in the main event of UFC Moscow, it getting his wish. Having asked for a send-off in Australia in what could be his final UFC fight, the promotion has added Hunt to the UFC Adelaide card in December. Hunt will be facing Justin Willis at the event. Willis announced the news on social media.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoLNHJNF3wa/?utm_source=ig_embed

Hunt (13–13–1 (1)), 44 years young, is the oldest active fighter in the UFC. However, he’s currently involved in a lawsuit against the promotion over what it knew about Brock Lesnar’s doping at UFC 200 (he’s also suing Lesnar as well). On the last fight of his UFC deal, Hunt has talked both of retirement, and of continuing on in his career for a few more fights outside the UFC. There’s a good chance we’ll know which path he takes following UFC Adelaide (UFC Fight Night 142), if not shortly after.

Justin Willis (7-1), winner of his first three UFC contests, has not lost since his first pro fight in 2012. Since hitting MMA’s biggest stage, he’s rattled off wins over James Mulheron, Allen Crowder, and Chase Sherman. In announcing the fight on Instagram, Willis apologized “ahead of time” — presumably for a planned defeat of the popular heavyweight.

UFC Adelaide takes place December 2 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, Australia. Another heavyweight pairing, featuring Junior dos Santos and Tai Tuivasa, headlines the card.

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The UFC’s ninth visit to Atlantic City took place on Saturday Night and even though a few failed weigh-in attempts and a late injury led to the removal of two fights, Aspen Ladd vs. Leslie Smith and Magomed Bibulatov vs. Ulka Sasaki, the 9,541 fans in attendance for UFC Atlantic City were treated to the scheduled main event of Edson Barboza vs. Kevin Lee. Thankfully, even though Kevin Lee weighed in one pound above the 156 pound non-title limit on Friday, Edson Barboza hastily accepted a catchweight bout of 157lbs in exchange for 20 percent of Lee’s total fight purse.

The story of the night was really Frankie Edgar’s return to form after the hellacious knockout he suffered against Brian ‘T-City’ Ortega just 50 days ago. Could Edgar shake off the cobwebs in that time span?

Cub Swanson himself was coming off of a loss to T-City, a brutal guillotine to be exact, but that wasn’t really talked about coming into UFC Atlantic City. Then again, losses are only so marketable.

Personally, the Edson Barboza vs. Kevin Lee fight became an afterthought after ‘The Motown Phenom’ missed weight. In the wake of UFC 223, missing weight wasn’t the best way to show you’re a company guy. I respect the hell out of Barboza and Lee, but can’t we have just one good thing without an asterisk?

MAIN CARD

Kevin Lee def. Edson Barboza via TKO (Doctor’s Stoppage) RD 5

You need to know two things about this fight.

1. Kevin Lee’s ground and pound is frighteningly good.

There were moments on this card when it seemed as though elite wrestlers completely lacked the ability to do any damage once they dragged the fight to the ground. Lee didn’t have that problem, he did real damage to Barboza on the ground with vicious elbows and strong punches from mount.

2. In the third round, Kevin Lee took a kick from Barboza that looked like the one that imbued Terry Etim with CTE and later sent him into traffic.

The kick was PERFECT!#UFCAC pic.twitter.com/lacDaWpiQM

— UFC (@ufc) April 22, 2018

Lee kept his wits about him and ultimately powered through a rough third round and came away with a TKO due to a doctor’s stoppage in the fifth round.

Barboza could use some time off after two back-to-back world-class beatings from two elite lightweights. Edson’s tough as nails.

Frankie Edgar def. Cub Swanson via Unanimous Decision

Frankie Edgar was the better man on Saturday night, landing the cleaner, crisper combinations en route to a unanimous decision win in his home state of New Jersey.

Edgar’s had it rough in recent times, as his father recently lost his battle to cancer and his grandfather passed away – both unfortunately in the lead-up to a fight that was must-win if Frankie wants another shot at the 145lb title. BantamFrankie is still in my dreams.

Swanson vowed to come back stronger after defeat in a post-fight Instagram message:

Well not the outcome I was looking for 😔 but that’s the fight game. Congrats Frankie & I’m sorry to hear about your father 🙏🏽 To all my supporters “Thank you so much & I promise to come back stronger!”

A post shared by Cub Swanson (@cubswanson) on Apr 22, 2018 at 12:35am PDT

Justin Willis def. Chase Sherman via Unanimous Decision

Justin Willis can CRACK, can’t he?

HOW did @ChaseShermanUFC survive this?!?!#UFCAC pic.twitter.com/nyxFwU1EAH

— UFC (@ufc) April 22, 2018

That gas tank might be an issue down the road, but nothing that’s not unfixable at this point in his young MMA career. At 30 years old with eight professional fights under his belt, Willis is practically a newborn in the heavyweight division.

That makes it three straight at heavyweight and that’s no small feat. The fight fan in me wants to see Willis against Tai Tuivasa next, but that’s not smart booking. He should probably be booked against an aging heavyweight with name value to freshen up the division. Heavyweight’s looking promising heading into the tail end of 2018.

David Branch def. Thiago Santos via Knockout

Sometimes the highlights do the talking, it’s better that way.

Quick work for David Branch tonight pic.twitter.com/vDEuImMoc1

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) April 22, 2018

Aljamain Sterling def. Brett Johns via Unanimous Decision

Aljamain Sterling had an impressive outing against the previously undefeated Brett Johns in Atlantic City, but a finish here would have made more of an impact – right? I guess that’s kind of like expecting a double play in baseball though, in that finishing an undefeated fighter just can’t be assumed beforehand.

Dan Hooker def. Jim Miller via KO (Knee)

Dan Hooker knee SMASH. That’s now 10 first-round finishes. pic.twitter.com/896j7c6zMd

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) April 22, 2018

*I will always put your entertainment as a reader above my writing, hence the video clips of all the relevant action.*

Dan Hooker has now won three straight fights since dropping a unanimous decision to Jason Knight at 145lbs back in November 2016 as he’s dropped Ross Pearson, tapped Marc Diakiese, and flatlined Jim Miller in succession at 155lbs. Normally I wouldn’t know where to stick Dan Hooker because the lightweight division has so much depth, but ‘Hangman’ made it easy by calling out the man conducting his post-fight interview, Paul Felder.

That kid has class.

It’s probably about that time someone gives Jim Miller the Brendan Schaub/Joe Rogan Talk.

UNDERCARD

Ryan LaFlare def. Alex Garcia via Unanimous Decision

Ricky Simon def. Merab Dvalishvili via Technical Submission (mounted guillotine choke)

Look at how scary this whole situation was regardless of what the result was:

Somehow he didn't tap 👀 pic.twitter.com/tBk6I2db3u

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) April 22, 2018

Isn’t it more alarming that no matter what the correct decision ends up being that everybody knows that the Athletic Commission in New Jersey won’t budge on their initial ruling?

“Everybody else might have been confused, but I wasn’t. The fight was over,” Simon said at the post-fight media scrum.

Siyar Bahadurzada def. Luan Chagas via Knockout (body kick/follow up KO shot)

Siyar Bahadurzada with a crippling body shot KO. pic.twitter.com/3JzE9915Be

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) April 22, 2018

Corey Anderson def. Patrick Cummins via Unanimous Decision

Cummins looked like a wet blanket on Anderson in the early goings of this one against the cage, but once Anderson learned that he could takedown Cummins at will the fight became one-sided. Anderson probably should have finished the fight, but given his output late in the third round – he’ll get a pass for the decision win.

Cummins is also tough as nails, the guy never quits.

Oh yea, Anderson rode Cummins like a bull at one point.

10-0 round for Corey Anderson #UFCAC pic.twitter.com/I1ODLTJI8w

— Joshua Sánchez (@jnsanchez) April 22, 2018

Tony Martin def. Keita Nakamura via Unanimous Decision

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UFC Atlantic City, headlined by Kevin Lee vs. Edson Barboza, is going down tonight on Fox Sports 1. In the fourth fight on the main card, it’s the heavyweights Justin Willis and Chase Sherman throwing down. Justin Willis is undefeated in the UFC with two wins under his belt in the Octagon. Chase Sherman is a colorful internet personality who last lost to Shamill Abdurkhimov in Shanghai last November. However, he won two fights prior to the loss.

The two immediately came out and started swinging, Willis throwing big shots and Sherman had to move out of the way. Willis landed a big straight left about a minute in that stunned Sherman, at least momentarily. The two traded a little back and forth, however, Willis kicked Sherman in the groin and took a few minutes to recover. A giant left hand drops Sherman! Willis gets on top and starts landing giant ground and pound, Sherman recovers and gets to his feet and starts landing on Willis. Sherman continued to pressure Willis and eventually got him up to the fence, where the round ended.

Round two began and Sherman came out throwing some leg kicks, Willis still showed his quickness and speed. Sherman accidentally eyepokes Willis in what continued a fight full of fouls. The two continued to trade shots until Sherman threw a headkick and fell down, Willis then jumped in Sherman’s guard and started landing ground and pound. Willis ended the round on top after peppering Sherman with shots.

Sherman came out guns blazing in the third landing lots of kicks to the body and legs, knowing he’s likely down on the scorecards. Sherman pressured Willis on to the fence and started landing his elbows and knees. However, they didn’t appear to be hurting Willis. Eventually, the two separated and Sherman started landing more shots frequently with the hands. Willis forced Sherman into the clinch and pressured him up against the cage. Sherman tried to push the pace a bit more and get a finish but he was gassed by that point. The fight will likely be Willis’s.

Justin Willis def. Chase Sherman by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

The post UFC Atlantic City Results: Justin Willis Outlasts Chase Sherman appeared first on Cageside Press.

Atlantic City, get set for some heavyweight action. The UFC’s reigning GIF King, popular big man Chase Sherman, a.k.a. the Vanilla Gorilla, is set to throw hands at UFC Atlantic City next month. He’ll be facing Justin Willis on the card, numerically UFC Fight Night 128. MMA Fighting was first to report the news.

When not blessing the denizens of Twitter with animated GIF mayhem, Chase Sherman (11-4) has won two of his past three fights in the UFC heavyweight division. Though coming off a loss to Shamil Abdurakhimov at UFC Shanghai last November, Sherman had put together two straight wins prior to that, against Damian Grabowski and Rashad Coulter. The Coulter fight, at UFC 211 in Dallas, earned the pair Fight of the Night honors.

Justin Willis (6-1), meanwhile, has won six straight fights, including his first two outings in the UFC. The AKA heavyweight holds victories over Allen Crowder and James Mulheron in the UFC, and has not lost since his pro debut in 2012.

Sherman vs. Willis has all the makings of a “who sleeps first?” fight, with 15 victories coming by some form of knockout between them.

UFC Atlantic City takes place April 21 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ.

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UFC 218’s featured Fight Pass prelim is a potential loser goes home match between Angela Magana and Amanda Cooper. Magana is 0-2 in the Octagon and Cooper is 1-2, but was finished quickly in both of the losses.

Dominick Reyes will look to establish himself as a top-tier light heavyweight prospect. Reyes is coming off a quick and impressive first-round knockout of Joachim Christensen in his promotional debut. He’ll be facing Jeremy Kimball, who evened up his UFC record at 1-1 with a first-round TKO of Josh Stansbury.

Sabah Homasi takes on Abdul Razak Alhassan. Homasi made his short notice promotional debut last year and was dominated by veteran striker Tim Means, and has not fought since. Alhassan won his UFC debut in less than a minute, then dropped a decision to veteran Omari Akhmedov.

But it all starts with heavyweights Justin Willis and Allen Crowder. Willis failed to cut weight on short notice against Marcin Tybura, but received a second chance, defeating short notice opponent James Mulheron by decision. Crowder earned his shot at UFC 218 through the Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series, where he won via third-round submission. He has finished eight of his nine career victories.

Angela Magana vs. Amanda Cooper

Amanda Cooper avoided a jab and checked a leg kick early on. Magana landed a knee to the head from the clinch, but not heavily. Magana committed to leg kicks, but Cooper caught her with a left and went for clinch takedown against the cage. Magana stopped the effort with a blatant cage grab, but Cooper got the takedown on her second try.

Magana stood up quickly then went for a takedown of her own, but ended up on bottom with Cooper in mount. Cooper landed some ground and pound, but Magana worked her way to half guard. There was a slight wardrobe malfunction that paused the action for a moment, but when the fight resumed, Cooper went right back to work taking the back of Magana.

Cooper couldn’t secure the rear-naked, but landed plenty of ground-and-pound to close the round.

Cooper swung early in the second round and got a quick takedown. This time, Cooper was working from guard. Cooper moved to half guard, and proceeded to land more heavy blows. Cooper worked her way to side control and had plenty of time to go for a stoppage.

Magana exposed her back, and Cooper went for a rear-naked choke that was deep before Magana popped out. Still on the back, Cooper continued to land ground and pound with both hooks in. Another choke attempt came up short, so Cooper went back to blasting her opponent with punches.

From back, to side control, to the back again, Cooper’s ground-and-pound was constant. Magana was simply covering up and not responding to the cues of Keith Peterson, so he stopped the contest late in round two. Cooper was brought to tears with the victory, winning in front of her hometown of Detroit.

Amanda Cooper def. Angela Magana by TKO (Ground-And-Pound) in Round 2 (4:34)

Sabah Homasi vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan

Sabah Homasi started aggressively, with a leg kick and a combination ending with a right hook. Homasi landed another right that slowed Abdul Razak Alhassan. Alhassan was caught with another right, but answered ferociously with a blitz and a solid left that hurt Homasi.

Alhassan continued to rush forward and clinched with Homasi against the cage. Nothing developed and Homasi clinched as soon as they separated. Homasi established a Muay Thai clinch and landed knees to the body followed by a pair of rights that rocked Alhassan. Homasi fell into Alhassan’s guard and landed several heavy elbows.

Alhassan spun out of the tough position and shot for a takedown against the cage. Alhassan was unable to get the takedown but once they separated they threw vicious bombs at each other with no regard for defense. Both fighters landed heavy blows, and a glancing left hand dropped Homasi and he grabbed a single leg takedown, but Herb Dean stopped the contest. It was quite clearly an early stoppage, but nonetheless, Alhassan gets his eighth first-round knockout in as many victories.

Abdul Razak Alhassan def. Sabah Homasi by TKO (Punch) in Round 1 (4:21)

Dominick Reyes vs. Jeremy Kimball

Dominick Reyes caught Jeremy Kimball early with a head kick, then missed on his next effort. Kimball cracked Reyes with a combination while rushing forward, then was trapped in a standing guillotine attempt. Kimball threw Reyes to the ground, escaping the choke in the process.

Kimball landed a few ground and pound shots as Reyes was standing up, then Reyes countered with a takedown. Kimball recovered by getting into guard. Kimball attempted to stand-up but turned his back in the process, and Reyes took full advantage.

Reyes established a body triangle and blasted his opponent with a great number of elbows. Reyes then snuck his arm under the chin and got the tap due to rear-naked choke. Reyes is now 2-0 in the Octagon with a pair of first-round finishes.

Dominick Reyes def. Jeremy Kimball by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in Round 1 (3:39)

Justin Wills vs. Allen Crowder

Allen Crowder started the striking with a leg kick, then got caught with a left hand. Crowder had a kick caught, then Justin Willis landed a string of left hands with Crowder’s leg tucked under his arm. Willis forced a clinch and got the Muay Thai grip, and began throwing knees that hit the chin of Crowder.

After some short left hands land for Willis, Crowder broke free. Crowder could not establish his leg kicks, as Willis continued to catch the low kicks of Crowder. The fight made its way to the cage and Willis cracked his opponent with a left hand. Willis backed off, but when Crowder re-engaged he was rocked by another left hook and stumbled backward to the cage.

Willis pursued the finish and walloped Crowder with yet another left and that was it. Crowder crumpled to the ground and the fight was stopped.

Justin Willis def. Allen Crowder by KO (Punch) in Round 1 (2:33)

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