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The latest Fight Night event of the UFC came from Norfolk and it was headlined by a vacant Flyweight Championship fight between long-time contender Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo.
The show, however, was marred by the unfortunate news of Figueiredo missing weight, which made him ineligible to capture the title even if he won in the main event. A win for him would have meant that the title still stayed vacant and it was all down to Benavidez to save the Flyweight division from being potentially scrapped.
Despite the controversy surrounding the main event, the rest of the card featured some exciting bouts and at the end of the day, the event managed to live up to its billing as it included some eye-catching finishes.
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Every fight on the main card ended in a finish and that's always great for the fans. On that note, let's take a look at the results and highlights of the show:
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UFC Fight Night 169 Results: Prelims
Kyler Phillips def. Gabriel Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Brendan Allen def. Tom Breese via TKO (punches and elbows) (4:47, Round 1)
Marcin Tybura def. Serghei Spivac via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Luis Pena def. Steve Garcia via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
T.J. Brown def. Jordan Griffin via technical submission (guillotine choke) (3:38, Round 2)
Spike Carlyle def. Aalon Cruz via TKO (elbows and punches) (1:25, Round 1)
Sean Brady def. Ismail Naurdiev via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
UFC Fight Night 169 Results: Main Card
#1. Grant Dawson vs. Darrick Minner (Featherweight)
35-fight veteran Darrick Minner made his UFC debut tonight against talented Featherweight prospect Grant Dawson in the main card opener.
Dawson had just one professional loss on his resume and he looked to build on his impressive record in his third Octagon appearance tonight. And that's exactly what he did with a second-round finish against the UFC newcomer.
The first round saw both men exchanging strong positions on the mat and it all started with Minner firing off low kicks to begin the fight. Dawson's jumping knee failed and saw him get stuck in a guillotine. Dawson, however, managed to land a takedown in response to Minner's early takedown. Minner enjoyed top position for a while before ending up on his back. Dawson took the half guard position with a couple of minutes left to go in the round.
Dawson passed to side control before going to full mount. He landed shots to Minner's head before locking in the RNC, however, he didn't have time to get the finish.
The second round began with Dawson pushing forward and scoring a swift takedown. He got the low mount against the fence and effortlessly transitioned to the RNC. He got in the under hooks, squeezed hard and forced the tap out of Minner. Clinical.
Result: Grant Dawson def. Darrick Minner via submission (rear-naked choke) (1:38, Round 2)
Darrick Minner's UFC debut didn't end as he would have intended as Dawson continued his undefeated streak in the UFC with another solid performance.
#2. Megan Anderson vs. Norma Dumont (Women's Featherweight)
The undefeated Norma Dumont came into the UFC amid much fanfare and the Brazilian wasn't going to have it easy in her first Octagon appearance as she took on the popular Megan Anderson.
Anderson last fought in October last year and beat Zarah Fairn dos Santos with a first-round submission. She extended her streak to two wins tonight by handing Dumont her first professional MMA loss, and she did so with another first-round finish, however, only this time, Megan let her hands do the talking.
Dumont was the one who pressed forward but Megan was up to the task and they both exchanged punches. Dumont kept up the pressure with a double underhook takedown attempt but Anderson used her large frame and balance to stay on her feet.
They scrambled as both fighters looked for dominant positions on the mat with three minutes left on the clock in the first round. They got in a clinch with Anderson's back against the cage but she broke away with an elbow.
The Australian fighter then landed a perfect right cross that sent Dumont down to the mat. That's all she wrote!
Result: Megan Anderson def. Norma Dumont via KO (Right Cross) (3:31, Round 1)
That was certainly not the welcoming party that Dumont was expecting. Anderson did what she was supposed to do. The Aussie weathered the early pressure and capitalized on the opening to take her opponent out with one killer strike. MMA at its finest.
#3. Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba (Light Heavyweight)
A Light Heavyweight clash between Magomed Ankalaev and Ion Cutelaba followed the Women's Featherweight fight.
After losing in his UFC debut against Paul Craig in March 2018, Russian LHW Magomed Ankalaev went on to win his next three fights inside the Octagon. Ion 'The Hulk' Cutelaba was coming off a win against Khalil Rountree Jr. and he desperately needed a win to maintain a consistent streak, which is a necessity to rise up in the rankings. Sadly for the Hulk, he failed to achieve the required objective.
Cutelaba took the fight to his Russian opponent in the early stages of the round as he attacked with kicks. Ankalaev was calm and he answered with a two-piece combination followed by a head kick. Cutelaba felt the kick and Ankalaev knew that a finish was just around the corner if he pressed hard enough.
The Russian unleashed a barrage of big punches mixed in with head kicks and a rocked Cutelaba tried to mount a response but the referee was having none of it.
Result: Magomed Ankalaev def. Ion Cutelaba via TKO (punches and head kicks) (00:38, Round 1)
Magomed's win extended his streak to four on the trot and he looks like a future title contender in the making.
#4. Zarah Fairn dos Santos vs. Felicia Spencer (Women's Featherweight)
Zarah 'Infinite' Fairn dos Santos was badly in need of a win as she was convincingly beaten by Megan Anderson in her last UFC outing.
Felicia Spencer was in the same boat as she suffered a defeat to Cyborg in her last fight. The outcome of the co-main event of the evening would have major implications on the Women's Featherweight title picture and it was all about making a good impression.
Spencer managed to do so in a destructive fashion.
Felicia used her kicks to begin the fight with Fairn looking to counter. Fairn got her range in place with the jabs as Spencer was looking to connect with strikes of a more diverse nature.
Spencer managed to get in a head kick and despite absorbing a few incoming right-hand strikes, she pushed Fairn against the cage. 'FeeNom' used her strength to take dos Santos down to the mat.
Fairn conceded the mount and it was all that Spencer needed as the Florida native took the high mount and unloaded with elbows and strikes. She briefly took the back before going back to the mount. The elbows and hammer fists rained down on Fairn until the referee stepped in to put her out of her misery.
Result: Felicia Spencer def. Zarah Fairn dos Santos via TKO (3:37, Round 1)
Pure dominance. That's all that we can say about Felicia Spencer's 8th professional win. As for Zarah, it's back to the drawing board for the French fighter.
#5. Joseph Benavidez vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (UFC Flyweight Championship)
Deiveson Figueiredo accepted the 30% pay cut rather than take the extra hour to lose weight during the weigh-ins. The weight-cut fiasco may have destroyed the anticipation for the Championship main event, however, it didn't weaken Benavidez's desire to win the elusive gold.
The main event got underway and the flyweights tried to keep each other guessing by switching stances to begin the fight. Deiveson landed an early takedown after he caught Benavidez's kick, however, Joesph tried to fight back only to find himself caught in a tricky armbar.
An epic scramble ended with Benavidez landing a right-hand strike on the break. Benavidez started to get into the groove as he put together combinations and mounted the pressure on Figueiredo with a flurry of strikes.
Benavidez shot for a takedown but Figueiredo stuffed it. They engaged in a back-and-forth stand-up exchange for the remainder of the round and in the end, Benavidez was up on the scorecards.
The second round began with Benavidez's low kicks. He went on to get the better of his opponent with a flurry of strikes and combinations, however, Figueiredo turned it around by stunning Benavidez with a massive right.
Benavidez crashed into the mat and Deiveson applied the finishing touches with the hammer fists.
Result: Deiveson Figueiredo def. Joseph Benavidez via KO (punches) (1:54, Round 2)
Figueiredo may have won but the future of the Flyweight division is in uncertain territory as the title remains vacant. What happens next? Will Benavidez get another crack at the Brazilian despite the crushing knockout loss? Will the UFC pull the plug on the division? Will Figueiredo get another chance to right his wrongs?
