UFC 246 ‘McGregor vs. Cerrone’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sabina Mazo vs. J.J. Aldrich

Round 1

We kick things off in the strawweight division, as Mazo (7-1, 1-1 UFC) looks to bounce back from her first career defeat against Aldrich (8-3, 4-2 UFC). Referee Chris Tognoni will oversee the action, the two women opt not to touch gloves, and UFC 246 is officially underway! Mazo opens with a low leg kick that is short, and another to serve as a range finder. Aldrich starts throwing looping hooks right off the bat, whiffing with each but getting Mazo to back away rapidly. The two clash legs as they throw low kicks at the same time, and Aldrich comes back with a one-two where she lands with her left hand. As she tries to set up another combination, Mazo counters her on the way in, and Aldrich circles away and resets. A stiff left from Aldrich catches Mazo coming in, and Mazo shakes it off and starts to work her left jab. The American continues to circle and walks through a high leg kick as she throws a looping hook, but she is shy of the mark. "Colombian Queen" splits the guard with a front kick, and Aldrich wears it well as she backs away and blocks a few jabs from Mazo coming her direction. The two come together and throw some heavy leather, and each land one or twice with solid lefts until they separate. Aldrich appears to be timing a low kick from Mazo with an overhand left counter, and she lands flush as Mazo throws one lazily. Mazo throws a few more low kicks, and Aldrich ignores them as she snaps out a left that lands square on the chin of her opponent. Mazo flicks out the jab a few more times, and she eats a counter left for her effort as Aldrich sticks and moves, continually circling to the left. Mazo flips up a head kick and Aldrich is prepared for it as she blocks it, and they clinch up briefly before pushing off. Mazo follows her along and throws a few kicks as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Aldrich
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Aldrich
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Aldrich

Round 2

Mazo greets Aldrich in the center of the cage with a kick, but Aldrich is ready with a punch combination that lands consistently. Mazo tries to fight at range but Aldrich wades through her strikes and lands heavier. The Colombian is racking up jabs one by one, catching Aldrich repeatedly, but the 303 Training Center fighter fires back with a powerful left hand that backs Mazo off of her, if only for a moment. Mazo attempts to counter Aldrich on the way in with a check knee, and then lands a body kick to break up her pattern a bit. The jabs return for Mazo, who throws out four before slapping a leg kick home. Aldrich wings a right-left hook combination, and Mazo leans back and fires another leg kick. Aldrich nails her with another left hand, but Mazo is unfazed as she continues to apply pressure. The counter knee finally lands for Mazo, stopping Aldrich in her tracks for a moment before she regathers her thoughts and circles away. Mazo is leading with the jab consistently, and weaves out of the way of counters until Aldrich cracks her with a stiff left that bloodies up the nose of the Colombian. Aldrich fires a wild right that is off the mark, but the left that follows adds to the bleeding. Mazo clinches up and slams some knees right on the chin of her adversary, and one powerful one forces Aldrich to retreat as it did some damage. A one-two from Aldrich is dodged by Mazo, who ducks back and launches a right high kick that tags Aldrich as the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mazo
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Aldrich
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Aldrich

Round 3

The two are right to action in the third round, swinging wildly and landing successfully. Aldrich leans on her heavy left, forcing Mazo to clinch up and hammer some knees to the midsection. "Colombian Queen" presses forward and looks to trip Aldrich, but the American circles away and breaks free without taking much unnecessary punishment. Aldrich wings two punches but Mazo is ready for them as she prods out a jab that causes a trickle a blood to form beneath Aldrich's nose. Mazo catches Aldrich on the way in with another knee, and as she sets up the Thai plum, she cracks Aldrich with several that hurt her. Pressing Aldrich against the fence, Mazo lifts up some more knees, and in the ensuing melee draws a warning from Tognoni for pulling Aldrich's hair. Mazo continues to throw some knees, and Aldrich is struggling to defend herself from these strikes as she cannot mount any offense against the cage wall. Tognoni calls for more action, and as Mazo holds on, he separates the two with 75 seconds left. Aldrich comes out swinging with a big left, and Mazo ducks it but gets cracked with one that follows, and nods at her. Mazo tries to time the jab as Aldrich is throwing bombs, and the Colombian eats a few including a head kick before snatching the clinch again. Mazo fires some more lethal knees that cause Aldrich to flinch, and she backs away from the attack. With the second sticking away, Mazo spams more kicks until time expires. What a great way to start off the night, and this will almost certainly be a close decision.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mazo (29-28 Mazo)
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Mazo (29-28 Aldrich)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Mazo (29-28 Aldrich)

The Official Result

Sabina Mazo def. J.J. Aldrich via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Aleksa Camur vs. Justin Ledet

Round 1

Headlining the Fight Pass and ESPN+ prelims is a light heavyweight affair as the unbeaten Camur (5-0, 0-0 UFC) makes his promotional debut against Ledet (9-2, 1 NC; 3-2 UFC). Our referee is Herb Dean. Camur immediately starts out by taking the center of the cage, and the first strike he throws is a spinning wheel kick that glances off the gloves of Ledet, who grins at him. Camur misses with a few front kicks as he tries to close the distance, and launches a bomb that nearly knocks out Dean but does not land on Ledet. Camur flicks up a high kick, and then another as Ledet is barely able to get his guard up in time. Ledet presses forward with two jabs, but absorbs a leg kick as he backs off. As Ledet comes in swinging, Camur nails him with a leg kick that nearly buckles his knee. Ledet catches Camur with a left, and then another as Camur swings heavy back at him. Ledet smiles as he absorbs these shots, protecting himself from the heavy assault coming from the newcomer who takes a deep breath. Camur loads up with a wicked uppercut and Ledet is able to avoid it without issue, and Camur tries to throw some looping punches that Ledet sees coming from a mile away. Camur throws a few head kicks and Ledet shrugs them off, and Ledet seems more content to let Camur gas himself out throwing wild strikes than getting his own offense going. Camur steps in for a spinning kick, and "El Blanco" beams as he dances away, but eats a left hook on the way out. Ledet bites down on his mouthpiece and unloads a heavy right hand that glances off the jaw of his opponent, but Camur is not concerned as he backs away before throwing a spinning kick that is well short of his target. The accuracy for Camur is likely very low, but the techniques are spectacular and very heavy. The round comes to an end -- this is a rare occurrence for Camur, going into Round 2.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Camur
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Ledet
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ledet

Round 2

Camur opens up with spinning kicks right out of the gate, but nothing lands flush as Ledet ignores his attack. Ledet starts to open up with his jab, and then unloads a three-punch combination that catches Camur in the midsection. The two clash together and Camur leans him into the clinch against the cage. Camur sneaks up a few knees up the middle, and Ledet shoves him away as Camur takes a deep breath. Camur stings Ledet to the body with a right, but Ledet resets and responds with a left that makes Camur laugh. Ledet backs away, evades a strike and throws a left hand as the two start jawing at one another. Camur lands square on the chin with a big right, but Ledet continues to talk to him as he takes a couple leg kicks. When Camur goes to the body, Ledet tries to clinch and throw a knee, but Camur backs away to aim at the body again. Ledet replies to the body shots with a stern right hand, and then catches Camur flush with a left that sends Camur back against the cage for a moment. The newcomer is unconcerned, and starts to throw back heavily at Ledet until they close the distance and Camur begins to fire knees and short punches to the body. Camur opens up with some punches with Ledet pressed against the age wall, and Ledet absorbs them as he staves off a trip attempt. The horn sounds, and Camur tries to catch his breath.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Camur
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Camur
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Camur

Round 3

For the first time in his career, Camur will see a third round, and the two motion to touch gloves but do not actually do so. Instead, Camur lands a sweet left, and then wings a right that glances off the side of Ledet's head. "El Blanco" loads up on a right hand that sees him nearly topple over, and as he looks to regain his composure, Camur throws up a left head kick that Ledet blocks. Camur ducks looping left from Ledet to try to counter with a jump knee, and Ledet charges forward with a digging body shot. The newcomer sticks out a jab a few times to try to stave off Ledet, who is lunging towards him. Camur rips to the body, and Ledet eats it and cracks him with a left that may have rung Camur's bell. Camur smartly clinches up with him to shake out any potential cobwebs, and breaks free while circling away. Some swelling has begun to form quickly around Ledet's right eye, but he does not seem to notice as he sets up a big left hand that barely misses. Camur loads up with a few leg kicks, and telegraphs one when he throws his hip into it and Ledet checks it, causing Camur to stumble backwards. Camur walks it off and circles away, but is the one to close the distance as he throws a long slow left hand and then a body kick. Ledet tries to blast him with a right hand, but Camur dodges out of the way, and after another checked leg kick, Ledet is on the offensive. Ledet nails him a few times with some heavy punches, and Camur rushes in and hits a takedown with seconds to spare. The round ends with Camur on top, and when he stands up, he goes over to the side of the cage where his teammate Stipe Miocic stands in the crowd. The heavyweight champ shouts at him to raise his hands in the air in victory -- and to convince the judges that he took home the win.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Camur (30-27)
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Camur (29-28)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Camur (29-28)

The Official Result

Aleksa Camur def. Justin Ledet via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Nasrat Haqparast vs. Drew Dober

Round 1

Starting things off on the ESPN (ESPNews now, as the Louisville-Duke college basketball game is running long) prelims is a lightweight affair between Dober (21-9, 1 NC; 7-5, 1 NC UFC) and Kelvin Gastelum lookalike contest winner Haqparast (11-2, 3-1 UFC). The third man inside the Octagon is Mark Smith. For the first time of the night, the two fighters touch gloves, and Dober starts off by taking the center of the cage. Haqparast wings a left hand, and Dober practically ignores it as he throws one right back at him. The two men are loading up on shots, and a right hand from Dober gets through and backs away Haqparast. Countering a leg kick, a picture-perfect left hook from Dober collides directly off the dome of Haqparast, and the Tristar Gym fighter crumbles to the ground. As soon as he hits the canvas, Dober is on him, swarming him with relentless punches until Smith calls a stop to the fight. This is an enormous win for Dober, who becomes the first fighter to ever knock out the durable Haqparast in his career.

The Official Result

Drew Dober def. Nasrat Haqparast R1 1:10 via TKO (Punches)

Tim Elliott vs. Askar Askarov

Round 1

We move to the flyweight division for a battle of two ranked contenders, where former title challenger Elliott (15-9-1, 4-7 UFC) aims to hand Askarov (10-0-1, 0-0-1 UFC) his first career loss. The Octagon steward will be referee Keith Peterson, who will guarantee no nonsense will go down in this one tonight. The two men touch gloves, and Elliott begins with a side kick to the torso as Askarov backs off. The footwork and movement of Elliott is already catching Askarov off guard, as he sinks in a low kick and Askarov misses with not one but two in response. The Russian chains three punches together that clip Elliott, but the former challenger shrugs them off and tries to counter with a fierce left. Askarov sneaks up a head kick, and Elliott dances away and gets on his bike until suddenly exploding forward to pursue a takedown. He cannot land it, and Askarov shoves him off and loads up with some punches that hurt Elliott. Elliott waves him on and welcomes the attack, so Askarov obliges him and cracks him with a right hook that causes Elliott to stiffen up until he falls to the canvas -- he may have gone out on his feet for a second. Somehow, he regains composure and shoots in for a takedown, and Askarov shoves him down and follows with some ground-and-pound. The American ties him up with a shoulder lock and an unorthodox hold to keep Askarov from unloading anything. Elliott pulls for a guillotine choke, and as he does so, Askarov pursues an arm-triangle choke and nearly secures a Von Flue choke until Elliott wriggles out of it. Askarov stands up, only to rain down some punches and elbows, causing Elliott to scramble. "Bullet" avoids any submission attempts and throws some heavy punches from on top until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Askarov
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-8 Askarov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Askarov

Round 2

The second round opens violently, as he starts swinging and then hits a throw on Askarov. As the Russian scrambles, he gives up his neck and Elliott tries to snatch up the guillotine choke. Askarov is wise to it, and breaks free and shoves Elliott against the fence. Taking Elliott's back, Askarov tries to lift him up and throws him down, but Elliott fights him off and gets away with a few fence grabs to reverse his position. Elliott gives up his back once more, and Peterson slaps his hand away but in the confusion, Elliott gets himself free. Askarov uncorks a vicious one-two that clatter off the jaw of the American, and he moves with the punches but is absorbing some serious punishment. The two clinch up and Elliott throws some uppercuts, but he is more interest in toss Askarov down again. Elliott slams him down, and like before, Elliott goes after his neck, but Askarov shoves him away. The pressure from Elliott continues, who hits a takedown but this time, ends up on top. From his back, Askarov throws up his legs to secure an armbar, and as Elliott pushes past it, Askarov sets up a triangle. Elliott again thwarts the attempt and tries to pass guard, but in the process, Askarov times a sweep and very nearly flips Elliott over, but the American is able to remain on top. The guard from Askarov is providing constant offense, as he threatens another triangle choke until Elliott backs off and the two get to their feet. Elliott throws a looping right hand and cannot land flush, but Askarov does so by ringing Elliott's bell with a stream of punches that make Elliott rush in for another takedown. Elliott looks tired, and Askarov circles around to try to take his back and throw him down, but time runs out before he can get it done.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Askarov
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Elliott
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Askarov

Round 3

One last touch of gloves clocks in this exciting fight, and Elliott begins with a leg kick as he absorbs a jab flying back at him. Askarov evades a lunging combination, and then stings him with a leg kick and a right hand that makes Elliott wave him on again. This time, Askarov decides not to engage, and Elliott chases after him and clips him with a left hook. As Askarov tries to throw back at him, Elliott closes the distance and tries to hit a standing guillotine, but the Russian is not interested in this exchange. Backing off, Askarov lands with several more punches, and Elliott continues to walk him down and throw some heavy leg kicks. The leg kicks from Elliott are starting to pay off, as Askarov is backed up against the fence and swinging heavily. Elliott stalks him down with his hands down, and unloads several fierce body shots as Askarov pushes him away. The Russian briefly shoots in for a takedown, and then lands a powerful one-two but Elliott is unfazed and walking towards him like a 125-pound Terminator. Elliott ties him up, but Askarov pushes him off and scores a vicious right. The chin for Elliott holds up beautifully, but he is absorbing a ton of punishment on the way. Askarov circles away and at one point even runs backward, but Elliott wades forward to throw sloppy punches. Elliott takes a few more punches on the chin and finally decides to shoot in for a double leg takedown, but the Russian stuffs it. The two separate and stand in front of each other for upwards of 10 seconds, and Peterson asks them to engage as Elliott puts his hands on his knees to take a gigantic deep breath. Askarov unloads with a few big punches to end the round aggressively, and this 15-minute flyweight brawl is now in the books. Likely to emerge victorious, this should be the first time Askarov has ever won a fight on the scorecards.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Askarov (30-26 Askarov)
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Askarov (29-27 Askarov)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Askarov (30-26 Askarov)

The Official Result

Askar Askarov def. Tim Elliott via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Andre Fili vs. Sodiq Yusuff

Round 1

A featherweight thriller is up next, between the incredibly durable Fili (20-6, 8-5 UFC) and the heavy-handed Yusuff (10-1, 3-0 UFC). Referee Chris Tognoni is in charge of the cage for this one. The two men touch gloves, and they start slinging leather fast. They both sting each other with punches, and Yusuff loads up with a monster right hand. Fili cracks him with one right back, and then sticks out a jab to halt the advancement of Yusuff. Fili lands two powerful leg kicks, and takes a jab and then a flush right hand. Yusuff fires another looping right hook, and the power of Yusuff is getting to Fili early and often. A minute into the fight, and Fili has already started to swell up on his face, so he wisely shoots in for a takedown. Snagging Yusuff's back, he opts for an elbow on the break and backs away. The two both connect at the same time with several jabs, but Yusuff's are doing more damage and marking up the face of the Team Alpha Male fighter. Fili quickly hits a takedown, but Yusuff pops right back up and starts throwing some more wild shots. Yusuff catches Fili with a leg kick that nearly spins Fili in a circle, and when he returns with fire, the impact is nowhere near the same. Instead, Fili shoots in once more and hits a takedown, but cannot keep Yusuff down for one, possibly two seconds, before "Super" gets back up. Fili tries to stay tight, but Yusuff pushes him off and lands a slew of strong lefts. The two unload on one another and both hurt each other, and as Yusuff wobbles, Fili changes levels and lands a takedown. As Yusuff gets back to his feet, he fights off the clinch and grabs a two-on-one wrist lock. With the wrist control, Yusuff wrenches the fight down to the ground, and Fili manages to get out of the kimura attempt before setting up an armbar off his back, Yusuff looks to slam him, but before he can, Fili abandons it and Yusuff ends up on top where he drops down a few punches until this crazy round comes to an end.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Yusuff
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Fili
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Yusuff

Round 2

The two walk towards each other and immediately start trading jabs with one another. Yusuff throws a heavy body kick, and then lands a low kick that Yusuff absorbs without issue. Fili tries to load up with another, but Yusuff checks it and Fili falls to the ground. Yusuff follows him down and sits in half guard, where he throws a few short punches but is more concerned with passing guard. He does so, taking side control, and stays heavy on top of "Touchy" as he turns over to north-south position for a moment, but goes back to the side. Fili tries to circle out and escape, but Yusuff pulls him back and keeps the top pressure with a few strong left hands. Fili pushes off the fence to either set up an armbar or inverted triangle choke, but Yusuff bucks him off and pops back down to side control. From there, Yusuff hammers down a few elbows, before putting his knee on Fili's belly while punching him. Fili explodes out of the bad position and gets Yusuff back to half guard, and escapes once more to full guard. From there, Yusuff stands up and looks to jump back down, all while Fili times upkicks that Yusuff evades. "Super" passes to side control, and hops over to full mount, but Fili does not want this to continue so he pushes with all his might and throws Yusuff off of him. Fili gets back up, and shoots down low to attempt to get Yusuff on his back, but Yusuff stuffs it and eats a knee to the midsection. Tognoni calls for more action, but there is no more to be had as the horn sounds to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Yusuff
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Yusuff
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Yusuff

Round 3

Fili loads up with a right hand to begin the round, in an attempt to catch Yusuff off guard. "Super" is prepared for it, and blocks that strike and those that follow from Fili. The pace has waned significantly, and Fili appears interested in landing powerful single strikes like a head kick, a body kick and an overhand right. Yusuff backs up, and uncorks a bomb of a right hook on Fili's chin, but Fili eats it like a sandwich and stays in front of him. Yusuff scores another, but Fili is unimpressed and tries to connect with a stiff left of his own when he changes to southpaw. Yusuff flicks out a few jabs, and Fili shakes his head at him. Yusuff sits back and lands another fierce right hand, before landing another left, but Fili chases after him and tags him with a short right. The two are fighting in a phone booth, as Fili stands before him and almost dares him to attack as he lands from his opposite stance. Fighting from southpaw for Fili has proved to be more successful this round, as he does not take many flush shots and rolls with them. In the same frame, Yusuff's strikes have now dwindled to home run shots, banking on a big right hand as he circles away with his back against the fence. Fili walks him down and shoots in for one final takedown with seconds to go, and he lands it as soon as the horn sounds. This could be a close one, but it was a lot of fun.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Fili (29-28 Yusuff)
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Fili (29-28 Fili)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Fili (29-28 Yusuff)

The Official Result

Sodiq Yusuff def. Andre Fili via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Maycee Barber vs. Roxanne Modafferi

Round 1

Atop the ESPN prelim portion of the event is a potential women's flyweight title eliminator bout between former challenger Modafferi (23-16, 2-4 UFC) and the undefeated Barber (8-0, 3-0 UFC). Referee Jason Herzog will be keeping a watchful eye on these proceedings. The two touch gloves, and Barber opens with a right hand. Modafferi throws back at her, but aims to clinch and tie up the youthful finisher. Barber looks to brawl, and Modafferi surprises her with a right hand. She lands another, and then a sweeping left hook before she hits a takedown and advances immediately to half guard. Barber holds on tight, and Modafferi is unable to get any offense off but avoids a sweep from Barber. Modafferi attempts to pass guard by pushing Barber's knee down, and briefly flirts with an arm-triangle choke as a way to advance her position. Modafferi sits up to punch, but Barber pulls her back down, and "The Happy Warrior" stays heavy on top to hold Barber down and make her unbeaten opponent work. Barber pulls down hard with her arm, and sets up a guillotine choke off of her back. Squeezing as hard as she can, Barber holds the submission for several seconds until Modafferi pops her head out of danger. The Syndicate MMA fighter passes to side control and jumps right over to full mount, causing Barber to spin around and scramble. In the ensuing flurry, Modafferi ends up on her back, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Modafferi
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Modafferi
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Modafferi

Round 2

The second frame begins with Modafferi firing out a fierce jab, and the jab sends Barber careening to the canvas as she reaches for her leg. Modafferi chases after her and almost ends in bad triangle choke position, but she pushes past it and takes side control. The veteran sets up a crucifix position to land some strikes, but instead decides to take full mount and flatten out Barber. Modafferi postures up and rains down punches and elbows. Modafferi loads up with a huge elbow, and as it lands and slashes Barber open, Barber flips her over. "The Future" starts to hammer down elbows of her own to make Modafferi pay for her strikes, and Modafferi throws her legs out to search for an armbar. The blood starts to pour out of Barber's forehead, but she does not seem concerned. As Barber loads up on a huge strike, Modafferi reverses position and takes mount again. Like Donkey Kong, Modafferi spams hammerfists before considering an arm-triangle choke. Modafferi bails on it and continues to strike, while Barber sets up a kimura from off of her back. Modafferi shrugs it off and spins around to north-south position before taking side control. The massive underdog throws a few more punches on top, and then stands up. The round ends, and Barber limps back to her corner and shoves away the cutman as he tries to treat her head wound.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Modafferi
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Modafferi
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Modafferi

Round 3

Between rounds, the doctor comes in to check Barber's knee, and states that Barber has a small partial ACL tear, but that she is fine. What is happening? After that bizarre situation, the round kicks off with Modafferi chasing after her with looping punches. Barber is in a bad way, barely able to stand up, but somehow manages to throw back at her opponent. Modafferi backs off and resets, before charging in and tagging Barber with a right hand. The punch hurts Barber, who falls again to the ground and screams out, likely due to her knee. The fight should more than likely be over due to this injury, but the action somehow continues. Modafferi steps over into half guard, and starts to land some more punches. Barber roughs it out and flips her over, taking half guard and pursuing a keylock. Barber torques the arm, but Modafferi stays calm and wrenches it free. Barber begins to fire elbows from on top, and Modafferi looks to sit up and walk her way up the cage. Barber continues to throw elbows and punches, but "The Happy Warrior" returns to her feet. Barber, severely compromised, shoots in for a takedown and Modafferi stuffs her. Barber falls to her back, and Modafferi steps over into half guard where she lands some more punches. Modafferi stays heavy on top as she methodically works Barber, all while running out the clock. The blood begins to pool on the canvas beneath Barber's head, and the round mercifully comes to an end. Barber, a -1000 favorite, has almost certainly lost this fight, and "The Happy Warrior" (+650) is well on her way to springing one of the greatest betting upsets in UFC history.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Modafferi (30-27 Modafferi)
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Modafferi (30-27 Modafferi)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Modafferi (30-27 Modafferi)

The Official Result

Roxanne Modafferi def. Maycee Barber via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Anthony Pettis vs. Diego Ferreira

Round 1

Opening up the main card is a lightweight battle as former champ Pettis (22-9, 9-8 UFC) collides with the 2018 Sherdog.com "Walkout Song of the Year" winner Ferreira (16-2, 7-2 UFC). The Brazilian returns to glory by making his walk to the cage accompanied by the winning song, "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins. Referee Herb Dean will make this dance-off official. The two men toch gloves to kick off the pay-per-view, and Ferreira pressures Pettis early. Walking towards Pettis with a leg in the air, Ferreira looks to avoid a leg kick and stalks the former champ down before pursuing a double leg takedown. Pettis stuffs it and breaks away, before the two trade single punches. Ferreira sneaks in a left hand and then fires a right had kick, and Pettis bites down on his mouthpiece and throws hard, catching Ferreira on the side of his head. The Brazilian loads up on a body shot, and walks Pettis down with his leg raised. Pettis tags him with a right hand and circles away against the fence, before landing a body kick and circling the other direction. As Ferreira changes levels, Pettis times a knee, but Ferreira very heavily pursues a trip before dragging Pettis down and taking his back. Ferreira wraps his arms around Pettis' neck, and the former champ scrambles to get free. Ferreira pulls for something more akin to a neck crank, and Pettis spins out and jumps back to his feet. "Showtime" immediately throws up a head kick, and Ferreira is barely able to block it in time. Ferreira shoots in for a takedown once more, not interested in going kick for kick against a likely superior kickboxer. Clinched against the fence, Ferreira throws knees and short punches until Pettis has seen enough of it. Pettis barely misses with a spinning kick that blows Ferreira's hair back, but the Brazilian is unafraid as he changes levels and hits a double leg takedown. Landing in side control, Ferreira immediately begins to throw elbows, and as Pettis pulls for an armbar, Ferreira stands up. Pettis fires a slick upkick and Ferreira block it, as the round expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ferreira
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Ferreira
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ferreira

Round 2

The second stanza begins with Ferreira coming out with his right leg raised in the air like before. The Brazilian is quick to go after the takedown, and lands it within 20 seconds, where he takes the former champ's back. Ferreira sinks in a hook, and thwarts a spin from Pettis as he holds on to Pettis' back. Pettis manages to turn away and get free, but only for a moment, as Ferreira is quick to pull him back down and pursue the back once more. Pettis looks to crawl to his feet, and Ferreira punches him a few times before Pettis turns his back. As Pettis scrambles, he gives up his neck, and Ferreira latches on with a rear-naked choke that is atop the chin. Pettis holds on tight, but the grip is incredibly strong and Pettis has no choice but to surrender. This is a huge win for Ferreira, who lifts his win streak to six in a row, with none more significant than this one.

The Official Result

Diego Ferreira def. Anthony Pettis R2 1:46 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Ode Osbourne vs. Brian Kelleher

Round 1

In a stroke of good fortune for the debuting Osbourne (8-2, 1 NC; 0-0 UFC), his organizational debut will take place on the pay-per-view main card against Kelleher (19-10, 3-3 UFC). Originally scheduled for the early preliminary portion of the event, the cancellation of Claudia Gadelha vs. Alexa Grasso moved this fight up. Our Octagon ranger is referee Mark Smith. Osbourne crawls out from his corner, and leaps on the air with a punch that catches Kelleher right on the chin. The New Yorker shrugs it off, but Osbourne is on him with a few more punches. Kelleher shoots in for a takedown, and Osbourne defends it until he gets lifted in the air and slammed down. On top, Osbourne sits in guard where he throws a few punches, but Osbourne is intent on slicing him from his back with elbows. The two exchange blows while Kelleher is calm and composed on top, and Osbourne sits up but gets caught in a dangerous guillotine choke position. Osbourne rolls over and ends up on top, but he is still trapped with his arm inside the choke. "Boom" squeezes with all his might, and Osbourne cannot get out, so he taps the canvas several times with his foot to submit. What a win for Kelleher, who lifts his UFC record above .500 as he snaps a two-fight stoppage loss skid with this victory.

The Official Result

Brian Kelleher def. Ode Osbourne R1 2:49 via Submission (Guillotine Choke)

Alexey Oleynik vs. Maurice Greene

Round 1

The lone heavyweight scrap on the card is upon us, as submission mastermind Oleynik (57-13-1, 6-4 UFC) takes on fellow submission-minded Greene (8-3, 3-1 UFC). Together, the two have tapped out 49 opponents in their combined careers, although Oleynik is responsible for 45 of those. Watching over this 481-pound contest is referee Keith Peterson, and approximately zero nonsense will be had this day. Oleynik opens up with a huge right hook, and Greene dodges it and kicks him in the body. The Russian falls to the ground, and there is confusion of whether it was a groin strike. Greene swings hard, catching Oleynik on the chin, but Oleynik wades through it and grabs hold of Greene. The American defends by pulling for a kimura, but this is the worst possible idea, as he is now in the world of "The Boa Constrictor." Oleynik steps into half guard and tries to pull for a neck crank, but Greene escapes and throws up his long legs to search for a triangle choke. Oleynik is not concerned with the maneuver, and he ignores it and pushes past it as Greene tries once more. This time, Greene uses the opportunity to get back to his feet, but only for a moment. Oleynik grabs hold of him and yanks him back down to the cage floor, where he takes mount rapidly. The crowd grows restless as Oleynik slowly works his way into dominant position, and uses that position to slam down a heavy punch. Briefly flirting with an Ezekiel choke while on top, Oleynik switches over to side control and sets up a scarf hold headlock. Oleynik wrenches the choke with everything he has, and Greene is able to survive as Peterson checks on the American. Greene signals that he is OK, and starts throwing hammerfists from his back to get out of the choke. Oleynik puts his full body weight on Greene, but miraculously, Greene survives to the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oleynik
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-8 Oleynik
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Oleynik

Round 2

Oleynik throws a leg kick to begin the round, but Greene fires back heavy with a few punches and a body kick. Oleynik stalks forward, prepared to wing a big right hand, but he appears to be nearly spent. Greene blasts the Russian with a head kick, and Oleynik walks through it to try to set up the clinch. Greene pushes off and throws another head kick, but Oleynik changes levels and hits a double leg takedown. Stepping into half guard, Oleynik wraps his arm around Greene's neck, again to set up the dreaded Ezekiel choke. He lets the choke go as the crowd begins to boo, and UFC color commentator Joe Rogan calls the crowd "morons" for booing this grappling exchange. Oleynik cannot sink in the choke on top, and Greene grabs a double wrist lock to attempt to sweep the Russian, but Oleynik remains heavy on top and starts to throw some short right hands. "The Boa Constrictor" steps over into mount, snatching up the arm and rolling belly-down. Greene attempts to defend himself by using his legs to push off, but Oleynik has the armbar locked up. "The Crochet Boss" is cannot free himself, and he is forced to tap out to the submission wizardry of Oleynik. In doing so, Oleynik racks up his 46th submission victory in his lengthy career.

The Official Result

Alexey Oleynik def. Maurice Greene R2 4:38 via Submission (Armbar)

Holly Holm vs. Raquel Pennington

Round 1

It is now time for the co-main event, in a rematch between former bantamweight queen Holm (12-5, 5-5 UFC) and one-time title challenger Pennington (10-7, 7-4 UFC). Holm took the first by split verdict, and Pennington looks to right the score against the 38-year-old. Referee Jason Herzog is on top of the action for this bantamweight brawl, and Holm is amped up, pacing rapidly back and forth. The two are right to action, as Pennington starts with a leg kick. Pennington attempts a Superman punch, but she is well short of the target as the two mostly stare at one another for the first minute of the fight. Pennington rushes in once more to land a right hand, but it is a glancing blow. As Pennington races forward once again, Holm times a right hand counter, but Pennington shrugs it off. Holm lands a few low kicks, and then blitzes forward with a two-punch combination that leads Pennington to respond with something similar. Holm clinches up and pushes Pennington against the fence, where she throws a few punches to the body but is more inclined to apply heavy pressure on the Colorado native. Herzog calls for the two to work, so Holm throws a slow but methodical series of punches to stay active. Holm tries to get some strikes off, and Pennington briefly reverses position, but Holm spins her back around as she lands a knee to the breadbasket. With seconds to go, Pennington changes levels and shoots in for a takedown, but Holm defends it with her back against the cage wall and a guillotine choke. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Holm
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Holm
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Holm

Round 2

The two think about touching gloves to kick off the second round, but as they opt not to do so, Holm lands a side kick to the knee. Pennington crashes forward to land strikes, but only manages to score a low kick. After both miss in an exchange, Holm initiates the clinch again, leaning Pennington heavily against the fence while working sporadic punches to the body. Holm gets a hand free and lands a few rights, while Pennington looks to get her back off the cage wall. The two trade knees to the torso, and the action has stalled fairly significantly, leading to an adverse crowd reaction. Pennington gains the briefest of advantages when she spins out, but Holm powers her back around. "Rocky" throws a few knees up the middle, and one that catches Holm hard forces the former champ to back away. Pennington throws a few looping punches, but Holm goes right back to the clinch, and the crowd is anything but amused. Holm controls the position and stays heavy, while they jockey for control, and a few more knees come from Pennington. One may have landed low, and Holm responds by tries to trip Pennington down, but Pennington stays upright and fires a few more knees. Holm again backs off, and this time Pennington chases after Holm to go after the clinch once more. Holm lands a side kick to the body, but Pennington grabs her and the round comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Holm
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Holm
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Holm

Round 3

Holm opens with a few crisp punches while Pennington comes in towards her, and lands a stern right hand that makes Holm reset. The former champ throws a front kick, and backs away to stay at kicking range, but Pennington clinches up for a moment before shoving her away. Holm counters Pennington's forward movement with a kick to the knee, and Pennington appears frustrated. "Rocky" lands a solid jab, leading Holm to throw a head kick back at her, which is partially blocked. Pennington inexplicably goes for a clinch, and the crowd lets her have it as Holm very quickly takes advantage of the position and puts Pennington against the wall. Holm breaks off this tie, and lands a right hand while Pennington looks for answers. Pennington paws out a left, and follows it with a looping right hand that Holm ducks, and the former champ nearly makes her pay with a swift head kick. Holm lands a few stiff punches, and Pennington throws back at her and hits her with a solid left. Pennington charges in and hits a takedown, but Holm springs right back up and the two clinch up. The crowd is only a few more clinch exchanges away from doing "The Wave" at this point, as they are not enamored with the lack of action in the clinch for the two. Herzog, having seen little action, breaks them up, and Holm thanks him but landing a solid combination on Pennington's chin. As Pennington fires back at her, Holm clinches up, and the crowd responds in kind. Pennington catches Holm on the end of a left hand, but we reach the 15-minute mark and this lackluster affair is now over.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Holm (30-27 Holm)
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Holm (30-27 Holm)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Holm (30-27 Holm)

The Official Result

Holly Holm def. Raquel Pennington via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone

Round 1

We have reached the welterweight headliner, as the first simultaneous two-division champ in company history in McGregor (21-4, 9-2 UFC) comes to blows with a man who holds a plethora of UFC records in "Cowboy" Cerrone (36-13, 1 NC; 23-10 UFC). These two have combined for 46 stoppages in their illustrious careers. Drawing the assignment for this marquee matchup is referee Herb Dean, the two men touch gloves, and it's on! McGregor leaps forward with a left hand immediately, and Cerrone clinches up quickly. A few shoulder strikes from McGregor bloody the nose up of Cerrone, and McGregor fires a fierce head kick that nails Cerrone; "Cowboy" is wobbled. Sensing he is hurt, McGregor charges forward and leaps in the air with a flying knee. Cerrone blocks it, but McGregor starts to swing with reckless abandon. Cerrone turtles up and falls over in pain, while "Notorious" rains down punches. Dean steps in to take a close look at the action, but Cerrone is unable to intelligently defend himself. McGregor is relentless, swarming "Cowboy" with punch after punch until Dean has to call the fight. The fight ending in under a minute, McGregor jumps on the top of the cage to celebrate. No post-fight shenanigans or antics ensue, and the two men embrace after the fight, and McGregor uses the opportunity on the microphone to celebrate his achievements and advertise his whiskey. Additionally, McGregor remarks that he would like to stay at welterweight and calls out every fighter in the division, not to mention Paul Felder in the commentary desk.

The Official Result

Conor McGregor def. Donald Cerrone R1 0:40 via TKO (Punches)