Read on for Fight Night Orlando prelim results...
OLIVEIRA vs. JURY
Brazilian featherweight contender Charles Oliveira spoiled the 145-pound debut of Myles Jury in UFC Fight Night prelim action at Amway Center in Orlando on Saturday, submitting the former lightweight standout in a single round and then going on to call out new champion Conor McGregor.
“I’m coming,” Oliveira said. “Conor, don’t get happy because I’m going to get you.”
More from UFC Fight Night Orlando: Postfight bonus recap | Full results | Fight stats | dos Anjos makes quick work of Cowboy to defend title | Reem gets big TKO, Diaz and newcomer win on main card | Marquardt, Oliveira and Shevchenko win in prelims | Usman goes distance, Ngannou and Luque win in FIGHT PASS prelims | Backstage interviews Nate Diaz, Karolina Kowalkiewicz , Charles Oliveira, Nate Marquardt | Best pictures from Fight Night Orlando
Jury’s striking looked sharp as the bout began, but in the second minute Oliveira took the bout to the mat. Jury nearly reversed position, but it was Oliveira then taking his back with three minutes remaining. With two minutes left, Jury got back to his feet, but it was daylight only for a moment, as “Do Bronx” sunk in the guillotine choke that ended the bout at 3:05 of the opening stanza.
With the win, Oliveira, who came in overweight for the bout at 150.5 pounds, ups his record to 21-5 with 1 NC; Jury falls to 15-2.
MARQUARDT vs. DOLLAWAY
Written off by many after going 1-5 in his previous six bouts, veteran middleweight Nate Marquardt injected new life into his career with a second-round knockout of the number 12-ranked CB Dollaway.
Marquardt got some shots in during the first five minutes, but it was largely the round of “The Doberman,” who stalked throughout the frame as he looked for the homerun shot. With 1:25 left, he nearly got it as he landed a left hook that forced Marquardt to stumble, but the Colorado veteran shook it off quickly.
In the second round, it was Marquardt who got the homerun shot, as Dollaway shot in recklessly and got tagged with a flush right hand that put him on the canvas. Marquardt would land one ground strike, but after seeing that his foe was out, he let up just as referee Herb Dean intervened and officially halted the bout 28 seconds into round two.
The 36-year-old Marquardt improves to 37-15-2 with the win; Dollaway falls to 16-9.
SHEVCHENKO vs. KAUFMAN
When she woke up eight days ago, Kyrgyzstan’s Valentina Shevchenko was just another bantamweight hopeful. Later that Friday, she got the call to replace Germaine de Randamie and make her UFC debut against former Strikeforce 135-pound bantamweight champion Sarah Kaufman and she delivered the upset, taking a three-round split decision win.
Scores were 29-28 twice and 28-29 for Shevchenko, now 12-1; Kaufman falls to 17-4 with 1 NC.
A decorated Muay Thai kickboxer, Shevchenko instead controlled the first and second rounds with her grappling, with a few slick takedowns being the highlight. Kaufman began upping her work rate from the bottom position and against the fence in the second half of round two, but there was no sense that she was turning the fight in her favor in any substantial way.
Two minutes into the last frame, Kaufman finally got a takedown of her own, allowing her to go to work. And though the gutsy Canadian controlled the rest of the round with her ground strikes and nearly locked up Shevchenko’s arm in the closing seconds, it was too little too late for Kaufman to get the win.
McCRORY vs. SAMMAN
Back in the UFC for the first time in six years, Tamdan McCrory made it worth the wait for his fans, as he submitted Josh Samman in the third round of their middleweight matchup.
The two immediately locked up, and after an initial stalemate against the fence, Samman was able to get the bout to the mat. There, the two battled it out, with McCrory looking for submissions from his back while Samman fired off strikes. With a little over a minute left, a scramble saw McCrory nearly lock up his opponent’s arm but Samman got loose and took the dominant top position before the two rose just before round’s end.
Samman got the takedown to begin round two, and after some control from the top, he lost position in a scramble, allowing McCrory to begin working from the top. McCrory fired away with strikes, and with Samman unable to get back to his feet, it was a big round for “The Barn Cat.”
The first three minutes of the third played out just like the second, McCrory getting on top of Samman and not letting him up. Samman was eventually able to reverse position, but again, it was McCrory continuing to score with submission attempts from the bottom, with a triangle choke being the one that forced Samman to tap out at the 4:10 mark.
Binghamton’s McCrory moves to 14-3 with the win; Tallahassee’s Samman falls to 12-4.
McCrory’s previous bout in the Octagon was at UFC 101 in August of 2009.
LENTZ vs. CASTILLO
After a long stint at 145 pounds, Nik Lentz returned to the lightweight division for the first time since 2012 and picked up a hard-fought split decision win over Danny Castillo.
Scores were 30-27, 29-28 and 28-29 for Lentz, now 28-7-2 with 1 NC; Castillo falls to 17-10.
In this clash of wrestlers, Lentz struck first with a thudding takedown, and as the two stood, “The Carny” looked for a guillotine. As the bout strayed back to the mat, Castillo freed himself and soon got back to his feet. Both Lentz and Castillo ripped off some hard shots at each other, Lentz in control with knees against the fence at the horn ending round one.
Castillo appeared to be tiring as the second round commenced, and Lentz used a steady aggression to take advantage, as he scored with punches, kicks and another takedown. Lentz went for the guillotine again, but as he dropped to guard in a sloppy fashion, Castillo was able to get on top. “Last Call” wasn’t able to use this turn of good fortune to turn things around, but he did get some decent shots off before round two finished.
Both fighters had to gut out the final five minutes as their gas tank emptied, but it was Lentz with a little bit more left as he stayed busy enough to lock up another round.
MILLER vs. ALERS
A matchup of Florida-based featherweights met an abbreviated end, as an eye poke rendered Cole Miller unable to continue in the second round of his bout against Jim Alers, with a no contest verdict being rendered.
The first round featured solid, back and forth action, Alers staying busy with his strikes while Miller pecked away with a variety of attacks from long range, fighting from distance effectively throughout. Alers did go back to his corner with a cut over his right eye after a clash of heads, prompting a visit from the Octagonside physician.
The doctor was back in round two after Miller took an inadvertent poke in the eye, and with the veteran unable to open his left eye, the fight was waved off and ruled a no contest. The official time was 1:44.
Miller moves to 21-9, 1 NC, Alers to 13-2, 1 NC.