Prelim Results | UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland

The middleweights spent the first round trading strikes at range, neither landing anything of real significance as Diaz did well to keep his guard high and largely make Gautier miss. But early in the second, Diaz threw a lazy jab and Gautier countered with a thunderous right hand over the top, putting his opponent on the deck and ending the fight in an instant.

Gautier had to work hard to secure the victory last time out, but this was a performance more representative of his efforts last year, where he earned three straight first-round finishes. “The Storm” is continuing to build and everyone throughout the middleweight division should be paying close attention.

The former Bellator champion controlled the opening frame with his grappling, staying sticky to Alvarez the whole way through, never allowing the rangy Spaniard to get into his offense. After Alvarez started the second with a little more urgency and success on the feet, Amosov quickly turned a back waist lock into a high amplitude takedown before immediately locking up the fight ending choke.

That’s now consecutive submission wins over battle-tested competitors for the Ukrainian dark horse, who moved to 30-1 overall with the win. Amosov has shown in his first two outings that he’s deserving of an opportunity to face a ranked opponent next time out.

The American Top Team representative Dawson dominated the opening round, hurting the Polish DWCS grad on the feet before shifting into grappling mode and grinding out the rest of the round. After Rebecki responded by cracking and dropping Dawson early in the second and drawing level in the fight, the American took the back early in the third and controlled the action throughout, clamping onto the fight-ending choke late in the frame.

Dawson was brought to tears after securing the finish, his seventh in the UFC to date. After getting stopped early last time out, surviving the second-round knockdown and working to a finish was surely massive win in the midst of the battle that helped propel the 31-year-old to victory.

The veterans spent the opening minutes of the contest exchanging spare strikes as they looked to establish their range and timing, with the cleanest blow being when Miller accidentally landed a low blow on Gordon. Midway through the frame, Gordon drove in for a takedown and Miller instantly attacked the neck, working to a fully closed guard and squeezing out the tap.

That’s now 28 UFC wins in 47 UFC starts for Miller, who sits atop the leaderboard in both categories, as well as having the most finishes in lightweight division history. The veteran has now earned finishes in each of his last 11 wins, and continues to show no signs of slowing down.

Tulio did well picking at Kopylov over the opening nine minutes, working behind a lead right hand to open up a gnarly gash around the left eye of Kopylov. But sudden left hands and quick flurries put the Brazilian on the deck in the waning moments of the second and initial goings of the third, with Kopylov forging ahead and holding on down the stretch.

This was a much-needed rebound effort for Kopylov, who halted a two-fight skid with a steely effort in Brick City. The 35-year-old has always been a tough out and remains tricky assignment for anyone trying to climb into the Top 15.

The Marquez MMA man used his ability to dictate the terms in the clinch to stifle Gomis’ offensive output, closing the distance and pinning the French kickboxer to the fence for long stretches, only occasionally dragging him to the canvas for very brief moments. While Gomis was the more effective of the two in space, there were just so few instances where Gomis was able to have success that it was difficult to find a way to favor him on the cards.

While not the most aesthetically pleasing fight, Sabatini was effective with his approach and Gomis was not able to break free or keep him off of him. Four straight wins in the featherweight division is never anything to dismiss, and it’ll be interesting to see who Sabatini lands opposite after this one.

Santos wasn’t swayed by the undefeated prospect’s bravado and early output in the first round, eating a series of hard low kicks while landing the better overall strikes in the opening five minutes. But as the fight progressed, Susurkaev settled in more and started pulling away, cutting the Brazilian late in the second before dominating the early stages of the third and choking out Santos in the final minute of the fight.

This was another solid effort for the Dana White’s Contender Series standout, who remains unbeaten at 12-0 with finishes in each of his first three UFC starts. Once again, he’s ventured into the late stages before wrapping things up, but there is no question the 25-year-old is a serious emerging threat in the 185-pound weight class.

The Peruvian flyweight pressed the action from the beginning, utilizing his speed advantage to begin battering the Dana White’s Contender Series grad, targeting his body and landing with incredible efficiency. While Carpenter hung tough and never stopped trying to battle back, Ochoa never allowed him to build real momentum, stymying his advances with more punishing offense.

While the bout went the distance, the outcome was never in question as Ochoa garnered a clear sweep of the scorecards. The 25-year-old Chute Boxe Diego Lima product is a tremendous prospect and another young name to track in the thriving flyweight division, and receive another opportunity to fight forward in the division after this brilliant performance.