Jon Jones retained the UFC Light Heavyweight title with a split-decision over Thiago Santos at The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Santos fought well early as he landed plenty of leg kicks, but in round two, his left knee started to buckle. Jones won the middle rounds, but not by wide margins. Santos was always dangerous in the fight, but seemed tentative in spots. Maybe that was because of an injury to his knee. Santos landed a couple of big shots in the 5th round, but it was not enough as Jones took two cards 48-47 while Santos took a 48-47 tally.
Between all the leg kicks Santos landed and the injury suffered by Santos, both fighters needed help getting back to the locker room.
Jones, 205 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 25-1-1. Santos, 204.5 lbs of Rio De Janeiro, BRA is 21-7.
Amanda Nunes defended her Bantamweight title in emphatic fashion as she stopped former champion Holly Holm in the 1st round with a perfect kick to the face.
Nunes landed a right kick that plummeted Holm to the deck. Nunes landed three punches to a prone Holm, and the fight was stopped at 4:10.
Nunes, 135 lbs of Coral Springs, FL is 18-5. Holm, 133.5 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 12-5.
Jorge Masvidal scored the fastest stoppage in UFC history as he took out previously undefeated Ben Askren in five-seconds.
Masvidal ran in and landed a flying knee to the head of Askren. Askren was out cold before he even hit the canvas but Masvidal landed two crushing shots to an asleep Askren and the fight was stopped.
Masvidal, 170.5 lbs of Miami is 34-13. Askren, 171 lbs of Hartland is 19-1-1.
Jan Blachowicz stopped former middleweight champion Jan Blachowicz in the 2nd round of their light heavyweight fight.
Blachowicz landed a booming left that sent Rockhold to the canvas. Blachowicz landed two more shots to a prone Rockhold and the fight was stopped at 1:39.
Blachowicz, 205.5 lbs of Warsaw, POl is 24-8. Rockhold, 204.5 lbs of Santa Cruz, CA is 16-5.
In a battle of former Ultimate Fighter winners, Michael Chiesa took a relatively easy unanimous decision over Diego Sanchez in a welterweight bout.
Chiesa spent basically the whole fight on the back of Sanchez. Chiesa mixed up going for chokes and Ground and Pound from letting Sanchez get in any type of offensive rhythm. It was a totally dominant performance from Chiesa. Chiesa landed 125 strikes and had 5 takedowns to Sanchez 42 and one.
Chiesa, 170.5 lbs of Spokane, WA won by scores of 30-26 on all cards and is now 16-4. Sanchez, 169 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 31-12.
Arnold Allen beat down veteran Gilbert Melendez and took a unanimous decision in a featherweight bout.
Allen landed consistent punches and kicks, and dominated the fight from the beginning.
Allen of England won by scores of 30-27 on all cards, and is now 15-1. Melendez of San Francisco is 22-8.
Marlon Vera submitted Nohelin Hernandez in the 2nd round of their bantamweight fight.
In round two, Vera landed a hard kick that sent Hernandez to the canvas. Vera got Hernandez back and made him tap from a Rear-Naked Choke at 3:25.
Vera, 136 lbs of Ecuador is 14-5-1. Hernandez, 136 lbs of Gilroy, CA is 10-3.
Claudia Gadelha won a unanimous decision over Randa Markos in a strawweight bout.
Gadelha, 115 lbs from Rio De Janieiro, BRA won by scores of 30-27 on all cards and is now 17-4. Markos, 116 lbs of Windsor, Ontario, Canada is now 9-8-1.
Markos began to swell from around her left eye in the opening frame.
Song Yadong scored a brutal 1st round knockout of number-13 ranked Alejandro Perez in a bantamweight bout.
Yadong landed a perfect right hand on the chin that knocked Perez down and out at 2:04.
Yandong, 135.5 lbs of China is 15-4-1. Perez, 135.5 lbs of Estrado, Mexico is 22-8-1.
Edmen Shahbazyan choked out Jack Marshman at 1:12 of the 1st round of their middleweight bout.
Shahbazyan landed some hard Ground and Pound that he followed up with a rear-naked choke that made Marshman tap at 1:12.
Shahbazyan, 185 lbs of Glendale, CA is 10-0. Marshman, 185 lbs of South Wales is 23-9.
Chance Rencountre won a unanimous decision over Ismail Naurdiev in a welterweight bout.
Rencountre ,170.5 lbs of Pawhuska, OK won by scores of 30-27, 29-27 and 29-28 and is now 14-3. Naurdiev, 171 lbs of Salzburg, AUS 18-3.
Julia Avila won a unanimous decision over Pannie Kianzad in a bantamweight bout.
In round two, Avila began to bleed from around her right eye. Kianzad was bleeding from around her right eye in round three.
Avila, 135 lbs of Oklahoma City won by scores of 30-27 and 30-26 twice and is now 7-1. Kianzad, 135 lbs of Sweden is 12-5.
