Edmen Shahbazyan vs Gerald Meerschaert (Middleweight Bout)

Shahbazyan looked really good on the feet in this middleweight bout. He was piecing up Meerschaert for most of this fight, dropped him with a body shot and went to work with the ground and pound. Referee Mark Smith appeared close to stopping this one before Gerald was finally able to grab ahold of Edmen. Smith gets them back to their feet with a stalemate going on. Meerschaert turns the tables and lands a takedown and sinks in the head and arm triangle choke for the submission win!

Result: Meerschaert – winner by submission in the 2nd round (4:12)

Neil Magny vs Michael Morales (Welterweight Bout)

The 2 welterweights got of to a feeling out process before Neil clinched Morales along the octagon for a lot of the first half of the 1st round. Morales landed a perfect spinning elbow on Magny around the 2 minute mark. Magny’s equilibrium failed him as he feel to the canvas. Morales jumped on top and went to work, putting together some efficient ground and pound and finally gets the referee stoppage due to punches. Morales stays undefeated.

Result: Morales – winner TKO in the 1st round (4:39)

Kaan Ofli vs Marion Santos (TUF32 Featherweight Final)

The Ultimate Fighter Season 32 (Alexa Grasso vs Valentina Shevchenko) final. Both fighters were aggressive early, with Santos looking like the more crisp, quick and powerful up striker. Ofli wanted be in closer to clinch and try to get the fight to the ground. After a lot of control time for Ofli in the first half of the first round, Santos started to land some good calf kicks, even taking Ofli off his feet. He really started to open up in the striking department, and Ofli had no answers. The lopsided affair continued into the second round until Santos lands a HUGE left hook in an exchange! Marion Santos is your TUF 32 WINNER!

Result: Marion Santos – winner by KO in the 2nd round (1:30)

Robert Valentin vs Ryan Loder (TUF32 Middleweight Final)

Loder got straight to the wrestling in this one, former division I All-American, so that makes sense. He had to show off his submission defense multiple times in the 1st round with a lot of good scrambles and reversals. Loder got Valentin trapped in the crucifix and landed a barrage of elbows and gets the TKO.

Result: Ryan Loder – winner by TKO in the 2nd round (1:49)

#9 Angela Hill vs #11 Tabatha Ricci (Women’s Strawweight Bout)

Ricci was in Hills face from the opening bell. Both women kept a very high pace through the first minute, with Ricci getting plenty of clinch time, both women landed efficiently when they’d exchange, but Baby Sharks pressure was the winner of the 1st round. Ricci finally landed the first takedown :15 into the first round, but Hill got back to her feet after threatening a triangle choke. Hill’s hands really started to come alive around the halfway point of the 2nd round, Ricci kept the pressure though. Ricci got the late takedown, but absorbed more strikes than she landed. These women held their frantic pace for the entire 15 minutes. Hill won on the feet again in round 3, but Ricci remembered that the clinching along the cage is what won her the first round and got back to that in the 3rd. Tough one to judge, fun, exciting fight.

Result: – Tabatha Ricci winner by Unanimous Decision

MAIN EVENT

#5 Jared Cannonier vs #12 Caio Borralho (Middleweight Bout)

Round one saw some nasty calf kicks from Borralho, even dropped Cannonier briefly with one. He was the more active fighter, he did have an eye poke though, but not point taken, plenty of warnings to both fighters though. Borralho used his legs a lot, to all levels. Jared appeared hesitant to throw, but when he did, he landed hard. Caio more active and landed more strikes, wins the first.

Round 2 Jared opens up swinging. Both men continue to get warnings about the fingers but neither will keep a fist. When Jared goes, Jared wins, it’s just too sparse. His strikes were landing clean though, he continued to gain momentum through the round, and eased the pressure of Borralho. He had a phenomenal round, evens it up 1-1.

Round 3 Borralho got cracked right away, but he ate it. He definitely felt Jareds power in the round. He did start throwing his legs again, which allowed him to pressure more. When he pressured, he won. He wobbled and dropped Jared late to win the round. 29-28 Borralho through 3.

Round 4 started slowly, both fighters got touched in the 3rd. Cannonier destroyed the right eye of Borralho in the round, he opened a huge gash under the eye and caused significant swelling above the same eye. Other than that, it was a pretty evenly matched, back and forth round. With the damage I have it 38-38 heading into the 5th.

Round 5 was pretty uneventful through the first 3 minutes, before Borralho landed a nice 1-2 right down the pipe that put Cannonier out on his feet. He seemingly turned to a ghost and floated to the ground before getting mounted by Borralho. He sunk in a submission attempt, but that was the end of the entertainment for the round. Borralho takes the round, convincingly. Fighting Nerds win again!

Result: Caio Borralho – winner by unanimous decision

Fantastic finish to the night between the Hill/Ricci fight and this main event. Tons on stand and bang, tons of back and forth, momentum switches, and to finish with a bunch of blood, yeah, that was a great finish to the night. What did you think of the night?