UFC Fight Night Report: Michael Chiesa defeats Neil Magny in one-sided fight
Early on Wednesday morning, the UFC held a rare mid-week card at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Originally, this card was scheduled to be headlined by a welterweight bout between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev, but Chimaev tested positive for COVID-19, and the fight was delayed for a second time. Fellow ranked welterweights, Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny stepped into the main event slot. Chiesa had been on a roll since moving up to welterweight, going 3-0 in the division, and defeating some of the veterans of the division in the process. After defeating Rafael dos Anjos in his last bout, Chiesa moved into a top ten spot in the welterweight rankings, and Neil Magny would arguably mark his toughest test yet. After missing 2019 in its entirety due to a USADA suspension (a suspension that he was cleared of after proving that the positive test was due to a tainted supplement), Magny rebounded with a huge 2020, winning three fights in a row. A win in his last bout over the former UFC Welterweight Champion, Robbie Lawler, marked his biggest victory to date, and a win against Chiesa would do wonders to propel him up the rankings.
The commentary team for this card consisted of John Gooden, Daniel Cormier, and Paul Felder. Performance bonuses were awarded to Umar Nurmagomedov and Warlley Alves. Fight of the Night bonuses went out to Mike Davis and Mason Jones.
QUICK RESULTS:
*Manon Fiorot def. Victoria Leonardo by TKO at 4:08 of Round 2
*Umar Nurmagomedov def. Sergey Morozov by rear-naked choke at 3:39 of Round 2
*Mike Davis def. Mason Jones by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
*Francisco Figueiredo def. Jerome Rivera by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
*Dalcha Lungiambula def. Markus Perez by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
*Sumudaerji def. Zarrukh Adashev by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
*Ricky Simon def. Gaetano Pirrello by arm triangle at 4:00 of Round 2
*Omari Akhmedov def. Tom Breese by arm triangle at 1:42 of Round 2
*Lerone Murphy def. Douglas Silva de Andrade by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
*Matt Schnell def. Tyson Nam by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
*Viviane Araujo def. Roxanne Modafferi by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
*Isaac Villanueva def. Vinicius Moreira by KO at 0:39 of Round 2
*Warlley Alves def. Mounir Lazzez by TKO at 2:35 of Round 1
*Michael Chiesa def. Neil Magny by unanimous decision (49-46 all)
VICTORIA LEONARDO (8-2, 125.5) VS MANON FIOROT (5-1, 126) – FLYWEIGHT
Fiorot was looking sharp in their early striking exchanges. Leonardo cracked her with a hard right hand about halfway through the round, and Fiorot connected with a hard elbow. Fiorot stumbled Leonardo with a 1-2, and Leonardo was hurt, but she kept alive until the end of the round. 10-9 Fiorot.
Fiorot cracked Leonardo with a right hand to begin the second round. There was a very clear discrepancy in striking between the two. She took Leonardo down near the cage without two minutes remaining in the round, but Leonardo quickly found her way back to her feet. Fiorot connected with a head kick and swarmed Leonardo with strikes as she backed off against the cage. Leonardo didn’t go down, but she wasn’t defending herself well, and the fight was quickly stopped.
WINNER: Manon Fiorot by TKO at 4:08 of Round 2
Fiorot looked fantastic in this fight, and Leonardo seemed overwhelmed by Fiorot’s accuracy and power on the feet. Fiorot lost her first professional fight by split decision but has gone on to finish five of her six wins by TKO since. She very well may be someone to keep an eye on as she makes her way up the flyweight ranks.
UMAR NURMAGOMEDOV (12-0, 136) VS SERGEY MOROZOV (16-3, 135) – BANTAMWEIGHT
Nurmagomedov was active with his kicks early. Morozov was trying to time his powerful left hand as a counter. Nurmagomedov changed levels and took Morozov down, and he quickly proceeded to jump on his back. He racked up a number of mat returns, but Morozov was doing an excellent job of preventing Nurmagomedov from establishing a dominant position, and they soon separated. Nurmagomedov landed a front kick up the middle, and he ended the round with another takedown. 10-9 Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov began the second round with his most significant head kick yet. Morozov recovered, but he was taken down yet again. He quickly picked himself up, but Nurmagomedov jumped on his back and dragged him back down. Nurmagomedov locked in a rear-naked choke, and he choked Morozov unconscious.
WINNER: Umar Nurmagomedov by rear-naked choke at 3:39 of Round 2
I thought Nurmagomedov looked great here, both on the feet and on the ground. The commentary team spent a lot of the fight talking about the differences in style between Umar and his cousin Khabib, and I thought Umar did a good job of showcasing his own game (so to speak) in his debut here. Despite his kicking game, most of his finishes have come by way of submission, and I was impressed by what we saw of his ground game here.
MIKE DAVIS (8-2, 154.5) VS MASON JONES (10-0, 156) – CATCHWEIGHT
Both men were active with leg kicks early. Davis looked good in the opening couple minutes, and he took Jones down about two minutes into the round, but Jones escaped quickly. Jones was beginning to take over their striking exchanges, and Davis attempted to bring things back to the ground, to no avail. Jones’s pressure was beginning to overwhelm Davis, but David was continuously able to momentarily quell Jones’s momentum with takedowns. Davis ended the round with a flying knee. 10-9 Jones.
Davis landed a solid low calf kick to begin the second round. Uppercut from Jones. Jones began to unload with strikes, backing David against the cage, but Davis fired back, relieving the pressure. Jones connected with another calf kick of his own. They exchanged leg kicks, and Davis landed an uppercut. Jones was out landing Davis late in the round, but when Davis responded, his strikes looked a bit stronger. Davis ended the round strong, moving forward with a combination of strikes, but Jones ended the round on top after a late takedown. This round was very close. 19-19 on my scorecard.
Davis continued to be the aggressor as the action resumed in the third round. Jones was cut open near his right eye. He went back to attacking the leg of Davis, and partially connected with a spinning back kick to the head. Davis landed a step-in knee to the body and defended a takedown attempt. Davis landed another leg kick and another huge knee to the body. Near the end of the round, Jones was walking Davis down trying to get the late finish, but the fight went to the scorecards. Great fight. I narrowly gave the third round to Jones and scored the fight 29-28 in his favor.
WINNER: Mike Davis by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
This was a very solid fight and was more or less nonstop action throughout its fifteen-minute duration. I gave the edge to Jones, but I’m not going to argue with the decision either. Mike Davis had a tough opponent in his UFC debut in Gilbert Burns, but he has looked fantastic in his last two fights, and he is a very fun fighter to watch. He is now 2-1 in the UFC.
FRANCISCO FIGUEIREDO (11-3-1, 1 NC, 126) VS JEROME RIVERA (10-3, 126) – FLYWEIGHT
Both fighters were throwing a lot of kicks in the opening minute. Rivera wrapped Figueiredo up against the fence but ate an elbow. Figueiredo continued to attack the body with kicks when they separated. Figueiredo took Rivera down with a foot sweep and began to work from Rivera’s guard. Figueiredo was having trouble advancing position, and he eventually got back to his feet. Rivera shot for a takedown late in the round, but Figueiredo defended it. 10-9 Figueiredo.
Figueiredo took Rivera down with a body lock early in the second round. While largely offensively ineffective, Rivera was active off of his back, and he was keeping Figueiredo from improving his position. With two minutes remaining in the round, they returned to their feet. The commentators discussed Rivera’s inability to effectively utilize his reach, and he ate a big left hand. 20-18 Figueiredo.
Rivera’s corner warned him that he may be down on the scorecards, and he was a bit more aggressive to begin the third round. They wrestled in the clinch against the cage, and Rivera connected with an elbow as they separated. Rivera really began to go on the attack with a minute remaining in the round, but he tried to take Figueredo down with a headlock, and it stunted his momentum. Figueiredo defended it and ended the fight with a takedown of his own. 29-28 Figueiredo.
WINNER: Francisco Figueiredo by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
Francisco Figueiredo is the older brother of Deiveson Figueiredo, and the resemblance between the two is striking. I thought he looked solid in this fight, but there are certainly some questions that will need to be answered regarding his gas tank. Rivera was really overwhelming him near the end of the fight, but to his credit, he hung on to pick up the unanimous decision win. This marked Figueiredo’s UFC debut.
DALCHA LUNGIAMBULA (10-2, 186) VS MARKUS PEREZ (12-4, 186) – MIDDLEWEIGHT
Lungiambula swarmed Perez with strikes, picked him up near the cage, and slammed Perez down. Lungiambula began to work from Perez’s guard. Perez was trying to make something happen from his back but was largely unsuccessful. Perez picked himself up while attempting a guillotine, and ended the first round by pressing Lungiambula against the cage. 10-9 Lungiambula.
Perez connected with a pair of body kick to begin the second round. Lungiambula knocked Perez off balance with a powerful body shot, and he jumped on him, taking the fight back to the ground. Perez went for Kimura off of his back, but he was unsuccessful. Lungiambula moved into side control. He landed a nice elbow but by and large, it was Lungiambula’s top control that won him the round. He cut Perez open badly with ground and pound before time expired. 20-18 Lungiambula.
Lungiambula swung a heavy right hand as Perez went for a body kick, deterring Perez from throwing more. Perez connected with a pair of knees to the body in the clinch against the fence. Perez landed a left hand but ate an uppercut as they broke from the clinch. Perez was trying to take the fight to the ground, but Lungiambula’s takedown defense held up, and they were separated from the clinch with a minute left in the round. Perez brought the fight right back to their previous position but landed a spinning head kick before time expired. 29-28 Lungiambula.
WINNER: Dalcha Lungiambula by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
Lungiambula looked exhausted at points throughout this fight, but even after he tired, he was able to defend Perez’s takedown attempts and was able to throw some strong counter combinations to keep Perez from getting too comfortable on the feet. Lungiambula is now 2-1 in the UFC.
SUMUDAERJI (13-4, 126) VS ZARRUKH ADASHEV (3-2, 126) – FLYWEIGHT
Adashev tagged Sumudaerji with a looping left hand early. Sumudaerji landed a number of leg kicks. Sumudaerji was the more active fighter, but neither man was committing too much after both men displayed their proficiency at countering early. Adashev probably landed the biggest shots of the round, but I gave the edge to Sumudaerji based on activity.
Adashev landed a nice three-piece combination to begin the second round. Sumudaerji defended a takedown attempt but ate some big right hands and a left hook in the process. Sumudaerji was knocked off balance following a solid counterpunch from Adashev, and just as it felt as though Adashev was beginning to run away with one, Sumudaerji dropped him with a counter right hook. Sumudaerji wasn’t able to capitalize on the moment, but he made this round a lot harder to score. 20-18 Sumudaerji on my scorecard.
The action resumed as Daniel Cormier and Paul Felder were clearly tired of talking about this fight, and instead questioned John Gooden about shepherding. I don’t quite blame them. I wouldn’t call this a terrible round, but it did feel uneventful, as both fighters were hesitant, and time slowly ticked away. Adashev stepped on the gas near the end of the round, and it very well may have won him the round. 29-28 Sumudaerji.
WINNER: Sumudaerji by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
I did not think this was a spectacular performance from Sumudaerji, who was a massive favorite, but he got the job done and extended his current winning streak. This was a bit of a slower-paced fight, but it had its moments. Sumudaerji is now 3-1 in the UFC.
RICKY SIMON (16-3, 136) VS GAETANO PIRRELLO (15-5-1, 136) – BANTAMWEIGHT
Simon was the aggressor early in the first. He took the fight to the ground about ninety seconds into the round. Simon racked up the control time and picked Pirrello up for a big slam at one point. He connected with a big elbow and racked up a third takedown late in the round. This was a very clear round for Ricky Simon.
Pirrello landed a knee as Simon worked his way in for another takedown, but Simon completed the takedown regardless, bringing the fight to the ground a minute into the second round. This round was looking a lot like the first, as Simon dominated with his wrestling. He moved into full mount and then transitioned into an arm triangle. The submission was locked in tight, and Pirrello was forced to submit.
WINNER: Ricky Simon by arm triangle at 4:00 of Round 2
Simon dominated this fight with his wrestling ability, and this was one of his strongest performances in the UFC. Simon definitely lost a lot of momentum following his losses to Urijah Faber and Rob Font, but he has begun to build himself back up for another shot at ranked opposition. In his post-fight interview, Simon called out Brian Kelleher. He is now 5-2 in the UFC.
The main card opened up with a tribute to Paul Varelans, who passed away at the age of 51, earlier this week following a battle with COVID-19. “The Polar Bear” most notably competed in the UFC 6, 7, and 8 tournaments (as well as both of the “Ultimate Ultimate” tournaments), getting to the final round at UFC 7, where he lost to Marco Ruas.
OMARI AKHMEDOV (20-5-1, 186) VS TOM BREESE (12-2, 186) – MIDDLEWEIGHT
Breese jumped on a guillotine on an early Akhmedov takedown attempt, but he was unsuccessful, and Akhmedov moved into half guard. Akhmedov landed some strong ground and pound strikes, forcing Breese to cover up. Breese escaped to his feet with two minutes left in the round, but he was quickly taken back down. Breese rolled for a heel hook, and while he didn’t get the submission, he was able to take Akhmedov’s back, and he started looking for the rear-naked choke. He ended the round in this position. 10-9 Akhmedov.
Breese took Akhmedov back to the ground early in the second round, seemingly looking for a calf slicer, but he was way too close to the cage, and Akhmedov found his way on top, quickly locking in an arm triangle. Breese hung on for a long time but was eventually forced to submit.
WINNER: Omari Akhmedov by arm triangle at 1:42 of Round 2
Breese did some good work in the final minute of the first round, but this was, by and large, a great performance from Omari Akhmedov. Chris Weidman’s loss aside, Akhmedov has been a good run for these last few years, but he’s been lacking in finishes. This was a much-needed highlight for Akhmedov, who has gone 6-3-1 throughout his last ten fights.
LERONE MURPHY (9-0-1, 146) VS DOUGLAS SILVA DE ANDRADE (26-3, 1 NC, 145) – FEATHERWEIGHT
Silva de Andrade landed some strong leg kicks early. Murphy responded with a pair of left hands and a few straight rights to the body. Murphy checked a leg kick and landed a strong right hand. Silva de Andrade flurried forward, but Murphy managed to block most of his attacks. Murphy ended the round with a powerful leg kick of his own. 10-9 Murphy.
Silva de Andrade caught a kick, took Murphy to the ground, and quickly took his back. Murphy scrambled out of it and cut Silva de Andrade’s leg kick out from under him with another leg kick. Murphy landed an elbow in the clinch, but he went for a takedown and Silva de Andrade reversed it to end up on top. He wasn’t able to do much with it, and ate a big body shot from Murphy when they returned to the feet. Silva de Andrade landed a brutal body shot of his own, and they exchanged elbows, as well as leg kicks. This was a very hard-hitting round, and I narrowly gave the edge to Murphy.
Murphy continued to attack Silva de Andrade’s lead leg in the third round. Silva de Andrade hurt Murphy with a right hand as Murphy was kicking, but he wasn’t able to follow up on it. A kick from Silva de Andrade landed low, and the fight was paused. Silva de Andrade continued to fight aggressively when the action resumed, knowing that he needed a knockout to win. Murphy tagged Silva de Andrade with a right hand of his own, and he pursued a takedown attempt late in the round. He was successful and ended the round on top. 30-27 Murphy.
WINNER: Lerone Murphy by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
This was Lerone Murphy’s toughest test yet, but he got the job done, and successfully built on the momentum he gained following his first-round stoppage of Ricardo Ramos in his last bout. Silva de Andrade had no quit in him and pushed for the finish when he knew he was down, but Murphy weathered the late storm and ended the round strongly. Murphy is now 2-0-1 in the UFC.
MATT SCHNELL (14-5, 126) VS TYSON NAM (20-11-1, 126) – FLYWEIGHT
Schnell was piecing together some quick combinations early, while Tyson Nam seemed to be looking for the knockout blow. There was a lot of hesitation on both sides here, and the round felt like a feeling out process. Nam did land a solid right hand late in the round, but Schnell just ate it and returned fire with another combination, which opened up a cut on Nam. 10-9 Schnell on my scorecard.
Schnell continued to avoid most of Nam’s big shots. His own output seemed to waver somewhat, but Nam was beginning to wear the effects of Schnell’s combinations on his face. Nam connected with a couple of those powerful right hands, but Schnell didn’t react as they landed. He seemed to have a speed advantage that was giving Nam a lot of trouble. This was a closer round than the first, but I still gave the edge to Schnell.
Nam was more active in the third round, but I thought this was a pretty uneventful round. Schnell’s output definitely waned this round, but he didn’t seem gassed either, as he continued to avoid Nam’s biggest shots. Still, I thought Nam took this round with his activity, and ultimately scored the fight 29-28 for Schnell.
WINNER: Matt Schnell by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
This fight pretty much came down to volume. Schnell won the first two rounds based on activity, and Nam won the third round for the same reason. Nam definitely has heavy hands, but he wasn’t able to land too many big shots, and I think Schnell surprised everybody by out striking Nam throughout the first two rounds, without shooting for a takedown once. Schnell has now won five of his last six fights.
ROXANNE MODAFFERI (25-18, 126) VS VIVIANE ARAUJO (9-2, 126) – FLYWEIGHT
Araujo was getting the better of their early striking exchanges. She tagged Modafferi with a clean uppercut. Araujo caught her with a right hook that dropped Modafferi momentarily, although she didn’t seem badly hurt. Still, Araujo was having no difficulties on the feet, and Modafferi didn’t attempt a takedown until late in the round. Unfortunately for Modafferi, it was Araujo who completed the first takedown of the fight, and she went for a rear-naked choke as time expired. 10-9 Araujo on my scorecard, although you could make the case that this was a 10-8 round.
Araujo continued to piece Modafferi up on the feet. Modafferi went for Askren-esque spinning back fist and shot for a takedown that Araujo defended. They exchanged some shots in the pocket, and Araujo defended another takedown. Araujo connected with a solid jab and took Modafferi down once again to end the round. 20-18 Araujo.
Modafferi was aggressively pursuing the takedown in the third round. She got Araujo down momentarily, but Araujo popped right back up and got a takedown of her own. Modafferi quickly made it back to her feet and they separated. Modafferi flurried forward and landed some decent strikes before she was backed up by a right hook. Araujo completed her second takedown of the round, this time in the middle of the cage, and ended the round in side control.
WINNER: Viviane Araujo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Araujo set the tone of the fight in the first round, and while Modafferi looked a bit better each round, it was not enough to sway the momentum of the fight in her favor. Araujo looked great here, dominating both the striking and the grappling exchanges. Araujo is now 4-1 in the UFC, and will likely be looking at another top ten opponent in her next fight.
ISAAC VILLANUEVA (17-11, 206) VS VINICIUS MOREIRA (9-4, 206) – LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Villanueva was letting his hands go in the opening minutes of this fight. Villanueva’s best shot was a right hand that he worked around Moreira’s guard. Moreira was firing off some kicks to the legs and body, but he wasn’t especially active throughout the round. We saw a statistic near the end of the round stating Moreira had yet to throw a single strike to the head. This round was not great.
About thirty seconds into the second round, there was an exchange where both men wound up with big right hands, and Villanueva landed first, landing a powerful shot that spun Moreira around and down to the ground, and he picked up the second-round knockout.
WINNER: Isaac Villanueva by KO at 0:39 of Round 2
Going into this fight, Villanueva and Moreira had a combined UFC record of 0-5, so this was very much a must-win for both of these fighters. The first round wasn’t great, but Villanueva picked up a big knockout win in the second round, and thus earned his first UFC win. It has been a rough road for Vinicius Moreira in the UFC, as he has gone 0-4, with four stoppage losses. I wouldn’t be shocked if this was the last time that we’ll see him in the UFC.
WARLLEY ALVES (13-4, 171) VS MOUNIR LAZZEZ (10-1, 171) – WELTERWEIGHT
Alves immediately rushed to the middle of the cage, and he landed a couple of quick shots before he pressed Lazzez against the cage. Alves connected with a solid spinning back fist, and he took Lazzez down near the cage. Lazzez picked himself up, and partially connected on a spinning elbow, but he ate a trio of brutal body kicks, and Lazzez shelled up on the ground as Alves teed off on him, and the fight was stopped.
WINNER: Warlley Alves by TKO at 2:35 of Round 1
Alves was extremely aggressive from the beginning of the fight, and it quickly paid off with the first-round stoppage. It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster for Alves these last few years, going 4-4 since defeating Colby Covington in 2015, but this was a much-needed highlight victory against Mounir Lazzez, who was coming off of a fantastic UFC debut. Alves called out Nate Diaz in his post-fight interview. There is not a fraction of a chance of that fight happening, but sometimes you just have to shoot your shot I suppose.
MICHAEL CHIESA (17-4, 170.5) VS NEIL MAGNY (24-8, 171) – WELTERWEIGHT
They touched gloves to begin the fight. Both men landed teep kicks to the body. Chiesa landed a decent right hand, and Magny responded with one of his own. Chiesa succeeded on his first takedown attempt of the fight, taking Magny down right in the center of the octagon. Chiesa began to work from half guard, and he rode out the remainder of the round in this position. 10-9 Chiesa.
Chiesa wasted no time in trying to bring this fight back to the ground, but Magny defended Chiesa’s first attempt of the round. Chiesa was successful on his second attempt, but he couldn’t keep Magny down for long. Magny attempted a takedown of his own, but he ended up on the bottom, and Chiesa landed a solid elbow before moving back into half guard. Chiesa smothered Magny for the remainder of the round, and this was another easy one to score for him. 20-18 Chiesa.
Magny flurried forward early in the third, but Chiesa wrapped him up and they found themselves wrestling against the cage. Magny got Chiesa down and took his back along the cage, but Chiesa quickly got up and created some separation. Chiesa worked his way inside with a series of left hands, and Chiesa took Magny down yet again. This was a close round, but Chiesa spent the last minute of the round in dominant position, and that was probably enough to earn him the third round as well.
About a minute into the fourth, Chiesa landed a right hand and took Neil Magny right back down to the ground in the middle of the cage. Chiesa managed to take Magny’s back, and he locked in a body triangle. Magny tried to scramble out of it, and he ultimately successful, but time was working against him in the round by the time he made it back to his feet. Magny attempted an inverted triangle at one point, but it didn’t lead to anything, and once again Chiesa ended the round on top. 40-36 Chiesa.
Magny knew he needed a finish going into the fifth round, but Chiesa wrapped Magny up when Magny finally committed to an attack. Magny grabbed Chiesa’s back and tried to drag him to the ground, but Chiesa easily seized top position once they went to the ground. Chiesa transitioned to full mount near the end of the fight and comfortably won this round. 50-45 Chiesa.
WINNER: Michael Chiesa by unanimous decision (49-46 all)
This was arguably the most impressive performance of Michael Chiesa’s career. He has never seen the fourth or fifth rounds before, but you wouldn’t have guessed it from the way he dominated this fight. He is now 4-0 in the welterweight division, and he’s proved himself as a legitimate contender at 170lbs. In his post-fight interview, Chiesa called out Colby Covington, stating that the election is over, and so is his shtick. I think that fight makes a lot of sense, and it would be fascinating to see if Chiesa could out grapple Covington in a twenty-five-minute fight. That being said, it’s a stacked division with a ton of well-known names in its top ten, so I wouldn’t be shocked if Chiesa finds himself against one of the welterweights ranked just outside of the top five of the division, such as Tyron Woodley, Stephen Thompson, or Demian Maia.
