One of the most important heavyweight title bouts in UFC history goes down on Saturday in Las Vegas as champion Stipe Miocic defends against light heavyweight king Daniel Cormier.
The main event of UFC 226 at T-Mobile Arena is guaranteed to alter history as Miocic looks to cement himself with a fourth title defense as the greatest heavyweight champion the promotion has known while Cormier, looks to become only the second to hold fighter two titles simultaneously.
CBS Sports will be with you all night with our live blog below. If you are having trouble viewing the blog, please click here.
UFC 226 fight card/results
Stipe Miocic (c) vs. Daniel Cormier -- Heavyweight title
Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis -- Heavyweight
Mike Perry def. Paul Felder via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Anthony Pettis def. Michael Chiesa via second-round submission (Armbar)
Khalil Rountree def. Gokhan Saki via first-round TKO (punches)
Paulo Costa def. Uriah Hall via second-round TKO (punches)
Raphael Assuncao def. Rob Font via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Drakkar Klose def. Lando Vannata via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Curtis Millender def. Max Griffin via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
UFC 226 live updates
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FOR only the third time in the UFC’s 25-year history, a reigning champion will fight a reigning champion from another weight class.
Cormier (20-1), the affable light heavyweight champ, is moving up to challenge Miocic (18-2), the most accomplished heavyweight champion in UFC history, in the main event of the UFC’s biggest pay-per-view show of the summer.
“This is the ultimate thing you can do in this sport,” Cormier said. “This is the chance for both of us to prove what we can do in unique circumstances.
“Everybody wants to see this kind of fight but nobody ever actually takes the risk and does it. So let’s do it.”
Rountree shocks world with KO 0:52
Costa topples Hall with TKO 1:07
LIVE Stream the UFC 226 Prelims on FOX SPORTS. SIGN UP NOW >
After the T-Mobile Arena cage door finally closes on this long-anticipated bout, both fighters agree we’ll finally know the identity of the biggest, baddest man in MMA.
“I know what he’s capable of doing, but it’s nothing that scares me,” Miocic said.
“Of course it’s great to get the opportunity to find out whether you’re better than another champion, because I respect Daniel a lot, and I know he respects me.
“This is the kind of fight you always wonder about.”
UFC 226: Miocic v Cormier 3:24
FULL CARD
Main Card (12pm AEST on Main Event)
Stipe Miocic (c) vs. Daniel Cormier*
Max Holloway (c) vs. Brian Ortega ** — Holloway Out, Bout Canceled
Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis
Mike Perry def. Paul Felder - via split decision
Anthony Pettis def. Michael Chiesa - via 2nd round submission
Khalil Rountree Jr. def. Gokhan Saki - via 1st round KO
Prelims
Paulo Costa def. Uriah Hall - via 2nd round KO
Raphael Assuncao def. Rob Font - via decision
Drakkar Klose def. Lando Vannata - via decision
Curtis Millender def. Max Griffin - via decision
Rowdy Rousey makes history 1:21
Early Prelims (9am AEST)
Dan Hooker def. Gilbert Burns - via 1st round KO
Emily Whitmire def. Jamie Moyle - via decision
*For UFC heavyweight championship
*For UFC featherweight championship
HOW TO WATCH
Watch the Prelims on Fox Sports 501, starting at 10am (AEST).
LIVE Stream the UFC 226 Prelims on FOX SPORTS. SIGN UP NOW >
LIVE UPDATES (if you can’t see the blog; click here!)
The UFC returns Saturday for its latest pay-per-view offering, UFC 226 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The main event features Stipe Miocic defending his heavyweight championship for the fourth time against light heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier.
The co-main event was supposed to be featherweight champion Max Holloway defending his belt against No. 1-ranked Brian Ortega, but Holloway was pulled from the fight Wednesday after being sent to the hospital for concussion-like symptoms.
MUEHLHAUSEN: Holloway situation a reminder that health must come first
The new co-main event is No. 1-ranked heavyweight Francis Ngannou vs. No. 5-ranked Derrick Lewis.
Miocic (18-2) made a record-setting third consecutive title defense when he dominated and battered Ngannou to win by unanimous decision at UFC 220. When asked at the time about the possibility of facing Cormier, the part-time firefighter dismissed the notion. He was focused on the pending birth of his first child, wanting to relax and being away from the sport. A victory over someone of Cormier's caliber would cement Miocic as the greatest heavyweight of all time.
HALE: Cormier is the modern Joe Frazier
After blasting Volkan Oezdemir by second-round TKO at UFC 220, Cormier (20-1, 1 NC) was noncommittal about moving back up to heavyweight. He wanted to spend time with his family and, he also didn't want to didn't want to step on the toes of former heavyweight titleholder, main training partner and good friend Cain Velasquez, who was planning a return.
Things drastically changed less than 10 days after UFC 220. Miocic and Cormier agreed to meet in what usually is the biggest fight week of the year and be coaches on the current season of "The Ultimate Fighter." Their bout helped make UFC 226 the most top-heavy card of 2018.
Sporting News will be providing updates throughout the day until we get to the first bout of the evening.
(All times Eastern.)
UFC 226 live results, highlights
11:50 p.m.: Very surprised by what we are seeing here. In utter shock. Neither guy is throwing. Ngannou looks very timid and unwilling to exchange. Referee Herb Dean just warned Ngannou and Lewis. He told them to start exchanging or they will get a point taken away.
11:48 p.m.: Lewis told his corner in between the first and second round that his back spasms have resurfaced.
11:46 p.m.: If you had a pool of this going into the second round, you won. Get that Ngannou and Lewis were going to feel each other out. But it was no more than a glorified sparring round. Need to pick up quickly or the crowd is going to boo them right out of the building.
11:43 p.m.: A little more than two minutes in and Ngannou hasn't even thrown a punch.
11:33 p.m.: Up next at UFC 226, in heavyweight action, No. 1-ranked Francis Ngannou goes up against No. 5-ranked Derrick Lewis. Ngannou is coming off a title loss to Stipe Miocic at UFC 220. Lewis' won seven of his last eight fights. This is a matchup fans have been wanting to see for a long time. If you are expecting a grappling match, you are watching the wrong fight. Ngannou and Lewis are going to stand in the middle of the Octagon and trade leather until someone is knocked out.
Mike Perry beats Paul Felder in a bloody war
11:25 p.m.: Perry def. Felder by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28). The first questionable scorecard this evening, as I don't know how Felder won two rounds. Perry landed the heavier shots and it showed on Felder's face. The move up in weight proved to be too much for Felder. His power didn't translate to welterweight though. Give him credit for competing for another five minutes after suffering a broken arm in the second round. Most fighters wouldn't be able to do that. Perry notched his first win via decision. The move to Greg Jackson's gym proved to be effective. A big step for a guy who has all the charisma in the world and the punching power to become a star. He's now at the right place.
11:18 p.m.: In between rounds two and three, Felder tells his corner he broke his right arm.
11:15 p.m.: Huge left uppercut by Perry has blood gushing down from the right side of Felder's face. Felder showing the warrior he is, comes right back and connects on on an elbow to bloody up Perry at the bridge of his nose. What a fight!
11:12 p.m.: We just saw the unexpected from Perry. He lifted Felder high into the air and slammed him to the mat. Good to see Perry go back to his roots.
11:10 p.m.: Felder is bleeding from the top of his forehead after him and Perry accidentally clashed heads.
10:59 p.m.: Coming up at UFC 226, in welterweight action, Mike Perry faces Paul Felder. Perry had been set to face Yancy Medeiros, but the latter suffered a rib injury and had to withdraw. Felder, moving to welterweight for UFC 226 was supposed to fight James Vick at UFC Fight Night 135 in August, but Vick got moved to the headlining position to fight Justin Gaethje. Perry and Felder needed dance partners and here we are. These guys know how to do one thing and one thing only, throw strikes.
Anthony Pettis taps out Michael Chiesa
10:50 p.m.: Pettis def. Chiesa by submission (triangle armbar) at 0:52 of the second round. Pettis promised he would return to the guy who captured the title. And he did just that. The end came when Pettis hit Chiesa with a right hand followed by a flying knee to send Chiesa to the mat. Pettis tried for a guilliotine, but Chiesa slipped out. Moments later, Pettis snuck in a triangle choke and rolled Chiesa onto his back, locked in the arm and Chiesa tapped out.
Is Pettis back? Not sure, but this is a good start.
Wow. Anthony Pettis submits Michael Chiesa in the second round at #UFC226 pic.twitter.com/g4065Dtub0 — Sporting News (@sportingnews) July 8, 2018
10:42 p.m.: Chiesa looks so much bigger than Pettis.
10:35 p.m.: Up next at UFC 226, in lightweight action, No. 9-ranked Michael Chiesa takes on No. 12-ranked Anthony Pettis. Chiesa's won three of his last four fights, but missed weight on Friday and had to forfeit 30 percent of his purse to Pettis. The former lightweight champion has had a series of bad fights since he lost the title at UFC 185 to Rafael dos Anjos. The fight had been scheduled for UFC 223 in April, but Chiesa bowed out after Conor McGregor threw a dolly through a bus he was in and caused a laceration to his face. Will missing weight help Chiesa help or deter him?
Khalil Rountree Jr. shocks the world and knocks out Gokhan Saki
10:26 p.m.: Rountree def. Saki by knockout at 1:36 of the first round. You read that correctly. After a short feeling out process and a quick exchange, Rountree blasted Saki with an overhand right and that was all she wrote. Saki protested the ending, but when officials helped him up, Saki wobbled and almost fell back down. An incredible win for Rountree. He quieted the naysayers, who said he couldn't stand and trade with the kickboxing great. Rountree's runs his undefeated streak to four and put the light heavyweight division on notice.
10:18 p.m.: Kicking off the UFC 226 main card, in light heavyweight action, Khalil Rountree, Jr. faces Gökhan Saki. Rountree is on a three-fight unbeaten streak and has won five fights in the first round. Saki is one of the most decorated strikers in combat sports history. He's a former GLORY and K-1 kickboxing world champion and sports a record of 83-12-1. Saki won his UFC debut by first-round knockout against Henrique da Silva at UFC Fight Night 117 in September.
Rountree wanted this matchup badly. He wanted to be the one to expose Saki and knock him out. Saki predicts he will win by knockout. We are about to find out whose prediction will come true.
9:58 p.m.: Paulo Costa def. Uriah Hall by knockout at 2:38 of the second round. What a great fight heading into the main card. Costa and Hall traded heavy shots from beginning to end. Hall appeared to have Costa on the ropes when he connected on a right hand to the temple that staggered Costa momentarily, but Costa showed he could take it and came roaring back. Costa hit Hall with a right and left hand and then followed up with a right hook to wobble Hall. After a series of punches, Costa landed a vicious uppercut to send Hall packing. Costa remains undefeated in 12 fights and is now a legit contender at 185 pounds.
9:52 p.m.: And we just saw something no one was expecting in this one: a takedown by Hall.
9:49 p.m.: Very good display of striking by Hall and Costa in the first round. Hall is popping a hard jab while every punch Costa is throwing is with bad intentions. Wonder if they can keep up the pace for another 10 minutes.
9:37 p.m.: Time for the featured preliminary bout at UFC 226, a middleweight fight between No. 9-ranked Uriah Hall and No. 10-ranked Paulo Costa. After losing three straight fights, Hall knocked out Krzysztof Jotko at UFC Fight Night 116. Costa is undefeated in 11 fights, including three inside the Octagon. Have a feeling this isn't going last too long: Hall has won 12 fights inside the distance and Costa has won 10.
9:31 p.m.: Raphael Assuncao def. Rob Font by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). A dominant performance by Assuncao. He controlled the entire fight and never allowed Font to get started. Assuncao clamored for a title shot against the winner of TJ Dillashaw vs. Cody Garbrandt at UFC 227. While not the most exciting guy in the division, Assuncao is consistent, and he has now reeled off four consecutive wins.
9:21 p.m.: Ever since I was critical of what we were seeing, Assuncao has pressed the issue. He began the second round by scoring a beautiful takedown followed up by a series of punches while in side control. Font needs to start being more active if he wants to win the fight.
9:15 p.m.: Assuncao and Font are trying to put everyone asleep with their lack of action in the first round. And as soon as I finish typing that sentence, Assuncao drops Font with a straight right hand.
9:08 p.m.: Next at UFC 226, it's No. 3-ranked Raphael Assunção fights No. 11-ranked Rob Font in bantamweight action. Since losing to champion TJ Dillashaw at UFC 200, Assuncao has won three consecutive bouts. Font has won three of his last four fights. He's coming off the most impressive win of his career, knocking Thomas Almeida at UFC 220. This has serious implications in the division. A win for either fighter will take them a long way toward getting a title opportunity.
9 p.m.: The UFC just announced its remaining schedule for 2018. The highlights include: UFC 227 on Aug. 4; UFC 228 on Sept. 8; UFC 229 on Oct. 6; UFC 230 on Nov. 3; the 25th anniversary show on Nov. 10; UFC 231 on Dec. 8, and UFC 232 on Dec. 29.
8:58 p.m.: Drakkar Klose def. Lando Vannata by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). Great showing for Klose. He executed a fantastic game plan. He kept pressure on Vannata and never let him implement his attack. The best performance in Klose's four UFC fights.
8:47 p.m.: Surprised by the type of fight we have seen thus far. Expected Klose to go for more takedowns and use his wrestling. Instead, he has stood toe-to-toe with Vannata and showed good striking. Doing that has kept Vannata from getting off his unorthodox striking.
8:38 p.m.: Coming up at UFC 226, a lightweight battle between Lando Vannata and Drakkar Klose. Vannata is one the most exciting fighters in the division. He's an all-action fighter, with eight of his nine wins by stoppage. Klose lost his last outing, to David Teymur by unanimous decision at UFC 212. It will be interesting to see what kind of plan Klose's team came up with to neutralize Vannata's style.
8:28 p.m.: Curtis Millender def. Max Griffin by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). After getting taken down and controlled on the ground in the first round, the remainder of the fight belonged to Millender. He ramped it up by using a variety of strikes to keep Griffin at bay. Millender has won eight consecutive fights, including two in the UFC. He's a very impressive prospect and a possible title contender down the line.
8:20 p.m.: Coy move by Millender at the end of the second round by getting a takedown. That will keep Griffin on his toes and have him wondering what Millender will do next.
8:17 p.m.: We are halfway through Curtis Millender vs. Max Griffin. I'm impressed with Millender. Every punch he's throwing is with evil intentions and he knows what Grififn is going to do at every turn.
7:49 p.m.: Dan Hooker def. Gilbert Burns by knockout at 2:28 of the first round. Burns came out on a mission, throwing a series of leg kicks. Give Hooker credit, though; he ate the shots and kept forcing the action. The Englishman dropped Burns with a straight right hand but let him back up. Hooker finished Burns by connecting on a hard left hook to the body and then going upstairs with a left hook. That's four wins in a row for Hooker, all by stoppage. He told Joe Rogan in his postfight interview that he wants a big fight next. It would be difficult to deny his request.
🇳🇿 New Zealand stand up!@DanTheHangman earns his FOURTH finish in a row at #UFC226! Sensational! pic.twitter.com/HL9JkAwXWZ — UFC (@ufc) July 7, 2018
7:39 p.m.: Up next at UFC 226, a lightweight fight between Gilbert Burns and Dan Hooker. Burns, a four-time jiu-jitsu world champion, rolls in off consecutive knockouts. Hooker is undefeated in three fights, all via stoppage, since moving down to lightweight in June 2017. This is my sleeper pick for the best fight of the night.
7:33 p.m.: SN has all bases covered this evening for UFC 226; our senior combat sports editor, Andreas Hale, is inside T-Mobile Arena to cover all the action.
The office view tonight. #UFC226 cageside play by play on twitter by me and our live blog (scores, results, updates) on @sportingnews handled by @SMuehlhausenMMA. Buckle up. https://t.co/LjaRSl1YM7 pic.twitter.com/NCZvZNk7aW — Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) July 7, 2018
7:30 p.m.: Emily Whitmire def. Jamie Moyle by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). With the fight even heading into the final round, Whitmire got the takedown and dominated from there to earn her first UFC win.
7:22 p.m.: Solid work by Moyle in the last 90 seconds of the second round. She needs to go in and throw shots and kicks. That strategy proved to be effective and kept Moyle off balance.
7:19 p.m.: I like Whitmire's game plan after a round and a half. She's controlling the range and not allowing Moyle to secure a takedown.
7:10 p.m.: Our opening bout at UFC 226: Emily Whitmire goes up against Jamie Moyle in women's strawweight action. Whitmire is making her debut at 115 pounds after losing by first-round submission to Gillian Robertson at 135 pounds at "The Ultimate Fighter" finale in December. Moyle also lost her fight to Viviane Pereira by unanimous decision at UFC 212. It's a good way to kick off the show: two prospects looking to make a name for themselves.
7 p.m.: Welcome, fight fans! I'm Steven Muehlhausen from Sporting News. I will be your party host this evening for our UFC 226 live coverage. A lot of great fights are on tap, so grab your refreshments and stay locked in all night long.
6:30 p.m.: We are 30 minutes from showtime.
5:45 p.m.: Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier will step into the Octagon in a few hours. Here's a snippet of the main-event combatants weighing in Friday.
9 a.m.: Welcome to SN's live coverage of UFC 226 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Stay locked in for updates as we inch closer to the 7 p.m. ET opening bell.
UFC 226 fight card
Main card
Stipe Miocic (c) vs. Daniel Cormier (c-LHW) for the UFC heavyweight title
Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis; heavyweights
Michael Chiesa vs. Anthony Pettis; lightweights
Paul Felder vs. Mike Perry; welterweights
Gökhan Saki vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.; light heavyweights
Preliminary card
Uriah Hall vs. Paulo Costa; middleweights
Raphael Assunção vs. Rob Font; bantamweights
Lando Vannata vs. Drakkar Klose; lightweights
Curtis Millender vs. Max Griffin; welterweights
Dan Hooker vs. Gilbert Burns; lightweights
Jamie Moyle vs. Emily Whitmire; women's strawweights
UFC 226 latest news
— We discuss the biggest lesson with regard to Max Holloway.
— Is Jon Jones casting a shadow over the UFC 226 main event?
— A win over Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier will become the modern Joe Frazier.
— Daniel Cormier talks with SN about his early days of MMA.
— Cormier tells SN that Miocic, not Jones, is his biggest fight.
— Does a win over Miocic make Cormier an all-time great?
— Uriah Hall tells SN the advice he learned from Ronda Rousey.
UFC: Khalil Rountree shocks the world by knocking out kickboxing legend Gokhan Saki with one brutal punch, 90 seconds into their bout at UFC 226.
MAX Holloway was forced to pull out from his highly anticipated featherweight title bout against Brian Ortega but a stacked card still awaits fight fans at UFC 226.
Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic headline the night as they square off for the heavyweight strap while Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis do battle in the same weight class in the co-main event.
Paul Felder’s welterweight battle against Mike Perry is also expected to provide plenty of highlights.
The preliminary card is scheduled to start at 10am AEST.
Fight card Main card Heavyweight Stipe Miocic (18-2) vs Daniel Cormier (20-1) Heavyweight Francis Ngannou (11-2) vs Derrick Lewis (19-5) Welterweight Mike Perry (11-3) defeated Paul Felder (15-3) via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) Lightweight Anthony Pettis (20-7) defeated Michael Chiesa (14-3) via TKO (submission, triangle choke), second round (0:52) Light heavyweight Khalil Rountree Jr (7-3) defeated Gokhan Saki (1-1) via TKO (punches), second round Prelims Middleweight Paulo Costa (11-0) defeated Uriah Hall (14-8) via TKO (punches), second round (2:38) Bantamweight Raphael Assuncao (26-5) defeated Rob Font (15-3) via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3) Lightweight Drakkar Klose (8-1-1) defeats Lando Vannata (9-2-1) via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3) Welterweight Curtis Millender (16-3) defeated Max Griffin (14-5) via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3) Share
‘Never seen so much blood’ Paul Felder survived two rounds with a broken arm, a massive golf ball welt above his eye and a sickening open cut on the side of his left eye in one of the most gruesome fights in recent memory. Mike Perry was eventually awarded a dramatic victory via a split judges decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29). Felder told his corner at the end of the second round his arm was broken, but it was the cut next to his eye that caused the most concern. The referee stopped the fight to allow a doctor to assess Felder’s wound, but the fight was allowed to continue. Despite nursing the broken arm, Felder continued to throw punches and block strikes with the broken limb. Despite his heroics, Perry was awarded the victory. Paul Felder out there fighting with an apparent broken arm and an absolutely nasty gash by his eye. Can't imagine the pain he'll be in when the adrenaline goes away. #UFC226 — Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) July 8, 2018 This is the most blood I’ve ever seen in a fight. Holy crap! #UFC226 — Matthew Coca (@MatthewCocaCBS) July 8, 2018 My goodness. So much blood. Felder heads back to the corner and motions to the fans. I think he likes this. #UFC226 — Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) July 8, 2018 holy crap, watching that wound open is something else. If this goes much further, the producers of Face/Off will be owed a tiny royalty. #ufc226 — Jon Jones (@jonjones) July 8, 2018 Drenched in his own blood, hampered by a seemingly broken arm, with an alien sprouting out of his forehead, Paul Felder just kept on swinging. Incredible. Just incredible. The guts on that man. #UFC226 — Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) July 8, 2018 Can we all please take a moment and recognise how badass Paul Felder is?
Came up a weight division on a week's notice against arguably one of the hardest hitters in the WW div and broke his arm mid fight and continued to throw it throughout the rest of the fight 👏🏻👏🏻 #UFC226 — Megan Anderson (@MeganA_mma) July 8, 2018 👁 @PlatinumPerry lands a cutting strike#UFC226 pic.twitter.com/mZ8nO0CXQQ — UFC Aus/New Zealand (@UFC_AUSNZ) July 8, 2018 Share
Pettis’ stunning triangle choke Former champion Anthony Pettis delivered a stunning submission from the top draw as he forced Michael Chiesa to tap out with 52 seconds left in the second round. Pettis was able to land a flush right hand on Chiesa’s jaw before executing the takedown immediately. From there he was able to get Chiesa in a triangle head lock from an underneath defensive position and then left Chiesa helpless when he took his arm away. Seconds later, Chiesa tapped out as he tried to wrestle Pettis’ feet away from his throat. Escapa de la guillotina @MikeMav22, inmediatamente @Showtimepettis busca el triángulo #UFC226 pic.twitter.com/4ojfyTR5sf — Fighting Sports Net (@FSNetwork) July 8, 2018 Share
‘Damn’ — stunning knockout in major upset Khalil Rountree just shuts down Gokhan Saki with a first round knockout. Damn#UFC226 — Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) July 8, 2018 Khalil Rountree sprung a stunning upset with a one-punch TKO. Rountree dropped Gokhan Saki with a vicious left hand that landed right on the button. The shot was so devastating Rountree didn’t even try to follow it up, until Saki was spotted trying to get back to his feet and protect himself. It was only at that point that he ended the fight with a series of hammer fists which forced the referee to end the contest with Saki unable to protect himself on the ground. Wooooooow! 😳
Khalil Rountree Jr with a stunning first-round KO of Gokhan Saki at #UFC226 💪 pic.twitter.com/gAW8w2EsXd — #UFC226: 🏆 Miocic vs. Cormier 🏆 (@btsportufc) July 8, 2018 Share
Costa lands stunning knockout OHHHHH MYYYY!!!
COSTA FINISHES HALL OFF after a CRAZY back and forth exchange! Wow!!!#UFC226 pic.twitter.com/Xnn8A3F6i3 — UFC (@ufc) July 8, 2018 Paulo Costa sensationally recovered from a devastating hook that tagged him early in the second round to dramatically stopping Uriah Hall with a devastating TKO finish. Costa ended the fight mid-way through the second round after rocking Hall during a devastating exchange of hook shots. A costa right hand that landed across Hall’s chin dropped Hall and the referee stopped the fight before he hit the deck. It was an incredible finish after Costa dropped to his knees after eating a shot from Hall just one minute earlier/ Paulo Costa KOs Uriah Hall in the first. What a fight. Costa is a freaking beast. Adesanya said he wanted the winner last night ... what a matchup that would be. — Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 8, 2018 PAULO COSTA! My world! Vicious standup. What a fight. #UFC226 pic.twitter.com/9YJXLoAvX5 — Ahmar Khan (@AhmarSKhan) July 8, 2018 Holy shit 😳😳😳
Costa is just a Terminator. Like good lord 😱😱 #UFC226 — Megan Anderson (@MeganA_mma) July 8, 2018 Wow. Paulo Costa knocks out Uriah Hall midway through the second round. He's a scary dude. — Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) July 8, 2018 Share
Star unleashes after ‘dog act’ Strawweight Emily Whitmire unleashed over a “shady act” by a “piece of s***” after her impressive unanimous decision win over Jamie Moyle. Whitmire rounded on Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC star Vinny Magalhaes, who stepped into the Octagon as Moyle’s cornerman. Whitmire accused Magalheas of ambushing her and stabbing her in the back after working with him in the same gym only to have him work with her opponent. She accused Magalheas of giving her repeated promises he would never corner against her. She also claimed Magalheas failed to give her any notice that he would be cornering for her rival at UFC 226. She issued a foul-mouthed attack on Magalheas in the Octagon after her victory and then stepped up her personal attack in her post-fight interviews. She went on to say Magalheas can go “f*** himself” for what she believes is a very low act. She also called him a “little b****” and a “piece of s***”. “Vinny is supposed to be my teammate,” she said. “He said he wasn’t cornering against me five times. “Today I showed up, and saw him getting off the bus — he didn’t message me or anything, so he can go f*** himself.” Good on Whitmire for calling out her supposed teammate for cornering against her after telling her he wasn't. Pretty dog move imo... #UFC226 — Megan Anderson (@MeganA_mma) July 7, 2018 Emily Whitmire blasts Vinny Magalhaes for cornering Jamie Moyle in their fight at #UFC226:
"He can go f--k himself"
Definitely curious to hear Vinny's response to that one. — Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) July 7, 2018 Aight then #UFC226 pic.twitter.com/8nLtSFSKog — RC Woodley (@RaceCardWoodley) July 7, 2018 I saw Vinny this AM and asked him about that. He said it was a bit weird but Jamie has been a student of his since she was a white belt so his allegiances were with her. https://t.co/htEKdd73hl — Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 7, 2018 Following her win at #UFC226, Emily Whitmire (@WhitmireMMAMMA) explains her harsh words toward teammate Vinny Magalhães pic.twitter.com/hXlLtiyBTk — FanSided MMA (@FanSidedMMA) July 8, 2018 Share
Hooker’s cold-blooded KO Dan Hooker rounded off the early prelims with a devastating knockout of Gilbert Burns in the first round of their lightweight bout. Hooker dropped Burns with a right hook then followed that up with a left that sent him crashing to the canvas and it was all over for the Brazilian. Hooker eats the right hand and then just DROPS Burns with the left! Wow!#UFC226 @DanTheHangman pic.twitter.com/CWRVdbe1kj — UFC (@ufc) July 7, 2018 “I smell blood in the top 10,” Hooker said. “I smell blood in that division and I’m coming for them.” The Kiwi now has four straight finishes in the UFC. Dan Hooker just spoke to the media backstage at #UFC226. He was upset that his KO win over Gilbert Burns was so "easy." Like, legitimately upset. Said he expected more. What a guy. — Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) July 8, 2018 Share
