2025 Africa First Round Play-by-Play

Sherdog’s live
PFL Champions Series 2: 2025 Africa First Round coverage will
begin Saturday morning at approximately 10 a.m. ET.

Round 1

A women’s strawweight clash kicks off festivities at GrandWest
Arena in Cape Town, South Africa, as the unbeaten Ukah (6-0, 0-0
PFL) zeroes in on Niedermayr (3-2, 0-0 PFL). Ferdinand Basson draws
the officiating assignment. Niedermayr looks to counter with both
hands. Not much going on midway through the round. Side kick to the
body from Niedermayr. Counter right hand over the top from Ukah.
Niedermayr shoots, secures a body lock and presses her opponent
into the cage. Ukah’s takedown defense passes its first test. One
minute to go. Niedermayr works knees to the inner thigh. Ukah
separates with 10 seconds to go in the round. Ukah lands a one-two
at the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ukah
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Ukah
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Ukah

Round 2

Back at it for the middle stanza. Ukah fires a rear-leg front kick
to the body and moves forward with minimal pressure. Niedermayr
hunts a clinch, only to be rebuffed. Ukah connects with another
counter right hand. She lands with both hands, bloodies her
opponent’s nose and gets poked in her eye. Ref pauses the action.
Niedermayr shoots on a takedown, presses her counterpart into the
cage and gets denied with the aid of a cage grab that goes
unnoticed. Midway through the round. Ukah starting to establish a
rhythm with both her punches and kicks. Counter left hook snaps
backs Niedermayr’s head. Ukah lands front kicks to the body with
both feet, one after the other. Niedermayr shoots behind a right
hand. Ukah cuts her off by threatening a guillotine.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ukah
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Ukah
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Ukah

Round 3

Niedermayr likely needs a finish her. She whiffs on a high kick and
eats a pair overhand rights from Ukah. Niedermayr stumbles backward
on unsteady feet. Ukah fires a shovel uppercut and stays busy with
kicks to the body and lead leg. She scores with a surgical
straight, left then another. Niedermayr just simply outmatched in
this one. Ukah lands a slapping head kick and cuts off another
takedown attempt, bracing herself along the fence. Midway through
the round. Ukah shows excellent balance and separates. Inside leg
from Ukah, who continues to rack up points with superior standup.
Another eye poke from Niedermayr results in another pause to the
action. Second such foul probably deserves a point deduction.
Referee calls for the cageside physician to examine Ukah, who’s now
in a seated position along the cage. Niedermayr gets away with a
warning instead. They finally restart. Niedermayr pumps out a
range-finding jab, as Ukah sneaks a pair of straight lefts through
her guard. Niedermayr shoots, gets denied and settles in the
clinch. Less than a minute left, and it seems as though Ukah is
going to coast to a forgettable decision. She breaks free and fires
punches from both hands, then sprawls on a desperation takedown
attempt from Niedermayr.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ukah (30-27 Ukah)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Ukah (30-27 Ukah)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Ukah (30-27 Ukah)

The Official Result

Juliet Ukah def. Ceileigh Niedermayr—Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

Moving along, Gnaze (8-5, 0-0 PFL) locks horns with Bably (5-2, 2-2
PFL) in a PFL Africa heavyweight quarterfinal. Rich Mitchell steps
in as the third man in the cage. They touch gloves and get down to
business. Sharp one-two from Bably, who follows up with another
right hand. They clinch in the center of the cage and nearly butt
heads. Gnaze pushes his opponent to the fence. Bably answers with
knees to the body. Gnaze lands a few left hands before the
separate. Another one-two from Bably, who clinches. Gnaze reverses
him on the cage and scores with a hammerfist to the thigh followed
by a left hook upstairs. Bably breaks free but walks into a check
hook. His knees buckle briefly. They clinch again. Bably creates
some space and lands a right hand over the top that staggers his
adversary. Gnaze clinches. Bably lands an elbow over the top and
flurries. They separate again, then go right back to the clinch.
Bably connects with an elbow and sets of a multi-punch exchange
between them. He secures a takedown, comes to rest on half guard
and unleashes elbows and hammerfists. He postures in a crouched
position and continues to throw his hands. Gnaze stands, only to
absorb more punishment.
In the closing seconds of the round, Bably pins him to the fence
and wrecks him with a devastating right hook. Out go the
lights.

The Official Result

Abraham Bably def. Paul-Emmanuel Gnaze—KO (Punch) 4:59 R1

Round 1

They keep the line moving with a PFL Africa bantamweight
quarterfinal pitting the undefeated Hokonya (5-0, 0-0 PFL) against
Mlambo (15-6, 2-1 PFL) at 135 pounds. Pietie Coxen administers the
law and order. Off they go. Hokonya presses forward behind a leg
kick and commands the center of the cage. He shoots on a takedown,
as Mlambo counters with a guillotine. Hokonya stays safe and moves
to side control. He breaks Mlambo’s grip, moves to knee-on-belly
position and elects to go back to side control. Hokonya scores with
knees to the legs. Mlambo warned repeatedly for punches to the back
of the head. More knees from Hokonya, who now postures with elbows.
Mlambo works to a knee and stands. Hokonya stays on a body lock and
continues to pester his opponent in close quarters. More knees to
the hip and thigh from Hokonya, who executes another takedown and
winds up back in side control. Excellent start from the promotional
newcomer. One minute to go in the round. Hokonya drops elbows and
keeps his adversary pinned to the canvas. He threatens with a
keylock in the closing seconds.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hokonya
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-8 Hokonya
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Hokonya

Round 2

They touch gloves to start the middle stanza. Mlambo fires punches
from both hands, drawing oohs and aahs from the crowd. Hokonya
drops in on a double-leg and secures a takedown. He sheds a
guillotine and works from half guard. Mlambo musters a few short
punches from the bottom. Hokonya works to improve his position and
slams an elbow into his opponent’s exposed face. Mlambo has no
answers yet. Hokonya scores with elbows to the body midway through
the round. Shoulder strikes from Hokonya, who continues to stifle
Mlambo on the mat. He threatens to mount, then slides to side
control. Less than a minute left in the round. Short punches from
Hokonya, followed by knees to the body. He traps Mlambo in a
farside cradle in the closing seconds. Mlambo lands two elbows to
the back of the head, resulting in a halt to the action. Referee
asks for the cageside physician to examine Hokonya, who slowly gets
back to his feet. It’s going to cost Mlambo a point at the very
least. They restart with mere seconds left on the clock, and the
round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Hokonya
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-8 Hokonya
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-8 Hokonya

Round 3

Back at it for the final round, with Mlambo almost certainly down
big on the scorecards. Mlambo buckles his opponent’s knees with a
counter left hook, then absorbs a kick to the nether region,
resulting in another pause to the action. Fouls aplenty in this
one. Referee warns Hokonya to mind his weapons. They hug on the
restart. Leg kick from Hokonya, then another. He eats a left hook
on the way in but still completes a takedown. Mlambo tries to
scramble to his feet. Hokonya maneuvers behind him and scores with
ground-and-pound before eventually settling in half guard. He bites
down with shoulder pressure. Mlambo flirts with another penalty for
shots to the back of the head. Hokonya slides to side control and
lands a series of knees to the lower back. Desperation time form
Mlambo. Hokonya threatens with an arm-triangle, then goes back to
work in side control. Ref calls for action. Hokonya throws a few
elbows and hammerfists. Less than a minute to go. Mlambo scrambles
back to his feet. Counter right hand drops Mlambo, who gets to his
feet and answers with one of his own. Hokonya gets on his jab and
closes it out.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hokonya (30-26 Hokonya)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Hokonya (30-25 Hokonya)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Hokonya (30-26 Hokonya)

The Official Result

Simbarashe Hokonya def. Frans Mlambo—Unanimous Decision (30-26,
30-26, 30-25)

Round 1

Next up: a PFL Africa heavyweight quarterfinal matching the
unbeaten Kane (3-0, 0-0 PFL) with Houlton (7-4, 0-0 PFL).
Karagiannidis supervises the action. No glove touch. Kane works his
jab and connects with a one-two. He catches Houlton coming forward
and pokes him in the eye. Houlton drops to his knees at the base of
the cage. Kane rushes forward and lands a crushing illegal knee to
the face. Immediate pause to the action. Could be looking at a
disqualification. Houlton emerges with a cut over his left eye, as
the cageside physician examines him. Fight stopped.

The Official Result

Joffie Houlton def. Abdoulaye Kane—Disqualification (Illegal Knee)
0:40 R1

Round 1

Pressing ahead on the undercard, the 6-foot-2 Tshitamba (6-4, 0-0
PFL) toes the line against the undefeated Henniene (4-0, 0-0 PFL)
in a PFL Africa bantamweight quarterfinal. Basson answers the call
to referee. Off they go. Tshitamba whiffs on a head kick, then
targets the inside leg. Henniene answers with a multi-punch volley.
Slow start, as both men appear to be looking to counter. Tshitamba
shoots a right hand to the body. Henniene lands an inside leg kick.
He backs up Thshitamba with a right hand over the top but fails to
follow up. Leg kick from Henniene. Sharp one-two from the Tristar
Gym export. Ninety seconds left in the round. Henniene counters the
oncoming South African with a right hook, then circles into open
space. Henniene executes a judo throw, then transitions from a
guillotine to an anaconda choke. He works to tighten it, but
Thsitamba refuses to cooperate.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Henniene
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Henniene
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Henniene

Round 2

Can Tshitamba shift the momentum? He shots a right hand, then
another. Henniene swipes away a body kick. Tshitamba connects with
a right hand down the middle. Henniene circles away from danger and
lunges forward with a left hook. Body kick from Tshitamba. Pace
slows. One-two from Tshitamba, who controls the center of the cage.
Henniene answers with a clubbing right over the top. Tshitamba
scores with another body kick. Henniene still moving well laterally
but not offering much in terms of meaningful offense. He shoots in
on a double-leg and secures a takedown with 90 seconds to go in the
round. Tshitamba tries to shrimp away, but Henniene cuts off his
escape and goes to work in full guard. Henniene potentially wasting
an opportunity here, choosing position over damage. Referee
restarts them. Inside leg kick from Tshitamba.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Tshitamba
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Tshitamba
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Tshitamba

Round 3

Outcome still in doubt entering Round 3. Tshitamba aggressive at
the start, firing right hands behind his jab and keeping his
opponent hemmed in along the fence. Powerful one-two from the South
African, as the exchange in the center of the cage. He backs up
Henniene with a right hand, then paws with his jab. Henniene
circles on the outside and ducks a sweeping right hook. He
showboats for no apparent reason. Tshitamba controlling the center.
Midway through what has been an uneventful round thus far. Two body
kicks connect for Tshitamba. Henniene answers with a wild overhand
right. Tshitamba weathers it and gets back to work. He appears to
injure his foot while landing a leg kick. Henniene scores with a
judo throw with a minute to go and sets up in side control. He
smothers Tshitamba with shoulder pressure but offers no
ground-and-pound. Tshitamba throwing punches from the bottom.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Tshitamba (29-28 Tshitamba)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Henniene (29-28 Henniene)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Tshitamba (29-28
Tshitamba)

The Official Result

Karim Henniene def. Asiashu Tshitamba—Split Decision (30-27, 29-28,
28-29)

Round 1

Attention now shifts back to the heavyweights, as Awa (3-1, 0-0
PFL) takes on the unbeaten Clarke (2-0, 0-0 PFL) in a PFL Africa
quarterfinal. Mitchell adjudicates matters. They greet each other
with a glove touch. Both men paw with their jabs. Awa lands a
powerful leg kick. He steps into an overhand right that rocks
Clarke. He swarms with punches, resets, flurries again and
completes a takedown. Ground-and-pound ensues. Clarke gets back to
his feet, and they separate. Awa throws the South African to the
mat and connects a series of punches to the side of the head.
Clarke scrambles to his feet, and they clinch. Awa separates and
lands another brutal leg kick. He crashes forward, and they clash
heads. Mitchell warns Awa. Clarke lands a right hand on the
restart. More leg kicks from Awa, who looks somewhat weary midway
through the round. Nice one-two from Clarke. Overhand right from
Awa, who follows up with sweeping hooks from both hands. Clarke
tries to answer but winds up in the clinch. Awa breaks free but
eats a few punches for his troubles. Leg kick from Clarke. Awa
looks like he could use some oxygen. Clarke presses forward behind
punches. Twenty seconds to go. Awa throws a few labored punches at
the end of the round. Awa retires on his stool, perhaps due to a
broken nose.

The Official Result

Justin Clarke def. Jashell Ticha Awa—TKO (Retirement) 5:00 R1

Round 1

Next on the docket: Van Tonder (7-2, 0-0 PFL) squares off with the
undefeated Godogo (3-0, 0-0 PFL) in a PFL Africa bantamweight
quarterfinal. Coxen draws the officiating assignment. Godogo
executes a high-amplitude slam. Van Tonder wraps him in full guard.
He moves toward a triangle, then transitions to an armbar. Godogo
stacks and frees himself. Back in full guard. Short punches from
Godogo, who stays heavy on top. Van Tonder eats an elbow and
decides to lock up a body triangle in an attempt to control his
counterpart. Referee asks for action. Godogo goes back to the elbow
well. Van Tonder much less of a threat in the back half of the
round. Godogo piles up more points with punches and hammerfists.
Van Tonder tries to answer with elbows from the bottom but
experiences only minimal success.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Godogo
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Godogo
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Godogo

Round 2

Van Tonder steps forward with a leg kick. Godogo completes a
takedown, traps him in tight guillotine, rolls to full mount and
bails on the choke. Van Tonder drops some punches. Godogo looks to
scramble. Van Tonder maneuvers behind him, threads one hook and
hunts a rear-naked choke. Godogo defends. Van Tonder threads the
other hook, then secures position with a body triangle. He chases a
rear-naked choke, readjusts his grip and looks to go palm to palm.
Godogo reverses into top position and drops punches. A minute to
go. Elbows from Godogo, who mixes in a few forearm strikes before
posturing up and dropping punches. Godogo stands and shoots a
strong right hand into his opponent’s face. Van Tonder scrambles
into top position.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Van Tonder
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Godogo
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Van Tonder

Round 3

Anyone’s guess where we are in terms of scoring. Van Tonder takes
the center of the cage. Godogo scores with an inside leg kick and
dazes Van Tonder with a counter left. He swarms with punches but
wanders into a guillotine. Van Tonder releases the choke but lands
a knee up the middle. Powerful jab from Godogo snaps back his
opponent’s head. Van Tonder presses forward with kicks to the
inside and outside of the lead leg. Godogo secures a takedown and
sets up in full guard, then works punches to the head and body. Van
Tonder answers with elbow strikes from the bottom. Godogo stays
busy with ground-and-pound, bleeding valuable time off the clock.
Referee asks for more action. Two minutes to go. Godogo fires off
hammerfists and elbows. Van Tonder looks to lock up a kimura. No
luck for the South African. Godogo resumes his steady assault from
top position and appears to be closing in on a victory. Thirty
seconds left on the clock. Godogo continues to punch, doing just
enough to avoid a restart as the fight ends.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Godogo (29-28 Godogo)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Godogo (30-27 Godogo)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Godogo (29-28 Godogo)

The Official Result

Boule Godogo def. Shannon Van Tonder—Split Decision (30-26, 28-29,
29-27)

Round 1

They keep the ball rolling with a PFL Africa heavyweight
quarterfinal slotting Nana (6-1, 1-0 PFL) opposite Groguhe (6-2,
1-1 PFL). Karagiannidis steps in as the third man in the cage. They
touch gloves to get started. Groguhe steps forward with a one-two.
Nana shuts down a takedown attempt and clinches along the fence. He
lands knees to the legs and short punches upstairs. Nana connects
with an uppercut, steps back and lands a leg kick. One-two from
Groguhe. Nana answers with a right hand over the top, then doubles
up on the jab. Front kick to the body from Nana. Groguhe crashes
forward behind punches and again wanders into the clinch. Not where
he wants to be against the sambo practitioner. Nana separates and
unleashes a right uppercut, followed by hooks from both hands.
Groguhe staggers him with a right hand over the top. They wind up
back in the clinch. Nana pins him on the face and punches. They
drift into open space. Groguhe sprawls on a takedown attempt. Back
they go to the clinch. Nana knees the inner thigh. He breaks with
punches and connects with a pair of slashing elbows. They separate
with 10 seconds to go.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Nana
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Nana
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Nana

Round 2

Back at it for the middle stanza. Nana paws with his jab, then
fires one to the midsection. He connects with a leg kick, then
doubles up on the jab. Right hook to the body from Nana. Groguhe
jabs and steps forward but cannot corral his opponent. They trade
leg kicks. Jab from Groguhe. Nana answers with two of his own. Much
slower pace in this round. Nana lands a right hand over the top,
follows with a leg kick and dodges the return fire. Inside leg kick
from Nana. Groguhe sends out a glancing one-two. Midway through the
round. They exchange leg kicks again. Strong jab from Nana. Groguhe
answers with one of his own. Neither man throwing much. Nana
follows a jab with a clubbing overhand right and then rips punches
to the body. Groguhe walks forward behind a jab. Nana gives him
pause with a right hook and follows it with a quick burst of
punches. He resets and takes advantage of Groguhe’s lack of
activity.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Nana
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Nana
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Nana

Round 3

Groguhe probably needs a finish here. They touch gloves and
exchange jabs. Lunging left uppercut from Nana, who sweeps his
opponent off his feet with a leg kick. He allows him to stand and
gets back on his jab. Stout leg kick from Nana, who doubles up on
the jab and follows with a right hand over the top. Groguhe may be
out of gas. Nana steps forward behind his jab, then resumes kicking
the lead leg. Groguhe not throwing much. Nana continues to jab and
lands a left hook to the body. Groguhe answers with a right hook
upstairs. Double jab from Nana, followed by an overhand right.
Ninety seconds to go. One-two from Nana, followed by a left hook.
He narrowly misses with a right hand over the top. More jabs from
Nana. He misses a standing elbow, then resets. Another left hook to
the body from Nana, who has salted away this decision.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Nana (30-27 Nana)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Nana (30-27 Nana)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Nana (30-27 Nana)

The Official Result

Maxwell Djantou Nana def. Mickael Groguhe—Unanimous Decision
(30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

Bantamweights step back into the spotlight to close out the
undercard, as Ndebele (8-3, 0-0 PFL) does battle with Atef (5-2,
0-0 PFL) in a PFL Africa quarterfinal at 135 pounds. Basson
administers the law and order. Ndebele commands the center
immediately. Atef circles and kicks himself off-balance. They
clinch. Ndebele pushes him into the fence and feeds his opponent
knees to the legs and body. Atef defends an inside trip before they
separate. They clinch again and trade knees to the body. Ndebele
using his considerable size advantage at close range. He goes for a
takedown and lands in top position. Ndebele whips knees into his
counterpart’s exposed ribs from side control, then steps into half
guard and delivers an elbow to the other side of the body. A minute
to go. Ndebele postures with punches and mixes in a few elbows. Not
a positive start for Atef.
Ndebele forces him to turtle and unleashes a string of unanswered
lefts to the side of the head, prompting the
stoppage.

The Official Result

Nkosi Ndebele def. Mahmoud Atef—TKO (Punches) 4:50 R1

Round 1

Heavyweights get the party started on the main card, as Anderson
(18-6, 0-0 PFL) puts Goltsov (36-8, 14-3 PFL) to the test. Mitchell
supervises the action. They respectfully touch gloves to get
started. Goltsov sticking he American with his jab, which has
always been one of his primary weapons. He pursues the clinch,
whiffs on a takedown attempt and separates. More jabs from Goltsov,
who has opened a cut near Anderson’s right eye already. They clinch
again. Goltsov slams home a knee to the body, then throws another
to the inner thigh. Anderson reverses position and presses him into
the fence. He completes a takedown, but Goltsov almost immediately
pops back to his feet. Anderson stays in the clinch, throwing knees
and foot stomps at the Russian. Ninety seconds to go. Goltsov
separates and gets back to his jab. Anderson answers with a
straight right. He follows an overhand right into a takedown with
roughly 40 seconds left on the clock. Goltsov gets back to his feet
without issue. Again, they jockey for position inside the clinch.
Anderson lands a knee to the body to close out the round.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Anderson
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Anderson
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Anderson

Round 2

Goltsov was visibly fatigued at the end of the first round. They
start the second by circling one another in the center of the cage.
Goltsov flicks out his jab. Anderson lands a thudding right hook to
the body, then plunges into the clinch. Not where Goltsov wants to
be. He manages to separate. More jabs from Goltsov. Anderson
clinches again and drives him into the cage, then goes to work on a
single-leg. No luck for the American. Anderson leans into the
Russian, knees the body and throws an elbow over the top. Right
hook to the body from Anderson, followed by a knee.

Anderson dumps him to the mat midway through the round and climbs
to full mount. He drops punches and elbows, resets and continues
the barrage. Anderson mixes hammerfists with elbows, then moves to
side control. More hammerfists fall, resulting in the
stoppage.

The Official Result

Corey Anderson def. Denis Goltsov—TKO (Punches) 3:28 R2

Round 1

Lightweights now take center stage, as Zaynukov (16-4, 1-0 PFL)
faces Izumi (6-3, 0-0 PFL) at 155 pounds. Coxen answers the call to
referee. Off they go. They meet in the middle of the cage and begin
their dance. Izumi punches into the clinch and presses the Russian
in the fence. He moves behind Zaynukov, feeds him a few left hands
and works on a trip. No luck for Izumi. Zaynukov controls one
wrist, turns into his opponent and surprises him with a single-leg
takedown. Izumi shrimps his way to the cage and scrambles to his
feet. Mat return from Zaynukov. Izumi attacks a kimura, sets off a
scramble and gets back to an upright position before separating.
They paw with their jabs. Izumi ducks into an overhand right.
Zaynukov narrowly misses a front kick to the face. Ninety seconds
to go. Strong one-two from Izumi. Zaynukov clinches and sweeps him
to the canvas. Short punches from the Russian, who looks to improve
his position. Izumi going nowhere for the time being. He gets to a
seated position, then stands just as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Zaynukov
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Zaynukov
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Zaynukov

Round 2

Back at it for the second round, where Zaynukov would undoubtedly
like to do more of the same. They throw out jabs at one another.
Izumi misses a low kick, then doubles up on his jab. Zaynukov cuts
off a bull rush with clubbing shots from both hands. Izumi circles
on the outside. The exchange right hands, and Zaynukov mixes in a
front kick to the body. Feints from both men. Zaynukov lands a
counter left hook while moving backward, then denies an attempted
takedown. Izumi sneaks in a right hand. They trade jabs before
Zaynukov steps into hooks from both hands. Izumi ducks into a
double-leg takedown. Zaynukov scrambles free and moves behind the
Japanese hopeful. He sets up shop on the back with both hooks in
place. Izumi scrambles out and presses his counterpart into the
cage. Ninety seconds to go. Zaynukov scores with knees and elbow
strikes. Izumi answers and gets in on a single-leg, only to be
denied. Strong dirty boxing from both men, showing their wares in
close quarters. They separate with 20 seconds left in the round.
Stinging jab from Zaynukov, who dodges the return fire.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Zaynukov
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Zaynukov
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Zaynukov

Round 3

Izumi probably needs a stoppage with five minutes left in the
match. They clinch in the center of the cage. Izumi pushes the
Russian to the fence, where they jockey for position. Izumi ducks
in on a single-leg, then slips behind the Khabib Nurmagomedov
protégé. Zaynukov turns into him and trips him to the floor. He
moves to half guard. Izumi manages to get back to his feet.
Zaynukov trips him back to the canvas. Merciless pace and pressure
from the Russian in these grappling exchanges. Izumi gets to his
feet and braces himself along the fence. Zaynukov leans in and
forces him to carry his weight. Midway through the round. They
separate and trade jabs. Leg kick from Zaynukov, who then triples
up on his jab. He narrowly misses a jumping knee. Izumi crowds him
once more in the clinch with 90 seconds to go. Zaynukov defends
against the takedown. Izumi tries to jump on his back but slides
off and winds up on the ground. He gets back to his feet, only to
conceded a double-leg takedown that may seal his fate. Zaynukov
lands short punches while Izumi flirts with a foot lock. Time runs
out with Zaynukov on top landing punches.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Zaynukov (30-27 Zaynukov)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Zaynukov (30-27 Zaynukov)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Zaynukov (30-27 Zaynukov)