Heavyweights Alistair Overeem (45-18) and Walt Harris (13-7) will headline the UFC’s third event in a span of eight days on Saturday night in another Fight Night event in Jacksonville, Florida.
It will cap off a frantic schedule of events that will have featured 32 total fights conducted in an empty VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
This final headliner was originally supposed to happen in December, but Harris was forced to withdraw due to the tragic disappearance of his stepdaughter Aniah Blanchard, who went missing last October and was found dead of a gunshot wound the following month. Saturday will mark Harris’s first return to competition since the family tragedy.
Saturday’s card will also feature former strawweight title challenger Claudia Gadelha against the most active athlete on the UFC roster in Angela Hill, who will be fighting for the seventh time in 421 days, the second-shortest span for that number of fights in UFC history. Hill is hoping to win her fourth straight to enter the conversation of title contenders.
Former lightweight contender Edson Barboza will also seek a fresh start at featherweight, against a surging Dan Ige, winner of five straight.
Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim will recap the action as it occurs.
Fight in progress:
Featherweight: Darren Elkins (25-8, -120) vs. Nate Landwehr (13-3, -110)
Results:
Flyweight: Cortney Casey (9-7) defeats Mara Romero Borella (12-8) by first-round armbar
Casey’s first UFC appearance at flyweight couldn’t have gone much better. The longtime strawweight, who moved up to 125 pounds for this bout, submitted Romero Borella via armbar at 3:36 of the first round.
Casey, 33, said she intends to stick around the weight class for the foreseeable future. She’s fought in the UFC’s 115-pound division since 2015.
First arm bar from the gaurd I seen in the ufc since my man @The_Real_GM3 did it
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) May 16, 2020
“It was very important to come out aggressive,” Casey said. “Not having fans here, I knew I still needed to put on a show and finish the fight. I’m probably going stay [at flyweight] for a bit, talk to the matchmakers and see what happens. I like flyweight. Short notice fights are a lot easier at 125.”
Casey opened up the bout with a few right hands, which quickly led to a takedown attempt from Borella. Casey ended up on her back, but it was clear she felt comfortable looking for a submission there. Borella seemed wise to it, but still couldn’t stop it. She verbally and physically tapped immediately, once Casey locked up the arm.
It was the fourth submission win of Casey’s career, and first since August 2016.
— Okamoto
Heavyweight: Rodrigo Nascimento (8-0) defeats Don’Tale Mayes (7-4) by second-round rear-naked choke
0:42
Rodrigo Nascimento trades blows with Don’Tale Mayes then scores a nice takedown in the first round.
The UFC might have a new heavyweight prospect on its hands. Nascimento took Mayes down in the second round, got his back and choked him out at 2:05 of the frame to remain undefeated.
Nascimento had success on the feet in the first round, then got Mayes down and finished out the round in top position. Mayes landed a nice counter hook, but the first was controlled by Nascimento.
Nascimento, in his 20s, 100% finish rate = prospect! #UFCFL
— John Gooden (@JohnGoodenUK) May 16, 2020
It was more of the same in the second. Nascimento got Mayes against the cage and used a slick trip to put him on the mat.
Afterward, Nascimento called out Chase Sherman, who was victorious in his UFC return on Wednesday.
Nascimento, 27, was making his debut off a win last year on Dana White’s Contender Series. The Brazil native is now training at American Top Team in Florida. Nascimento has finished six of his eight career wins by submission.
Mayes, 28, has lost two straight and is still looking for his first UFC win.
— Raimondi
Still to come:
Heavyweight: Alistair Overeem (45-18, +120) vs. Walt Harris (13-7, -150)
Strawweight: Claudia Gadelha (17-4, -210) vs. Angela Hill (12-7, +175)
Featherweight: Dan Ige (13-2, +110) vs. Edson Barboza (20-8, -140)
Middleweight: Eryk Anders (13-4, +110) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (21-4, -145)
Bantamweight: Song Yadong (15-4-1, -190) vs. Marlon Vera (15-5-1, +160)
Welterweight: Matt Brown (24-16, +140) vs. Miguel Baeza (8-0, -170)
Middleweight: Anthony Hernandez (7-1, -115) vs. Kevin Holland (16-5, -115)
Lightweight: Irwin Rivera (9-4, +170) vs. Giga Chikadze (9-2, -200)
