Welcome fight fans to Inside Fights’ continuing live coverage of UFC Fight Night 28 from the Mineirihno Arena in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The fight card will be headlined by a five-round light heavyweight bout between Glover Teixeira and Ryan Bader. Stay tuned for live coverage of the night’s main card airing on FOX Sports 1. For those that missed the preliminary card, we have full coverage of both the FOX Sports 1 portion and the Facebook portion. Enjoy the fights everyone.
Marcos Vinicius (20-4-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Ali Bagautinov (10-2, 0-0 UFC)
Referee: Mario Yamasaki
ROUND 1- Bagautinov is making his UFC debut. Vinicius fights at his third different weight class in the UFC. Vinicius has his back against the cage as Bagautinov stalks him. Vinicius misses a leg kick. Not much happening in the first minute. Vinicius misses a front kick and Bagautinov backs him up with a combo and has a body lock against the cage. Bagautinov with a knee to the body. Not much happening in the tie-up against the cage. Bagautinov grabs a leg and is looking for the takedown. A big right hand from Bagautinov drops Vinicius and Bagautinov is pounding away on Vinicius and looking for the finish. Big right hands from Bagautinov are hurting Vinicius but he is continuing. Bagautinov locks in a guillotine choke and it is tight but Vinicius survives and escapes into side control. Vinicius then switches and has the back of Bagautinov and is looking to lock in a rear-naked choke. This fight could have easily been stopped. Vinicius with punches from the back on Bagautinov. Vinicius with more punches from the back. Bagautinov is defending the back well. Bagautinov tries to shake out of Vinicius having his back as Vinicius looks to secure an arm. Bagautinov gets to his feet and escapes and lands some punches as Vinicius gets a takedown at the end of the round. A tale of two rounds but Bagautinov should take it. 10-9 Bagautinov.
ROUND 2- Both take the center of the Octagon to start the round. Vinicius with a big leg kick but Bagautinov backs him up with a flurry. Vinicius misses a leg kick and Bagautinov rushes in with a left hand. Bagautinov lands a nice combo and presses forward but Vinicius escapes. Bagautinov goes for a takedown and finishes it and is on top. Bagautinov looks to transition and pass guard but is swept back to the feet. Vinicius goes for a guillotine choke but Bagautinov scores another takedown as he escapes and is in the guard. Bagautinov postures up as Vinicius looks to go for an omaplata. Vinicius with an elbow from the bottom followed by another. Bagautinov can’t land anything from the top. Vinicius with another elbow from the top. Bagautinov gets to his feet and Vinicius stays down. Bagautinov with a leg kick as Vinicius gets to his feet. Bagautinov lands a nice one-two combo that hurts Vinicius. Vinicius misses a leg kick. Bagautinov with a lunging uppercut and then lands a right hand. Vinicius with a right hand that lands and then gets in a strong leg kick. Bagautinov with another one-two combo. Bagautinov lands another combo as Vinicius comes forward. Bagautinov gets a takedown right as the round ends. 10-9 Bagautinov. 20-18 Bagautinov.
ROUND 3- This fight could still be up for grabs as both rounds were close. Vinicius has the center of the Octagon and both are feeling each other out. Bagautinov with a lunging left hook. Vinicius misses a front kick and Bagautinov lands a right hand to counter. Vinicius with a leg kick and neither are doing much as the crowd gets restless. Bagautinov with a weak leg kick. Vinicius is circling against the cage looking to avoid Bagautinov’s striking. Vinicius with a leg kick and Bagautinov grabs the leg and looks for the takedown against the cage. Bagautinov still working for the takedown as Vinicius lands a couple of elbows. Bagautinov applying a lot of pressure against the cage as Bagautinov drops for a takedown. Vinicius is defending very well. Mario Yamasaki splits them up as not a lot of action is happening. Vinicius with a leg kick. Bagautinov drops Vinicius with a big right hand and after a series of punches Vinicius is out and Yamasaki stops the fight. Big third round knockout win for Bagautinov! It was a huge right hand followed by about four more right hands before Yamasaki stepped in.
Official Result: Ali Bagautinov def. Marcos Vinicius by TKO (punches) at 3:28 of Round 3
Rafael Natal (16-4-1, 4-2-1 UFC) vs. Tor Troeng (16-4-1, 1-0 UFC)
Referee: Leon Roberts
ROUND 1- Both men are looking to extend win streaks in this bout. Natal is the favorite according to the Vegas odds. Natal quickly takes the center of the Octagon to start the fight. Natal with a leg kick to start his attack. Natal with another leg kick followed by another. Natal drops Troeng with a right hand and Troeng goes down and Natal quickly goes into his guard. Natal looks to pass and he has an excellent ground game. Natal is in half-guard and looking to set up an arm-triangle choke. Natal with body punches from the top and he has Troeng’s neck. Natal transitions and is on his back and Troeng gets to his feet. Troeng falls into side control with a big right hand on Natal. Natal sweeps and is now on top and in side control. Natal with an elbow to the body. Troeng looks to sweep but Natal plants him back down and in half-guard. A nice transition as Troeng tries to reverse. Another sweep from half-guard and Natal ends back in side control. Natal is looking to grab an arm but lets go and is back in half-guard. Troeng sweeps and is now in Natal’s guard and landing from the top. Troeng gets to his feet and lands a big left hand as Natal is on the ground. Natal grabs a leg and is looking to get Troeng down but Troeng gets the back. Natal sweeps but Troeng is in half-guard. A nice little grappling battle and Troeng ends the round on top. 10-9 Natal.
ROUND 2- Natal with a leg kick to start the second round. Natal rocks Troeng with a big right hand and he goes down. Natal swarms on him and lands numerous hammerfists and punches from the top. Natal is rocking Troeng big as Troeng is trying to survive. Natal with elbows from the top and Troeng is still in survival mode. Natal looks to get in a guillotine choke but Troeng escapes and now he gets into side control and takes the back. I don’t know how Troeng survived that. Back to the feet and Troeng falls to the ground and Natal goes into his guard with a big right hand. Natal in half-guard and he looks to transition to the mount or into side control. Natal with some ground-and-pound but Troeng lands from the bottom. Natal gets to his feet and is in side control. Natal with some elbows to the body. Troeng scrambles to his feet and has Natal’s back against the cage. Troeng with some knees and Natal forces a reverse in positions. Troeng attacks an arm and goes for a kimura but Natal blocks it. Natal with a big knee and he goes for a takedown. Troeng has Natal’s neck as Natal looks for the takedown. Troeng reverses and now he is looking for the takedown. Natal drops down and has a neck but Troeng escapes and they get back to the feet. Natal with some right hands as Troeng is looking for the takedown against the fence. Troeng drops down but nothing happens as the round ends. 10-9 Natal. 20-18 Natal.
ROUND 3- Natal misses a head kick as the final round begins. Natal misses a big right hand. Natal backing up as Troeng comes forward. Natal with a left hand. Natal slips as he goes for a punch and it allows Troeng to push him against the cage. Natal jumps up and locks in a standing guillotine choke and it is in tight. They drop to the ground and it breaks loose but Natal still has it in. Troeng is surviving and in half-guard and is going to get out. Troeng with punches to the body and he gets his head loose. Troeng with elbows to the body. Troeng in the half-guard and Natal is hanging on as he looks exhausted. Troeng tries to transition into side control against the cage. Troeng stands and Natal grabs a leg and reverses and ends up on top. Natal in half-guard and lands some punches from the top. Natal with an elbow and he grabs the neck. Natal looks to pass guard as he has the neck of Troeng. Troeng is hanging on and the guillotine is nowhere close. Troeng tries to escape and it allows Natal to reverse to the back and he lands a punch. Natal gets the hooks in on the back and lands some punches from the back. Troeng tries to escape and does and Natal is in half-guard and lands some ground-and-pound to end the fight. 10-9 Natal. 30-27 Natal.
Official Result: Rafael Natal def. Tor Troeng by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Francisco Trinaldo (13-2, 3-1 UFC) vs. Piotr Hallmann (13-1, 0-0 UFC)
Referee: Neal Hall
ROUND 1- Hallmann is making his UFC debut. Trinaldo fakes with a head kick and Hallmann lands a right hand. Trinaldo with some big left hands to the head and body. Trinaldo with a left hand as Hallmann lands a leg kick. Trinaldo with a left hook that stuns Hallmann. Hallmann pushes forward with a nice combination. Trinaldo with a big head kick followed by a body kick that hurt Hallmann. Trinaldo pushes the pressure and lands another body kick. Another body kick drops Hallmann and Trinaldo looks for a choke but lets Hallmann up. Trinaldo with a left hand and a head kick. Trinaldo with a left hand and he pushes Hallmann against the cage. Trinaldo goes for the takedown but they break. Hallmann lands a right hand and a knee and they briefly tie up. Trinaldo with another body kick and then lands a big left hand. Trinaldo with a short uppercut. Hallmann misses a left hook. They trade at close range and Hallmann then moves out of danger. Trinaldo with another body kick. Trinaldo lands an uppercut and then another body kick. Trinaldo goes for a takedown and gets it and pushes Hallmann against the cage. Trinaldo with punches from the top and has the back of Hallmann. They get back to the feet and tangle against the cage as the round ends. 10-9 Trinaldo.
ROUND 2- Trinaldo fires a left hand to start the middle round. Trinaldo with a head kick but Hallmann reverses it into a takedown and is on top. Hallmann with punches from the top as Trinaldo looks to sweep. Trinaldo gets to his knees and takes down Hallmann briefly before both get to their feet. They tie up and Trinaldo drops down and grabs a leg looking for a kneebar but Hallmann escapes. Hallmann gets to his feet but Trinaldo is still threatening with the takedown. Both men on the feet against the cage. Trinaldo looking for the takedown but Hallmann is landing elbows. Some of those elbows may have been illegal as Hallmann is warned. Trinaldo goes for a takedown but misses and Hallmann ends up on top. Hallmann with elbows and punches from the top. Hallmann is in half-guard looking to transition to side control or mount. Big elbows from Hallmann and he is again warned for questionable elbows. Hallmann with more punches from the top. Hallmann grabs an arm and is working for a kimura and he has it locked in and Trinaldo taps out! Hallmann with a submission win in his debut in a fight that he was in a lot of trouble in.
Official Result: Piotr Hallmann def. Francisco Trinaldo by submission (kimura) at 3:50 of Round 2
Joseph Benavidez (18-3, 5-1 UFC) vs. Jussier Formiga (15-2, 1-1 UFC)
Referee: Mario Yamasaki
ROUND 1- We have a battle of flyweights ranked in the top five looking for a title shot. Benavidez is a huge favorite in this fight according to the Vegas odds. Benavidez with a front kick to start and follows with a leg kick. Benavidez lands a nice combo as Formiga rushes in. Benavidez with another combo. They trade right hands and Benavidez lands big. Benavidez with a leg kick. Benavidez with a big right hand. Formiga lands a nice left hand. Benavidez lands a combo and they briefly tie up. Benavidez with a leg kick. Benavidez with a left hand. They both attack with punches and Benavidez lands a right hand. Benavidez with a nice combo against the cage. Formiga misses a right hand and a left hook. Benavidez presses forwLeoard with a combo followed by a leg kick. Formiga just lands a spin kick. Benavidez hurts Formiga with a big combo and hurts him with a big knee. Formiga goes down face first and Benavidez swarms on Formiga with a flurry of punches. Tons of punches on the ground and Mario Yamasaki finally steps in and stops it. Formiga was dropped with a knee to the body and tons of punches end it.
Official Result: Joseph Benavidez def. Jussier Formiga by TKO (strikes) at 3:07 of Round 1
Yushin Okami (29-7, 13-4 UFC) vs. Ronaldo Souza (18-3 1 NC, 1-0 UFC)
Referee: Leon Roberts
ROUND 1- Another bout between two men ranked in the top five in their division as the co-main event gets underway. Souza is nearly a two-and-a-half-to-one favorite according to Vegas odds. Souza showing good head movement to start the fight. Souza with a big body kick to start his attack. Souza with another body kick. They tie up but break. Souza lands a big right hand that stuns Okami and Souza is landing tons of punches. Souza is coming close to finishing it but Okami somehow survived it. Okami ate a ton of punches. Okami blocks a takedown from Souza. Okami misses a left hand and Souza lands a right. Okami misses a left. Souza looking for an opening. Souza with a big right hand. Okami lands a nice combo and Souza drops Okami with a big right hand. Okami is in a lot of trouble as Souza pounds away on Okami. Okami isn’t answering these punches and referee Leon Roberts steps in and stops the fight. Huge knockout win for Souza against one of the toughest middleweight fighters! And the crowd erupts in applause.
Official Result: Ronaldo Souza def. Yushin Okami by TKO (punches) at 2:47 of Round 1
Glover Teixeira (21-2, 4-0 UFC) vs. Ryan Bader (15-3, 8-3 UFC)
Referee: Herb Dean
ROUND 1- Teixeira looks for his 20th straight win and to secure a title shot as the huge favorite in this main event bout. Herb Dean will officiate this five-rounder. Bader starts with a left hand and goes for a takedown but it is defended. Bader rocks Teixeira with a left hand and Bader locks in a guillotine but lets go. Back to the feet and Teixeira has Bader against the cage and then scores a takedown of his own. Teixeira with punches to the head of Bader. Back to the feet and Bader has Teixeira against the cage. Teixeira with a knee to Bader’s body. Teixeira grabs a neck and has a brief standing guillotine choke. Bader with punches and they break the clinch. Bader with a left hand. Bader with a head kick. Teixeira with a glancing head kick. Bader circles around the cage as he looks for an opening. Teixeira presses forward and slips and Bader rocks him with some punches. Teixeira counters with a left hand that drops Bader and he swarms on him landing punches from the top. Teixeira with numerous punches and Herb Dean steps in and stops it. Teixeira with the big knockout win and 20 wins in a row! Teixeira stamps his way to a potential meeting with Jon Jones or Alexander Gustafsson.
Official Result: Glover Teixeira def. Ryan Bader by TKO (punches) at 2:55 of Round 1
