Usman decisions Masvidal to retain Welterweight Title Kamaru Usman defended the UFC Welterweight title with a unanimous decision over Jorge Masvidal at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. In round one, Masvidal was cut over his right eye from an accidental headbutt. Usman was content to grind Masvidal up against the cage and land strikes on the inside. Masvidal came out aggressive, but only had a few flashes with hard shots. Usman was able to control Masvidal by taking him down five times, and that was combined with a 263-88 strike advantage. Usman, 170 lbs of Dallas won by scores of 50-45 twice and 49-46 to raise his mark to 17-1. Masvidal, who took the fight on six days notice is 35-14. Alexander Volkanovski retained the UFC Featherweight title with a split decision Max Holloway. The fight was close as it seemed that Holloway was in control by winning the opening two frames. Volkanovski got going at the end of round three, and won the last two rounds by out landing the former champion. Volkanovski, 145 lbs of Australia won two cards 48-47; Holloway won a card 48-47. Volkanovski is now 22-1. Holloway of Hawaii is 21-6. Petr Yan won the UFC Bantamweight title with a 5th round stoppage over former three-time world champion Jose Aldo. It was a close fight for the first two-plus rounds. Yan slowly broke Aldo down and in round four, he started to batter the former champion. In round five, Yan got Aldo down and landed close 60 punches while was on the ground. The referee finally stopped the fight as Aldo was bloodied and beat up at 3:24. Yan, 135 lbs of Russia is 15-1. Aldo, 135 lbs of Brazil is 28-7. Rose Namajunas got revenge and won a split decision over Jessica Andrade in a strawweight bout. In round one, Andrade started bleeding from the nose. Namajunas boxed very well over the 1st two round. Andrade came on strong in the final round by landing some heavy punches that made the nose of Namajnas start to bleed badly, and swelled under the left eye. Namajunas won two cards 29-28; Andrade took a card 29-28. Namajunas, 116 lbs of Denver is 10-4. Andrade, 115 lbs of Brazil is 20-8. Amanda Ribas submitted Paige VanZant in the 1st round of their flyweight bout. Despite bleeding from her nose, Ribas was able to get VanZant in an Armbar that made her tap at 2:21. Ribas, 126 lbs of Brazil is 10-1. VanZant, 126 lbs of Portland, OR is 8-5. Jiri Prochazka scored a sensational 2nd round stoppage over former world title challenger Volkan Oezdemir in a light heavyweight bout. After a 1st round that saw both guys land big punches, Prochazka landed a booming 1-2 combination that sent Oezdemir down and out at 49 seconds. Prochazka, 205.5 lbs of The Czech Republic was making his UFC debut and is now 27-3-1. Oezdemir, 205.5 lbs of Switzerland is 21-5. Muslin Salikhov won a split decision over Elizeu Dos Santos in a welterweight fight. Salikhov won by scores of 30-27 and 29-28; Dos Santos too a card 29-28. Salikhov is 17-2. Dos Santos is 22-7. Makwan Amirkhani choked out Danny Henry in the opening round of their featherweight bout. Amirkhani was able to get Henry down and apply a choke that forced the fight to be stopped at 3:15. Amirkhani, 146 lbs of Turku, FIN is 16-4. Henry, 146 lbs of Edinburgh, SCO is 12=4. Leonardo Santos won a unanimous decision over Roman Bogatov in a lightweight fight. In round two, Santos landed about 20 unanswered blows for which Bogatov could have been stopped. Somehow Bogatov came back to land some vicious shots on Santos. Santos looked beat as he started round three, but he was aided by time for two low blows committed by Bogatov. Late in round three, Bogatov landed a vicious knee to the face foe which he was deducted two points. Santos, 156 lbs of Brazil won by scores of 29-26 on all cards, and is now 18-4-1. Bogatov, 155.5 lbs of Russia is 10-1. Marcin Tybura won a unanimous decision over Maxim Grishin in a heavyweight bout. In round three, Grishin was bleeding over the right eye. Tybura, 252 lbs of Poland won by scores of 30-27 twice and 30-26 and is now 19-6. Grishin, 226 lbs of Russia is 30-8-2. Rulian Paiva won a unanimous decision over Zhalgas Zhumagulov in a flyweight fight. Paiva of Brazil won by scores of 29-28 on all cards, and is now 20-3. Zhumagulov, 126 lbs of Akobe, KAZ is 13-4. Zhumagulov deserved better as he outstruck Paiva 73-56. Karol Rosa won a unanimous decision over Vanessa Melo in a battle of Brazilian based bantamweights. Rosa, 136 lbs won by scores of 30-26 twice and 30-27 and is now 13-3. Melo, 141 lbs of Sao Paulo is 10-8. Rosa outstruck Melo 177-78. Davey Grant scored a vicious 3rd round stoppage over Martin Day in a bantamweight fight. Grant landed a crushing left that sent Day out cold on his back at 2:38 of round three. Grant, 136 lbs of South Auckland, UK is 12-4. Day, 136 lbs of Kailua, Hawaii is 8-4..