Welcome to PWInsiderXtra’s live coverage of UFC 259, which is taking place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event is headlined by a light heavyweight title fight as Jan Blachowicz defends the gold against middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, while Amanda Nunes defends the women’s featherweight strap against Megan Anderson in the co-main event.
The full card for tonight’s event features…
Main Card (10pm EST., ESPN+ Pay-Per-View)
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Jan Blachowicz (c) vs. Israel Adesanya (UFC Middleweight Champion)
UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship
Amanda Nunes (c) vs. Megan Anderson
UFC Bantamweight Championship
Petr Yan (c) vs. #1 Aljamain Sterling
#14 Islam Makhachev vs. Drew Dober
#2 Thiago Santos vs. #4 Aleksandar Rakic
Preliminary Card (8pm EST., ESPN)
#11 Dominick Cruz vs. Casey Kenney
#14 Song Yadong vs. Kyler Phillips
#2 Joseph Benavidez vs. #3 Askar Askarov
#8 (Tied) Rogerio Bontorin vs. #8 (Tied) Kai Kara France
Early Preliminary Card (5:15pm EST., ESPN+)
#12 Tim Elliott vs. Jordan Espinosa
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Carlos Ulberg
Sean Brady vs. Jake Matthews
#15 Livinha Souza vs. Amanda Lemos
Uros Medic vs. Aalon Cruz
Mario Bautista vs. Trevin Jones
Mario Bautista vs. Trevin Jones
Round One
The round begins with Jones attacking Bautista with some leg kicks, Bautista fires back by landing some leg kicks of his own. Bautista goes for a head kick and Jones manages to block it, Bautista charges at Jones while swinging away at him. The fighters clinch and battle along the cage wall, the fighters trade some strikes while in the clinch. The fighters separate and Jones throws some more leg kicks, Bautista nails Jones with a kick to the midsection. Jones comes forward and Bautista nails him with a few more strikes, Bautista looks for counter strike combinations on a swinging Jones. Jones cracks Bautista with a left before clinching with him as the round ends.
Round Two
The round begins with Bautista attempting a head kick against Jones, Jones goes back to landing leg kicks against Bautista. Bautista charges at a swinging Jones while throwing a combination, Jones drops Bautista with a right uppercut and he pounces on him with more strikes until the referee jumps in.
Official Result: Trevin Jones def. Mario Bautista by TKO via strikes (0:40, R2)
Uros Medic vs. Aalon Cruz
Round One
The round begins with Cruz attacking Medic with a variety of kicks, Medic fires back with some kicks of his own. Cruz comes forward and Medic pops him with a right hook, Medic stuns Cruz with a left hook followed by a flying knee strike. Cruz goes down and Medic lands a ton of unanswered strikes, Cruz gets up and Medic drops him again before landing more strikes and the referee jumps in.
Official Result: Uros Medic def. Aalon Cruz by TKO via strikes (1:40, R1)
#15 Livinha Souza vs. Amanda Lemos
Round One
The round begins with Souza attacking Lemos with a high kick, Lemos responds with a high kick of her own against Souza. Lemos starts attacking Souza with some combinations, Souza and Lemos continue exchanging high kicks. Lemos starts landing some leg kicks against Souza, Lemos drops Souza with a right and she pounces on her with more strikes. Lemos stands up and Souza rolls for a leg while eating some strikes, Lemos attacks Souza with ground and pound until Souza scrambles to her feet. Lemos drops Souza with a jab and she pounces on her with more strikes until the referee jumps in.
Official Result: Amanda Lemos def. #15 Livinha Souza by TKO via strikes (3:39, R1)
Sean Brady vs. Jake Matthews
Round One
The round begins with Brady attacking Matthews with some leg kicks, Matthews starts attempting to land combos on Brady. Matthews charges forward while taking some swings at Brady, Brady pops Matthews with a counter left hook. Matthews cracks Brady with a right to the midsection, Brady comes forward and he takes some swings at Matthews. Brady again lands a left hook on a swinging Matthews, Matthews drops a kicking Brady and Brady scrambles to get top control a short time later. Brady keeps side control while landing some strikes on Matthews, Brady moves into the half guard position against Matthews. Brady hunts for a guillotine choke as the round ends.
Round Two
The round begins with Matthews attacking Brady with some jabs and leg kicks, Matthews pops Brady with a right hook. Matthews continues coming forward while swinging away at Brady, Brady starts landing some leg kicks on Matthews. Brady scores a takedown on Matthews and he gets the open guard, Brady looks to get back control while landing ground and pound on Matthews. Brady gets the half guard while landing more strikes on Matthews, Brady gains back control on Matthews while landing ground and pound as the round ends.
Round Three
The round begins with the fighters trading some combinations, Brady starts landing some leg kicks against Matthews. Brady stuns a swinging Matthews by landing a counter left hook, Brady goes for a takedown and he gets Matthews to the ground. Brady gets back control while landing ground and pound on Matthews, Brady catches a scrambling Matthews in an arm triangle choke and a tap out follows.
Official Result: Sean Brady def. Jake Matthews by submission via arm triangle choke (3:28, R3)
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Carlos Ulberg
Round One
The round begins with Ulberg taking some swings at Nzechukwu, Ulberg attacks Nzechukwu with some high kicks. Ulberg stuns Nzechukwu with a partially blocked head kick, Ulberg keeps Nzechukwu against the cage wall while swinging away at him. Nzechukwu gets free and Ulberg attacks him with more kicks, Nzechukwu starts swinging back against Ulberg. Ulberg cracks Nzechukwu with a right to the midsection, Nzechukwu lands a combination on a backing Ulberg. Ulberg starts landing more combinations on a defending Nzechukwu, Nzechukwu charges forward and he lands a three punch combo on Ulberg. Nzechukwu stuns a backing Ulberg with a left hook, Nzechukwu and Ulberg exchange some more left hooks. Ulberg nails Nzechukwu with multiple body shots and a right to the head, Ulberg rocks Nzechukwu by landing multiple strikes to his midsection. Nzechukwu recovers and he pops Ulberg with some uppercuts, Nzechukwu lands a high kick on Ulberg as the round ends.
Round Two
The round begins with Ulberg nailing Nzechukwu with some leg kicks, Nzechukwu and Ulberg exchange a few combinations. Nzechukwu and Ulberg also have a few wild striking exchanges, Nzechukwu and Ulberg exchange strikes while in the center of the Octagon. Nzechukwu pops a charging Ulberg with a two punch combination, Ulberg nails Nzechukwu with a body kick. Ulberg accidentally pokes Nzechukwu in the eye and the fight is halted, the fight resumes with the fighters trading some shots. Ulberg backs up Nzechukwu after throwing a high kick, Ulberg continues landing counter strikes on a swinging Nzechukwu. Nzechukwu drops a swinging Ulberg with a counter right hook and he lands a few follow up shots as the referee jumps in.
Official Result: Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Carlos Ulberg by TKO via strikes (3:19, R2)
#12 Tim Elliott vs. Jordan Espinosa
Round One
The round begins with Espinosa attempting a head kick against Elliott, Elliott gets Espinosa against the cage wall after throwing a bunch of lefts. The fighters trade a few shots before separating, Espinosa pops an incoming Elliott with a left hook. Elliott again grabs Espinosa and gets him up against the cage wall, Elliott attacks Espinosa with knee strikes before separating. Espinosa cracks Elliott with a head kick before Elliott gets him down, Elliott attacks Espinosa with some ground and pound. Espinosa scrambles and he gets Elliott in his half guard, Elliott looks for a kimura on Espinosa as the round ends.
Round Two
The round begins with Elliott attacking Espinosa with a combination, Elliott scores a takedown on a kicking Espinosa and he gets the full guard. Espinosa scrambles to his feet to get the fight standing again, Elliott scores another takedown on Espinosa and he gets the half guard. Elliott attacks Espinosa with some ground and pound, Elliott transitions to back control on Espinosa while landing more strikes. Espinosa scrambles and he gets Elliott back in his half guard, Elliott returns to back control on Espinosa while landing more shots on him. Elliott maintains top control as the round ends.
Round Three
The round begins with the fighters taking some swings at each other, Elliott attacks Espinosa with a multiple strike combo before scoring a takedown on him. Elliott attacks Espinosa with some ground and pound, Espinosa gets Elliott in his full guard while eating more strikes. Espinosa cracks Elliott with some strikes while on his back, Espinosa rolls for an arm bar and Elliott defends while keeping top control. Elliott transitions to the half guard position against Espinosa, Elliott lands a few more strikes on Espinosa as the round ends.
Official Result: #12 Tim Elliott def. Jordan Espinosa by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-25)
#8 (Tied) Rogerio Bontorin vs. #8 (Tied) Kai Kara France
Round One
The round begins with France and Bontorin exchanging a few jabs, Bontorin and France have a few striking exchanges. France starts landing some leg kicks against Bontorin, Bontorin pops a swinging France with a counter right hook. Bontorin scores a takedown on France and he gets back control, Bontorin attacks France with some ground and pound. France gets to his feet and Bontorin stays on his back, Bontorin drags France back to the ground while looking for the rear naked choke. France gets up again and Bontorin stays on his back again, France shakes Bontorin off of him and a slugfest breaks out. France levels Bontorin with a three punch combination and the referee jumps in.
Official Result: #8 (Tied) Kai Kara France def. #8 (Tied) Rogerio Bontorin by TKO via strikes (4:55, R1)
#2 Joseph Benavidez vs. #3 Askar Askarov
Round One
The round begins with Benavidez and Askarov exchanging some kicks, Benavidez comes forward and he takes some swings at Askarov. Askarov responds by cracking Benavidez with a right, Askarov nails Benavidez with a front kick to the midsection. Benavidez pops a swinging Askarov with a counter right hook, Askarov continues landing kicks to the midsection of Benavidez. Askarov then nails Benavidez with a short right hook, Benavidez and Askarov exchange some leg kicks. Askarov comes forward and Benavidez pops him with a few rights, Askarov grabs Benavidez and he gets him up against the cage wall. Askarov drags Benavidez to the ground and he gets him to stay after the second takedown, Askarov looks for a choke as the round ends.
Round Two
The round begins with Benavidez attacking Askarov with some leg kicks, Askarov goes back to kicking Benavidez in the midsection. Askarov rocks a swinging Benavidez with a pair of counter right hooks, Askarob scores a takedown on Benavidez and he gets side control. Askarov gains back control on Benavidez, Benavidez scrambles to his feet and Askarov maintains a clinch. Askarov scores another takedown on Benavidez and Benavidez gets back up, Askarov gets Benavidez down again and he gets back control. Benavidez scrambles to his feet and Askarov keeps him against the cage wall, Askarov gets Benavidez back to the ground again while landing some strikes. Askarov cracks Benavidez with a combination as the round ends.
Round Three
The round begins with Benavidez attempting a high kick against Askarov, Askarov cracks a swinging Benavidez with a high kick. Benavidez starts landing some leg kicks against Askarov, Askarov avoids a few swings from Benavidez before landing a counter left. Benavidez and Askarov exchange some body kicks, Benavidez lands a right on Askarov before eating a two punch combo. Askarov goes for a high kick and Benavidez manages to block it, Benavidez cracks a kicking Askarov with a few rights. Benavidez and Askarov get into a few striking exchanges, Benavidez cracks Askarov with a right after a brief clinch. Askarov goes for a spinning back fist as the round ends.
Official Result: #3 Askar Askarov def. #2 Joseph Benavidez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
#14 Song Yadong vs. Kyler Phillips
Round One
The round begins with Phillips taking a few swings at Yadong, Yadong fires back and he attempts an uppercut against Phillips. Phillips hits Yadong with a body kick followed by a right, Phillips continues charging at Yadong while swinging away at him. Phillips lands a head kick and side kick to the body of Yadong, Yadong pops an incoming Phillips with a short right hook. Yadong goes for a spinning head kick and Phillips blocks it, Yadong goes for a jump knee strike and Phillips avoids it. Phillips cracks Yadong with a right before scoring a takedown on him, Yadong quickly scrambles to his feet. Yadong backs up Phillips after landing a right uppercut, Yadong comes forward and he takes some swings at Phillips. Yadong cracks Phillips with a spinning back kick to the midsection as the round ends.
Round Two
The round begins with the fighters swinging away at each other, Phillips backs up Yadong after throwing a high kick. Yadong and Phillips have a wild striking exchange near the cage wall, Phillips gets Yadong against the cage wall while looking for a takedown. Phillips starts landing some leg kicks against Yadong, Yadong swings away at Phillips as Phillips goes for a high kick. Phillips stuns a kicking Yadong with a counter left jab, Yadong lands a right to the midsection of Phillips. Phillips scores a takedown on Yadong and he gets the half guard, Phillips lands some ground and pound on Yadong. Yadong scrambles to his feet to get the fight standing again, Yadong and Phillips get into another striking exchange as the round ends.
Round Three
The round begins with the fighters taking some swings at each other, Yadong cracks Phillips with a two punch combination. Phillips goes for the takedown and Yadong avoids it, Yadong lands multiple shots to the midsection of Phillips. Phillips starts landing some leg kicks against Yadong, Yadong fires back and he lands his own leg kicks on Phillips. Yadong looks to land counter rights on a swinging Phillips, Phillips goes for a spinning head kick and Yadong avoids it. Yadong backs Phillips into the cage wall while swinging away at him, Phillips scores a takedown on Yadong and he gets the half guard. Yadong sweeps Phillips and he gets top control on Phillips, Phillips rolls for the leg of Yadong as the round ends.
Official Result: Kyler Phillips def. #14 Song Yadong by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
#11 Dominick Cruz vs. Casey Kenney
Round One
The round begins with Cruz hunting for a takedown on Kenney and Kenney defends, Kenney lands a knee strike before separating from Cruz. Cruz starts landing some leg kicks against Kenney, Kenney pops Cruz with a spinning back kick to the midsection. Cruz responds by nailing Kenney with a head kick, Kenney cracks a swinging Cruz with a counter left hook. Kenney and Cruz exchange a variety of kicks, Cruz pops a swinging Kenney with a few short rights. Cruz comes forward and he attacks Kenney with combinations, Cruz cracks Kenney with a kick to the midsection. Cruz throws a head kick while Kenney throws a leg kick, the fighters take more swings at each other as the round ends.
Round Two
The round begins with Kenney charging at and swinging at Cruz, Cruz fires back and he lands some shots on Kenney. Kenney also starts landing some leg kicks against Cruz, Cruz looks for a takedown and Kenney defends against it. Kenney then cracks Cruz with a short left hook, Kenney hits a kicking Cruz with a counter punch combo. Cruz lands a counter left on a kicking Kenney, Cruz pops in and out while taking swings at Kenney. Kenney and Cruz exchange some high kick attempts, Cruz lights up Kenney with a multiple punch combination. Cruz comes forward and he pops Kenney with a right, Cruz charges at Kenney while swinging away at him. Kenney goes for a high kick and Cruz manages to block it, Kenney looks for a guillotine choke on Cruz as the round ends.
Round Three
The round begins with the fighters swinging away at each other, Cruz goes for a takedown and Kenney looks for a guillotine choke. Cruz gets Kenney down and he gets side control, Cruz advances to the half guard on Kenney while escaping the choke. Kenney gets up and Cruz swings away at him, Kenney goes back to attacking Cruz with some leg kicks. Cruz charges forward while swinging away at Kenney, Kenney pops a swinging Cruz with a counter right. Kenney backs up Cruz after popping him with a left, Cruz and Kenney get into a few wild striking exchanges. Cruz backs up Kenney after landing a multiple strike combination, Cruz and Kenney continue getting in wild striking exchanges. Cruz nails Kenney with a knee strike to the midsection, Cruz scores a takedown on Kenney and he gets the half guard. Kenney eats shots while getting Cruz in his full guard, Cruz nails Kenney with ground and pound as the round ends.
Official Result: #11 Dominick Cruz def. Casey Kenney by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
#2 Thiago Santos vs. #4 Aleksandar Rakic
Round One
The round begins with the fighters taking a few swings at each other, Rakic lands a counter right on a swinging Santos. Santos starts landing some leg kicks against Rakic, Rakic and Santos exchange a bunch of kicks. Rakic goes for a head kick and Santos manages to block it, Santos attacks a kicking Rakic with a multiple punch combo. Rakic lands leg kicks of his own against a swinging Santos, the fighters stay at a distance while swinging away at each other. Santos attempts a jump knee strike as the round ends.
Round Two
The round begins with the fighters trading some leg kicks, Santos goes for a high kick and Rakic avoids it. Santos cracks Rakic with a left to the midsection, Santos charges at Rakic while swinging away at him. Rakic grabs a swinging Santos and he gets him up against the cage wall, the fighters trade some shots while in the clinch. Santos separates from Rakic after landing some knee strikes, Santos and Rakic exchange more leg kicks. Rakic nails a swinging Santos with a counter left hook, Rakic for a jump knee strike as the round ends.
Round Three
The round begins with Rakic attempting a high kick against Santos, Santos and Rakic exchange some leg kicks. Santos looks for a takedown and Rakic gets him up against the cage wall, the fighters separate and exchange more leg kicks. Santos cracks Rakic with a kick to the midsection, Santos backs up Rakic while attacking him with kicks. Rakic grabs Santos and he gets him up against the cage wall, Santos defends while nailing Rakic with some elbow strikes. Rakic breaks free and the fighters swing away at each other, Santos goes for a spinning head kick as the round ends.
Official Result: #4 Aleksandar Rakic def. #2 Thiago Santos by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
#14 Islam Makhachev vs. Drew Dober
Round One
The round begins with Dober and Makhachev exchanging some leg kicks, Makhachev and Dober also exchange some rights. Makhachev scores a takedown on Dober and he gets the half guard, Makhachev attacks Dober with some ground and pound. Makhachev transitions to the side control position on Dober, Dober scrambles and Makhachev winds up keeping him down in the end, Makhachev catches a scrambling Dober in an arm bar as the round ends.
Round Two
The round begins with the fighters swinging away at each other, Makhachev hunts for a takedown and he eventually drags Dober to the ground. Makhachev attacks Dober with some ground and pound, Dober looks to get up and Makhachev controls him to keep him down. Dober gets Makhachev in his full guard while eating a bunch of strikes, Makhachev nails Dober with ground and pound until the round ends.
Round Three
The round begins with Dober taking some swings at Makhachev, Makhachev scores a takedown on Dober and he gets the full guard. Makhachev catches Dober in an arm triangle choke and a tap out follows.
Official Result: #14 Islam Makhachev def. Drew Dober by submission via arm triangle choke (1:37, R3)
UFC Bantamweight Championship
Petr Yan (c) vs. #1 Aljamain Sterling
Round One
The round begins with Sterling attacking Yan with kicks to the midsection, Yan backs up Sterling with a multiple punch combination. Sterling cracks Yan with a flying knee strike, Sterling also starts landing leg kicks against Yan. Yan pops Sterling with his own kick to the midsection, Yan scores a trip takedown on Sterling and Sterling gets up a short time later. Sterling cracks Yan with another flying knee strike to the head, Sterling scores a takedown on Yan and Yan gets up while eating strikes. Yan grabs Sterling and he gets him up against the cage wall, the fighters separate and Yan drops Sterling with a right. Sterling gets up and he swings away at Yan, Yan drops Sterling with a leg kick and Sterling gets up. Yan follows up by exchanging body shots with Sterling, Sterling trips up Yan and they battle on the ground. Yan gets up and Sterling gets up as well a short time later, Yan scores another takedown on Sterling and Sterling sweeps him to get top control. Sterling gets to his feet as the round ends.
Round Two
The round begins with Sterling nailing Yan with a few shots to the midsection Sterling slips on a kick attempt and Yan takes a few swings at him before letting him back up. Sterling charges at Yan while swinging away at him, Sterling goes for a takedown and Yan defends to get top control on the ground. Yan gets back up and Sterling gets him up against the cage wall, the fighters separate and Sterling nails Yan with a combination. Sterling gets Yan back against the cage wall while eating a few strikes, the fighters separate and Yan lands a few shots on Sterling. Yan scores a takedown on Sterling and he gets back control, Sterling gets up while eating strikes and the round ends.
Round Three
The round begins with the fighters trading a few shots while at a distance, Yan pops Sterling with a left to the midsection. Yan attacks an incoming Sterling with combinations and knee strikes, Sterling looks for a takedown and Yan defends. Sterling and Yan exchange a plethora of jabs to their faces, Yan nails Sterling with a kick to the midsection. Sterling nails Yan with a few punches to the midsection, Yan continues backing up Sterling while swinging away at him. Yan trips Sterling and Sterling gets back up, Yan then cracks Sterling with a two punch combination. Sterling continues hunting for the takedown against Yan, Yan gets free after attacking Sterling with a knee strike. Yan trips up Sterling again and he kicks away at his legs before letting him back up, Sterling goes for a head kick and Yan blocks it. Sterling looks for the takedown and Yan defends while landing strikes, Sterling lands a few leg kicks against Yan. Yan drags Sterling to the ground as the round ends.
Round Four
The round begins with Yan trips up a swinging Sterling and Sterling gets back up, Sterling eats a few shots before attacking the body of Yan. Sterling and Yan exchange a few leg kicks, Yan backs up Sterling while throwing a few strikes. Yan then cracks a swinging Sterling with a counter right hook, Yan also nails Sterling with a kick to the midsection. Yan spins Sterling around before landing a pair of right hooks, Yan cracks Sterling with a kick to the midsection. Yan backs up Sterling after cracking him with a right, Yan also lands a follow up left on Sterling before avoiding some takedown attempts. Yan continuously cracks Sterling with combinations, Sterling attempts a few head kicks and Yan blocks them. Yan then nails Sterling with an illegal knee strike to the head and the fight is halted, the fight is called off as the doctor deems that Sterling is unable to continue.
Official Result: #1 Aljamain Sterling def. Petr Yan by DQ via illegal strike (4:29, R4) to win the title
UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship
Amanda Nunes (c) vs. Megan Anderson
Round One
The round begins with Nunes attacking Anderson with some leg kicks, Anderson fires back with leg kicks of her own. Nunes comes forward and she attacks Anderson with a combination, Nunes stuns Anderson with a second combination. Anderson goes for a takedown and Nunes defends while getting back control, Nunes attacks Anderson with ground and pound. Nunes catches Anderson in an arm bar and the tap out follows.
Official Result: Amanda Nunes def. Megan Anderson by submission via arm bar (2:03, R1) to retain the title
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Jan Blachowicz (c) vs. Israel Adesanya (UFC Middleweight Champion)
Round One
The round begins with Adesanya attacking Blachowicz with some leg kicks, Blachowicz fires back with some leg kicks of his own. Adesanya goes for a high kick and Blachowicz blocks it, Blachowicz charges at Adesanya while taking some swings at him. Adesanya starts peppering Blachowicz with jabs to the face, Blachowicz and Adesanya exchange some high kicks. Blachowicz attacks Adesanya by landing a kick to his midsection, Adesanya comes forward and he takes some swings at Blachowicz. Adesanya and Blachowicz exchange some more kicks as the round ends.
Round Two
The round begins with the fighters getting into a brief exchange, Blachowicz backs Adesanya up after landing a right. Adesanya nails Blachowicz with a kick to the midsection, Blachowicz cracks a swinging Adesanya with a counter left hook. Blachowicz nails a swinging Adesanya with a multiple strike combination, Blachowicz and Adesanya exchange some jabs. Blachowicz charges at Adesanya while swinging away at him, Blachowicz and Adesanya exchange some leg kicks. Blachowicz clinches with Adesanya before landing a knee strike, Blachowicz lands a kick to the midsection of Adesanya. Adesanya cracks a backing Blachowicz with a two strike combination, Adesanya accidentally kicks Blachowicz low and the fight is halted. The fight resumes with the fighters trading some jabs, Blachowicz lands a few shots to the midsection of a kicking Adesanya as the round ends.
Round Three
The round begins with Blachowicz landing a combination on Adesanya, Blachowicz then pops Adesanya with a left hook. Blachowicz drags Adesanya to the ground and Adesanya gets up while eating a knee strike, Adesanya recovers and he lands a counter shot on Blachowicz. Adesanya backs Blachowicz up while taking some swings at him, Blachowicz grabs a swinging Adesanya and he gets him up against the cage wall. The fighters separate and Adesanya lands some leg kicks on Blachowicz, Adesanya backs up Blachowicz again while landing some combinations. Blachowicz lands a kick to the midsection of Adesanya, Blachowicz cracks a swinging Adesanya with a counter left hook. Blachowicz grabs Adesanya and he gets him back against the cage wall, the fighters separate and swing away at each other as the round ends.
Round Four
The round begins with Blachowicz getting a swinging Adesanya up against the cage wall, the fighters separate after Blachowicz lands a right. Blachowicz then cracks a swinging Adesanya with a counter right, Blachowicz and Adesanya exchange some combinations. Blachowicz nails Adesanya with a kick to the midsection, Adesanya cracks a swinging Blachowicz with a counter right. Blachowicz scores a takedown on Adesanya and he gets the open guard. Blachowicz transitions to the half guard against Adesanya, Blachowicz attacks Adesanya with some ground and pound. Blachowicz advances to side control against Adesanya, Blachowicz returns to the half guard on Adesanya while landing more strikes and the round ends.
Round Five
The round begins with Adesanya landing some leg kicks and jabs on Blachowicz, Blachowicz and Adesanya exchange some jabs. Adesanya eats a few jabs while landing combos on Blachowicz, Adesanya cracks a swinging Blachowicz with a counter right. Adesanya backs up Blachowicz after landing a two punch combination, Adesanya then hits Blachowicz with a jumping back kick to the midsection. Blachowicz scores a takedown on Adesanya and he gets the full guard, Blachowicz starts attacking Adesanya with some ground and pound. Blachowicz transitions to the half guard position on Adesanya, Blachowicz attacks Adesanya with more ground and pound while gaining the full mount as the round ends.
Official Result: Jan Blachowicz def. Israel Adesanya by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-45, 49-45) to retain the title