There was a lot of bad blood simmering in the main event between Kevin Lee and Michael Chiesa after a heated press conference run-in last month ended with the two lightweights nearly throwing down on stage rather than waiting to meet in the Octagon.
Lee and Chiesa wasted no time engaging in battle on Sunday night in Oklahoma City as they looked to settle their differences once and for all. Following a back and forth exchange early, Chiesa seemed to gain the upper hand with a slip from Lee that nearly gave up a takedown.
Lee quickly scrambled out of the position and secured a big slam of his own before passing guard and latching on to Chiesa's back to look for the submission. Lee methodically worked his legs around for a body triangle before locking up the rear naked choke. A moment later, the fight was stopped despite Chiesa not actually tapping out because referee Mario Yamasaki believed he was going to sleep from the submission.
Chiesa objected but the fight was already over as Lee wrapped up the first-round victory to earn the biggest win of his UFC career.
While Lee was actually the slight betting favorite according to oddsmakers, only 24 percent of fantasy players picked him going into the main event, with 76 percent favoring Chiesa. Lee ultimately pulled off the victory as he picked up his fifth win in a row in the UFC.
Tim Boetsch also pulled off an upset in the co-main event as he knocked out former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks in spectacular fashion in the second round. Boetsch was selected by just 39 percent of fantasy players, although 65 percent of that group did pick him to win by knockout, so that certainly added a few extra points by the end of the night.
Felice Herrig was one of the biggest favorites on the card and she came through with a dominant win over previously undefeated strawweight Justine Kish. 83 percent of fantasy players picked Herrig to get the win, which marked her third in a row.
Dominick Reyes made quite an impression in his UFC debut with a first-round knockout over Joachim Christensen. Reyes was selected by 68 percent of fantasy players, with another 59 percent predicting he would win by knockout. Because this was his first UFC fight, Reyes' win was also worth an additional 40 points.
Tim Means kept the favorite streak going after he earned a unanimous decision over Alex Garcia after 74 percent of fantasy players picked him. Unfortunately, UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn was unable to deliver the same result as he fell to Dennis Siver after 62 percent of fantasy players picked him to win on Sunday night.
On the prelims, Clay Guida looked better than ever in his return to lightweight as he earned a unanimous decision win over Erik Koch. Guida was a slight underdog according to fantasy players, with 46 percent picking him, but he also earned an extra 120 bonus points because it was such a tight matchup going into the event.
Marvin Vettori picked up a win over Vitor Miranda, with 69 percent of fantasy players picking him, while former champ Carla Esparza got back on track with a unanimous decision over Maryna Moroz after 73 percent of fantasy players selected her.
Darrell Horcher also made a successful return to the Octagon after 13 months away with a unanimous decision win over Devin Powell. Despite his long layoff, Horcher was selected by 66 percent of fantasy players.
Jared Gordon was another upset winner on the early prelims after he took out Michel Quinones with a second-round TKO. He was picked by just 41 percent of fantasy players, but he also earned an extra 120 points because the fight was close according to the oddsmakers.
Tony Martin also pulled off an impressive upset with his victory over Johnny Case after just 35 percent of fantasy players picked him on the card.
All told, seven underdogs picked up wins at UFC Fight Night from Oklahoma City according to the selections made by fantasy players, with six favorites coming through with victories.
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