Live Now! UFC Winnipeg ‘Burns vs. Malott’ play-by-play, results & round scoring

Sherdog’s live
UFC Winnipeg coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. The
event is also known as
UFC Fight Night 273.

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Siraj (-250); Yannis (+200)

Round 1

It’s Canada against the world in this rough UFC Fight Night card
that may yet deliver in terms of action but is sorely lacking in
the rankings-relevance department. Nevertheless, we persist, as
there are 43 fight cards to punch through this year and a fight fan
does not dine on caviar alone. The ground turkey of a fight card
provides 12 matches, with nine of those featuring a Canadian
athlete against a foreign adversary. The first fight of the night
is one of those bouts when newcomers collide, as Siraj (14-3, 0-0
UFC) reps his home country against Texas-based Yannis (9-4, 0-1
UFC) at 135 pounds. Drawing the first assignment of the evening is
referee Chris Desautels. The combatants touch ‘em up to seal the
cage around them, and it’s time for some action.

Yannis, keeping his hands relatively low, positions himself early
in the center of the cage. Siraj switches stances back and forth to
introduce early difficulties to his foe, with the Canadian primed
and ready to fire off heavy counters. He steps in, lands a low kick
and hops back to evade one coming back at him. They pump-fake at
one another until Siraj spurs into action with a right hand and a
pair of front kicks. Yannis sits on a left hand to get Siraj’s
attention, but he is similarly caught in an exchange. Yannis drills
his opponent with a three-punch combo square on the jaw, knocking
Siraj down to the mat. Rather than playing around in the guard,
Yannis stands back up and allows Siraj to follow him, clipping him
with another right on the way up. Siraj appears to have shaken the
cobwebs out quickly, but he ducks down for a level change and has
his bell rung again. Yannis staggers and erects himself upright
again, but it is taking the right hand flush again and again.

Yannis opens up with a knee and another power right hook, shaking
the Canadian up. Siraj collapses to his back in a bad way, and
Yannis mounts his adversary and punishes him with ferocious elbows.
Siraj might have been knocked out from the bombardment of elbows,
and as he sits up, his eyes looking every direction but his
opponent’s, Desautels waves the fight off as he must have seen
something he did not like. Yannis climbs off his
fallen foe to celebrate, while the defeated Canadian breaks down in
tears. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat in one
scene.

The Official Result

John
Yannis def. Jamie Siraj
R1 2:43 via TKO (Punches and Elbows)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Castaneda (-120); Vologdin (+100)

Round 1

While initially booked as a bantamweight fight, someone in the
Castaneda (21-8, 4-4 UFC) vs. Vologdin (12-4-1, 0-0 UFC) matchup
appeared to be struggling to get down to 136 pounds and requested
it be set for 139 pounds. The catchweight contest will have
gold-standard referee Jason Herzog watching over the fighters, and
they are glad to still be competing and show it with a shared clap
of hands.

Castaneda says hello with his leg, firing off kicks high and low to
make Vologdin nod at him in appreciation of his game. Castaneda
even goes for an axe kick when Vologdin crowds him, and Vologdin
settles to kick his foe back a few times. Castaneda bounces out of
the way when the shorter Russian lunges at him, and he watches
Vologdin miss on a body shot to stick him with a left cross and two
low kicks. Vologdin returns fire with a kick that appears to
frustrate his opponent, resulting in a clinch as the fans
immediately start booing. It’s going to be one of those nights.
“Sexi Mexi” breaks out of the tie-up and steps back to evade a
knee, and the two have their legs entangled when throwing them at
the same time. Castaneda bounces back up, and he is gifted a
high-five when standing up. He lets fly a low kick to counter a jab
that bangs square into the bottom of Vologdin’s cup, who stumbles
around the cage in serious pain as Herzog calls time. Vologdin
drops to his knees as he tries to shake out some of the discomfort,
and he steels himself and is good to go after about 50 seconds of
break. They both let fly kicks, and Castaneda follows one with a
sharp right hand on the temple.

Vologdin has to blink out the impact of the blow and gets right
back into the melee, flashing his jab to find his range. When
Vologdin commits to big hooks, Castaneda slips them, counters and
shoves his foe back. Vologdin bounces forward and has a low kick
checked, and he stands in the pocket to trade but cannot pin “Sexi
Mexi” down, even with a spinning wheel kick try. The jabs of
Vologdin have bloodied up Castaneda’s nose, who pitches out a kick
and shoots in for a level change. There is no takedown to be found
from this, so Castaneda backs off and picks and pokes with body
kick and long punches. Vologdin tries to pay him back with crisp
pocket boxing, but he finds that he is beaten to the punch and kick
by the speedster from Minnesota. Vologdin keeps marching forward to
force Castaneda to fight off the back foot, but this plays at least
partially into the game plan of Castaneda, who is potshotting him
at range. Vologdin just misses with a rolling thunder kick, and the
horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda

Round 2

A fist bump opens the round, and Castaneda gets right going
peppering with kicks. Vologdin throws three back in rapid
succession to think about, but the volume is in favor of the
American for now. Vologdin drives through a one-two, and Castaneda
stands firm and jabs him in the nose to back him off. Vologdin
loops two right hand that bang into the guard, but his left to the
ribs does score. Castenada goes low to the body, and he sticks
around and gets popped by three punches from the debuting fighter.
Castaneda bounces in and out behind his jab, just dodging the worst
flying his way in time but still eating some shots when engaging.
Vologdin jabs and shoots in for a single-leg takedown, and
Castaneda bounces off his knee and hops back to the cage wall to
set up a guillotine choke. Vologdin elevates and dumps him,
breaking out of the choke, but he does not have Castaneda down.

Castaneda is able to break out of the attempt and release his own
submission grip to reset, where he stands in front of Vologdin and
strings together quick combos. Vologdin winds up with a power left
hand, and Castaneda shoulder-rolls it to take the sting out of it
and gives back a heavy right up top. Castaneda leads off an
exchange with a low kick that bangs into the groin, and he follows
it with heavy punches as Vologdin turns away to recover from the
foul. Herzog has to peel Castaneda away, as Castaneda claims he did
not land the low strike, and Vologdin eats a few more before Herzog
is in place. Vologdin sits down to get his wind back, and Herzog
deducts one point from Castaneda for his second groin kick. After
75 seconds, the round resumes, and thank goodness rules are being
enforced around here. They proceed to go right after one another,
with Castaneda leading the dance with power and volume. Vologdin is
comfortable to sit on his right hand and launch it when it feels
right, and he gets caught in a clinch and takes a spinning back
elbow on the noggin before separating. Castaneda slips and ducks
his way in, constantly changing his target with weapons like a knee
up the middle, two left hands and a right to the ribs. Vologdin is
largely headhunting, and Castaneda is giving him a lot to think
about as the second round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 9-9
Brian Knapp scores the round: 9-9
Tyler Treese scores the round: 9-9

Round 3

They are off to the races in the final round, sharing a fist bump
before throwing hands and feet en masse. Castaneda puts it on
Vologdin, who fires back and opens a cut on the forehead. Castaneda
keeps pouring it on the Russian, who is reeling from taking shots
but still ready to swing for the bleachers. Castaneda stays just
out of boxing range from his opponent to measure his blows
appropriately, and he punches his way into a clinch and is boxed
out of it. Vologdin’s nose starts to leak from the oncoming fire,
as Castaneda is turning on the jets while Vologdin appears to be
fading. The reactions from Vologdin taking damage are starting to
get more exaggerated, as he shoots in for a double-leg takedown
that is easily sprawled. Castaneda lets his foe back up so he can
put hands on him, and he lets rip low kick and high punches as
Vologdin is now leaking from a cut on the bridge of his nose.

Castaneda lets rip a big flurry of punches, knocking Vologdin back
and knocking him down. Vologdin muscles his way back upright, and
Castaneda starts working the body to shut him down. Vologdin grits
his teeth and throws everything he has back, but Castaneda sees it
coming and tees off on him. Castaneda goes after a big right hand
and a left high kick, and he slips back when Vologdin tries another
rolling thunder kick. Vologdin holds his hand up awkwardly as if he
were asking a question in class—he does have the youthful type of
face where he looks like he was plucked from study hall—and
Castaneda backs off. Castaneda motions to the center of the Octagon
to initiate a brawl, and unlike many others who have offered this
and bailed on it, they proceed to bust one another up. Castaneda
gets the better of the exchanges but only by a small margin, and he
stings Vologdin and gets taken down. The fun slugfest ends with
Vologdin on top, and it may all come down to the scoring of the
first round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda (29-27 Castaneda)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda (29-27 Castaneda)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Castaneda (29-27 Castaneda)

The Official Result

John
Castaneda vs. Mark
Vologdin is Ruled a Majority Draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Horth (-180); Aldrich (+150)

Round 1

Her sights set on a few women’s flyweight records including most
appearances, Aldrich (14-7, 10-6 UFC) officially enters into her
13th match at the weight class—trailing co-leads Valentina
Shevchenko, Katlyn Cerminara and Andrea Lee all by one apiece. She
will be coming to blows with Canada’s own Horth (9-2, 4-2 UFC) as
the prelims press on, where they will be joined by referee Herb
Dean in the cage. There is no glove touch to start things off, as
they want to get right after it.

Horth presses the action early, boxing her way into range. Aldrich
counters with a quick left hand and resets to plant a one-two on
the chin. After a lull while they try to find one another’s range,
Aldrich breaks it with a couple more one-twos as Horth’s nose
starts shining red. Aldrich sits down on a low kick and catches an
advancing Horth with a right hand. The Canadian parries a combo of
punches and uses her own leg to block one flying at her from
Aldrich. Horth scores a high body kick and leans back to watch a
one-two buzz past her. Aldrich doubles up on her jab and catches a
body kick, and she spins with a wheel kick. Horth pushes through it
and dings her up with a few blows before backing off.

Aldrich pecks out with her jab, staying to her preferred range
while even Horth’s low kicks largely come up short. Aldrich shoots
in during a quiet moment in pursuit of a single, backing the
Canadian up to the wall but not grounding her outright. Aldrich
stays tight to Horth, working a knee or two on the inside but
largely holding pat. Horth twists and shakes out of it, and she has
a high kick harmlessly bounce off the raised guard. Aldrich lunges
with a one-two, and when she tries again, she is met with a body
kick. Horth clips Aldrich with two hooks in likely the heaviest
blows of the round, and she takes a low kick to fire off three more
to get Aldrich’s attention. The sparring match of a round comes to
a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Horth
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Horth
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Horth

Round 2

To start out the round, Aldrich peeks around her guard with her
jab. Horth swings much heavier when pressing forward, but most of
her early blows are either blocked or out of range. Aldrich backs
her up with a solid right hand on the schnoz, and she tries to
follow it with a head kick only to bang it off the gloves. Horth
pays her back with a straight right hand down the pipe, and her
long kicks are still largely unable to get through. They take turns
engaging with one another, with Aldrich turning her hips into a low
kick and dancing away from the anticipated counters. Aldrich steps
in with an elbow that is inches off the mark, and she hops back
from a head kick as well. Aldrich shadowboxes for a while, not
landing anything of merit. Horth’s responses are almost all kicks,
and they almost all miss completely.

Aldrich stands in the pocket to fire off a left hand, and she gets
it through and lances out a right hand to preemptively counter a
body kick. Aldrich goes after a one-two to force Horth to adjust or
check her nose that is not leaking at this point. Aldrich leaves a
body kick out too long, resulting in Horth catching her cleanly
with her firsts upstairs. Aldrich drives her back with a right
hand, and she steps through to put two more on the chin. Aldrich’s
jab allows her to stay largely defensively sound, protecting her
from head kicks but not when Horth gets in close. They crash
together and trade strikes briefly, and they back off to get back
to inaccurate, low-power kickboxing. Aldrich swarms forward with
two punches, and then bails on her advancing effort when a knee is
put up in her way. Horth threatens with a step-in knee, and the
horn sounds to end the slow round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Aldrich
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Horth
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Horth

Round 3

The women rush at one another, and then resume their strategy of
tit-for-tat strikes. Aldrich catches her foe at the end of a right
hand, but it is one and done as Horth prods out with her foot.
Aldrich breaks some silence with a one-two, and Horth drives her
back with a body kick. Aldrich jabs through the guard and tries to
follow with two sweeping left hooks. This brings Horth into the
fight again, as the Canadian throws fire in her fists but peels
back before fully committing. Head kicks from both lady appear feet
away from their intended targets, and Aldrich tries to surprise her
foe with a leaping right hook. Aldrich ducks a jab to shoot for a
takedown, and the Canadian tosses her to the side with ease. Horth
offers out a low kick and is jabbed back.

Blows from both sides largely bound off their respective raised
guards, including a spinning back fist from the American. Accuracy
rates for these two are likely quite low, as are the significant
strike tallies. Horth slowly meanders forward behind her long foot,
and she is knocked back several steps by Aldrich’s left hands.
Aldrich kicks out the front leg and sways back as Horth tries to
boot her in the face, still moving when Horth’s hands soar past her
as well. Aldrich bounces her shin off the shoulder of her opponent,
sticking her with a jab but nothing else. Aldrich catches a kick
and fires back, but she too does not extend fully as if she was
waiting for something or concerned to let go. Horth spams kicks
from way out of the way, and she drills Aldrich with long punches
as the two decide to start fighting with seconds left. They duke it
out in a surprisingly powerful back-and-forth that only concludes
when time expires, and they hug it out after 15 minutes of mostly
sparring.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Horth (29-28 Horth)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Horth (30-27 Horth)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Horth (30-27 Horth)

The Official Result

J.J. Aldrich def. Jamey-Lyn Horth via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

Melissa
Croden (135.5) vs. Darya
Zhelezniakova (136)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Croden (-160); Zheleznyakova (+130)

Round 1

With a 100% finish rate still in her pocket, Alberta native Croden
(7-3, 1-1 UFC)—quick note to all those who watched the Shillan &
Duffy preview show for this one and thought this fight card was
going down in the province of Alberta: tonight’s action is in
southern Manitoba, just north of the shared border of North Dakota
and Minnesota, two provinces to the right of Alberta. Croden will
still be the favored athlete in the building of the two, as she
faces off Russian striker Zheleznyakova (10-2, 2-1 UFC). The two
bantamweights come to blows with referee Jerin Valel calling the
shots, and they touch ‘em up before engaging.

It is all about the jab in the early going for the two
bantamweights, with the two standing relatively the same size and
presenting a similar fist-first style. Jabs lead to follow-ups,
which leads to an unexpected trading of leather in the first 30
seconds. Croden thinks twice about throwing caution to the wind to
just brawl and resets to work her way forward at her own pace.
Zheleznyakova chops at her foe’s leg with a hefty kick and circles
away from the power from the Canadian, dodging a head kick and
stepping in to strike. Croden drives her away with a quick one-two,
and Zheleznyakova still manages to get in her face with a single
fist. They crash together and end up clinched, trading knees until
they decide against doing this any further. It is not a mirror
match, but it is fairly close to that. One after the other, they
slug one another in the chops. Croden throws a hard right hand,
takes one right back, and is amped up and tries to force “Iron
Lady” into a brawl. Zheleznyakova does not oblige her, instead
strafing to either side.

Zheleznyakova kicks low to swing high, and she moves all the way
around the cage to time her way in with a short flurry.
Zheleznyakova gets a front kick through the guard, and when she
engages further, Croden ties her up to grapple. Croden bullies the
Russian to the fencing, looking perhaps for a body lock.
Zheleznyakova keeps circling away to her right, away from Croden’s
power, and this includes breaking out of a clinch. Zheleznyakova
checks a kick to sling a one-two, and she lets a head kick fly past
her harmlessly. Zheleznyakova steps forward to bloody Croden’s nose
with a one-two, and her movement is flustering the Canadian.
Zheleznyakova tries to engage again in a quick blitz, and Croden
stonewalls her and shoves her back. The deliberately paced round
ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zheleznyakova
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Zheleznyakova
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Zheleznyakova

Round 2

Zheleznyakova races out of her corner to engage as the second round
kicks off, and she does so right into the fists of her waiting
adversary. Croden welcomes this so she can score effectively,
forcing Zheleznyakova to retreat very soon after she starts
trading. Croden whiffs on four fast punches because Zheleznyakova
is already out of range, and she is stuck chasing while blood leaks
from her nose. Zheleznyakova keeps moving, racking up plenty of
steps while avoiding the worst of what flies her way time and
again. Croden walks into the occasional jab from the Russian, who
is largely playing an avoidance-first game that may not be the most
aesthetically pleasing from a “just bleed” perspective. Nearly a
minute goes by without a significant strike landing, and then they
crash together and drill one another in the face with a heavy
punch. Zheleznyakova tries to put three after it, and Croden has no
answers while her face is starting to transform because of the
impact of the shots she is absorbing.

Croden runs after the Russian, chasing her around the cage to try
to punch her. She does not let Zheleznyakova off the hook, busting
her nose open in the midst of her punch salvos. Zheleznyakova turns
tail and runs away, forcing Croden to eventually slow Zheleznyakova
down by tying her up. Croden looks for a body lock and a trip
takedown, but Zheleznyakova is able to stay on her feet.
Zheleznyakova breaks free, and she beans the Canadian with a right
hand flush on the temple. Both beaks are leaking, and Croden pays
it no mind as she rushes forward to attack. Croden nails her foe
with two elbows, and Zheleznyakova tries to run away but is
trapped. The Russian grabs the fence to prevent a takedown, with
Valel screaming at her to knock that off. On her second effort,
Croden throws her down and knees her in the face and thigh on the
way back up. Croden leans on her opponent, sneaking in elbows.
Zheleznyakova pushes her back with her fists, so Croden slaps her
in the face with the instep of her foot as the round wraps.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Croden
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Croden
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Croden

Round 3

Croden greets her opponent with raised arms to hug her, and then
the last round begins. Zheleznyakova pumps out a one-two that
shakes Croden up and instantly re-bloodies her nose again, and she
sits in the pocket to jack her in the jaw with a left before
circling away. Zheleznyakova bounces her way forward behind her
jab, slipping back to dodge every counter. Croden lumbers ahead
slinging a left hook, and she shells up to block a one-two but is
nailed with three more punches when she tries to clinch.
Zheleznyakova breaks off and turns to run and reset on her own
terms, but Croden catches up with her and clinches her. Croden
stays tight until Zheleznyakova shoves her away and pins her down
with a one-two. Zheleznyakova swipes out with subsequent hooks when
Croden follows her recklessly, but it is a trap for the Canadian.
Croden ducks down to surprise Zheleznyakova with a tackling
takedown, and Zheleznyakova grabs the fence to improve her position
and stand back up while Croden’s team bellows about the uncalled
foul.

In the meantime, Croden starts to hook up a standing arm-triangle
choke, and Zheleznyakova tugs with both hands on the fencing to
take some of the leverage out of it. Croden topples over with the
choke to put Zheleznyakova flat on her back, and she releases the
sub to start beating the Russian down with left hands and a
questionable knee while Zheleznyakova was standing. Valel calls for
a replay due to the strike, and Croden continues pressuring the
increasingly bloodied Zheleznyakova in a vicious clinch exchange.
Croden frames off with elbows and occasionally slashes them out to
damage her opponent, and Zheleznyakova breaks off. Croden runs
towards her and tackles her to the floor, climbing directly in
mount so she can bash Zheleznyakova with elbows. Zheleznyakova sits
up to try to turn things around but only gives her back up. Croden
unloads with a final barrage of elbows and fists, but time runs out
before she can secure the stoppage she was seeking.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Croden (29-28 Croden)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Croden (29-28 Croden)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Croden (29-28 Croden)

The Official Result

Melissa Croden def. Darya Zheleznyakova via Unanimous Decision
(29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Saricam (-160); Boser (+130)

Round 1

About as Canadian as it gets, majestically mulleted Boser (22-10-1,
5-5 UFC) is back on the roster after beating up Vinicius Moreira
over in UAE Warriors last year. The Albertan—remember what we said
above involving Croden—is aiming to reach a .500 record in the
Octagon when he stands across the cage from Bellator expat Saricam
(11-2, 0-0 UFC). The heavyweights 34 and 35, respectively, they
come in as relative youngsters to a division that is begging for
hot commodities. Referee Herb Dean stands firm, ready to take care
of the big men no matter where the action leads them. Fists are
nearly bumped before they are traded, with the two offering at
different times that did not line up.

There is little from the two big men in the early seconds, and as
if he heard something that angered him, Boser springs into action
and busts Saricam in the face with a fast flurry. He tags Saricam
again, and the Turkish athlete counters with a takedown shot. Boser
shoves his man back, who trips and falls to his seat. Saricam
bounces back up, and they proceed to pitch kicks at one another.
Boser swings for the bleachers, and Saricam dips and pops him with
a short right hand. Saricam shoots for a double way out of range,
and Boser stops it but is backed to the fencing. Boser is warned
for grabbing shorts while Saricam grabs the fence, offsetting
penalties should result in a repeat first down but nothing ends up
happening. They separate, and Boser scores but is dinged with fast
counters.

Boser winds up and hurls two big right hands, backing off when a
spinning back kick is aimed at his torso. Saricam comes up short
winging punches, but his calf kick impacts on Boser’s lead leg
coming in. Saricam kicks the same spot, and he blocks a head kick
with his elbow. Saricam loops a right hand around the guard after
doubling up on a jab, and Boser is quick to get his hands up to
defend anything that comes after like a head kick. Saricam boots
him in the face with another kick, and the Canadian does not
flinch. Boser cracks Saricam, and Saricam fires right back and
proceeds to bash the Canadian and knock him to the wall. Boser
bounces back and nails Saricam, but Saricam keeps on him and
stifles him. Boser turns him about before long, authoring knees to
the thigh until he has to fight off a throw effort. Boser separates
with seconds to spare, going for two elbows and a spinning back
fist as the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Saricam
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Saricam
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Saricam

Round 2

The heavyweights try to find their range early, with Boser getting
it first as he slings four punches in rapid succession. Saricam
fires off a big right hand to keep Boser honest, allowing Boser to
kick him in the lead leg so he can launch two right back. Boser
zips a right hand down the middle, and Saricam answers him
immediately and effectively. Boser kicks the front leg and looks to
initiate his power jab, looping a right hand and getting pushed off
his feet when they smash chests together. Boser scrambles to get
back to his feet with what was not a knockdown but was a
disadvantageous position, and he is able to do so no worse for
wear. They tie up in the center of the cage, with Boser staying
busy with short elbows on the forehead. The Canadian stomps on his
foe’s toes as he keeps things old school.

Boser clings on the Turkish fighter to take some of the steam out
of his fists, and he frames off to catch Saricam with two punches
before letting go. Saricam slowly works his way forward, ready and
willing to bounce back when Boser hurls things at him. Boser keeps
going forward with two more big punches, and he appears to hurt
Saricam up close with short, strong elbows. Saricam has to blink
out the attack and gather a head of steam to fire off three quick
punches that force Boser to reevaluate his strategy. Boser throws
so far, he nearly topples over, but he recovers and watches Saricam
almost do the same. Saricam clips the Canadian behind the ear,
sucking wind and advancing to set something big up.

Saricam counters a low kick to release a tremendous right hand that
smashes square into the Canadian’s jaw, sending the mulleted man
crashing down to the canvas once and for all. To finish the job,
Saricam rains down punishment with his fists until Dean has seen
enough. Boser may have been knocked out in the
exchange, as he cannot stand up on his own power after the
stoppage. Dean and medical staff tend to the Canadian, who is
ushered to his stool where he sits to learn what just happened. It
is now official: Gokhan Saricam has as many wins (one) in the UFC
as legendary kickboxer Gokhan Saki. Let that sink in.

The Official Result

Gokhan Saricam def. Tanner Boser R2 4:43 via TKO (Punches)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Valentin (-130); Leblanc (+110)

Round 1

At the tender age of 34, Canada’s Leblanc (10-2, 0-0 UFC) is
getting a callup to the UFC. The newly signed middleweight will be
greeted by Valentin (10-6, 1 NC; 0-3 UFC), who cannot seem to even
buy a win in the Octagon thus far. Referee Chris Desautels will
take care of the particulars, standing back as the two opt against
touching gloves.

Valentin leads off with a chopping low kick, and he watches as a
head kick buzzes the tower. Valentin sinks in a body kick, and
Leblanc fires one back just as hard. Valentin beats down the front
leg with three hard leg kicks, and he rocks the Canadian with an
overhand right. Valentin bowls the local athlete over and climbs
into full mount with ease, and he allows Leblanc to turn over so he
can take his back and get his hooks in. Leblanc hand-fights to
defend his neck, so Valentin smacks him with his right hand and a
number of questionable elbows to open a choke up. Valentin grips
hold of a face crank submission, crushing the newcomer’s jaw
without even bothering to slide it under the chin.
As Valentin squeezes, his forearm slowly works its way beneath the
chin after all, and it is now a windpipe-destroying,
carotid-crushing rear-naked choke. Leblanc knows he has nothing
more to offer today and quickly surrenders, with the choke so tight
that he might have otherwise gone out before long. It
is a much-needed win for Valentin, who earns his first victory with
the promotion in his fourth attempt. It is also a hugely emotional
moment for Valentin, who celebrates with tears in his eyes as he
embraces his team and vanquished opponent.

The Official Result

Robert Valentin def. Julien Leblanc R1 2:22 via Submission
(Rear-Naked Choke)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Barbosa (-450); Buzukja (+350)

Round 1

The prelims wrap up with a featherweight affair pitting a
struggling New Yorker in Buzukja (12-5, 1-3 UFC) against
brick-fisted Brazilian Barbosa (17-2, 0-0 UFC) getting his sea legs
on the largest stage possible. Before the fists fly, the
featherweights are checked in by referee Herb Dean. There is a
quick fist bump that precedes the action.

Buzukja moves directly to the center of the cage to apply light
pressure, pawing out with a front kick and a jab. Buzukja smacks
the front leg with a kick as he pushes forward, rifling off a
one-two after it. Barbosa responds when taking a hard body kick
with an overhand right. Buzukja no-sells it and jabs the head and
body back. Buzukja chips at the front leg when it is available to
him, doubling up on his jab to keep Barbosa on the back foot.

As if Barbosa was just charging up the entire time without telling
us, he walks forward confidently. Buzukja slings two punches at
him, and he slips them and unloads with a consciousness-destroying
left hand. Buzukja is out before his head clatters lifelessly off
the canvas, and Barbosa walks off raising his arms in
the air knowing his work here is done. Dean races in just in case
Buzukja needs to be protected, but Barbosa is not about to do any
unnecessary damage. Bukuja eventually comes to, and he has to be
told what happened because his short-term memory and parts of his
third-grade education have just been forcefully ejected from his
skull. With 15 career knockouts to his credit, “Ticoto” has
authored all 15 of them in the first round. He may only know one
speed, but it is borderline ludicrous.

The Official Result

Marcio Barbosa def. Dennis Buzukja R1 1:20 via KO (Punch)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING
REPORT | ODDS: Young (-130); Moises (+110)