UFC Fight Night — De Randamie vs. Ladd live results

Top bantamweight contenders Germaine de Randamie and Aspen Ladd will be aiming to become the next challenger for Amanda Nunes’ championship when they square off Saturday night in Sacramento, California.

But before de Randamie, a former UFC featherweight champ, and the 8-0 Ladd meet in the UFC Fight Night main event, there are several intriguing matchups, including the return of Hall of Famer Urijah Faber.

Here’s how they’re going down.

Marvin Vettori defeated Cezar Ferreira by unanimous decision

Vettori lost valuable time over the past year courtesy of a six-month USADA suspension for a tainted supplement. But he bounced back very nicely here, beating a durable Ferreira by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) and pretty handily.

“If anybody out there is going through something wrong and it doesn’t feel right, keep f—ing going,” said Vettori, who got a reduced suspension for a positive drug test for ostarine.

“I wanted to come out there and make a statement. I’m back.”

Vettori landed big punches throughout. Seemingly every time he blitzed in, the southpaw was able to land hard combinations. Ferreira’s face was busted up by midway through the second round.

Vettori (14-4-1) had not fought since his loss to Israel Adesanya in April 2018. The 25-year-old Italian, who trains out of Kings MMA in California, is unbeaten in nine of his past 11 bouts. Ferreira (13-8), a 34-year-old Brazilian, is on a two-fight losing streak.

play

Marvin Vettori and Cezar Ferreira deliver strong headshots to one another in their middleweight bout. For more UFC, sign up here for ESPN+ http://plus.espn.com/ufc

John Allan defeated Mike Rodriguez by unanimous decision

Rodriguez might have thrown the harder shots on the feet. But there was no doubt who had the better all-around game here. Allan was able to land on the feet, take Rodriguez down and threaten with multiple submissions attempts en route to a unanimous victory (29-28, 29-28, 30-27). Allan sealed the win with a takedown in the third after shrugging off a Rodriguez knee to the head.

Allan (14-5), making his UFC debut, has now won two in a row and six of his past seven. The 26-year-old Brazilian was the biggest underdog on the card (+325). Rodriguez (10-4), a 20-year-old from Massachusetts, has lost two of three.

play

John Allan traps Mike Rodriguez and lands a pair of knees and punches to Rodriguez’s core in their light heavyweight match. For more UFC, sign up here for ESPN+ http://plus.espn.com/ufc.

Andre Fili defeated Sheymon Moraes by first-round knockout

Fili’s UFC career has been filled with starts and stops. Those who see him in the gym at Team Alpha Male have long been waiting for him to make a run that would live up to his huge potential. That stretch might be here now.

Fili knocked out Moraes, allegedly a better striker, at 3:07 of the first round in his adopted hometown of Sacramento. It was Fili’s first TKO/KO win since November 2015. Fili started it off with a wicked, right-hand-high-kick combination. Then, with Moraes rocked, Fili took advantage of a sloppy combination and put Moraes down for good with a right hook.

Fili (20-7) has won two in a row and four of his past five. The 29-year-old, originally from Washington state, has been in the UFC for six years but seems to have now found his rhythm. Moraes (11-4), a 28-year-old Brazilian fighting out of Los Angeles, has lost two straight.

“This sport will always be for kids like us,” the heavily tattooed Fili said. “Outcasts and underdogs — they can never take this from us.”

play

Andre Fili cranks two strong leg kicks on Sheymon Moraes in their in their featherweight fight. For more UFC, sign up here for ESPN+ http://plus.espn.com/ufc.

Julianna Pena defeated Nicco Montano by unanimous decision

For a pair of women who have not fought since 2017, this was a much better fight than it had any right to be.

In a back-and-forth, grappling-heavy bout, Peña bested Montaño, the former UFC women’s flyweight champion, by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27) in a bantamweight bout. Peña was able to get top position in the second and third rounds, dropping ground and pound and keeping control. Montaño had an excellent first round, taking Peña down and opening up a cut near her ear and a mouse underneath her left eye with elbows and punches.

Peña (9-3) had not fought since falling to Valentina Shevchenko in January 2017. “The Venezuelan Vixen,” who hails from Washington, recovered from injuries and had her first child during that time off. Peña, 29, has won five of her past six fights, all in the UFC. The only loss came against Shevchenko. Peña was the first female Ultimate Fighter winner in 2013.

Montaño (4-3) was coming off a 19-month layoff since beating Roxanne Modafferi to become the first UFC women’s flyweight champion ever in December 2017. The New Mexico native got sick cutting weight before UFC 228 in September 2018 and was subsequently stripped of the belt. Montaño, 30, has now lost two of three, not including her Ultimate Fighter 26 exhibition victories.

play

Julianna Pena and Nicco Montano go punch for punch with each other as the third round winds down. For more UFC, sign up here for ESPN+ http://plus.espn.com/ufc.

Ryan Hall defeated Darren Elkins by unanimous decision

Hall rocked Elkins and dropped him with a spinning back kick to the head. He dropped Elkins twice with a straight left hand in the second round. On the feet, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu master outdid Elkins, and Elkins never followed Hall into his domain, the ground.

Hall, who mixed in spinning kicks with Imanari rolls and dropped to his back often, picked up a unanimous decision win (29-28, 29-28, 30-27). The crowd booed Hall afterward — Elkins calls local Team Alpha Male home — but there was no doubt the grappling savant did more than enough to win. Hall has one of the most unique games in MMA, and it has yet to be figured out in the UFC.

Hall (8-1) has won eight straight, including all four of his fights in the UFC. The 34-year-old Virginia native lost once on The Ultimate Fighter 22 in 2015, but he has not lost an official bout since his pro debut in 2006. Elkins (24-8), a 35-year-old Indiana native, has lost four in a row.

play

Darren Elkins lands a hard punch before landing ground-and-pound punches on Ryan Hall in their featherweight fight. For more UFC, sign up here for ESPN+ http://plus.espn.com/ufc.

Jonathan Martinez defeated Liu Pingyuan by third-round knockout

More like Mart-knee-nez.

Liu swarmed in with a combination, Martinez took a step forward and threw a straight knee and it landed on the button — Liu was out cold. The knockout finish came at 3:54 of the third round in a very close fight up until that point.

“I pretty much just picked my knee up,” Martinez said. “I just picked it up.”

Martinez (11-2) has won two straight now and four of five. The 25-year-old Texas resident is 2-1 in the UFC. Liu (15-5), a 26-year-old Chinese prospect, had won 10 in a row coming in.

play

Jonathan Martinez lands two big-time knees to Liu Pingyuan in their bantamweight fight. For more UFC, sign up here for ESPN+ http://plus.espn.com/ufc.

Brianna Van Buren defeated Lívinha Souza by unanimous decision

“The Bull” seems like a future factor in the UFC women’s strawweight division.

Van Buren dominated Souza in a battle of former Invicta FC women’s strawweight champions in a clear unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) victory. Van Buren landed heavy combinations in all three rounds, took Souza down in the third and looked like a well-rounded threat throughout.

Afterward, Van Buren, a Gilroy, California, native, called for a fight on the upcoming UFC card that likely will be in San Francisco in October.

“It would be stupid if you didn’t get me on that card,” Van Buren said. “I want a top-10. I know I’m asking for too much, so if you can give me whoever is willing to step up and fight me, let’s get the ball rolling.”

Van Buren (8-2) was making her debut after winning three fights in one night to become Invicta champion in May. The 25-year-old American Kickboxing Academy product has won five straight. Souza (13-2), the 28-year-old Brazilian, had won four in a row.

play

Brianna Van Buren lands a flurry of punches on Livinha Souza in their strawweight fight. For more UFC, sign up here for ESPN+ http://plus.espn.com/ufc.

Benito Lopez defeated Vince Morales by unanimous decision

Lopez’s strategy was clearly centered on leg kicks. And he executed.

Despite being dropped in the first round and being peppered with combinations, Lopez did enough for a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) win over Morales in a close bout. According to UFC stats, Lopez landed 36 leg kicks. Morales, meanwhile, out-landed Lopez 34-7 in strikes to the head.

Lopez (10-1) bounced back from a loss to Manny Bermudez in December with this victory. The 25-year-old Team Alpha Male product got chants of “Benito” — as he was the hometown favorite. Morales (9-4), a 28-year-old Oregon native, has lost two of three in the UFC.

play

Vince Morales connects with a strong punch on Benito Lopez and then pounces on him after he hits the deck. For more UFC, sign up here for ESPN+ http://plus.espn.com/ufc.

Still to come:

Marvin Vettori vs. Cezar Ferreira

Karl Roberson vs. Wellington Turman

Josh Emmett vs. Mirsad Bektić

Urijah Faber vs. Ricky Simon

Germaine de Randamie vs. Aspen Ladd