mobanmarketThe Octagon is back inside Las Vegas' UFC Apex this weekend with UFC on ESPN 46, kicking off a busy summer stretch which will see events every Saturday through August as of now.
Kai Kara-France vs. Amir Albazi headlines in a five-round clash of top ten flyweights — the first non-title flyweight bout to headline a UFC card since 2017. Kara-France is fighting for the first time since July as he looks to get back into the win column after suffering a loss to Brendan Moreno in an interim title fight. Albazi looks to remain undefeated in the UFC and extend his five-fight win streak.
Also on the main card is a featherweight clash between Alex Caceres and Daniel Pineda, a lightweight bout that sees Jim Miller add to his all-timer record of most UFC fights when he takes on newcomer Jesse Butler, a flyweight battle between Tim Elliott and Victor Altamirano, as well as a welterweight bout pitting Abubakar Nurmagomedov against Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos.
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> Light Heavyweights- Philipe Lins (16-5, 2-2 UFC) vs. Maxim Grishin (32-9-2, 2-2 UFC)
Lins throwing the left hand and calf kick right away. Lins lands a left hand and they clinch back to the fence. They separate. Grishin lands a leg kick. Lins lands before they tie up and push to the fence. Grishin with a few foot stomps. They reverse position and Lins lands an uppercut. Lins is dropping down and looking for a takedown. They break and Lins lands a leg kick. They trade inside the pocket. They clinch back up against the fence. Lins backs away and lands some big punches including a big uppercut that stunned Grishin. Grishin lands a body kick. Grishin lands a spinning elbow and Lins lands some big shots at the end. 10-9 Lins.
They're trading big shots to start the second. They're clinched against the fence and Lins tries for a takedown but Grishin defends and is attacking the arm for a kimura. Lins gets them down to their knees. They get up and Grishin lands a big elbow as they separate. They both land big right hands. Grishin lands a body kick. Lins tries a takedown but they break and clinch once again at the fence. Lins lands a knee and Grishin lands more foot stomps. Lins lands a right hand as they break. Lins lands a body kick. 10-9 Lins, 20-18 Lins.
They trade to start the third and Grishin lands some leg kicks. Lins lands a big punch. Grishin lands an elbow as they're in close range and they tie up. They're leaning on each other and not a lot is happening. They break and Lins lands some big punches before they clinch back up. They separate. They clinch back up as Lins is attacking the leg. They end the fight there. 10-9 Lins, 30-27 Lins.
Official Result- Philipe Lins def. Maxim Grishin by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
> Bantamweights- Da'Mon Blackshear (12-5-1, 0-1-1 UFC) vs. Luan Lacerda (12-2, 0-1 UFC)
They're trading to start before tying up against the fence. They sprawl to the ground as Lacerda is attacking the leg. They get to their feet and Blackshear lands a flurry. They trade right hands. Blackshear landing a lot more as they're on the feet. They go to the mat late. 10-9 Blackshear.
Blackshear landing several punches to start the second. They trade kicks. They're trading in close range. Lacerda tries a takedown but Blackshear ends up on top. Lacerda attacking the leg and looking for a foot lock. Blackshear landing big punches from the back and he keeps landing and it is stopped. Big finish from Blackshear.
Official Result- Da'Mon Blackshear def. Luan Lacerda by TKO (punches) at 3:54 of Round 2
> Women's Strawweights- Elise Reed (6-3, 2-3 UFC) vs. Jinh Yu Frey (11-8, 2-4 UFC)
They tie up early and push against the fence. Frey gets a takedown and is landing from the top in the half-guard. They get to their feet. They trade and Frey gets a brief takedown. Frey lands a left hand. Frey lands a left hand. They trade punches late as Frey lands some leg kicks. 10-9 Frey.
Reed lands some leg kicks early. Reed lands a right hand. Frey lands a leg kick and follows it with a combo. Frey grabs the single leg and finishes the takedown. Frey working from the top but Reed is staying active on the bottom landing some punches and elbows. They get to their feet and Reed lands a body kick. They clinch and Frey lands a left hand as they break. 10-9 Reed, 19-19.
They're trading to start the third. Frey pushes it against the fence but they separate. Reed lands a leg kick after Frey lands a combo. They trade before clinching against the fence, but they quickly break. They trade high kicks. Frey lands a right hand. Reed lands a right hand. Reed lands a quick combo. Frey looks for a takedown but Reed defends. Reed lands a right hand. Close fight. 10-9 Reed, 29-28 Reed.
Official Result- Elise Reed def. Jinh Yu Frey by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Lightweights- Jamie Mullarkey (16-5, 4-3 UFC) vs. Muhammad Naimov (8-2, 0-0 UFC)
They trade leg kicks. Mullarkey lands a left hook to the body and follows it with a body kick. They clinch and Mullarkey gets the back against the fence. They separate. Naimov lands a leg kick and Mullarkey gets it down briefly but they get right up. Mullarkey lands a right hand. They're tied up and Mullarkey is landing while trying to get it down. Mullarkey lands some right hands after they break. Naimov lands a front kick. Mullarkey gets a brief takedown but Naimov is able to scramble up. They separate and both land. Mullarkey lands to the body before they clinch. They trade knees and Mullarkey lands as they break. 10-9 Mullarkey.
Mullarkey lands a right hand. Naimov lands a leg kick as Mullarkey lands the jab. Mullarkey lands a nice right hand. Naimov lands a leg kick and Mullarkey gets the clinch and scores a takedown against the fence. They get to their feet and Naimov lands a spin kick. Naimov then drops Mullarkey with a right hand and finishes it off with some follow-up shots. Big debut win for Naimov.
Official Result- Muhammad Naimov def. Jamie Mullarkey by TKO (punches) at 2:59 of Round 2
> Bantamweights- John Castaneda (19-6, 2-2 UFC) vs. Muin Gafurov (18-4, 0-0 UFC)
Castaneda lands a body kick after they both miss punches. Gafurov looks for the takedown but Castaneda is defending. Castaneda lands a leg kick. Castaneda lands a body kick but Gafurov grabs it, though they separate. Gafurov lands a leg kick. Castaneda lands a head kick and then a right hand and Gafurov goes to the mat. Castaneda gets on top and is landing to the body. They get to their feet and Gafurov gets it down but they scramble up and separate. 10-9 Castaneda.
They trade body kicks. Gafurov lands a high kick. They trade left hands. Gafurov lands a leg kick that trips Castaneda up. They get to their feet and Gafurov is landing a lot of big punches and has Castaneda hurt. Castaneda then starts firing back and lands some good shots. Timeout is called after a clash of heads. Gafurov gets a point taken away as he was leading with his head, which caused the clash of heads. They get back to action and both are throwing. Castaneda lands a head kick. Gafurov gets a brief takedown and has the back as they get to their feet. Gafurov with some knees and foot stomps. Castaneda rolls but Gafurov is able to grab the neck. They get to their feet. Gafurov lands a couple of big punches. They trade left hands but Castaneda's landed harder. Castaneda gets the back standing. 9-9, 19-18 Castaneda.
Gafurov lands a right hand. Gafurov lands as he rushes in and looks for the takedown. Castaneda lands a knee then a right hand. Both are swinging wildly and missing more than they land. Castaneda gets it down and is working from the top. Gafurov gives up his back and they get to their feet. Castaneda has his hands locked with control. Castaneda gets the back standing. Gafurov grabbed the fence to block a takedown, but Castaneda is able to end up getting one. Castaneda has the back and looks for a choke late. 10-9 Castaneda, 29-27 Castaneda.
Official Result- John Castaneda def. Muin Gafurov by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
> Heavyweights- Andrei Arlovski (34-21 2 NC, 23-15 1 NC UFC) vs. Don'Tale Mayes (9-5 1 NC, 2-3 1 NC UFC)
Mayes lands first. Arlovski lands a right hand after ducking under a Mayes punch. Arlovski lands a leg kick after landing a couple of punches. Arlovski landing with slightly more volume but not a ton of action going on. Arlovski lands two right hands. Mayes tries a big knee but misses and Arlovski lands some punches. Mayes tried a takedown but Arlovski got away. Mayes lands an elbow and a left hand. 10-9 Arlovski.
Mayes lands a leg kick. Mayes lands a knee and then a punch and we have a timeout for a clash of heads. They get back to action and Arlovski lands a body kick. Mayes lands a short uppercut and Arlovski eats it and lands a right hand at the same time. Arlovski lands a right hand. Mayes drops Arlovski with a right hand and it is stopped. Big finish from Mayes there.
Official Result- Don'Tale Mayes def. Andrei Arlovski by TKO (punches) at 3:17 of Round 2
> Bantamweights- Daniel Santos (10-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Johnny Munoz (12-2, 2-2 UFC)
Santos lands an immediate kick to the groin of Munoz and we have a timeout. They get back to action and trade before clinching against the fence. Munoz pulls guard and has the body triangle locked in from the bottom. Munoz gets the arm and is looking for an armbar but Santos is able to escape to his feet. Santos lands as Munoz lands a step-in knee. Santos with a spin kick to the body then a leg kick. We have another timeout for a groin strike, this time by Munoz. They get back to action and Santos lands a body kick. Munoz lands a knee to the body then they break. Santos gets a brief takedown and they get to their feet. They scramble to the mat and Santos gets on top as he lands a right hand. 10-9 Santos.
Santos lands a leg kick then a body kick then a left hook before they clinch up. Santos gets on top as Munoz pulls guard and is landing from inside the guard of Munoz. Santos continues to land from the top then stands and lands some leg kicks. Santos gets back into the guard of Munoz. Santos with a flurry of punches. Santos with body punches. He stands and Munoz remains on his back. Munoz is ordered up and tries for a takedown but Santos defends. They go back to the mat and Santos ends the round on top. 10-9 Santos, 20-18 Santos.
We have an immediate groin strike by Santos and another timeout. Santos gets a point taken away. They get back to action and Santos lands a head kick and gets a big takedown as he just threw Munoz to the ground. Santos works from the top and gets to the feet and lands leg kicks. Munoz stands and Santos is being flashy. Munoz jumps up for a standing guillotine. Santos gets out of it and gets Munoz to the mat. Santos is working inside the guard of Munoz and landing punches. Santos stands and Munoz is ordered up. Munoz gets a takedown and is inside the guard of Santos. Santos lands an upkick that allows him to reverse position. Santos stands and lands some leg kicks. 9-9, 29-27 Santos.
Official Result- Daniel Santos def. Johnny Munoz by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
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> Welterweights- Abubakar Nurmagomedov (17-3-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (23-7, 9-3 UFC)
Nurmagomedov rocks Zaleski early with a combo and Zaleski was covering up. They trade knees in the clinch. They trade knees once again as both are battling for position against the fence. Zaleski lands some punches as Nurmagomedov drops down looking for the takedown. They are separated by Dan Miragliotta. Zaleski lands a couple of leg kicks. He lands a right hand then a body kick. Zaleski with a high kick followed by a right hand. They both land in close range. 10-9 Nurmagomedov.
They're trading to start the second and Zaleski lands an uppercut. Zaleski lands a leg kick. Nurmagomedov rushes in and grabs the back of Zaleski against the fence. Nurmagomedov landing knees from the back. They break and Zaleski lands some leg kicks and a couple of right hands. Nurmagomedov gets a late takedown. 10-9 Zaleski, 19-19.
Zaleski lands a body kick and then trips Nurmagomedov up with a leg kick. Zaleski lands a couple of heavy leg kicks then a right hand. Nurmagomedov lands a leg kick but Zaleski fires back with a couple of leg kicks. They clinch and Nurmagomedov pushes it against the fence. They quickly break. Nurmagomedov lands a side kick. Nurmagomedov shoots for a takedown and they were tied up in the center and break, and Zaleski lands a right hand. Zaleski lands a big right hand. Nurmagomedov gets the back after a failed takedown attempt. They break as Zaleski defends. Zaleski lands a big body kick then some follow-up punches. Nurmagomedov shoots for a takedown but Zaleski sprawls. Nurmagomedov has the back as they're on the feet but Zaleski defends and they're tied up against the fence. Zaleski lands a late flurry. Close fight. 10-9 Zaleski, 29-28 Zaleski dos Santos.
Official Result- Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos def. Abubakar Nurmagomedov by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
> Women's Flyweights- Karine Silva (15-4, 1-0 UFC) vs. Ketlen Souza (13-3, 0-0 UFC)
Silva rushes in and they clinch against the fence. Silva scores the takedown. Silva working from the top and lands an elbow. Silva with a big right hand from the top. Silva grabs the leg and locks in an ankle lock and Souza quickly taps! It was a kneebar and Souza's knee popped out of place, what a brutal finish by Silva.
Official Result- Karine Silva def. Ketlen Souza by submission (kneebar) at 1:45 of Round 1
> Flyweights- #11 Tim Elliott (18-12-1, 7-10 UFC) vs. Victor Altamirano (12-2, 2-1 UFC)
Altamirano throws some high kicks right away. Elliott gets it down and is in the half-guard of Altamirano. Both landing punches on the mat. They both land more before getting to the feet. Altamirano lands a kick but Elliott catches it and gets it back down. Elliott working from the top. Elliott lands an elbow from the top. Elliott landing punches from the top as Altamirano is looking for a submission from the bottom. Elliott landing from the top as the round ends. 10-9 Elliott.
They scramble and go to the mat and Elliott ends up on top. Elliott landing punches from the top and Altamirano has no answer. They get to their feet and Altamirano lands a big head kick that rocks Elliott. They go back to the mat and Altamirano is now on top. Elliott being active on his back but Altamirano lands a couple of elbows. They scramble to their feet. Elliott lands a left hand. They scramble back to the mat and Elliott is in the guard and landing from the top. Wild rounds. 10-9 Elliott, 20-18 Elliott.
Elliott coming forward with his front leg pushed out and is landing. They trade punches and Elliott scores a takedown. Elliott landing punches from the top as he remains active inside the guard of Altamirano. Altamirano is also keeping busy from the bottom but not scoring a lot of offense. Elliott lands a knee that may have been illegal as they were getting up, and they separate. Altamirano lands a combo. Altamirano lands a combo and a leg kick but Elliott is able to score a takedown. Elliott working from the top and landing a lot of punches as the fight ends. 10-9 Elliott, 30-27 Elliott.
Official Result- Tim Elliott def. Victor Altamirano by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
> Lightweights- Jim Miller (35-17 1 NC, 24-16 1 NC UFC) vs. Jesse Butler (12-4, 0-0 UFC)
Butler comes forward and lands a body kick. Miller throwing big punches and lands a massive left hand that knocks Butler out cold. What a finish by the UFC's all-time wins leader.
Official Result- Jim Miller def. Jesse Butler by knockout (punch) at :23 of Round 1
> Featherweights- #15 Alex Caceres (20-13 1 NC, 15-11 1 NC UFC) vs. Daniel Pineda (28-14 3 NC, 5-5 1 NC UFC)
Pineda lands some leg kicks. Pineda tries for a takedown but Caceres grabs the neck and ends up in the half-guard of Pineda. They get to their feet. Pineda with a heavy leg kick. Pineda tries a takedown but Caceres steps over and takes the back. They go to the ground and Caceres has the mount for a moment but Pineda gets out. They get to their feet. Pineda shoots for the single leg but Caceres is defending. They go back to the mat and Caceres is on top. Pineda scrambles and locks in an armbar but Caceres is able to escape. Caceres gets to his feet. Pineda with a leg kick. Caceres lands a right hand to the body and they clinch against the fence. Caceres lands an elbow as they break. Caceres rocks Pineda with a left hand. They scramble to the mat at the end. Crazy round. 10-9 Caceres.
Pineda lands a big right hand and both land some big punches. Pineda scores a takedown but they get up. Pineda has the back of Caceres. Pineda reverses and they battle for underhooks against the fence. Pineda lands a big elbow then a right hand. Caceres lands a combo as they break. They scramble to the mat and Pineda is in side control. Caceres tries for a triangle choke but Pineda remains in side control. Pineda has the back and gets the hooks locked in. Pineda now has the mount position. He lands a couple of elbows. Pineda ends up in the guard of Caceres and lands a big elbow. 10-9 Pineda, 19-19.
Caceres lands a body kick and Pineda is holding his ribs. Caceres lands a leg kick and Pineda is having trouble staying on the feet. Caceres with some big punches to the body and Pineda is clearly hurt. Pineda still pressing forward. Caceres with a big body kick. Pineda lands a body kick. Caceres landing big shots and Pineda is still hurting but keeps coming forward. Caceres lands a left hand. They roll to the mat and Caceres has the back. Caceres gets the hooks locked in. They get to their feet. Caceres lands to the body. Pineda drops Caceres with a right hand but Caceres gets right up and the fight ends. Great fight. 10-9 Caceres, 29-28 Caceres.
Official Result- Alex Caceres def. Daniel Pineda by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Flyweights- #3 Kai Kara-France (24-10 1 NC, 7-3 UFC) vs. #7 Amir Albazi (16-1, 4-0 UFC)
Albazi lands a left hand. Kara-France lands a right hand. Albazi lands a right hand and goes for the takedown. They break and Albazi lands a combo. Kara-France lands a leg kick. Albazi lands a leg kick. Kara-France lands a right hand. Kara-France landing the jab. Kara-France lands a combo. Kara-France lands a left hook. Albazi scores with a right hand as Kara-France landed the left. Kara-France lands a right hand. 10-9 Kara-France.
Kara-France lands a leg kick. Albazi lands a right hand. Both throwing but neither really lands. Kara-France lands a combo. Albazi scores with a jab. Kara-France lands a leg kick. Albazi shoots for the takedown but Kara-France is defending against the fence, and they break. Kara-France lands a leg kick. Albazi lands a jab. Kara-France lands a right hand. Albazi lands a left hand. Kara-France landing a combination. Albazi lands a left hand. Kara-France lands a left hook. They trade shots at the end. 10-9 Kara-France, 20-18 Kara-France.
Kara-France lands a leg kick. Albazi gets a takedown off the fence. Albazi working from the top and landing right hands as he takes the back. Albazi has the hooks in and is landing from the back. Kara-France lands some backward punches but Albazi has full control. Albazi has the choke locked in but it's not quite fully in and Kara-France is able to escape. Kara-France stands and Albazi is on his back in the backpack. Kara-France gets him down and is in the guard of Albazi. Kara-France lands an elbow. Kara-France lands some big shots at the end. 10-9 Albazi, 29-28 Kara-France.
Kara-France lands a leg kick. Kara-France with a high kick. Albazi lands a right hand. Kara-France lands a leg kick. Kara-France with a body kick as Albazi lands a right hand. Albazi lands a body kick. Albazi shoots for the takedown and briefly had it down but Kara-France scrambles up and they separate. Kara-France lands a combo. Albazi lands a leg kick but Kara-France is able to get it down. They scramble to their feet and separate. 10-9 Kara-France, 39-37 Kara-France.
Kara-France landing the jab early on. Albazi lands a leg kick. Kara-France lands a right hand. Albazi grabs the back and gets it down for a brief moment. Albazi has back control but lets go. Kara-France lands a combo. Kara-France landing with more volume but Albazi lands an uppercut and then a right hand. They trade in close range. Kara-France lands a big combo. Kara-France with a big flurry at the end. Good fight. 10-9 Kara-France, 49-46 Kara-France.
Official Result- Amir Albazi def. Kai Kara-France by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)
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