UFC 170 (Sara McMann vs. Ronda Rousey) Play By Play & Live Results

News, Results, Top Story

What’s up fight freaks? I’ll be here to cover tonight’s card, live and available only on Fight Pass, Fox Sports 1 and Pay Per View. Stay tuned as we’ll have coverage of the event from the first punch to the last armbar.

Fight Pass

Ernest Chavez vs. Yosdenis Cedeno

Round 1: Not much action to start as Chavez is looking to counter and get inside while Cedeno is looking to throw. Chavez gets the takedown off a caught kick with about a minute left, moves to mount after some ground and pound. He nearly got a rear naked choke in a scramble towards the end as Cedeno managed to get up against the cage. Chavez 10-9

Round 2: Not much action to start again and Chavez with another takedown, landing in side control. He’s grinding the round out for the most part, and Cedeno scrambles his way out and manages to grab back. Chavez is up, though and we spend the rest of the round grinding against the cage. We get a break late as Cedeno starts to throw more. He’s trying to find distance but Chavez has found his timing and is getting close whenever he tries to throw something big. 10-9 Chavez, 20-18

Round 3: Cedeno comes out like he did the last fight and Chavez is eating some big shots to get close. Cedeno is giving up position while looking for something big and Chavez is using movement to keep him from being able to set up. Chavez goes for the takedown and can’t get it. Cedeno with some big shots towards the end of the round and I think it’s enough to take a boring round. 10-9 Cedeno, 29-28 Chavez

Official decision: Ernest Chavez def. Yosdenis Cedeno via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)


Rafaello Oliveira vs. Erik Koch

Round 1: Koch lands big early and starches the Brazilian. He lands a bunch on the ground and it’s over.

Official decision: Erik Koch def. Rafaello Oliveira via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:24


Fox Sports 1

Zach Makovsky vs. Josh Sampo

Round 1: Not much action to start and then a beautiful single leg takedown by Makovsky. Sampo goes to rubber guard and looks for mission control, Makovsky backs out and backs into guard. Sampo is trying to grab a scramble and Makovsky doing a great job maintaining position. He’s up and some solid striking to finish the round. Makovsky 10-9

Round 2: Makovsky with a nice high kick early as both guys are looking for takedowns off striking. Makovsky in on a single and gets it, doesn’t like what he sees and we’re back standing. Not much lands and Makovsky in on a single and gets it. Sampo in butterfly guard and Makovs,ky is looking to move position. Sampo looking to shrimp his way out. Sampo manages to work his way back up and Makovsky lets him back to his feet. He didn’t do much on top but Sampo wasn’t winning it off his back either. This was good positional grappling from both, nothing more. Sampo back to his feet as the round ends. 10-9 Makovsky, 20-18

Round 3: Not much happens until a minute in, when Sampo gets the knockdown and gets the takedown. Makovsky is trying to survive as Sampo is going for the kill here. He’s landing big shots on Makovsky as he’s winning this round but not enough so to force a draw or a decision. He goes for a kimura and can’t get. Makovsky gets back to his feet and he’s on his heels, looking to counter. Sampo comes in and Makovsky gets a single, Sampo in butterfly guard. He’s looking to grind and move decision, Sampo is trying to get an arm and is looking for a submission. 30 seconds left and he has to go for broke now; he’s working for position but not doing so with a ton of urgency. He’s got the round but he didn’t get either of the first two and this won’t be a 10-8. Round ends as he scrambles his way back up. 10-9 Sampo, 29-28 Makovsky

Official decision: Zach Makovsky def. Josh Sampo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)


Cody Gibson vs. Aljamain Sterling

Sterling is the latest prospect out of Serra/Longo and has considerable hype in his debut.

Round 1: Gibson is trying to close the gap and get in but Sterling has some diverse strikes to him. Very flashy stuff as Gibson is trying to get him down. He eats a punch and grabs a single, great defense from Sterling and Gibson gets in and gets him down on the second try. Sterling right back up and we’re against the cage. He goes for throw and loses control, scramble and we’re back to the middle Sterling gets the takedown and Gibson into guard. What a wild opening two minutes so far! Sterling has Gibson against the cage and Gibson is doing a great at keeping him from landing anything. Gibson scrambles to his knees and Sterling working out of a body lock. Gibson back up and we’re back to the middle as Sterling is landing some big knees. He goes for the body lock and we’re against the cage as both are working for position. 10-9 Sterling

Round 2: Another wild exchange to start as Gibson catches a kick and lands some shots on Sterling. Both guys go for the clinch and some big knees to the body. We’ve got an early candidate for FOTN right here. Gibson presses Sterling against the cage and we’re working from there. Gibson is working hard to get him down but Sterling is doing a great job at keeping his back against the cage. Gibson gets the takedown but Sterling right back up. He dumps him down again and eventually works his way to back. Gibson tries to grab back mount but Sterling defends it well, scramble and he’s got Gibson against the cage. Some more cage work right here as this is jockeying for position. Gibson circles out and we’re throwing hands again. Sterling is trying to throw some wild strikes and gets taken down for his effort, Gibson jumps over him to grab back and almost gets back mount. Sterling up and we’re back against the cage again. Sterling gets the takedown but Gibson has a guillotine in. Sterling powers up with Gibson cranking but Gibson eventually loses it. Round ends on the ground again. 10-9 Gibson, 19-19

Round 3: Sterling comes out with a couple head kicks as both guys have slowed down. Sterling is coming out throwing some strikes, uses it to get inside and slams Gibson to the ground and after hoisting him up. Gibson in butterfly guard as he tries to wall walk his way up. Gibson is trying to get up via shrimp as Sterling goes for a D’arce choke. He’s working it but doesn’t quite have the leverage yet. He lets it go and we’re back up. Sterling goes for the double and can’t get it. Gibson lands a shot and Sterling down, Gibson goes for a guillotine and pulls guard with it, can’t finish and Sterling on top. Sterling moves to half guard and lands some big body shots right now. He works him over and Gibson gives up back, Sterling takes mount and he’s working for a RNC right now. He grabs a body triangle and now it’s hand fighting. He’s got the choke but Gibson is defending it beautifully. Less than 20 seconds and Gibson is trying to ride it out, eating some big shots as the round ends. 10-9 Sterling, 29-28 Sterling

Official decision: Aljamain Sterling def. Cody Gibson by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)


Assuncao is on the second longest win streak in the division, only trailing champion Renan Barao.

Raphael Assuncao vs. Pedro Munhoz

Round 1: Assuncao comes out throwing some hard strikes as Assuncao is hitting some nice shots. Munhoz looking to get this to the ground but isn’t doing so with any urgency. He’s looking to get close via strikes but isn’t pulling the trigger. Assuncao is looking for the counter now as Munhoz is being more aggressive with position but not landing anything of note. Assuncao is first to the punch every time. Munhoz is landing nice kicks but Assuncao is tagging him en masse when he does. Munhoz is trying to be aggressive but he’s getting lit up whenever he does something; Assuncao’s hands are significantly faster. 10-9 Assuncao

Round 2: Neither guy is looking for the ground as Munhoz goes for the clinch and Assuncao circles out quickly. Takedown and Munhoz rolls for the kneebar. Assuncao lands some big shots from strike and he scrambles out. Assuncao is beating him to the punch once again, landing some nice strikes. He catches a kick from Munhoz and Assuncao takes him down, goes for the standing guard pass and lands in full guard. Lands some nice strikes, too, as Munhoz is looking to to sweep his way up. Assuncao doing a great job at smothering him with top position. 10-9 Assuncao, 20-18

Round 3: Munhoz coming out more aggressive and looking for the clinch but can’t get a position he likes. He’s coming out more aggressive as Assuncao is looking to counter. Assuncao with a nice left, followed by a nice combination, as Munhoz is being aggressive with his movement but isn’t punching as often as someone who’s down on the cards should. Assuncao is hitting him first, and often, as Munhoz is coming in aggressive but is getting pot-shotted whenever he looks to move inside. Assuncao grind out the round, landing enough to keep winning but not enough to finish. Assuncao with a takedown in the final moments to seal it. 10-9 Assuncao, 30-27

Official decision: Raphael Assuncao def. Pedro Munhoz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)


Alexis Davis vs. Jessica Eye

Round 1: Davis comes out with a leg kick to start and we get some wild, wild punches to start. Eye with the clinch and we’re back against the cage. She backs off and lands some strikes. This is starting to turn into a sloppy brawl early as there’s a pattern starting to emerge. Some wild brawling followed by Eye pressing Davis against the cage. We get some cage action for a while and then a break for a stalemate. Eye doesn’t want to stand with Davis too long but she isn’t getting the takedown, either. She’s working effectively with uppercuts from the clinch, though. Davis gets the clinch this time and Eye is back against the cage, can’t get a takedown. Back to the center as Eye circles out, Davis gets the takedown with less than 30 seconds left and nothing of note happens on the ground. 10-9 Davis

Round 2: Davis comes out and lands some big shots but Eye is firing back in kind. Davis catches a kick and gets the takedown, lands in half guard and lands some nice ground and pound. She’s grinding now as Davis is looking to move positionally instead of potentially putting herself in a bad spot. She’s looking for a kimura on the right side but Eye is defending well off her back. Eye is looking to shrimp her way back up and eats some big shots from Davis for her troubles. Davis is using to position exceptionally well right now; she’s in total control right now. 10-9 Davis, 20-18 Davis

Round 3: Not much action to start as Davis is looking to get inside and counter but Eye is being cautious and not giving her a lot of space. Davis is out working her on her foot this round; Eye isn’t doing much with the opportunities she has on her feet. She turns it up for a moment late in the fight but Davis resumes out landing her for the rest of the round. 10-9 Davis, 30-27

Official decision: Alexis Davis def. Jessica Eye via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)


Pay Per View

Robert Whittaker vs. Stephen Thompson

Round 1: Thompson is looking to counter out of that karate stance as Whittaker is looking to beat him to the punch with his hands. Thompson with some nice kicks as he’s doing a good job of being aggressive with his countering. Whittaker is being more active but Thompson is landing more with his hands. Whittaker’s missing a ton as Thompson has some beautiful head movement; nice feinting and moving. Thompson is showing some beautiful striking so far; he’s sliding in and out with strikes. Whittaker is looking to throw first and foremost, not even giving the illusion of going for a takedown, which is allowing Thompson to plant and use some of his exotic techniques. Thompson with a big tag and Thompson pounds. He’s unloading and the ref jumps in.

Official decision: Stephen Thompson def. Robert Whittaker via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 3:43


Mike Pyle vs. TJ Waldburger

Round 1: Neither guy landing much early to start. Lots of inside leg kicks with not much on them. Pyle gets the knockdown early but Waldburger right back up. Waldburger is really starting to pump the overhand right. Pyle gets the takedown and moves into side control. Waldburger tries to get up and Pyle rides it to maintain control. TJ back up and Pyle with his back against the cage. Waldburger eats a knee in the clinch and Waldburger goes for the takedown. Can’t finish it and Pule starts to work for the Thai plumb. Lands a big knee but not flush. We end the round as Pyle gets a takedown off a reversal. Pyle 10-9

Round 2: Not a lot of action to start the round as both guys are being fairly measured. Pyle catches a kick and gets the takedown. Waldburger rolls for a knee bar and can’t finish, Pyle moves into butterfly guard. Moves to half guard as Waldburger holds on to a guillotine. Pyle moves into side control, looking for mount but Waldburger back to butterfly and he moves up and out to his feet. He eats a knee for his troubles, though. Pyle with a nice spin kick with two minutes left. Clinch and Pyle gets the takedown, wild scramble and we’re back up to our feet. TJ is a little bloody right now with 20 seconds left. Not much action to close the round. 10-9 Pyle, 20-18

Round 3: Waldburger is starting to look better on his feet as he’s throwing more and confused Pyle a bit. Some nice combination work to start to fight. Pyle is starting to counter him a little more effectively but Waldburger is landing some big shots that are wobbling Pyle a little bit. Pyle with a nice right and Waldburger goes for the takedown but can’t complete it. Pyle catches the kick and lands a spinning elbow that drops Waldburger. He’s back up as Pyle looks for the clinch but can’t land a knee out of it. We’re back against the cage as Waldburger is looking for a takedown. A couple of beautiful elbows from Pule who grabs a guillotine, rolls to mount but Waldburger pulls his head out. He eats a bunch of of shots as Pyle smells blood in the water. Pyle’s got full back mount with 90 seconds left and he’s lighting him up right now. Waldburger gets mercy as Pyle wins via TKO.

Official decision: Mike Pyle def. TJ Waldburger via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 4:03


Rory MacDonald vs. Demian Maia

Round 1: Maia is looking for a takedown early as Rory is coming out with a low stance. Low single from Maia and he’s in top control. This is going to be interesting as Maia collects the arms of world champions and Rory doesn’t have that pedigree. Rory’s working the butterfly really well so far as Maia is working for position right now. MacDonald is trying to use butterfly to sweep his way up and Maia isn’t doing anything crazy for positional purposes yet. This high level stuff from Rory … until he gets mounted. That’s why Maia is as good at BJJ as he is. He’s landing some nice shots as he’s trying to buck his way out. Maia is using his hips to keep him down and nearly powers his way out. Maia is on top and controlling him. Rory rolls his way out and moves right back to half guard, nearly into mount. Maia is landing shots on him and Rory is starting to bleed a little bit. Rory worked on his defense profoundly based on how he’s handling Maia right now; Maia in top position is one of the worst places to be in MMA. Maia looks to stand and pass his guard but Rory gets out and we’re back tour feet. MacDonald is starting to throw and Maia with a beautiful combination on MacDonald. Maia is on the outside as the round ends. Maia 10-9

Round 2: MacDonald with a big right to start as Maia is looking for a takedown. Rory is countering by throwing kicks to keep him from shooting; he’s looking to catch him when he shoots in. Maia is trying to time his way in and MacDonald has adjusted this round. He’s in on a single and can’t get in again. Rory is starting to land and throw as Maia is going hell bent for a takedown right now. Maia starts to throw some leg kicks as Maia has slowed down from the body work by MacDonald. MacDonald is starting to put together some combinations right now as Maia is hurt. Rory needs to push the pace and go for the kill but so far he’s content to stand and trade. He’s starting to turn this into a kickboxing match as Maia has given up on takedowns and is starting to get into survival mode. He’s leaving his head open right now as MacDonald is landing jabs and right straights. MacDonald is starting to press the pace as Maia is not moving his head; it’s a target for him to land. Maia catches a kick but can’t get a takedown off it. Maia is also a bit bloody right now. MacDonald 10-9, 19-19

Round 3: Rory is coming out doing the same thing; boxing, takedown defense and kicks to stop the level changes. MacDonald’s boxing game is starting to take over the fight right now. Maia with another shot and MacDonald stuffs it easy, he sprawls out of it and lights him up in escape. Maia gets a double against the cage and has a single. Maia with the elevation and the slam into full guard. Halfway through the round and he’s trying to work his way around. MacDonald is working the Butterfly for a standup as ROry is trying to work his way up. Rory works his tail off and get back up and we’re standing with 2 minutes left. What a fight so far! Both guys are tired and Maia can’t finish a pair of takedowns. He’s going hell bent for another takedown and Rory is fighting him off very well right now. Maia is gassed and Rory has enough left to seal it. Rory tags him with a right and Maia goes for another takedown, can’t complete it, and he spends the rest of the round lighting up Maia. MacDonald 10-9, 29-28

Wouldn’t be shocked if this was a split decision.

Official decision: Rory MacDonald def. Demain Maia via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)


Daniel Cormier vs. Patrick Cummins

Round 1: Cummins comes out with a pair of kicks as he’s looking to take the fight to the ground. HE’s really looking for a takedown as Cormier stuffs him multiple times early on. Cormier is tagging him a lot though early. Cormier lands a big shot and Cormier is tagging him en masse. It’s over as the ref steps in.

Official decision: Daniel Cormier def. Patrick Cummins via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:19


Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann

Round 1: Rousey comes in for a takedown and they’re throwing down. McMann is landing some big shot and Rousey is eating some punishment in the clinch. Rousey’s having a hard time getting her down but McMann’s power is making her wobble. Rousey goes for the hip toss and she can’t, Rousey lands some big shots. Big knee to the body and it’s over. McMann is arguing the early stoppage.

Official decision: Ronda Rousey def. Sara McMann via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:06