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UFC 227 live updates: Fight-by-fight coverage of the Dillashaw-Garbrandt card at Staples Center

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UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw (16-3) takes on Cody Garbrandt (11-1) for the title on Saturday night at Staples Center. Dillashaw captured the title from Garbrandt and the former training partners have become bitter rivals. Other top bouts on the card include Demetrious Johnson (27-2-1) vs. No. 1-rated Henry Cejudo (12-2) for Johnson’s flyweight belt; No. 5 Cub Swanson (25-8) vs. No. 10 Renato Moicano (12-1-1), featherweights; Polyana Viana (10-1) vs. JJ Aldrich (6-2), women’s strawweights; No. 13 Thiago Santos (17-5) vs. Kevin Holland (13-3), middleweights. Follow along here for round-by-round coverage.

UFC bantamweight title: T.J. Dillashaw vs. Cody Garbrandt live round-by-round coverage

T.J. Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt were once training partners at Team Alpha Male. When Dillashaw left the team, they were put on a collision course and have engaged in a war of words since. They fought for the title at Madison Square Garden, with Garbrandt rocking Dillashaw early and having him in big trouble but Dillashaw coming back to win by knockout. They now rematch for the title with personal issues remaining strong between the two.

Round 1. Dillashaw offers to touch gloves at the start. Garbrandt refuses. Both fighters are careful early and neither lands anything of consequence in the first minute and a half. Dillashaw throws a number of kicks. Garbrandt lands a big hook and Dillashaw connects well at the same time. Garbrandt appeared to connect on a knee. Garbrandt lands a left hook and gets too aggressive. He starts throwing big punches going for the knockout but Dillashaw fires back and Garbrandt goes down from a heavy counterpunch. Dillashaw looks for the finish on the ground but Garbrandt covers up well and returns to his feet. Dillashaw rocks Garbrandt with a right hook and pummels Garbrandt with additional blows by the cage until the fight is mercifully stopped by the cage.

Winner: T.J. Dillashaw, TKO, round 1.

Cody Garbrandt is tough and dangerous but his chin has been a persistent issue and it has cost him both times against T.J. Dillashaw. For Dillashaw, it was a great win and another indication of what an all-time great bantamweight he is.

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UFC flyweight title: Demetrious Johnson vs. Henry Cejudo live round-by-round coverage

Demetrious Johnson is one of the most skilled and accomplished competitors in MMA history. He is coming off a spectacular submission win over Ray Borg and has won 13 straight. Having repeatedly avoided a fight with T.J. Dillashaw, he will defend his flyweight title for the third time against an opponent he already beat. Henry Cejudo is an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling and is 12-2 in MMA competition with two straight wins heading into this title shot.

Round 1. Something happened early with Cejudo’s ankle. He is having trouble walking and has landed awkwardly on it multiple times. Johnson throws a number of kicks early. He throws them low initially and then connects with a head kick nicely. Cejudo is moving fine now. Johnson leaps in with a hook. Johnson lands a body kick. Johnson lands a head kick but Cejudo gets a hold of Johnson in the process and lands a few punches from close range before Johnson backs out. 10-9 Johnson.

Round 2. The fighters end up in a clinch early but don’t last long there before separating. Cejudo connects with a solid right hand in an exchange. Johnson continues to attack at different levels, going to the body and legs to set up attacks to the head. They trade kicks to the body. Johnson lands a right hand and briefly looks to set up a takedown but quickly gives up on the idea. Cejudo scores a takedown with a minute left in the round. Cejudo lands some punches from the top. Johnson powers his way up while Cejudo lands some knees to the shoulder. 10-9 Cejudo.

Round 3. Johnson puts the pressure on early in the third. Cejudo goes for a takedown and has Johnson down briefly but never has control and Johnson is quickly back up. Cejudo moves in with punches but Johnson then counters. Cejudo goes for a takedown but Johnson counters and nearly takes the back in the process. Cejudo is able to avoid that predicament. Johnson lands a nice kick to the body. Cejudo goes for a takedown and again Johnson rolls out. 10-9 Johnson.

Round 4. Johnson lands a hard right hand. Cejudo answers with a quality right hand and a knee to the body before Johnson answers back with a punch of his own. Cejudo scores a takedown at the midpoint of the round. Cejudo lands a few punches and elbows while maintaining control of Johnson. 10-9 Cejudo.

Round 5. The crowd chants for Cejudo at the start of the fifth. Johnson throws a few leg kicks. Johnson lands a crisp body kick. Cejudo lands a nice little hook. Throughout the fight Cejudo has been attacking the head much more while Johnson has a lot more offense low. Cejduo goes for a takedown three minutes in. He gains a body lock but Johnson defends on the feet. Cejudo gets the takedown but Johnson pops up, which is huge. They exchange punches. Cejudo lands a few hard punches and a kick late. That’s a really close fight. 10-9 Johnson, 48-47 Johnson.

Winner: Henry Cejudo, split decision (48-47, 47-48-48-47).

There have been more exciting fights as far as minute by minute action but there have been few as dramatic in terms of coming right down to the wire. Johnson took the first and third rounds while Cejudo took the second and fourth. That left the fifth as the deciding round and it went right down to the wire. Cejudo did better at the very end of the round and that was probably the difference for two of the three judges. It’s a huge win for Cejudo over a dominant champion and almost certainly will lead to an immediate rematch in a trilogy fight between Cejudo and Johnson.

Henry Cejudo, interestingly, has other ideas. He said he wants to move up to 135 pounds next and challenge the winner of T.J. Dillashaw vs. Cody Garbrandt.

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Cub Swanson vs. Renato Moicano live round-by-round coverage

Cub Swanson has been a top featherweight contender for more than a decade. Now 34, he has lost two straight and may be toward the end of his run as an elite fighter. He’ll have a chance to prove otherwise against Renato Moicano. Moicano is a rising contender with a 12-1-1 record — the only loss to No. 1 contender Brian Ortega.

Round 1. The crowd is very much behind Swanson, loudly chanting “let’s go Swanson” at the start. Moicano lands more early but Swanson cracks him with a big right hand, the strongest shot of the beginning of the fight. Swanson lands another formidable right hand moments later. Moicano drops Swanson with a hard jab and pours it on with punches on the ground. Swanson gets up but Moicano throws a vicious knee to the body and takes Swanson back down. Moicano works into full mount. Swanson tries to get up but Moicano takes the back and locks up a rear naked choke for the submission.

Winner: Renato Moicano, submission, round 1.

That was a great win for Renato Moicano. Moicano clearly is a very good fighter but he doesn’t have a lot of highlight-reel moments for fans to remember. That was one right there as he ran through a highly respected veteran and showcased his stand-up and ground games in the process.

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Polyana Viana vs. JJ Aldrich live round-by-round coverage

Polyana Viana has a 10-1 record and is looking to become a contender in the UFC. JJ Aldrich has won two straight fights and is 6-2 overall.

Round 1. They clinch. Viana briefly throws Aldrich down, but Aldrich gets up immediately. They work in the clinch for a while. Viana goes for a guillotine but doesn’t get it, and Aldrich ends up in top position. Not a lot to score in that round. 10-9 Viana.

Round 2. They fight at range in the first minute with neither landing a telling blow. They clinch at that point. Viana lands a hook on the break. Viana then charges in with punches. Aldrich connects with a few solid punches of her own. Aldrich follows with a few more quality combinations. Viana gets a takedown and tries to take the back, but she doesn’t have both her hooks so she can’t control the body. Aldrich sweeps and takes top position. Viana looks for an arm bar in the process but doesn’t secure it. 10-9 Aldrich.

Round 3. Aldrich has success with her boxing early on. Viana grabs hold of Aldrich and then pulls guard. Viana isn’t able to do much from that position, mostly just tying Aldrich up while Aldrich lands the occasional punch. They return to the feet and Aldrich lands a few punches late. 10-9 Aldrich, 29-28 Aldrich.

Winner: JJ Aldrich, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27).

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Thiago Santos vs. Kevin Holland live round-by-round coverage

Kevin Holland impressed at Dana White’s Contender Series and now he will get a stern welcome to the UFC. Thiago Santos is a brutal knockout artist with overwhelming power. If Holland can get by Santos in his UFC debut, it will be quite the statement.

Round 1. Holland comes out loose, throwing some wide kicks. Santos lands a hard punch and then gets a takedown. Holland attacks with an armbar but can’t get it, and Santos responds by opening up with punches. Santos is landing some big punches on the ground and Holland is in trouble. Holland gains control of the wrist and recovers. Santos gets free and opens up with some more big punches. Holland returns to his feet but doesn’t have the same confidence as before. Santos lands some big shots to the body, hurting Holland. 10-8 Santos.

Round 2. The fighters trade high kicks, and Holland calls out to Santos to keep coming. Santos responds by taking him down. Santos immediately takes the full mount position. Holland keeps talking on the ground and he sweeps Santos and returns to his feet. Santos lands a brutal kick to the body and gets the takedown. Holland gets up and lands a few punches. Santos looks to take Holland back down. Santos grabs a kimura and uses it to take top position. Holland then lands some elbows in side control. Holland came on strong in the final minute, but it’s not enough to take the round. 10-9 Santos.

Round 3. Santos throws a series of kicks at the start of the round. Santos scores a takedown. Santos looks to set up an arm triangle choke but cannot get it. Holland bucks Santos off, and they return to the feet. Santos opens with massive punches looking to finish the fight. Holland shoots for a takedown but eats more punches in the process. Santos gets top position and then full mount. Santos then applies an arm triangle choke. Holland defends beautifully and rolls out. 10-9 Santos.

Winner: Thiago Santos, unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-26).

That was an entertaining fight. Holland kept competing throughout despite the danger Santos always presents. Both men did well.

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Pedro Munhoz vs. Brett Johns live round-by-round coverage

Pedro Munhoz is a solid contender in the bantamweight division, having won four of his last five fights. Brett Johns is coming off the first loss of his career but still has a sparkling 15-1 record.

Round 1. Johns throws out a few jabs before shooting in for the takedown. Munhoz defends well. Munhoz connects with some strong punches, and Johns answers back. Both men are landing some clean punches in the exchanges. They’re principally boxing, with Munhoz mixing in more kicks. Johns goes for a takedown, but it is easily blocked. 10-9 Munhoz.

Round 2. Munhoz comes in with some punches, and Johns connects with a knee at the end of the exchange. Munhoz lands a couple hard kicks to the leg, and Johns begins to limp noticeably. That could be a real problem for Johns. Munhoz then drops Johns with a kick to the body and swarms with punches on the ground. The referee could stop the fight for sure but elects not to, and Munhoz has to slow his pace. Munhoz looks for a guillotine choke but loses it. On the feet, Munhoz drops Johns with another leg kick. Munhoz looks for a heel hook on the ground but doesn’t get it. Munhoz continues to attack the leg, and Johns is in big trouble. Johns, recognizing the problem, opens up with power punches looking to land a fight ending punch. Munhoz answers back. and they end up in a brutal brawl. Munhoz drops Johns with a punch and follows with more big punches on the ground. Johns survives to the end, a testament to his toughness. 10-8 Munhoz.

Round 3. Munhoz hurts Johns with another kick to the body. Munhoz looks to finish with a choke but cannot get it. Munhoz takes the top position on the ground and has control of Johns’ neck. Munhoz is able to work from the top, but on balance the minutes that elapse on the ground benefit Johns, given that he has had trouble standing and was consistently getting beat up on the feet. The fighters return to the feet in the final minute. 10-9 Munhoz, 30-26 Munhoz.

Winner: Pedro Munhoz, unanimous decision (30-26, 29-28, 29-27).

That was a heck of a fight, with Munhoz showing great skills and Johns showing great heart. 29-28 is quite the scorecard for that one.

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Ricky Simon vs. Montel Jackson live round-by-round coverage

Ricky Simon both competed on the Dana White Contender Series and now fight in the UFC proper. Simon is much more experienced on the professional level.

Round 1. Simon goes for a takedown in the first minute and briefly has Jackson down but Jackson gets back up pretty much immediately after touching the ground. They strike from range before Simon goes back to the takedown. He takes Jackson down two more times but on both occasions Jackson is back up in quick order. Jackson lands a few nice kicks late. Jackson stuns Simon with a hard straight punch late and Simon reflexively goes for a takedown at the bell. 10-9 Simon.

Round 2. Jackson is the longer fighter, which leads to Simon repeatedly going for these takedowns. In a scramble, Jackson nearly gets top position on the ground but they end up back on the feet. Simon clinches again but can’t get any progress on a takedown. Simon finally gets Jackson down for a decent period of time late and takes Jackson’s back but there isn’t enough time to capitalize. 10-9 Simon.

Round 3. Simon goes back to the clinch and again tries to take the back but Jackson prevents that and they return to the clinch by the cage. Jackson lands some strong punches and a knee before Simon is able to back out of the way. Simon then scores an emphatic takedown. Simon gets back mount and has Jackson in a really bad position. Jackson controls Simon’s hand and gets back to his feet, an impressive escape from a bad position. However, Simon then takes him right back down. 10-9 Simon, 30-27 Simon.

Winner: Ricky Simon, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).

It wasn’t a fight that will get fans excited for either man, but Simon grounded out the win on the scorecards.

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Ricardo Ramos vs. Kyung Ho Kang live round-by-round coverage

Ricardo Ramos is 11-1 with two wins in the UFC at just 23 years old. Kyung Ho Kang has won three straight in the UFC and like Ramos has plenty of submission wins over the course of his career.

Round 1. The fighters are exercising some caution early. Ramos is generally the fighter advancing, throwing a lot of straight punches. Ramos sees an opening and throws a series of big punches but Kang fires back and Ramos backs off and realizes he needs to be careful. Ramos continues to press the action as the round winds down. 10-9 Ramos.

Round 2. Ramos lands a pair of hard body punches early. He continues to attack the body but Kang catches him with a trip as Ramos is moving in. On the ground, Kang lands some punches inside Ramos’ closed guard. Ramos lands some elbows from the bottom. Ramos attacked with a knee bar from the bottom and appeared close to securing it but Kang slipped out late. Ramos in the process took top position. Kang slips out and returns to his feet. Ramos gets a takedown at the close of the round. 10-9 Ramos.

Round 3. Ramos connects with some solid punches early. Kang fires back, forcing Ramos to respect the danger he presents. Kang follows with a nice combination and then another. Kang also adds in some kicks. Kang has been much more active in the third. Ramos gets a takedown momentarily but Kang gets right back up. 10-9 Kang, 29-28 Ramos.

Winner: Ricardo Ramos, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

The key round there was the second. Kang got a takedown and had some success there but Ramos threatened with a submission and did better on the feet. The fight could have gone either way and both fighters represented themselves well.

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Matt Sayles vs. Sheymon Moraes live round-by-round coverage

Matt Sayles earned this opportunity with a win on Dana White’s Contender Series and enters this fight just 24 years old. Sheymon Moraes drew a tough first UFC opponent in Zabit Magomedsharipov and the WSOF veteran will look to rebound here.

Round 1. There isn’t much of a feeling-out period as both men come out throwing hands. Moraes lands a head kick from pretty close range. Moraes has success with some knees from the clinch. Sayles connects well with a couple of looping punches and looks for a takedown. He doesn’t come close. 10-9 Moraes.

Round 2. Sayles flies in looking for a takedown but gets neutralized in the clinch. Sayles throws a pretty spinning back fist, and Moraes answers with a short-range elbow. Neither man is connecting all that cleanly with anything. Both men are consistently mixing in attacks to the body. 10-9 Sayles.

Round 3. Sayles comes out with a few leg kicks early. He then lands a hard right hand near the ear. Moraes briefly looks for a takedown but doesn’t come close. Moraes lands a hard right hand. Sayles presses the action at the midpoint of the round, noticing that he has more energy and trying to take advantage of that. Sayles briefly looks for a guillotine choke but gives it up. Later, Sayles lands a few strong punches. 10-9 Sayles, 29-28 Sayles.

Winner: Sheymon Moraes, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Moraes is the more accomplished striker, and that background made the difference in a fight in which Sayles’ conditioning made it closer as the fight progressed.

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Jose Torres vs. Alex Perez live round-by-round coverage

Jose Torres is an undefeated prospect with a 16-0 combined professional and amateur MMA record. This is his second UFC bout. Alex Perez earned a UFC spot on Dana White’s Contender Series and followed up with two additional wins from there. He is looking for his fourth win under the UFC banner in under a year.

Round 1. Perez comes out throwing a series of rapid-fire punches. He’s really opening up on Torres, who is forced to fire back to slow Perez down. Perez continues to throw plenty of punches, however. Torres’ face is already red from all the strikes and Perez is mixing in some heavy shots in there. Torres lands a few strong counterpunches, but Perez is landing so much more. Perez hurts Torres with punches and moves in looking to finish the fight. He is really hammering Torres by the cage and has Torres in deep trouble. Torres tries to fight back but goes down and the fight is stopped.

Winner: Alex Perez, TKO, round 1.

That was a remarkable performance by Alex Perez. Jose Torres came into that fight with an impressive resume and Perez just took him apart. It was a determined, violent performance that showed a fighter coming into his own.

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Weili Zhang vs. Danielle Taylor live round-by-round coverage

Weili Zhang has accumulated an impressive 16-1 record with 15 finishes heading into her UFC debut in this fight. The big question for her is the level of competition. That isn’t an issue with Danielle Taylor, who is 2-2 in the UFC including a win over former title challenger Jessica Penne.

Round 1. Zhang comes out with a series of kicks, mostly low but also at other angles. Taylor is clearly the smaller woman and she’s having trouble defending Zhang’s strikes. Zhang gets a trip takedown around the halfway point of the round. Zhang lands some punches inside the guard but has to defend a heel hook attack from Taylor and Taylor returns to her feet. Taylor lands a nice right hand there and Taylor hurts Zhang with a punch late. That was a blowout most of the way but Taylor had success late. 10-9 Zhang.

Round 2. Zhang continues to move forward aggressively, throwing a lot of kicks. Taylor does land a nice counterpunch in the midst of the attack, however. Zhang is very effective offensively but she does leave openings defensively. Taylor’s hooks are her best weapon. Zhang is throwing a little bit less, having to respect Taylor’s offense. However, she is still doing well and lands a nice combination on Taylor. Taylor lands a hard right hand late, closing well just like in the first. 10-9 Zhang.

Round 3. Zhang’s pace has definitely slowed since her highly active first round. Taylor moves forward herself but walks into a stiff jab and Taylor returns to circling on the outside. Zhang lands a particularly hard leg kick and then follows with a nice combination. Both fighters go at it hard in the final 30 seconds looking for a telling blow but neither is able to land a difference maker. 10-9 Zhang, 30-27 Zhang.

Winner: Weili Zhang, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Danielle Taylor challenged Weili Zhang in Zhang’s UFC debut but Zhang’s class shone through. She definitely has potential to make waves at strawweight and we’ll see how she does as she moves up in competition.

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Conor McGregor will fight Oct. 6 against Khabib Nurmagomedov for UFC lightweight title

Conor McGregor’s two-year hiatus from the UFC will end Oct. 6 when the electric Irishman will meet unbeaten Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight belt, UFC President Dana White announced Friday.

McGregor, who once held two titles in the UFC, led a band of associates into Barclays Center in Brooklyn in April and vandalized a bus occupied by Nurmagomedov and other UFC fighters.

The incident resulted in two felony charges against McGregor, who ultimately pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct count last month that kept him out of jail.

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Henry Cejudo returns to his L.A. stomping grounds facing the toughest of tests in Demetrious Johnson

Henry Cejudo says he has learned from a disheartening title defeat two years ago and is prepared for another tough test against one of the greatest mixed martial artists ever.

But in his Saturday night rematch at Staples Center against the longest-reigning champion in UFC history, flyweight Demetrious Johnson, Cejudo returns to the neighborhood where he was born seeking to conquer the organization’s seemingly unbeatable No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.

“You have to realize this guy has set the bar — not just for me, but for all the mixed martial artists,” top-ranked contender Cejudo (12-2) said.

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Contrasting characters set up an interesting duel between T.J. Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt

They’re fighting for the same thing Saturday night, but it’s the disparate personalities of the UFC bantamweight champion, T.J. Dillashaw, and his predecessor, Cody Garbrandt, that makes their UFC 227 main event interesting.

It’s wholesome versus edgy, deliberate against daring, experience versus exuberance.

Orange County’s Dillashaw (16-3) recaptured his belt by knocking out Garbrandt (11-1) in the second round of their November meeting at Madison Square Garden and says their differences “absolutely” created the outcome.

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Marlon Vera vs. Wuliji Buren live round-by-round coverage

Marlon Vera is one of the top MMA fighters from Ecuador, having accumulated a 4-4 record in the UFC despite being only 25 years old. He is looking to rebound from consecutive defeats. Wuliji Buren is fighting out of Inner Mongolia, China, and lost his UFC debut last November.

Round 1. Buren is the aggressor early, moving forward consistently on Vera. Vera for his part is countering and the fighters are competing fairly evenly. Buren lands a big right hand and Vera looks for a takedown. Buren blocks that and lands an elbow on the break. Buren looks for a takedown late and gets it. 10-9 Buren.

Round 2. Vera comes out more aggressively, not looking to back up as much as he did in the first. After Vera lands a few solid blows, Buren scores a takedown and works inside Vera’s guard by the cage. Referee Frank Trigg stands up the action relatively quickly. Fighters back on their feet, the action continues to be relatively even. Vera looks for a takedown of his own in the final minute and slams Buren down impressively. Vera lands some solid punches before Buren stands up. Vera drops Buren with a punch to the body late and Buren collapses. Vera follows with punches on the ground and the fight is stopped.

Winner: Marlon Vera, TKO, round 2.

Marlon Vera had more difficulty than expected in that fight, but he scored the win in impressive fashion with a hard punch to the liver that shut Wuliji Buren down.

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