Welcome fight fans to Inside Fights’ live coverage of UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Nelson from du Arena in Abu Dhabi. The event is headlined by a five-round heavyweight bout as former PRIDE and UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minotuaro’ Nogueira takes on “The Ultimate Fighter” winner Roy ‘Big Country’ Nelson. I’m Ryan Frederick and I’ll be handling the coverage of the event. The entire event will be airing on UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s digital online network on this Friday afternoon. The action kicks off at 12:15 PM eastern time.
Check me out on Twitter for more coverage of the event, so strap yourselves in, and as always, enjoy the fights.
NOTE: A scheduled middleweight bout between Chris Camozzi and Andrew Craig was scratched from the card prior to weigh-ins. Craig is suffering from tonsillitis and was ruled out of the fight and both men will be paid their “show” purses as first reported by MMAJunkie.
Rani Yahya (19-8, 4-2 UFC) vs. Johnny Bedford (19-10-1, 2-1 UFC)
Referee: Neal Hall
ROUND 1- Time for the action to get underway with the opening bout of the card. Both men are looking to rebound from losses in their last fights. Yahya is moving back down to 135 pounds and Bedford has been out of action for a little under a year. Yahya is the betting favorite for this fight. Neal Hall is the referee. Bedford quickly takes the center of the Octagon with pressure. Yahya circling with a cautious approach. Yahya shoots for a takedown but it is defended easily. They trade and Bedford drops Yahya with a big right hand and this one is over! Replay shows a clash of heads dropped Yahya and Bedford finished it off with a punch as Yahya was stunned. However, this fight was declared a no contest due to the clash of heads.
Official Result: Rani Yahya vs. Johnny Bedford ruled a no contest due to accidential headbutt at :39 of Round 1
Alan Omer (18-3, 0-0 UFC) vs. Jim Alers (12-1, 0-0 UFC)
Referee: Marc Goddard
ROUND 1- Both men are making their UFC debuts on this card. Alers is a former Cage Warriors champion and has won eight straight fights. Omer has won four straight fights and fights for the second time in 2014 after being out of action for over two years. Alers is the betting favorite. Marc Goddard is the referee. They touch gloves and both men looking to land the right hand. Alers starts with a right hand but Omer comes back with a quick combo. Omer goes for a spin kick but Alers clinches up and puts Omer against the fence. They break away. Alers with a leg kick. Alers with a quick combo and Omer fires back a combo ending with a big leg kick. Alers with a body punch but Omer comes back with another combination. Alers just misses a front kick to the face. Alers with a combo and Omer counters with an overhand right. Omer with a leg kick. Alers with a one-two combo. Alers and Omer exchange leg kicks. They clinch and Alers lands a big knee. They trade an exchange. Omer with a big combo. Alers with a sprawl on a takedown attempt from Omer. Alers with a leg kick. Omer with a leg kick and Alers just misses a spinning back fist. Omer with a flurry and Alers initiates a clinch against the fence. Alers with a knee to the leg of Omer. Omer switches and lands a knee to the body. Alers with a knee to Omer’s head and then some to his legs. Goddard warns them to improve position. Omer with some big knees to the body. They break and Alers lands a knee. They trade punches. Omer with a nice combo and then lands a big uppercut that hurts Alers. Alers misses a flying knee to end the round. Close and fun round. 10-9 Omer.
ROUND 2- They come out throwing and Omer clips Alers and drops him. Alers grabs the legs and gets a takedown but they scramble and Omer reverses position with a sweep and lands some big hammerfists from the top. Omer in control on the ground as he is in half-guard. Omer postures up and lands big punches as Alers gets to his feet. They trade punches and Omer lands a big uppercut. Omer with a right hand. Alers is surviving a big onslaught. Omer with a spin kick and then is dropped by a right hand from Alers. Alers jumps into Omer’s guard and is landing punches from the top. Omer is breathing heavy. Omer is looking to wrap his legs around but Alers lands punches and elbows to the body. Goddard warns them to continue working. Alers gets to his feet and looks to land right hands. He lands one as he goes back into Omer’s guard. Omer with some elbows from the bottom but Alers returns with right hands from the top. Alers with some body punches. Omer scrambles to his feet and has a body lock. They are tied up against the fence. Omer with a big knee and Alers reverses position against the fence. They battle for underhooks but are broken up by Goddard. Omer with a big uppercut. The round ends. Another fun one. 10-9 Alers, 19-19.
ROUND 3- This round could decide the fight. Omer comes out with two leg kicks. Alers needs to check those. Alers looks for the takedown and gets it against the fence and is on top in the guard of Omer. Goddard warns Omer to keep his toes out of the fence. Alers with some punches from the top. Someone is bleeding and it may actually be Alers. Alers with some big right hands to the body as Omer is defending. Alers passes the guard into half-guard. Omer gets to his feet and Alers lands some knees. Omer looks for the takedown but is unable to secure it as he pushes Alers against the fence. Alers with some elbows against the fence. Omer is the one who is bleeding. Omer with some knees. Both men starting to look tired. Goddard tells them to stay working. Both land knees and Alers drops for a takedown and gets it as Omer lands an elbow. Omer breathing heavily. Alers pulls Omer down fully on the mat and is in his guard. Omer is active off of his back. Alers with some body punches from the top. Alers looks to posture up but Omer lands a couple of hammerfists from the bottom. Alers postures and lands a big right hand. Alers with more punches to the body. They are stood up by Marc Goddard with thirty seconds left. Omer with a leg kick and then a spinning kick. Omer is coming on strong and backs Alers up. Omer with a right hand and gets a takedown right at the end of the fight but it may not be enough. This is a close fight as we go to the cards. 10-9 Alers, 29-28 Alers.
Official Result: Jim Alers def. Alan Omer by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Thales Leites (22-4, 7-3 UFC) vs. Trevor Smith (11-4, 1-1 UFC)
Referee: Neal Hall
ROUND 1- We move to a middleweight bout now. Leites is a former title challenger looking to extend a five-fight win streak. Smith is looking for back-to-back wins as he enters the Octagon for the third time. Leites is the big favorite with the bettors. Neal Hall is the third man inside the Octagon. Smith with a leg kick to start. Smith misses a body punch. Smith with a leg kick. Smith with a right hand and Leites lands two right hands and drops Smith. Leites fires off a ton of punches and Smith is in trouble. It is over! Leites has finished Smith with strikes, his first knockout win in almost nine years.
Official Result: Thales Leites def. Trevor Smith by TKO (punches) at :45 of Round 1
Jared Rosholt (9-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Daniel Omielanczuk (16-3-1 (1), 1-0 UFC)
Referee: Marc Goddard
ROUND 1- We close out the prelims with a heavyweight bout featuring two guys looking for their second win in the UFC. Rosholt is the favorite with the oddsmakers in this one. Marc Goddard is the referee. They touch gloves to start. Rosholt with a big left hook to start and Omielanczuk lands a leg kick. Rosholt with a big straight right hand. Omielanczuk with a leg kick. Rosholt with a quick combo and he shoots for the takedown and gets the fight to the mat. Rosholt with some soft body punches as Omielanczuk has his neck. Omielanczuk is trying to get a choke locked in but Rosholt is landing body punches. Rosholt gets his head out as he continues to land body punches. Rosholt is in half-guard. Rosholt lands a big elbow from the top. Omielanczuk is stuck on the bottom and can’t escape. Rosholt with some big right hands from the top and Omielanczuk is in big trouble. Rosholt slows his attack. Omielanczuk rolls to his side and gives up his back. Rosholt lands some more big punches and the round comes to an end. Slow round. 10-9 Rosholt.
ROUND 2- Omielanczuk comes out with a front kick. Rosholt quickly looks to get this fight to the mat but Omielanczuk defends it well. Omielanczuk with a leg kick and Rosholt goes for another takedown and gets it. Rosholt with a knee to the body as he is in side control. Rosholt with another knee to the body. Rosholt moves into the half-guard. They are warned by the referee to keep working. Rosholt is really controlling Omielanczuk on the mat. Rosholt with a big elbow. Rosholt with some right hands. Omielanczuk has no answer from his back as he eats a knee to his body. Rosholt with another big knee to the body from the top. Rosholt with two big elbows that hurt Omielanczuk. They are warned to stay busy again. Rosholt transitions to side control. Omielanczuk uses the cage to spin out but gives up his back and Rosholt lands a huge knee to the body. Rosholt with more knees to the body. They get to their feet. Rosholt with a right hand and then lands a knee right to Omielanczuk’s face. Omielanczuk lands a big left hook and then stuns Rosholt with a right hand. They clinch and Omielanczuk pulls guard for some reasons and now Rosholt is on top. Rosholt with some more punches from the top and Omielanczuk lands an elbow to end the round. 10-9 Rosholt, 20-18 Rosholt.
ROUND 3- Omielanczuk surely needs a finish in this round as Rosholt has been in control for ten minutes. Omielanczuk with a big knee but Rosholt clinches and they go to the ground. Rosholt easily passes into half-guard. Both are tired but Omielanczuk is very tired. It is hot in the Octagon with this being an outdoor set-up. Rosholt gets mount and Omielanczuk rolls to his back and Rosholt grabs a hold. Rosholt with a knee to the body and then another as he moves Omielanczuk back to on his back. Omielanczuk flattens out on his back and Rosholt is landing punches and elbows from the top. Omielanczuk gives up his back again. Omielanczuk is doing next to nothing as Rosholt is mauling him from the top. The crowd is booing this fight. Rosholt with more ground-and-pound and Omielanczuk is just rolling around trying to survive and not fall/go asleep. Rosholt gets into side control and just landing short punches and elbows. He will ride this fight out the final 75 seconds. More shots to the body. The crowd is booing and Rosholt grabs the neck. 30 seconds left but Rosholt is not doing much to score the finish. Omielanczuk lands some punches from the bottom as Rosholt is in north-south position. This fight is over and thank goodness. It was not fun. 10-9 Rosholt, 30-27 Rosholt.
Official Result: Jared Rosholt def. Daniel Omielanczuk by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Ramsey Nijem (8-4, 4-3 UFC) vs. Beneil Dariush (7-0, 1-0 UFC)
Referee: Neal Hall
ROUND 1- We kick the main card off with a lightweight bout. Nijem is coming off a win while Dariush has won all seven of his professional fights. Dariush is the betting favorite in this fight. Neal Hall is the referee. Nijem starts off with a body kick and Dariush lands a big left hand. Dariush with a combo as Nijem is circling the Octagon. Dariush with a body kick and rolls to the ground and Nijem lands some punches from a standing position. Nijem with a leg kick and Dariush gets to his feet. Dariush goes for a takedown but it is defended against the fence. Dariush with some knees in the clinch. They break as Dariush lands some punches and Dariush lands a head kick. Nijem with a body kick. Nijem with another. Nijem lands a big right hand. They trade punches. Nijem with a right hand and Dariush with a jumping knee. Nijem drops Dariush with a right hand and then lands a bunch of punches. Dariush is survival mode and eating a lot of punches. Nijem grabs his neck for a choke and Dariush goes back down and Nijem is landing tons of punches. Nijem with a big flurry and is keeping Dariush in a lot of trouble. Dariush is looking for a leg as he survives but Nijem gets in the mount and takes the back. Nijem with big punches and heavy ground-and-pound. This fight is close to being stopped. Nijem is pouring it on attacking the head and body and it is stopped! Big win for Nijem who was a solid underdog. Solid performance from Nijem.
Official Result: Ramsey Nijem def. Beneil Dariush by TKO (strikes) at 4:20 of Round 1
John Howard (22-8, 6-3 UFC) vs. Ryan LaFlare (10-0, 3-0 UFC)
Referee: Leon Roberts
ROUND 1- Howard has looked impressive in his UFC return with two wins since coming back and four straight overall. LaFlare is a surging contender with ten wins in ten professional fights. LaFlare is the favorite in this fight. Leon Roberts officiates for the first time tonight in this contest. LaFlare comes out as a southpaw. Howard looks to land the right hand early. LaFlare with a body kick and then a leg kick. Howard lands a right hand. LaFlare goes in and grabs a leg and wrestles Howard down to the mat. LaFlare in the half-guard. LaFlare looks to pass guard. LaFlare passes into side control. LaFlare with short shoulder shots. Howard rolls around and LaFlare keeps position and is looking for a D’arce choke. LaFlare lets go and is landing punches. Howard tries to scramble out and they get to their feet. LaFlare lands a knee before the break. Howard lands a big right hand and LaFlare rolls to the ground but gets right back up, They are against the fence and LaFlare lands a knee. LaFlare lands a big elbow as they break. They trade and then tie-up and LaFlare has a body lock. LaFlare with some knees. LaFlare tries to throw Howard but they roll to the ground and LaFlare grabs the neck. They break and Howard lands some punches that momentarily stun LaFlare. LaFlare with a right hand to the body and then some body kicks. Howard with a left hook. LaFlare with a head kick. Howard with a leg kick and then another. LaFlare with a body kick and Howard gets a body lock but the round ends. 10-9 LaFlare.
ROUND 2- Howard lands a big left hook to start the round and LaFlare is rocked. LaFlare goes to his knees but quickly grabs Howard and pushes him against the fence. Howard lifts LaFlare and plants him on the mat and is in the full guard of LaFlare. LaFlare has recovered but is on the bottom. Howard moves into half-guard but LaFlare is able to scramble and he has Howard on his back and LaFlare is in side control. Howard tries to reverse and they get to their feet. LaFlare with a body kick. They clinch and Howard lands some body punches. LaFlare pushes the fight against the fence and lands a knee. Howard reverses the position. LaFlare with a knee that lands right in the nuggets. Howard is down in pain as we have a break in the action. It was a big one right below the belt. The doctors come in to check on Howard, who is in a lot of pain. Howard continues on though despite being in a lot of pain. We resume action. LaFlare with a front kick. They clinch and LaFlare gets a takedown. LaFlare is in side control. Howard rolls and gives up his back. LaFlare with a knee to the body. Howard gets to his feet and they are batting in a tie-up. Howard pushes LaFlare against the fence but LaFlare reverses. LaFlare lands a knee on the break. Howard with a leg kick. They clinch and LaFlare gets a quick takedown but Howard reverses it. They battle against the fence. LaFlare with a knee to the body. LaFlare with another knee. Howard gets the double underhooks. Howard lands a big uppercut on the break and presses LaFlare against the fence. Howard lands a left hook and a solid combo and rocks LaFlare. Howard with a high kick to end the round. Close round. 10-9 Howard, 19-19.
ROUND 3- This fight could be up for grabs in this final round. LaFlare with a teet kick. Howard drops LaFlare with a low kick but he gets up. They tie up and LaFlare drags this fight back to the mat. LaFlare looks to posture up from the half-guard. Howard elevates LaFlare and they get to their feet. Howard with a left hook and a combo and he rocks LaFlare big time. LaFlare comes back with a leg kick. Howard is winning the battle on the breaks from the clinch. LaFlare gets a quick takedown but Howard reverses though LaFlare does get him down on the mat. LaFlare with an elbow from the top. LaFlare moves to half-guard. Howard looks to push LaFlare off from butterfly guard. LaFlare passes into side control. Howard tries to scramble to his feet but LaFlare takes his back. Howard is trying to escape but LaFlare is landing punches from the back. LaFlare is trying to set up a choke but Howard gets out. LaFlare still has Howard’s back. Howard tries to roll and grabs a leg and has one. He looks for a heel hook but not enough space there. Howard lets go and LaFlare takes advantage. LaFlare still has the back and is landing punches from the back. Howard is tired. Howard tries to grab an arm but the fight comes to an end. 10-9 LaFlare, 29-28 LaFlare.
Official Result: Ryan LaFlare def. John Howard by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Clay Guida (30-14, 10-8 UFC) vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (33-7-2, 1-0 UFC)
Referee: Marc Goddard
ROUND 1- Time for the co-main event on the night. Guida is looking to rebound from a knockout loss to Chad Mendes in his last fight. Kawajiri is on a six-fight win streak and is fighting for the second time since signing with the UFC. This one is close on the betting odds with Guida being a close favorite. Marc Goddard with oversee this bout. Guida quickly rushes towards Kawajiri. Kawajiri with a leg kick and Guida lands a right hand. Guida with a left hook and Guida drops Kawajiri with a right hand. Guida lands some punches and then takes the back of Kawajiri and is looking for a standing choke. They are locked against the fence as Guida gives up the back attack. Guida drops down and looks for a takedown. Guida looks to lift Kawajiri up and slam him but lets go. Kawajiri has Guida’s arm and is looking to get an armlock in somehow. They scramble to the ground and Kawajiri has the arm and looks for an armbar. Guida picks him up and slams him but Kawajiri still has the arm. Guida gets out and lands a big left hand and takes the back. Guida with some knees to the legs of Kawajiri. Guida has full back control. Guida picks Kawajiri up and slams him down but they get back to their feet. Guida with a bunch of knees. Kawajiri still has an arm while Guida has the back. They are battling tough as Guida looks for a slam and Kawajiri looks for the arm. They break and Guida lands a knee while Kawajiri lands an elbow. Kawajiri with a slam on Guida and he is in the half-guard as Guida looks for the arm. Guida looking for a kimura. The round is going to end as the scramble. 10-9 Guida.
ROUND 2- Kawajiri quickly lands a left hook. They both miss left hooks. Kawajiri just misses a head kick. They scramble and Guida shoots in for a takedown against the fence. Kawajiri with some elbows. Guida gets Kawajiri down to the ground. Kawajiri gets to his feet and has a hold of Guida’s arm. Kawajiri with some short elbows. Guida gets a quick takedown but they roll to their feet. They trade punches. Guida goes back in for a takedown and Kawajiri with some short elbows. Guida picks Kawajiri up and slams him down. Kawajiri gets to his feet but Guida has his back. Kawajiri has the arm and is looking for a kimura as they scramble on the ground. Guida has a body lock on the ground against the fence. They get to their feet and Guida with some knees to Kawajiri’s legs. Kawajiri with some short elbows. Kawajiri drives Guida to the mat but Guida ends up in side control. Guida moves to Kawajiri’s back but they get to their feet. Guida with some punches and knees. Kawajiri with a back elbow. Guida tries a slam but the round ends. 10-9 Guida, 20-18 Guida.
ROUND 3- Kawajiri may need a finish here, and by our scorecard he does. Guida with a head kick and Kawajiri looks to land the right hand. Kawajiri with the jab. Kawajiri with a left hook. Kawajiri misses a spinning back fist. Kawajiri shoots in and Guida grabs the neck on the sprawl. Kawajiri is trying to drag Guida to the mat. Guida with some elbows and punches as Kawajiri has his leg. Kawajiri releases the leg. Not a lot of action as Guida is defending a takedown. They break and are on their feet. Guida with a leg kick. Guida with a knee and they trade punches. Kawajiri misses a right hand and Guida takes his back and pushes this against the fence. Guida then gets a big takedown as Kawajiri has his neck. Guida pops his head out and is in half-guard. Kawajiri rolls around and Guida takes his back. Guida with some punches and they scramble on the ground. Kawajiri is going for it but this fight is going to come to an end as Guida gets some knees to the body to finish this fight off. 10-9 Guida, 30-27 Guida.
Official Result: Clay Guida def. Tatsuya Kawajiri by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (34-8-1 (1), 5-4 UFC) vs. Roy Nelson (19-9, 6-5 UFC)
Referee: Leon Roberts
ROUND 1- Time for the five-round main event in the heavyweight divison. Nogueira has been out of action since June and Nelson has fought, and lost, twice since then. Nogueira has never lost two in a row while Nelson has never lost three straight so one of those will happen. Nelson is the betting favorite. Leon Roberts will be the referee. Both men looking to land their hands early. Nogueira with a right hand. Nelson with a big right hand and drops Nogueira. Nelson goes for a finish but Nogueira recovers and gets to his feet. Nelson misses a big right hand. Nelson goes for a body punch but Nogueira gets out of the way. Nogueira has recovered. Nelson stalking Nogueira as they trade punches. Nogueira with a jab. Nelson lands a big right hand but Nogueira shakes it off. Nelson drops Nogueira again with a big right hand. Nogueira gets up but eats another big right hand and then another. Nogueira is on shaky legs and Nelson lands some more right hands. Nelson with one punch and Nogueira is out cold. Nogueira goes to sleep courtesy of the big right hand from Nelson. Out cold and Nelson with the KO!
Official Result: Roy Nelson def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by knockout (punch) at 3:37 of Round 1
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 2 PM ET):
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Roy Nelson
Clay Guida vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri
John Howard vs. Ryan LaFlare
Ramsey Nijem vs. Beneil Dariush
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 12:15 PM ET):
Jared Rosholt vs. Daniel Omielanczuk
Thales Leites vs. Trevor Smith
Alan Omer vs. Jim Albers
Rani Yahya vs. Johnny Bedford
