Saturday’s event at the UFC APEX was positioned as a prelude to International Fight Week next week, but the combatants making the walk this weekend wanted to make sure to show up and show out, and that’s precisely what they did. 
Capped by a tremendous effort by Sean Strickland in the main event and featuring a number of statement efforts throughout the card, Saturday’s fight card was a wonderfully entertaining, action-packed collection of fights, whetting the appetite for all those looking forward to UFC 290 next weekend.
The main event was scheduled for five rounds. All other bouts scheduled for three rounds. | Official Scorecards
Southpaw heavyweight grapplers kicked off the festivities with a fight contested almost exclusively on the feet as Alexandr Romanov and Blagovy Ivanov met inside the Octagon.
Alexandr Romanov of Moldova reacts after the conclusion of his heavyweight fight against Blagoy Ivanov of Bulgaria during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on July 01, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
The two men spent much of the first round taking turns throwing and landing heavy singles at range before Romanov was able to eventually work inside and put Ivanov on the deck in the second, roughing him up on the canvas through to the horn. Romanov slowed in the third, allowing Ivanov to have a little more success, but “King Kong” found a second wind and opened up down the stretch.
All three judges saw the fight in favor of Romanov, who snapped a two-fight slide with the victory and moved to 17-2 overall with the win. For Ivanov, it’s a second straight loss and fourth defeat in five fights for the 36-year-old Bulgarian. | Official Scorecards
Luana Carolina spoiled the promotional debut of Ivana Petrovic, getting herself back into the win column while handing the Norwegian newcomer her first professional loss.
The Brazilian veteran was simply the more effective fighter throughout, leaning on her experience and understanding how to constantly chip away in every phase. She landed the better shots in space and when clinched along the fence, and did well to reverse several takedown attempts of Petrovic, landing on top quite frequently as they spilled to the canvas.
This was a solid win crafted on veteran savvy and superior experience, moving Carolina to 4-3 inside the Octagon and 9-4 overall. | Official Scorecards
Elves Brener, ladies and gentlemen! The Brazilian UFC sophomore collected an incredible come-from-behind stoppage win over Guram Kutateladze on Saturday, pulling off a massive upset.
Brener started well, but got busted up late in the first and early in the second which caused his entire head to be covered in crimson, with his platinum blonde hair turning pink.
Despite the cuts and the success Kutateladze had, Brener never stopped coming forward, eventually stinging “The Georgian Viking” with a sharp shot behind the right eye that put Kutateladze on the canvas and halted the action.
Now 2-0 in the UFC, the 25-year-old is officially a “person of interest” going forward in the 155-pound weight class. | Official Scorecards
Ranked bantamweights Karol Rosa and Yana Santos met at featherweight in a fight that became a case study for how to apply the judging criteria.
After Santos clearly got the better of things in the first, the final two rounds featured each fighter playing to their strengths, with Rosa landing heavier shots at a lesser clip and Santos moving well and offering the more significant output.
Rosa did well to avoid the clinch in the third, and finished the round on top raining down blows on Santos, but it all came down to how the judges saw the middle stanza.
When the scores were tallied, the judges were split in how they saw it, with Rosa coming away on the happy side of the verdict. | Official Scorecards
Joanderson Brito keeps stacking first-round stoppage wins.
Weston Wilson went hunting for a kneebar along the fence midway through the first round, catching it deep and forcing the Brazilian to defend. And once he did, the UFC newcomer was dead to rights, with Brito hammering home heavy shots to bring the fight to a halt.
That’s now three straight first-round finishes for the Dana White’s Contender Series graduate, who seems ready for a step up in competition next time out. For Wilson, this was a nightmare matchup on short notice, and a loss that halts his three-fight winning streak and spoils his UFC debut. | Official Scorecards
Statement made!
Rinat Fakretdinov blasted Kevin Lee, knocking him down and nearly putting him out with a colossal right hand before snatching up a high-elbow guillotine, squeezing until Lee went unconscious.
Just an absolutely tremendous showing from “The Gladiator,” who is now 3-0 in the UFC and fully announced his presence as a fearsome emerging threat in the welterweight division with this one. What a performance! | Official Scorecards
Welcome to the UFC, Nursulton Ruziboev!
Early in the opening round of his clash with Brunno Ferreira, the debuting middleweight caught a low kick and fired a rocket of a right hand down the pipe that put “The Hulk” on the canvas. The follow-ups sealed the deal and bounced the Brazilian from the ranks of the unbeaten at the same time.
Just an absolutely outstanding debut effort on short notice for the tremendously experienced 29-year-old middleweight. | Official Scorecards
Benoît Saint Denis continues to collect stoppage wins, earning his third straight win since returning to lightweight with a first-round submission finish of Ismael Bonfim on Saturday.
The Frenchman came out banging home heavy body kicks, which Bonfim called for more of, before playing to his advantage on the ground. While the Brazilian worked to his feet with a nice reversal the first time he was put on the deck, Saint Denis stayed on the offensive, dragging him back to the ground, pulling Bonfim into him as he took his back.
From there, the surging lightweight attacked the neck, locking up the choke and collecting the tap in the final seconds of the first. After dropping his debut at welterweight, the “God of War” has now won three straight, and is looking for a return to the Octagon in September in Paris. | Official Scorecards
Brazilian compatriots Melissa Gatto and Ariane Lipski went toe-to-toe for 15 minutes in the middle of the main card, trading punches for 15 minutes.
This was a competitive, tactical battle from the outset, with neither woman ever truly grabbing control of the contest. Instead, it was more of a “one for you, one for me” situation, with each responding in kind whenever the other landed. Gatto did well to control the clinch exchanges along the fence, with Lipski doing well to keep the fight standing for the most part.
The judges were called upon to render a verdict, and when the totals were tallied, Lipski came out on the positive side of things, earning the split decision win and her second straight UFC victory. | Official Scorecards
The beauty of the matchup between Michael Morales and Max Griffin was that it was destined to answer a number of key questions about each man, no matter how it played out, and that’s exactly what transpired.
Griffin came out confidently in the first, landing well and getting the better of things against the undefeated 24-year-old. But Morales found his rhythm and range in the second, taking the fight to the veteran, keeping it going in the third as he really started feeling himself. Griffin refused to go away, but Morales showed that he’s on the cusp of cracking the Top 15 by out-working the NorCal native down the stretch.
All three judges saw it the same, awarding Morales 29-28 scores across the board, giving the young prospect his third consecutive UFC victory and 15th straight win overall. | Official Scorecards
Man, that kid is good.
Grant Dawson turned in the most impressive performance of his career, dominating Damir Ismagulov on the canvas to push his record to 8-0-1 in the UFC and continue his ascent up the lightweight rankings.
The Contender Series grad controlled almost the entire opening round from Ismagulov’s back, threatening with chokes before pounding away with strikes down the stretch. In the second, the American took a little punishment on the feet early, but brought the fight back to the canvas and kept it there, again working from back mount. Dawson was in on takedown and back on Ismagulov’s back less than 30 seconds into the third, and while he couldn’t find a finish, he controlled throughout and cruised to victory.
The 29-year-old continues to impress, knowing who he is and playing to his strengths to keep piling up victories. He’s now won three straight to push his record to 20-1-1 and is emerging as a real dark horse in the lightweight division. | Official Scorecards
Sean Strickland overwhelmed Abus Magomedov to pick up his second main event win of 2023.
Magomedov started well in the first, taking the fight to the Top 10 middleweight by offering a variety of shots. But Strickland wore it all well and came out attacking to start the second, hurting Magomedov early and then stepping on the gas, swarming the sophomore and dispatching him before the close of the round.
After filling in and beating Nassourdine Imavov in January, Strickland now picks up a second straight win, cementing his standing in the division while collecting his first finish since settling Brendan Allen in the fall of 2020. He’s now 6-2 since returning to action and 27-5 overall. | Official Scorecards
Don’t miss a moment of UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Magomedov, live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. Prelims start at 4pm ET/1pm PT, while the main card kicks off at 7pm ET/4pm PT.
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