Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is all set to pull the trigger on the UFC 221 pay-per-view (PPV) event, locked and loaded for tonight (Sat., Feb. 10, 2018) inside Perth Arena in Perth, Australia, featuring “Prelims” on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
Remember, the actual live show will be held Sunday “Down Under,” but airs LIVE the previous night in most parts of the world due to the discrepancy in time zones.
UFC 221 will be headlined by the interim middleweight title fight pitting former division champion Luke Rockhold opposite power-punching top contender Yoel Romero. Unfortunately, because Romero was overweight by two pounds, only Rockhold can claim the interim title with a victory. In the UFC 221 co-headliner, hometown hero Mark Hunt tries to put forth a highlight-reel knockout against heavyweight bruiser Curtis Blaydes.
That’s not all. Not by a long shot.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 221 fight card below, starting with the Fight Pass “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET.
Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the televised fisticuffs to share their thoughts on all the exciting action. Therefore, feel free to leave a comment (or 221) before you split and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show -- it always turns out to be a great discussion.
Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after “Rockhold vs. Romero”
Without further delay, see below for the latest UFC 221 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action.)
UFC 221 QUICK RESULTS:
Luke Rockhold vs. Yoel Romero — Romero def. Rockhold by KO (punches) at 1:48 of Round Three
Mark Hunt vs. Curtis Blaydes — Blaydes def. Hunt by unanimous decision (30-26 x2, 29-27)
Cyril Asker vs. Tai Tuivasa — Tuivasa def. Asker by TKO (punches and elbows) at 2:18 of Round One
Li Jingliang vs. Jake Matthews — Matthews def. Li by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-26 x2)
Tyson Pedro vs. Saparbek Safarov — Pedro def. Safarov by submission (kimura) at 3:54 of Round One
Damien Brown vs. Dong Hyun Kim — Kim def. Brown by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Israel Adesanya vs. Rob Wilkinson — Adesanya def. Wilkinson by TKO (punches) at 3:37 of Round Two
Jeremy Kennedy vs. Alex Volkanovski — Volkanovski def. Kennedy by TKO (punches) at 4:57 of Round Two
Jussier Formiga vs. Ben Nguyen — Formiga def. Nguyen by technical submission (rear naked choke) at 1:43 of Round Three
Mizuto Hirota vs. Ross Pearson — Pearson def. Hirota by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Teruto Ishihara vs. Jose Quinonez — Quinonez def. Ishihara by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Daichi Abe vs. Luke Jumeau — Jumeau def. Abe by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 28-27)
UFC 221 PLAY-BY-PLAY UPDATES:
185 lbs.: Luke Rockhold vs. Yoel Romero for interim middleweight title
Round 1: Low kicks from Rockhold to start. More. One minute in. Body kick from Rockhold. Romero whiffs on an overhand left. Yet another leg kick. 1-2 misses. Two minutes in. He’s still punishing that leg. Romero has not landed a single significant strike yet I think. Overhand left falls short for him. Oblique kick from Romero. Two minutes to go.
Leg kick lands for Romero. Again, answered in kind. Romero finds the mark with an overhand left. One minute to go. Rockhold lands a knee to the body. Low kick from Rockhold. Romero finds the mark with a late jab and leg kick. 10-9 Rockhold.
Round 2: Romero comes out slugging, tearing into Rockhold against the cage. He bangs the body as Rockhold grabs the Thai plum, then separates. Right hooks. One minute in. Rockhold pops him with jabs. Head kick attempt. Hard 1-2. Two minutes in. Romero punches Rockhold’s thigh. Romero charges in, cracks him on the fence. Two minutes to go.
Rockhold to the body. Leg kick. One minute to go. Jabs by Rockhold. Another good sequence of them. 10-9 Romero.
Round 3: Rockhold pumping his jab. Good leg kick. Lead left by Romero. One minute in. Rockhold just keeping his jab in his face. Right hook from Romero. Punch to the thigh, then a monumental left hand that obliterates Rockhold. He wakes up just in time to get knocked into oblivion by another left hand. Yoel Romero with one of the most vicious knockouts in recent memory.
Final result: Romero def. Rockhold by KO (punches)
265 lbs.: Mark Hunt vs. Curtis Blaydes
Round 1: Blaydes looking for right hands. They trade low kicks. They exchange near the cage a minute in. Low kick from Blaydes. Lead right by Hunt. Two minutes in. Blaydes shoots, drags Hunt to the mat. Hunt scrambles up from side control. Blaydes leans too far in and gets blasted with an overhand right. Blaydes is on rubber legs. Hunt patiently pursues and buckles him twice more, but Blaydes takes him down. Two minutes to go.
Hunt works his way to his feet, muscled to the mat once more. Half guard for Bleydes. One minute to go. Patient ground-and-pound from Blaydes. Blaydes takes mount, then the back. 10-9 Hunt.
Round 2: Blaydes shoots right away, powers through the first sprawl into another shot. They separate. Left hand by Blaydes. One minute in. Hunt leans away from right hands. Low kick from Blaydes. Hunt lands a left hook after denying a takedown. Blaydes hits a takedown into half guard, avoiding a scramble. Two minutes to go.
Blaydes staying heavy, staying patient. One minute to go. Periodic ground-and-pound. Blaydes opening up in the last few seconds of the round. 10-9 Blaydes.
Round 3: Blaydes lands an immediate takedown, then slams Hunt to the mat when he scrambles up. Full mount for Blaydes. One minute in. Good shots from Blaydes. Blaydes looks for an americana, drops it. Hunt regains half guard. Two minutes in. Blaydes landing as Hunt works his way to his knees. Hunt makes it to his feet, thrown back down. One hook in for Blaydes. Two minutes to go.
Hunt stands again, dragged back down. Side control for Blaydes. Solid punches from close range. Hunt gets an underhook and scrambles to his feet. They separate with a minute to go. Blaydes ducks a right hand for another takedown. Blaydes drills Hunt with right hands as he stands, then takes him down yet again. Full mount in the last few seconds, slicing elbows. 10-8 Blaydes.
Final result: Blaydes def. Hunt by unanimous decision
265 lbs.: Cyril Asker vs. Tai Tuivasa
Round 1: They come out swinging. Tuivasa on the front foot. Overhand right sneaks around Asker’s guard. After they separate. Tuivasa buzzes him with a point-blank elbow and pursues. Elbows and punches on the fence. Nasty body shots. Another nasty elbow. Tuivasa blasting the head and body. Right hands, uppercuts. Asker’s eaten all of it. Elbow upstairs. Two minutes in. Left hand, chopping elbow. Another. Asker is bleeding like a stuck pig and, when he stumbles away from Tuivasa and falls to the mat, the ref mercifully steps in.
Final result: Tuivasa def. Asker by TKO (punches and elbows)
170 lbs.: Li Jingliang vs. Jake Matthews
Round 1: Nothing much in the first minute. Sharp jab by Matthews. Hard right hand lands, left hook up top. Li walks through it. Li gets briefly buckled by another right hand. They trade right hands. Two minutes in. Li still pressing forward. Li trading with him inside. Both have landed. Left hook drops Li as he tries to press forward and Mathews passes right to mount. Two minutes to go.
Matthews high in mount as Li tries to hold on. Li gives up his back. Li tries to explode out, cannot do so. One minute to go. Matthews still fighting for the choke. Li manages to survive. 10-8 Matthews.
Round 2: Li still advancing. HUGE right hand by Matthews, who locks up a guillotine after walking through an uppercut. Matthews gets guard and cranks, but cannot do so, as Li tries an eye gouge to escape. Li pounding and he’s split Matthews open. Both land heavy right hands. Two minutes in. Low kick from Li, who lands a right hand and opens up on the fence. Matthews fires back. Low kick and right hand. Matthews backing himself to the fence as they exchange. Two minutes to go.
Superman punch by Li. He’s backing Matthews to the fence with regularity. One minute to go. Leg kick and right hands by Li. Matthews trading bombs with him. 10-9 Li.
Round 3: Low kick from Li. Matthews seems to have a second wind. He completes a takedown on the fence, landing lefts on the way up. One minute in. They separate. They trade left hooks. Li uppercut inside. Li threatens a takedown. Two minutes in. GIGANTIC lead right hand flattens Li. Matthews jumps on him, but Li looks for the back before setting up in guard. Two minutes to go.
Li stands over him and sprawls on a takedown attempt. Matthews still driving. They separate with just over a minute to go. 3-2 lands for Matthews. Matthews jumps in with a knee, eats a left hook. Matthews scores a double-leg and a left hook. 10-9 Matthews.
Final result: Matthews def. Li by unanimous decision
205 lbs.: Tyson Pedro vs. Saparbek Safarov
Round 1: Safarov tries an overhand right. Heavy low kick by Pedro and Safarov takes him down for it. Pedro works his way up against teh fence and separates a minute in. Good knee by Pedro. Leg kick lands for Pedro. Two minutes in. Hard right hands by Pedro, Safarov throws back and lands a hard left in return. Safarov shoots, stuffed, eats a knee. Pedro shoots, denied, uppercut by Safarov. Pedro rocks him with a right hand, eats one in return. Heavy knee by Pedro. Two minutes to go.
Safarov pressing him against the cage, takes him down and lands some questionable punches. Pedro counters a takedown attempt with a savage kimura, forcing the tap.
Final result: Pedro def. Safarov by submission (kimura)
155 lbs.: Damien Brown vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Round 1: Kim lands a low kick. Short left hand, leg kick. One minute in. Another low kick. Brown answers in kind. Brown wades in, eats a jab. Low kick briefly puts Him on his butt. Two minutes in. Another heavy leg kick. Kim with a leg kick of his own and they trade jabs. 1-2 from Kim. Cross counter from Brown. Kim to the body Two minutes to go.
Kim tries a head kick, caught with an uppercut and leg kick. Kim lands a lead right with a minute to go. They exchange inside. 10-9 Kim.
Round 2: Brown tries a head kick. Front kick from Kim glances off. Kim body kick, Brown leg kick. One minute in. Leg kick and jab from Kim. Leg kick. Brown with a right to the body. Kim with a hard 2-3, Brown fires back. Two minutes in. Low kick from Brown. Kim to the body and they trade low kicks. Hard left hand by Brown inside. Two minutes to go.
They exchange in the center. Brown leg kick. One minute to go. Brown swings and they exchange in the center. Brown low kick. Kim pops him with jabs. Another leg kick drops Kim. 10-9 Brown.
Round 3: Both men staying patient. Kim leg kick, Brown body kick. Kim to the body. One minute in. Brown throws a combo, lands a backfist. Kim leg kick and straight left. Brown lands a straight right, eats a right hook. Body kick from Brown two minutes in. Straight left from Kim. BRown body kick and right hand. Big straight left by Kim. Two minutes to go.
Kim right hand, Brown leg kicks. One minute to go. Right hand and leg kick by Brown. Another leg kick. 10-9 Brown.
Final result: Kim def. Brown by split decision
185 lbs.: Israel Adesanya vs. Rob Wilkinson
Round 1: Low kick from Adesanya. Stiff jab. Wilkinson with a low kick, eats a straight left. Wilkinson nearly eats a shin to the face as he ducks in for a takedown attempt. One minute in. Wilkinson keeping him against the cage, denied with a whizzer. Wilkinson threatens a guillotine and goes back to the cage. Knees to the thigh from Wilkinson, who gets the takedown. Adesanya pops back up two minutes in. Solid knee by Wilkinson, who stays attached to Adesanya’s foot and re-engages. Outside trip, but Adesanya nearly takes the back as he scrambles up. Wilkinson won’t be denied, continues to drive. Two minutes to go.
Adesanya separates. Head kick blocked. Leg kick from Adesanya, who rolls through a takedown attempt. Wilkinson keeps him on the cage. One minute to go. Wilkinson drags him to the mat, can’t keep him down. Short knees. 10-9 Wilkinson.
Round 2: Wilkinson ducks a head kick, eats punches. Wilkinson changes levels, can’t get a grip. Inside leg kick. Adesanya spears him with a jab. Nice right to the body. One minute in. Wilkinson looking tired as he backs to the cage, failing another takedown. Adesanya slams in a body shot and knee, gets taken down. Wilkinson keeping him on the cage. Two minutes in. Adesanya limp-legs out and separates. Adesanya with a cracking knee, playing to the crowd. Wilkinson is spent. Adesanya with a good cross, denies a lvel change. Body shot, knee, left hook upstairs. Adesanya punishing him on the fence. Two minutes to go.
Wilkinson just covering up on the cage as Adesanya patiently bashes away. Wilkinson finally falls back and it’s over.
Final result: Adesanya def. Wilkinson by TKO (punches)
145 lbs.: Jeremy Kennedy vs. Alex Volkanovski
Round 1: Volkanovski opens with leg kicks. Kennedy shoots, wrapping up a leg. Volkanovski defends and ties up, getting double underhooks. One minute in. Nice outside trip into guard. Kennedy working an overhook and landing short elbows. Kennedy tries to make space, cannot do so. Two minutes in. Elbows from Volkanovski in half guard. Big left hands. More heavy left hands, keeping the pressure on Kennedy. Two minutes to go.
More shots piling up. Kennedy regains guard. Volkanovski stands over him and blasts him with punches. Nasty elbows as well. Back to half guard with a minute to go. Kennedy regains guard, eats more punches. He gets to his feet and shoots. Volkanovski lands a knee and reverses. 10-8 Volkanovski.
Round 2: Kennedy on the advance, lands a right straight. Nice uppercut, but gets taken down into guard. Now half guard. One minute in. Kennedy works his way to his feet, eats a hard knee and shoots. Volkanovski easily turns him around. They separate. Kennedy shoots, taking him to the fence. Volkanovski forces him to his back and starts punching from half guard two minutes in. Nice left hand. Back to full guard, Volkanovski postures up for bigger shots. He drills the body. Two minutes to go.
Good elbows by Volkanovski. Half guard again. More heavy punches. Elbows. One minute to go. More crushing shots. Kennedy looks like he’s about had enough and Volkanovski is looking for the finish. In comes the ref for the finish.
Final result: Volkanovski def. Kennedy by TKO (punches)
125 lbs.: Jussier Formiga vs. Ben Nguyen
Round 1: Nguyen fires a combo and they tie up. Knee from Nguyen against the cage. Glancing knee up top, harder one to the body and an elbow behind it. Formiga reverses and they separate. Right back into the clinch. One minute in. Good clinch work by Nguyen. He separates with an elbow. Formiga blocks a head kick and clinches, taking him to the fence. Nguyen pummels under two minutes in and reverses. They separate. Formiga counters a missed head kick with a hard right hand. Formiga catches a leg kick, gets double underhooks, and takes Nguyen down into side control. Two minutes to go.
Formiga hops into mount. One minute to go. Nguyen tries to bridge without success. Formiga staying tight, does so until the bell. 10-9 Formiga.
Round 2: Formiga tosses Nguyen down, doesn’t follow. Nguyen lands a knee inside. Formiga sporting a cut on his forehead. One minute in. Another clinch, knee from Nguyen and he takes him to the cage. They separate. Two minutes in. Spinning back kick by Formiga. Combination upstairs. Nguyen stuffs a takedown and lands some knees to the body. Spinning back fist from Formiga glances off. Nguyen tries a leg kick and gets taken down again. Two minutes to go.
Formiga passes to half guard. He looks to get full mount and Nguyen scrambles to his feet. Nguyen looks a bit labored, oddly. One minute to go. Counter right from Formiga. Nguyen with a sharp right cross. Formiga tries to spin again. Body kick and Nguyen takes a finger to the eye. 10-9 Formiga.
Round 3: Formiga lands a counter right, eats a left hook. Nguyen right hands, Formiga left hook this time. One minute in. Nguyen launches a head kick and Formiga perfectly times a spinning back fist, crumpling him to the mat. Formiga whacks away a couple times before jumping onto his back and squeezing him unconscious.
Final result: Formiga def. Nguyen by technical submission (rear naked choke)
155 lbs.: Mizuto Hirota vs. Ross Pearson
Round 1: Low kicks from Hirota. Pearson answers in kind. Stiff jab. One minute in. Hirota steps in with a right hand, eats a left hook. Leg kick from Hirota. Pearson to the body two minutes in. Hirota goes to the body. Left hook and leg kick. Pearson dodges a Superman punch, can’t quite counter. Two minutes to go.
Nice counter uppercut from Pearson. Pearson leg kick. Body shots after eating a 1-2. Good left hook from Pearson. Right hand from Hirota with a minute to go. Hirota ties up, can’t drag him down. Jabs from Hirota. Pearson tries a flying knee before the bell. 10-9 Pearson.
Round 2: Hirota goes low-high, eats a left hand from Pearson and lands another leg kick. More low kicks a minute in. Pearson’s bloodied up his nose, looks like. Both land right hands. Two minutes in. Pearson tries a head kick. Pearson sticks a jab to the body. Two minutes to go.
Hirota throws a right, eats one in return. Leg kick lands, left hook from Pearson. Another heavy hook by Pearson. Left hook exchange with a minute to go. Hirota finds the mark with a combination. He looks a bit invigorated, cracks Pearson with a left hook and trades in the clinch. Right hand briefly buckles Pearson and Hirota is on the attack. 10-9 Hirota.
Round 3: Jab from Hirota. Low kick. Up-jab from Pearson, leg kick from Hirota. Hirota checks a leg kick in return. Pearson to the body a minute in. Good counter 1-2. 1-2 again. Counter up-jab. Hirota leg kick. Counter right by Pearson when Hirota leans in. Two minutes in. Left hooks land for Hirota. Again. Glancing overhand right. Head kick attempt. Body shot from Hirota. Two minutes to go.
Pearson digs a right to the body. Jab met by a Hirota left hook. Good Pearson hook with a minute to go. Leg kick from Pearson, straight right by Hirota and a left hook. Hirota putting together combos, lands a glancing head kick and a teep. This fight was way closer than the announcers suggest, but 10-9 Pearson.
Final result:
135 lbs.: Teruto Ishihara vs. Jose Quinonez
Round 1: Low kicks from Quinonez to start. He catches a kick and takes Ishihara to the mat. Ishihara works his way to the fence and stands, avoiding an outside trip. Good knee from Ishihara as Quinonez scrapes him along the fence. One minute in. Knee exchange. He gets Ishihara to a knee. Quinonez muscles Ishihara down to both knees and puts in a hook. Two minutes in. Full body triangle now. Ishihara defending well thus far. Two minutes to go.
Ishihara explodes and breaks the body triangle, rising to his feet. Quinonez still attached. Ref pauses the fight as Quinonez’s cup pops out, then resets them in the center. One minute to go. Good left hand by Ishihara, looks like a clash of heats as they tie up. Ishihara lands knees and an outside trip. Quinonez shoots in on the way up, cracks him with an elbow on the break. Ishihara with a good right hook upstairs, then wobbles Quinonez with an overhand left. 10-9 Quinonez.
Round 2: Ishihara coming out aggressively, sending out lefts and kicks. Inside leg kick. Glancing high kick. Quinonez tries a high kick a minute in. Inside low kick seems to shake Ishihara up. More leg kicks. Ishihara lands one in return. Another. Two minutes in. Counter right by Quinonez, who gets taken down against the fence. Ishihara continues to drive, but can’t keep him there. Another leg kick from Quinonez. Two minutes to go, good right lands.
Knee from Quinonez, another kick to the calf. Ishihara with a couple low kicks of his own. Quinonez shoots, stuffed with under a minute to go. Right hand connects for him. Counter left takes Quinonez’s legs out and he wobbles to the ground, managing to scramble up before the bell. 10-9 Ishihara.
Round 3: They open the round trading low kicks until Quinonez shoots. Ishihara lands a knee on the break. Right hook lands for Quinonez, leg kick exchange. One minute in. More leg kicks by Quinonez, straight left from Ishihara. Ishihara tries to counter one of the leg kicks. Two minutes in. Low kicks from Ishihara, too, although Quinonez is still landing more. Good jab by Quinonez. Hard straight left. One minute to go.
Tit-for-tat, no real damaging blows from the hands. More low kicks. One minute to go. Quinonez keeps up the low kicks. 10-9 Quinonez on volume.
Final result: Quinonez def. Ishihara by unanimous decision
170 lbs.: Daichi Abe vs. Luke Jumeau
Round 1: Jumeau with a left hook and low kick early. Check hook as Abe advances. Jab exchange. One minute in. Abe nearly catches him with a head kick. Hard right by Jumeau. Left hook staggers Abe and Jumeau wades forward patiently. Body shot. Good right cross by Abe Two minutes in. Abe catches him coming in with a jab, then a hard right hand when Jumeau catches a body kick. Hard uppercut. Right cross hurts Jumeau on the cage and Abe tries to open up, Two minutes to go.
Jumeau waves him on. Jumeau ducks in as he advances and Abe meets him with an uppercut that sends him to his knees. Jumeau ties up to survive and regains his bearings. One minute to go. Left hook by Jumeau. Abe slips , then cracks Jumeau with a left hook. Again Jumeau weathers it. 2-3 from Abe. 10-9 Abe.
Round 2: Early takedown from Jumeau. Abe pops back up, eats a body shot and right hand. Another shot and Abe tries a throw without success. One minute in. Jumeau finding the mark with his left hook to the body. Abe looking a little winded. Body kick from Jumeau, who catches a leg kick and lands a right hand. Overhand right lands clean, then another body shot. Two minutes in. Left hook by Jumeau, body shot. Abe is definitely fading. Body kick again by Jumeau. Check hook. Two minutes to go.
Abe is periodically trying to rush, but eating counters. More shots from Jumeau. One minute to go. Abe jab met by a left hook. Counter uppercut by Abe. 10-9 Jumeau.
Round 3: Abe opens with some solid body kicks. Hard leg kick from Jumeau, lead right hand. One minute in. Left hook, leg kick a minute in. Good knee by Jumeau, leg kick again. Head kick dings Abe, who ducks a Superman punch. Two minutes in. Jumeau ducks in and eats a hard right hook, claiming an eye poke. The eye itself is bleeding. Unless Abe’s thumb was out, that’s a legal shot. Should have been a TKO, but they continue. Hard straight right by Jumeau. Two minutes to go.
Head kick attempts. Glancing counter hook by Abe. Jumeau body kick. Abe catches him coming in with a jab, eats a leg kick. One minute to go. Another leg kick drops Abe. Good right hand from Jumeau. Another leg kick drops Abe and Jumeau tries to pound away. Abe should have gotten the win, since he caused the eye damage with a legal strike, but 10-9 Jumeau.
Final result: Jumeau def. Abe by unanimous decision