Nate Maness made it two for two in the Octagon in the opener at a catchweight of 140 pounds, submitting Luke Sanders in the second round.

Sanders landed the heavier shots in a competitive first round, even though Maness had his moments, particularly in the grappling sequences. In the second, the Kentucky product evened the score as he nailed Sanders with several hard shots that were answered by “Cool Hand Luke.” But with a little under three minutes left, a right hand dropped Sanders. And while the Tennessee native rose to his feet, Maness took him down to the mat and quickly sunk in the rear naked choke that produced a tap out at the 2:29 mark.

With the win, Maness moves to 13-1. Sanders, who was making his first start since February 2019, falls to 13-4.

Official Result: Nate Maness def. Luke Sanders by submission (rear nakes choke) at 2:29 of Round 2

Official Result: Nate Maness def. Luke Sanders by submission (rear nakes choke) at 2:29 of Round 2

The United States debut of China’s Sumudaerji was a spectacular one, as he needed just 44 seconds to knock out Malcolm Gordon in the first round of their flyweight bout.

“The Tibetan Eagle” was sniper-like with his left hand, jarring Gordon over and over until the Canadian fell to the mat. That’s all referee Dan Miragliotta needed to see to stop the fight, and he stepped in at :44 of the opening round.

With the win, Sumudaerji moves to 13-4. Gordon falls to 12-5.

Official Result: Sumudaerji def. Malcolm Gordon by KO at :44 of Round 1

Gina Mazany was impressive in her flyweight debut, as she stopped a gutsy Rachael Ostovich in the third round.

After some striking exchanges to open the bout, Mazany smoothly scored a takedown and quickly took Ostovich’s back. Ostovich (4-6) scrambled out of trouble and back to her feet, and she proceeded to land some hard body kicks as Mazany fired off left hands and then engaged in a clinch. 

Mazany (7-4) scored a pair of takedowns in the first minute of round two, but Ostovich stayed busy from her back, looking to lock in an armbar. Mazany adjusted well and nearly got a north-south choke, but again, Ostovich found daylight and the two rose. The flyweights traded shots on the feet before Mazany got three takedowns in the final two minutes, putting a stamp on the round. 

Mazany was on target with her strikes in the third, and though Ostovich countered well at times, the volume battle was being won by the Alaska native. After another takedown, Mazany opened up with her strikes and briefly had her foe on the verge of a stoppage before she got back to her feet. A body kick staggered the Hawaiian, though, and another barrage followed. Ostovich gamely rose, but after another kick sent her down, referee Mark Smith halted the bout at 4:10 of the third round.

Official Result: Gina Mazany def. Rachael Ostovich by TKO at 4:10 of Round 3

Anderson dos Santos’ first fight since June 2019 was a winning one, as he submitted martin Day in the first round of their bantamweight bout.

Dos Santos mixed up haymakers with takedown attempts as he pressed the action in the early going, finally getting the takedown he wanted midway through the opening stanza. With a minute left, Day exploded to his feet and got his own takedown, but in the process, he got caught in a guillotine choke that forced him to tap out at 4:35 of round one.

With the win, Sao Paulo’s dos Santos moves to 21-8. Hawaii’s Day falls to 8-5.

Official Result: Anderson dos Santos def. Martin Day by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:35 of Round 1

In his first UFC fight at featherweight, Jonathan Pearce also entered the UFC win column for the first time, as he halted Kai Kamaka III in the second round.

The battle was fought mainly on the feet in the first round, both fighters having good scoring sequences but neither was able to build a substantial lead or put the other in trouble.

Early in round two, Pearce got his second takedown of the fight, but the two were back on their feet fairly quickly. After some good striking exchanges, Pearce put the fight back on the mat, and this time he landed some hard shots. Soon, his strikes put the Hawaiian in trouble, but Kamaka reversed position and the two rose. Pearce scored another takedown, nearly getting caught in a choke, but Pearce got loose, and after a barrage of ground strikes, referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in and stopped the fight at the 4:28 mark of the second round.

Pearce moves to 10-4 with the win, Kamaka falls to 8-3.

Official Result: Jonathan Pearce def. Kai Kamaka III by TKO at 4:28 of Round 2

Official Result: Jonathan Pearce def. Kai Kamaka III by TKO at 4:28 of Round 2

Brazil’s Norma Dumont made a successful move to the bantamweight division, shutting out Ashlee Evans-Smith over three rounds.

Scores were 30-26 across the board for Dumont, now 5-1. Evans-Smith fell to 6-5 in her first bout since February 2019.

Dumont, who came in overweight for the bout at 139.5 pounds, controlled the action in the opening round, picking her shots on the feet and even taking the former All-American wrestler down late in the frame.

The two traded takedowns to open the second, Dumont winding up in the top position before moving into the mount. The bloodied Evans-Smith tried hard to escape, and she did with 1:40 left, but she had to eat some hard shots to do so.

Content with her lead, Dumont stayed ahead thanks to her sporadic flurries, one of which dropped Evans-Smith in the final minute, but the Californian was able to survive to the final horn.

Official Result: Norma Dumont def. Ashlee Evans-Smith by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

In featherweight action, Bill Algeo earned his first UFC win by shutting out Spike Carlyle over three rounds.

After a quick start from Carlyle, Algeo (14-5) settled in and controlled range with his kicks until a Carlyle takedown with 2:15 left. Algeo rose quickly but Carlyle remained locked on until the Pennsylvanian scrambled out of trouble. He found himself back in trouble moments later, though, as Carlyle caught him in a bulldog choke. Algeo got loose, and the two battled it out to the horn.

The scrambles continued in the second, Algeo ultimately getting the fight to the mat in the second minute. He quickly took Carlyle’s back and kept that position until the final minute, when the Californian got into his guard.

Carlyle (9-3) never stopped pushing the pace in an effort to get the fight to the mat, but Algeo’s defense was solid, and he caught his foe on the way in several times en route to a 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 victory on the scorecards.

Official Result: Bill Algeo def. Spike Carlyle by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27

Gritty heavyweight Parker Porter made the most of his second trip to the Octagon as he pounded out a three-round unanimous decision over Josh Parisian.

Scores were 30-27, 30-26 and 29-28 for Porter, now 11-6. Parisian falls to 13-4.

Porter landed with a couple hard rights in the first minute of the fight as he aggressively pursued his opponent in order to set up a clinch. At range, Parisian was having better success, and his own right hand rattled Porter briefly. With under two minutes left, Porter rocked Parisian but got nailed with a spinning backfist, and the fast pace continued to the horn.

A series of leg kicks put the tiring Parisian down in the opening minute of round two, and Porter jumped on a guillotine choke before letting it go and firing off strikes. Parisian soon got his second wind, and he landed some solid strikes, but Porter scored a takedown with a little over two minutes to go and he went to work.

The two heavyweights continued to leave it all in the Octagon in the final round, Porter controlling the action with sharp strikes, while Parisian refused to back down as he took the blows and kept firing back in a hard-fought effort from both fighters.

Official Result: Parker Porter def. Josh Parisian by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-28)

Welterweight prospect Miguel Baeza continued to impress, as he moved to 10-0 with a second-round submission win over Takashi Sato.

Baeza was on target throughout the first round, primarily with his kicks, but he did score with a knee and enough punches upstairs to rattle Sato briefly and cut him. Sato (16-4) continued to fire back in an effort to even the score, but the Floridian’s defense was solid.

Baeza remained in the lead in the second, and after getting Sato used to the standup action, he took him down late and locked in the arm triangle choke that earned him his first submission win as a pro. The time of the finish was 4:28 of round two.

Official Result: Miguel Baeza def. Takashi Sato by submission (arm triangle choke) at 4:28 of Round 2

Light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith snapped a two-fight losing streak in style, submitting Devin Clark in the first-round of their UFC Fight Night main event in Las Vegas.
 
Clark immediately engaged, but it was Smith who took his foe to the mat. The 205ers traded strikes on the mat before Clark reversed position and got into Smith’s guard. Smith locked up a triangle choke just before the midway point of the round and he forced the tap out at 2:34 of the first round.
 
With the win, the No. 6-ranked Smith moves to 34-16. Clark falls to 12-5.
 
Official Result: Anthony Smith def. Devin Clark by submission (triangle choke) at 2:34 of Round 1