Back in the Octagon for the first time since January 2020, Ode’ Osbourne didn’t stick around long, as he halted Jerome Rivera in less than 30 seconds to open up the UFC Fight Night event at 145 pounds.

Rivera went upstairs with a kick that was dodged by Osbourne, and a straight left from “The Jamaican Sensation” landed flush and dropped Rivera. A barrage of ground strikes followed, bringing in referee Chris Tognoni to stop the fight at the 26 second mark of round one.

With the win, Osbourne moves to 9-3, 1 NC. Rivera falls to 10-5.

Official Result: Ode’ Osbourne def. Jerome Rivera by KO at :26 of Round 1

Brazil’s Lara Procopio made her first start since August 2019 a successful one, as she won a three-round unanimous decision over England’s Molly McCann in a flyweight bout.

As expected, McCann (10-4) came out fast and had her moments in the first round, but once Procopio got the fight to the mat with 2:50 left in the frame, the Brazilian dominated her grounded foe.

Procopio (7-1) got the fight to the ground early in the second, but McCann nearly turned everything around with a tight armbar attempt. With 2:15 left, though, Procopio pulled free and got back to work on the mat and she continued to do so throughout the final frame, securing her victory by scores of 29-27, 29-28 and 30-27.

Official Result: Lara Procopio def. Molly McCann by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Bantamweight up and comer Karol Rosa made it three for three in the UFC, as she defeated Joselyne Edwards via unanimous decision.

Scores were 30-27 across the board for Rosa, now 14-3. Edwards, who replaced Nicco Montano on short notice, falls to 10-3. 

Rosa took Edwards down as soon as the fight began, and she smoothly controlled matters until the Panamanian found a way free and went on the attack, and while she had her moments, by the end of the round, Rosa had found her way back into the grappling exchanges she wanted.

Scoring with hard leg kicks to start the second stanza, Rosa looked a lot more comfortable in the striking realm, but that didn’t stop Edwards from throwing the flurries that are rapidly becoming her trademark. Those flurries were sporadic though, and when Edwards got too aggressive, Rosa – who was bloodied on her mouth - took her down and kept her there.

Rosa put the fight back on the mat early in round three, and though Edwards kept battling, the Brazilian was not going to be denied, as she dominated the round en route to her third Octagon victory.

Official Result: Karol Rosa def. Joselyne Edwards by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

On the sidelines since August 2019, Devonte Smith made a triumphant return in a 160-pound catchweight bout, as he halted Justin Jaynes in the second round.

Smith’s jab was on target as Jaynes was having difficulty nullifying his opponent’s eight-inch reach advantage early on, but the Las Vegan did briefly rock his foe with an overhand right with two minutes left, giving him the confidence that he was getting closer. Smith finished the round strong, though, with a blitz of strikes making quite an impression, especially considering that Jaynes was holding his leg in the air for most of them.

Jaynes went after a takedown to open round two, but Smith reversed position and ended up being the one on top as the fight went to the mat. Midway through the round, Smith got into the mount position and then took Jaynes’ back. A rear naked choke attempt followed, but Jaynes got loose and back to his feet. But as he rose, his left eye was swollen shut, and the Octagonside physician had seen enough. The time of the stoppage was 3:38.

With the win, Smith moves to 11-2. Jaynes falls to 16-7.

Official Result: Devonte Smith def. Justin Jaynes by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 3:38 of Round 2

Brazil’s Danilo Marques scored his second consecutive victory in the Octagon, submitting Mike Rodriguez in the second round of their light heavyweight bout.

Within the first 30 seconds of the bout, Marques had Rodriguez on the mat, kicking off a pattern for the rest of the round where the New Englander would occasionally find daylight, only to be caught in the swarming grappling of Marques. 

Marques kept the pressure on in the second, wearing Rodriguez down with his ground attack, and late in the round, he suddenly ended the bout with a rear naked choke. The official time of the finish was 4:52 of round two.

With the win, Marques moves to 11-2. Rodriguez falls to 11-6, 1 NC.

Official Result: Danilo Marques def. Mike Rodriguez by submission (rear naked choke) at 4:52 of Round 2

In a rematch between lightweight contenders, Beneil Dariush scored his second victory over Diego Ferreira, taking a three-round split decision.

Scores were 29-28 twice and 28-29 for the No. 13-ranked Dariush, now 20-4-1. The No. 10-ranked Ferreira falls to 17-3. Dariush outpointed Ferreira in the first fight in 2014, as well.

There was no dip in the high-level action in the opening round, with some exciting grappling and striking exchanges highlighted by a knee to the body by Dariush that stunned Ferreira and some hard punches upstairs that rocked Dariush late in the frame. 

Neither fighter backed away from each other as the second opened, the slugging continuing until a takedown by Dariush in the first minute of the round. Midway through, Ferreira got to his feet and separated, but only for a moment, as the two locked up again. With 1:45 left, there was some more striking until Dariush got another takedown and while Ferreira tried to stay busy, it was the Californian remaining in control.

Determined to keep the fight standing, Ferreira was able to do that for much of the final frame, but with a minute left, Dariush got the fight to the mat and kept it there until a late surge from the Brazilian.

Official Result: Beneil Dariush def. Diego Ferreira by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

Flyweight contender Alexandre Pantoja spoiled the UFC debut of highly regarded Manel Kape, outpointing his foe via unanimous decision in a close three-rounder.

The faster Kape landed at a good accuracy clip in the first round, but it was Pantoja who was the busier and more aggressive fighter, and when you add in some good ground strikes when Kape missed a cartwheel kick, the edge went to the Brazilian.

Kape got more aggressive in the second round, even chasing a pair of takedowns, but with Pantoja remaining steady in his attack, it was another close round heading into the final frame.

Nothing changed in the third, with both fighters going neck and neck throughout, but when the judges’ scores were tallied, it was the No. 5-ranked Pantoja emerging victorious via scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.

Official Result: Alexandre Pantoja def. Manel Kape by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Lightweight veterans Clay Guida and Michael Johnson engaged in an entertaining three-rounder, with Guida leaving the Octagon with his hand raised via unanimous decision.

Scores were 30-27 across the board for Guida, now 36-17. Johnson falls to 20-17.

Guida rattled Johnson with a couple right hands and a kick to the head in the opening stages of the fight before getting a takedown with two minutes gone. Johnson got back to his feet, Guida emerging with a bloody forehead, and the St. Louis vet was able to start getting his offense in gear. Guida’s right hand was still finding a home, though, and he landed it three times in the closing seconds of the round.

The second featured Guida’s swarming grappling attack, but Johnson did have his moments both in the clinch and with his strikes, keeping it close the entire way.

Johnson looked to be in a rhythm with his strikes in the third, but that left him open for a Guida takedown followed by more grueling clinch work against the fence once the two stood. As the bout went back to the mat, Guida got Johnson’s back and sunk in a rear naked choke, and while Johnson escaped, he remained stuck in a body triangle that Guida kept until the end of the bout.

Official Result: Clay Guida def. Michael Johnson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

In the UFC Fight Night co-main event, Cory Sandhagen delivered a statement to the top of the bantamweight division, as he knocked out Frankie Edgar in the first round.

Edgar’s trademark pressure was in evidence as the bout opened, but with perfect timing, a jumping right knee caught Edgar flush on the jaw, sending him down to the canvas face first. There was no need for any follow-up from Sandhagen, with referee Keith Peterson halting the bout at 28 seconds of the opening round.

With the win, the No. 2-ranked Sandhagen moves to 14-2. The No. 4-ranked Edgar falls to 23-9-1.

Official Result: Cory Sandhagen def. Frankie Edgar by KO at :28 of round 1

Alexander Volkov’s seventh UFC win was his most impressive by far, as he stopped perennial heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem in the second round of their UFC Fight Night main event at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.

Volkov opened with kicks to the leg and body, with Overeem taking until the second minute to start getting his offense in gear with a couple thudding lefts upstairs. A right uppercut by Overeem hit its mark with two minutes left, but he stumbled to the mat a few seconds later, with Volkov landing some hard shots on the mat before “The Demolition Man” got back to his feet. Volkov finished even stronger with a series of hard shots that bloodied his foe before the horn.

Keeping the momentum going into the second stanza, Volkov tagged Overeem with a stiff jab. Overeem tried to grapple to get back into the fight, but once “Drago” got free, he kept drilling the Netherlands veteran with shot after shot, and finally, a left hand sent Overeem to the canvas, prompting referee Jason Herzog to stop the fight at 2:06 of round two.

With the win, the No. 6-ranked Volkov moves to 33-8. The No. 5-ranked Overeem falls to 47-19, 1 NC.

Official Result: Alexander Volkov def. Alistair Overeem by TKO at 2:06 of round 2