Prelim Results | UFC Abu Dhabi

“Thug Nasty” responded by leaning on his grappling in the second, going back to the well in the third, where he advanced to the back with a minute remaining to close out the contest.

When the tens and nines were totaled, it was Mitchell that came out ahead, who got himself back into the win column and moving in the right direction to kick off his bantamweight tenure. This is a very good opening win for the Arkansas native, who should get a chance to work forward in the rankings relatively quickly. | Main Card Results | Scorecards

“The King of Kung-Fu” connected on a one-hitter quitter just moments into his clash with Carlos Leal on Saturday, landing a heavy overhand right counter that sent “The Lion” crumbling to the canvas in a heap.

That’s now three straight wins for the 41-year-old welterweight stalwart and consecutive outstanding finishes, as this weekend’s knockout follows his spinning heel kick knockout of Song Kenan last year in Macau. Just an amazing performance by the dangerous veteran. | Main Card Results | Scorecards

It was more of the same in the third, as Grant did well to stuff Blackshear’s takedown attempts and continue connecting with quality offerings through to the final horn.

Grant is one of the more resilient and inspiring fighters on the roster, having battled injuries and long layoffs throughout his career while constantly showing tenacity, toughness and heart whenever he’s in there. He’s now 7-3 over his last 10 fights, with his two most recent setbacks coming by way of debated split decision, and continues to be one of the best veteran tests in the Second 15 at bantamweight. | Main Card Results | Scorecards

But in the second, Ricci listened to her corner and attacked with elbows as the two clinched along the fence, hurting her compatriot and eventually sending her to the canvas, where “Baby Shark” recognized the blood in the water and secured the finish.

This was an outstanding finish and massive win for Ricci, who is now 7-2 in the strawweight division and continuing to show improvements. With an outstanding grappling base and developing striking in the clinch, the 30-year-old remains an intriguing fixture in the 115-pound ranks. | Main Card Results | Scorecards

Neither man landed anything truly noteworthy, offering single strikes and largely only connecting with occasional jabs and inside kicks, making it a tremendously difficult fight to score.

When the final horn sounded and the scorecards were tallied, it was Elekana that came away on the happy side of the verdict, earning his first UFC victory. Aslan was confused by the decision going against him, but the output and effectiveness simply wasn’t there from the now scuffling Contender Series alum. | Main Card Results | Scorecards

Nguyen caught Yahya flush almost immediately and continued to land heavy blows throughout the opening stanza, dropping the local competitor numerous times, prompting referee Jason Herzog to take a close look at stopping the contest. Yahya came out spirited to start the second, stinging Nguyen, only to get dropped again and lumped up even more.

The fight was halted between frames as Yahya’s left eye looked like there was a tennis ball trying to force its way out of his face. It was a little anticlimactic for Nguyen, but this was a dominant performance and a second straight entertaining effort for the Dana White’s Contender Series grad. | Main Card Results | Scorecards

In the third, Buday opened with solid, but limited offense, only for Buchecha to find a way to his back in a scramble before getting too high and losing his position, allowing the Dana White’s Contender Series grad to close out the frame in top position looking to land ground-and-pound.

When the scorecards were collected and totalled, it was Buday that came out ahead, earning a third consecutive win and putting a damper on one of the more hyped debuts of the year. Now 7-1 inside the Octagon, the 33-year-old Buday has shown he’s a step ahead of the emerging class, and could very well get a look against a Top 10 opponent next time out. | Main Card Results | Scorecards