UFC president Dana White promised he was bringing back sports for good — and it certainly felt that way as the UFC prepared to host its second event in five days.
After postponing all events from March 14 to May 9 because of the coronavirus pandemic, the UFC is looking to make up for lost time with a midweek UFC Fight Night. Wednesday’s headliner will feature former light heavyweight title contenders Anthony Smith (32-14) and Glover Teixeira (30-7). It is taking place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, and airing on ESPN+ beginning at 6 p.m. ET. There are no fans in attendance.
For Smith, 31, it’s an opportunity to build off a stoppage win over Alexander Gustafsson in his previous outing, and continue his push toward a second UFC title shot. The Nebraska native has promised he will earn his way to a rematch against Jon Jones, whom he lost to in 2019.
Teixeira, 40, has a similar motive, although his comes with a greater sense of urgency. The Brazilian’s title hopes appeared to be all but gone from 2016 to 2018, when he dropped three of five appearances, but he has since rattled off three consecutive wins. An upset of Smith would crack the door for Teixeira for one more shot at a title.
And when the night is over, the UFC will immediately turn around and look forward to its next event in Jacksonville, which will take place Saturday.
Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim will recap the action as it unfolds.
Fight in progress
Bantamweight: Ricky Simon (15-3, -170) vs. Ray Borg (13-4, +140)
Results
Heavyweight: Andrei Arlovski (29-19) defeats Philipe Lins (14-4) by unanimous decision
Recap to come.
Lightweight: Thiago Moises (13-4) defeats Michael Johnson (20-16) by second-round heel hook
Moisés bounced back from a difficult first round to submit Johnson with a heel hook just 25 seconds into the second frame.
According to UFC Stats data, Moisés, a Dana White Contender Series alum, was outstruck in the opening round 27-1 as Johnson efficiently cut off the cage and defended every takedown attempt.
Moisés responded in the second round by literally sprinting at Johnson early and hanging onto his leg after Johnson defended the initial shot. Moisés rolled into the heel hook and produced two taps from Johnson. Referee Keith Peterson’s view of the first tap might have been obstructed, but Johnson tapped a second time moments later.
Johnson didn’t address Moises legs on that ankle lock or his hands. Brilliant start but rough finish. Moises changed the one-sided striking affair by getting the fight to the ground, and immediately attacked a straight ankle lock for the tap. #UFCJax #TheWeeklyScraps!
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) May 14, 2020
Immediately after the bout, Moisés called for a future matchup against former champion Anthony Pettis, who picked up a decision win just Saturday against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
“Hat’s off to [Johnson], he is a former top-six lightweight in this division,” Moisés said. “This just proves I belong in the UFC and belong in the top of this division. This is just the beginning for me. I hear Anthony Pettis wants to come back to the lightweight division. I would like to welcome him back.”
Moises is 2-2 in the UFC.
Johnson suffered his third consecutive defeat.
— Okamoto
Bantamweight: Sijara Eubanks (6-4) defeats Sarah Moras (6-7) by unanimous decision
0:35
Sijara Eubanks responds to her coach right before she lands a powerful straight right on Sarah Moras.
In an empty arena, fighters can hear their corners pretty clearly while in the cage. And vice versa. Eubanks took advantage of that new wrinkle Wednesday. While Moras was working on an armbar in the third round, Eubanks responded to her coach Mark Henry: “Yes, sir. I’m OK, I’m OK. All right.”
Soon after, Eubanks was out of that predicament and on top raining down punches. In the end, Eubanks was able to secure a unanimous decision win (30-27, 30-27, 30-26) over Moras.
Sijara looked fresh out there! Great showing lady.
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) May 14, 2020
“I love it,” Eubanks said of the empty venue. “Most of the time I can’t hear nothing. … I thought it was great. I was able to hear everything.”
Eubanks was in control from the first round on, initially using her striking, including a hard right hand and left head kick. In the second, Moras went for a takedown and it ended up being a huge mistake. Eubanks, a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, got on top, landed ground and pound and ended up on Moras’ back as the round ended. In the third, Eubanks took Moras down after landing a big Superman punch that bloodied Moras earlier in the frame.
Eubanks, 35, snapped a two-fight losing streak with the victory. The Massachusetts native continues to improve under the tutelage of Henry in New Jersey. This was her first bantamweight win in the UFC.
Moras, the 32-year-old Canada native, has lost four of five.
— Raimondi
Lightweight: Omar Morales (10-0) defeats Gabriel Benitez (21-9) by unanimous decision
0:31
Omar Morales unleashes a couple of strong punches onto Gabriel Benitez in the third round.
Morales walked away from this night as the event’s only unbeaten fighter. Minutes after Hunter Azure suffered his first career loss, Morales kept his record perfect with a unanimous — but slim — victory over Benitez.
It was basically a kickboxing match inside an MMA cage. Both men did their most damage with hard kicks to the midsection and legs, although perhaps Morales’ most harmful maneuver was checking Benitez’s kicks. By doing so, he opened up a grotesquely deep cut on Benitez’s shin — which did not deter the 31-year-old from fighting on.
Great performance by @OmarMoralesJR wow what a war #UFCJAX
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) May 14, 2020
“That’s exactly what I was expecting,” Morales (10-0) said through an interpreter. “He’s a Mexican fighter, a tough fighter.”
Benitez, a 31-year-old from Tijuana, was fighting at lightweight for the first time since 2013. He’s typically competed at featherweight. He started off as the more aggressive man, landing vicious kicks early. But Morales always had a counter, and as the fought wore on he turned the strike totals his way. He outlanded Benitez 63-50, including 31-22 in the decisive final round.
Two judges scored it his way 29-28, and the other gave Morales all three rounds.
Morales, 34, is a native of Venezuela who trains in South Florida. He won his UFC debut in December, earning a unanimous decision over Dong Hyun Ma.
— Wagenheim
Featherweight: Brian Kelleher (21-10) defeats Hunter Azure (8-1) by second-round KO
0:17
Brian Kelleher gets his momentum back after rocking Hunter Azure with a right hand in Round 2.
He doesn’t call himself “Boom” for nothing. Kelleher earned a spectacular knockout over Azure in a featherweight bout, dropping Azure with a nasty left hook to the chin at 3 minutes, 40 seconds of the second round.
The victory is good for the eighth knockout of Kelleher’s professional career. Immediately after, Kelleher, who actually fights at bantamweight but agreed to move up for this matchup, called out popular 135-pounder Sean O’Malley.
“I told Dana White, get ‘Suga’ Sean, stop protecting this guy,” Kelleher said. “That’s the guy I want.”
Boom @brianboom135 #supernecessary
— Jorge Masvidal UFC (@GamebredFighter) May 13, 2020
Kelleher, of New York, didn’t fare as well with Azure in the opening round as he did in the second. Azure got off to a great start, with the low leg kick and boxing combinations to the body. Kelleher was clearly getting the worse of the exchanges, and tried to take Azure down multiple times, but was unsuccessful.
Things changed in a hurry in the next frame, however, as Kelleher adjusted his range and started to find a home for the overhand right — and then, of course, the knockout left hook.
“I’m always a little bit of a slow starter,” Kelleher said. “I gotta work on that. But as soon as I find my range and confidence, it’s a whole different fight.”
— Okamoto
Heavyweight: Chase Sherman (14-6) defeats Isaac Villanueva (16-9) by second-round TKO
0:31
Chase Sherman unleashes a fury of punches on Ike Villanueva and caps it off with a huge knee late in the first round.
Two years ago, Sherman was cut from the UFC after three consecutive losses. He has been busy since then. Sherman won three straight on the regional scene — all by TKO — and took home a heavyweight bare-knuckle boxing title.
On Wednesday night, Sherman returned to the UFC and put on an excellent performance, stopping Villanueva at 49 seconds of the second round in the UFC Jacksonville opener.
That’s an amazing performance on 6 days notice!! @chasesherman
— michael (@bisping) May 13, 2020
After a dominant first round, Sherman poured it on in the opening seconds of the second. He landed a big combination, including a body shot. He landed hard leg kicks. And then he finished up against the cage with another punching combination and a thrusting elbow to Villanueva’s face.
Sherman, 30, has won four in a row overall after three straight losses in the UFC in 2017 and 2018. The Mississippi native has won 14 of his 15 career pro MMA fights by KO/TKO.
Villanueva, 36, was making his UFC debut. The Texas native had won four straight coming in.
“I’ve grown as a fighter and grown as a man and now it’s time to properly take the steps that I need,” Sherman said. “Last time, I was rushing into fights, seven fights — six of them were short notice … I took fights that I shouldn’t have took. I was trying to be a company man and take fights on short notice. But now I need to go out there and instead of chasing money, I need to chase the ultimate goal, which is be at the top of the division and hopefully one day be a champion.”
— Raimondi
Still to come
Light heavyweight: Anthony Smith (32-14, -180) vs. Glover Teixeira (30-7, +150)
Heavyweight: Ben Rothwell (37-12, +120) vs. Ovince Saint Preux (24-13, -150)
Lightweight: Alexander Hernandez (11-2, -110) vs. Drew Dober (22-9, -120)
