We'll be covering the main card of UFC 309 from Madison Square Garden with Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic in the main event. You can watch our preview above.
I'll be on Wrestling Observer Radio with Dave Meltzer and Paul Fontaine after the show.
We'll be back when the main card begins.
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James Llontop Vs. Mauricio Ruffy
Llontop's boxing isn't all that fluid, but it was effective in the first round. He utilized leg kicks and switched stances a few different times. He used his leg and body kicks like a jab. Ruffy was waiting for his opportunity and unleashed a right hand that landed flush on Llontop's chin. Ruffy got cute with the finish attempt and went with the highlight jumping kick finish which missed.
Ruffy dropped him with a no look uppercut to the body, but Llontop got back up after eating the body shot. Ruffy followed with a wheel kick and another huge right hand. He landed another big right that wobbled Llontop but he came back from it. Llontop is too tough for his own good.
Llontop was very active in the third round and Ruffy wasn't. Ruffy mostly played keep away while looking for that one big shot. Ruffy landed a left hook that he didn't sell out on, like a check hook. Llontop cliched and then landed a knee and then landed a right hand out of the exchange. Llontop definitely won the third round, but Ruffy won the first two.
Winner: Mauricio Ruffy
He won all three rounds 29-28.
Viviane Araujo Vs. Karine Silva
Araujo fought a terrific defensive fight for about four minutes and fifteen seconds until she got caught with two nasty punches. She was on her horse for most of the round, making the octagon look huge. Silva is aggressive and seemed to be slightly frustrated at Araujo's backpedaling.
Araujo's nose was bloody from a late strike by Silva which may have been after the bell in the first. Silva was also bloodied. Silva landed shots and then got the takedown, but was caught in an armbar. It looked dicey for Silva for a bit, but she escaped and ended up in side control. She set up a D'Arce which was snug, but Araujo transitioned out. Strong grappling round.
More grappling to start the third but both women are really tired. Araujo is fighting through the fatigue better and is the more active. Silva fell on her back a few times to try and bait Araujo to the ground, but more so she was just really tired. Araujo won the third round. Fight wasn't great.
Winner: Viviane Araujo
Pretty big upset there.
Paul Craig Vs. Bo Nickal
Craig is quite a bit taller than Nickal. Nickal kept trading stances to keep Craig off him. Nickal's striking is a bit quicker and sneakier. Nickal keeps trying to set up an overhand punch from the power side of whatever stance he's in. No takedown attempts yet.
Nickal is finding some space for the overhand right. He's not taking Craig down because Craig doesn't mind going to the ground. Strategically, the fight is understandable, but watching fighters who aren't great standup fighters stay on the feet isn't that fun to watch.
Nickal stayed patient even though he landed a very big shot that hurt Craig. But he didn't put himself in harms way at all and fought the round like he was already winning. The MSG crowd started changing that Nickal was overrated. Nickal was swinging wildly at the end.
Winner: Bo Nickal
All the cards had Nickal winning 30-27.
Michael Chandler Vs. Charles Oliveira
This is a five round fight. Early tests on the feet. Oliveira had an issue with his eye. Oliveria went for a takedown and had one of Chandler's legs in the air and when he went to trip the other leg, Chandler jumped and did a flip. Oliveira landed right on top of him, still holding the leg. They ended the round in a similar position.
Oliveira landed two shots that made Chandler move. Chandler tripped and went down and then he ran for cover. The exact same thing happened again except it was a knee and Chandler didn't trip. Chandler ate big punches and a big knee. He landed a couple shots of his own. Oliveira got the takedown and ended up on top in the mount. He used ground and pound and attempted to go higher on his chest to set up a submission, but Chandler was too close to the fence. Oliveira is up 2-0.
Oliveira had Chandler fighting defensively from the start. Punches, knees, and uppercuts had Chandler out of gas. Chandler swung wildly and fell. Oliveira got him down and got his back. He was patient and eventually sunk in a choke, but Chandler slipped out. Chandler survives.
Oliveira had him up against the cage again and was teeing off, though Chandler threw hopeful punches that landed and then Oliveira went back to the takedown. Oliveira got his back and was patient again in working for the choke, but Chandler fought it well and they ended up just like the last round.
Chandler went for broke and caught Oliveira with a right hand that hurt him. Oliveira was touching his eye. Oliveira went for a wild takedown and missed. Chandler slipped. Oliveira ended up on all fours and Chandler was hitting him on the side (but maybe the back) of the head to try and finish him. Chandler made a mistake and backed up toward the cage, which allowed Oliveira to shoot in and take him down again. Chandler got up with Oliveira on his back and fell backward. Then he did it again. Fight ended with them on the mat smiling.
Winner: Charles Oliveira
The scores were 49-46, 49-46, and 49-45.
Chandler called out Conor McGregor and said to get his house in order.
Stipe Miocic Vs. Jon Jones
Jones threw a straight left and ate a right hand coming back. Jones landed a hard kick to the body that woke up Miocic who chased him with punches. Jones tripped him down with a takedown and then an elbow from the top. He elbowed him a myriad of times and Miocic couldn't even attempt to get up. He did slide Jones out of the mount and into his guard which made the elbows much harder to through. Might've saved the fight for him. Jones transitioned into side control. Miocic has a cut underneath his right eye.
Miocic is a battered fighter in round two, but Jones is being patient knowing that he's eventually going to outlast him. Miocic winced from a kick to the midsection. Jones missed a haymaker left hand as it partially hit Miocic's shoulder. No steam on Miocic's punches.
Jones landed a perfect one-two that had Miocic reeling backward. Jones tried to go for the kill but ate a counter right that more slowed him than stopped him. Jones it outlanding him 3-1. Jones threw a spinning back kick that crumbled Miocic's ribs and it was all over.
Winner: Jon Jones
