Welcome to F4WOnlinecom live coverage of UFC on ESPN 17: Santos vs Teixeira, from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada
The Octagon remains in UFC APEX homeport in Las Vegas for the second week in a row, with this weekend’s event featured by a light heavyweight fight that could serve as a ‘potential title eliminator
Thiago Silva and Glover Teixeira will face off in a battle of former title challengers looking to win their second title in the five-round main event of the night Santos is fighting for the first time since losing to Jon Jones in July 2019 as he returns from serious knee and leg injuries suffered during this fight Teixeira looks to improve on her current four-game winning streak
In the co-main event, it’s a heavyweight battle as former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski takes on Tanner Boser Also on the main card is a women’s strawweight fight as Claudia Gadelha fights Yan Xiaonan
Follow our live coverage of the event starting at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time with preliminary action throughout the main map
Birchak made his first UFC appearance since 2016 These two are former training partners They traded early and Lopez hurt Birchak with a combo They went to the mat in a Lopez takeout and Lopez was landing from the high and had the back but they rushed and parted Lopez gets another strikeout against the fence Lopez takes the back and lands a lot of big shots from the top Lopez has back control and hooks as he continues to hit shots Lopez gets naked rear choke locked and Birchak bangs Absolutely overwhelming performance from Lopez in this one
Official result – Gustavo Lopez defeats Anthony Birchak by submission (bare rear choke) at 2:43 of the first round
Brahimaj makes his UFC debut Griffin starts with a few leg kicks They spend the next minute feeling out as each one lands a few punches Griffin landing the jab They exchange good hands Lots of circles around each other and not a ton of action although Griffin pulls a few punches here and there Brahimaj lands a right hand They trade punches Brahimaj lands a punch Griffin lands a combo They land late and get away with it. the end of the first 10-9 Griffon
They swap right away to start the second Brahimaj just misses a left hook but then lands a right hand Griffin then lands a right kick to Brahimaj’s groin and we have a time out They get back to the action and both men look for openings Griffin lands a right hand Griffin lands a double jab Griffin with a right hand Brahimaj attempts to land a right hand but Griffin escapes Brahimaj lands a right hand Griffin with the jab then lands a kick Griffin knees on Brahimaj’s body Brahimaj’s face shows some color They exchange punches They land again at the end 10-9 Griffin, 20-18 Griffin
They come out exchanging punches and Griffin lands a high kick Brahimaj lands a jab and Griffin stumbles back and resets his feet Brahimaj with a jab Griffin lands a right hand They trade kicks Griffin then lands another low blow and we have another timeout They come back to the action and Brahimaj lands a punch They trade punches and Griffin is open around his right eye They trade at close range They trade then drop out and Brahimaj bleeds a lot of his ear We call a time out and the fight is over as Brahimaj’s ear is about to drop It looks disgusting It will be a TKO victory for Griffin
Official result – Max Griffin defeats Ramiz Brahimaj by TKO (ear injury) at 2:03 of the third round
Elkins lands a left hand then gets a strike They get back to their feet and Elkins brings Garagorri back to the mat and is on top with the pressure They get up and Elkins puts one knee They stay tied and Elkins with a few knees against the body Elkins gets another takedown and moves towards the mount as they work towards the fence Elkins lands from the top then grabs the neck Garagorri escapes and they get up Elkins has a hold on one leg and Garagorri tries to land a kick head kick but Elkins dodges and regains control near the fence They snap in the middle and Garagorri lands a high kick Elkins gets another out after Garagorri lands a kick Elkins head shot with a few punches guard at end of turn 10-9 Elkins
Garagorri lands some nice punches to start the second and Elkins doesn’t want to be part of it as he brings Garagorri to the mat Elkins lands from the top because he has body control when they work standing They break in the center Garagorri lands a combo Elkins attempts a long strikeout but Garagorri escapes They huddle against the fence Elkins lands a few knees Garagorri lands a Garagorri kick with a combo followed by a leg kick Garagorri lands a left hand as ‘Elkins misses his shots Elkins shoots and gets a takedown in the center of the Octagon Elkins finishes second on the top landing Close round 10-9 Elkins, 20-18 Elkins
They switch to start the third and Garagorri lands a nice left hand Garagorri lands a short uppercut as Elkins rushed Elkins opts for the takeout but Garagorri defends Garagorri lands a nice elbow They trade kicks Garagorri lands a right hand that stuns Elkins Elkins goes for the takedown and ends up getting Garagorri’s back standing Elkins jumps to grab the hooks Elkins is looking for a naked rear choke and locked him Garagorri falls to the mat as the choke is tight and bangs it! Elkins with a fine submission victory in the third round to end his losing four-fight slippage
Official result – Darren Elkins defeats Eduardo Garagorri by submission (bare rear starter) at 2:22 of Round 3
De Lima with a few leg kicks to start Romanov gets a power pullout against the fence and is in lateral control They get back to his feet from Lima lands a few leg kicks and Romanov tries another takedown They break from Lima with another kick in the leg They squeeze against the fence Romanov with a big knee against the body They break and Romanov is still looking for a withdrawal but from Lima defends from Lima with a knee against the body Romanov gets the withdrawal near the center and is in lateral control He moves to the half guard and lands from the heavy ground Romanov puts his forearm in Lima’s neck and presses and Lima came out cold Wow, a submission victory d ‘forearm strangulation as Romanov wins
Official result – Alexandr Romanov beats Marcos Rogerio de Lima by submission (forearm strangulation) at 4:48 of Round 1
Lewis with a big kick and Giles throws punches before landing Giles gets an out but they jostle Lewis with a knee to the leg as they are off the hook and Giles lands a short left hand as ‘they snap They get together again They break and Lewis lands a combo Giles loads on an uppercut and lands on the chest as they pull themselves together Lewis lands punches and swaps knees They keep fighting in the clinch They break as Lewis lands on one knee Giles lands a left hand which drops Lewis and he takes over Giles finishes the round up 10 to 9 Gilles
Lewis charging his punches to start the second but missing Giles with a leg kick Both men being patient in the second Lewis with a punch They trade punches Giles lands a right hand Both men are patient and look for openings Giles lands a combo with a big right hand Giles with a combo Giles lands the jab Giles lands a late punch 10-9 Giles, 20-18 Giles
Lewis with a kick in the leg Giles lands a right hand Giles with a left hook Lewis opts for a takedown as Giles lands a punch but Giles defends himself and has the neck They get on his feet Giles picks up a combo and Lewis is in trouble Giles with a flurry of big punches against the fence and Lewis falls to the mat and this is stopped Great Giles finish in this one
> Claudia Gadelha (# 4, 18-4, 7-4 UFC) vs. Yan Xiaonan (# 8, 12-1 1 NC, 5-0 UFC) Straw weight for women
They negotiate early Gadelha with a left hand Xiaonan with a leg kick Gadelha lands a blow and Xiaonan backs away They trade and Gadelha gets knocked down and works in Xiaonan’s guard They get up after Gadelha works from above and stay tied up against the fence Xiaonan with one knee against the body Gadelha still has the body lock Xiaonan lands more in the clinch but Gadelha had full control against the fence They exchange knees They are separated by referee Jason Herzog Xiaonan lands a combo and a kick Gadelha gets one leg dismounted and works under the guard of Xiaonan as she lands punches They exchange elbows on the ground Xiaonan with an elbow from the bottom Gadelha with a big elbow to the end Close round 10-9 Gadelha
Xiaonan throws to start the second but Gadelha slips away Xiaonan with a combo Xiaonan lands a right hand Xiaonan with a left hand Gadelha lands a combo Xiaonan lands a left hand Xiaonan lands a few shots Xiaonan lands a right hand Xiaonan lands a few hands straight as Gadelha walks forward They exchange left hands They exchange punches They exchange punches and Gadelha ends with a nice left hook Xiaonan lands a right hand They drop late 10-9 Xiaonan, 19-19
They negotiate to start the third Gadelha collides with the fence Xiaonan lands a few knees in the clinch They break the clinch Gadelha lands a left hand Xiaonan lands a combo Xiaonan lands more hits here in the third They stand hug against the fence They swap knees They stay tied as Gadelha pushes her around the fence Xiaonan still lands in the clinch They are demolished by Herzog Xiaonan with a right hand Xiaonan takes the jab as Gadelha walks forward Gadelha takes down the Xiaonan jab with a late combo as she finishes the fight big 10-9 Xiaonan, 29-28 Xiaonan
Simmons debuts UFC on short notice They drop out early but break Chikadze with a kick They huddle against the fence Chikadze tries a judo throw but Simmons defends and they break Simmons lands a right hand so he comes in for a takedown but Chikadze fights back Chikadze kicks the body, then drops Simmons with a head butt, then walks away from the top until Herb Deans stops him What a finish by Chikadze
Official result – Giga Chikadze def Jamey Simmons by TKO (& header punches) at 3:51 of Round 1
> Raoni Barcelos (15-1, 4-0 UFC) vs. Khalid Taha (13-2 1 NC, 1-1 1 NC UFC) Bantamweight
Barcelos lands a leg kick that trips Taha They trade punches and Barcelos with another calf kick that knocks Taha Barcelos down again with an uppercut and just landed a flurry against Barcelos fence with a few knees against the fence Taha then lands punches in a wild exchange and they land Barcelos gets knocked down Barcelos goes to side control then to the mount and works for a naked rear starter Barcelos has full control of the back and work for the starter because he has the hooks Taha comes out and finds himself in guard of Barcelos Taha lands an elbow and Barcelos looks for an armband but instead sweeps and they get up They break Barcelos with a leg kick Barcelos with a hopping knee then a left hand and Taha lands a fun Tour counter punch
Barcelos with a short left hand Taha just misses a left hand Taha with a right hand Barcelos with a flying knee that lands on the body Barcelos lands a series of Barcelos punches with a combo ending in a high kick We then have a time out after Barcelos lands a groin strike We get back to the action Barcelos lands a combo Barcelos with a few kicks They trade and Barcelos lands the right hand Barcelos with a right hand then a knee to the body Taha advances with a few punches that miss Barcelos with a leg kick Barcelos with a kick then follows with the right hand Barcelos with a flurry of kicks in the legs and punches Barcelos hurts Taha with a combo, then a burst and Taha is in a lot of trouble but time is running out 10-9 Barcelos, 20-18 Barcelos
Barcelos lands a flurry to start the third and lands a Barcelos leg kick with a bit of bodywork then lands a knee on the body Barcelos gets knocked out He takes Taha’s back as he hits punches and now looking for the Barcelos hooks looking for a starter in the back Taha escapes and Barcelos controls Taha Barcelos half guard with a nice right hand from the top then they get back to their feet They break in the center of the octagon Taha with a leg kick Taha with a right hand Barcelos lands a nice right hand Barcelos slows down late They trade Barcelos punches with a hard kick Taha tries a takedown but Barcelos defends himself They trade in a wild exchange in the last ten seconds Really fun fight 10-9 Barcelos, 30-27 Barcelos
> Andrei Arlovski (29-19 2 NC, 18-13 1 NC UFC) vs Tanner Boser (19-6-1, 3-1 UFC) Heavyweights
Boser with a leg kick Boser with a short combo as he walks away with a right hand by Arlovski Arlovski with a high kick Boser with a high kick that Arlovski checks Arlovski with a low kick Boser lands a right hand Boser with a leg kick Arlovski with a leg kick Boser checks Boser with a few leg kicks The trick was mostly a feeling process 10-9 Boser
They exchange kicks to start the second Boser with another kick They trade and Arlovski lands the right hand Boser just misses a high kick Arlovski lands a bit more in the second but he doesn’t still not much action going on Arlovski with a kick Arlovski with a leg kick They trade big punches in the pocket Boser with a body kick and Arlovski lands a against Arlovski just landed a rear fist spinning before the horn 10-9 Arlovski, 19-19
Arlovski rushes forward with a flurry to start third Boser barely lands a right hand They switch and Boser with a few kicks Boser just misses a spinning backfist as Arlovski blocks him but then lands a jab Arlovski with a right hand Arlovski with a double jab Boser with a low kick Arlovski lands a nice right hand Arlovski lands a flurry and ends with a right hand that supports Boser Boser landing a few kicks in the leg then a left hand They exchange at close range They exchange before taking down Arlovski with a right hand Boser with an inside leg kick Close combat 10-9 Arlovski, 29-28 Arlovski
Santos with a front kick They trade punches Santos lands a right hand and Teixeira shoots for a takedown but Santos fights back Santos lands punches and Teixeira slips on the mat and Santos unloads Teixeira able to stand get up and work for a takedown and Santos landed elbows but Teixeira completes the takedown They get up and Teixeira gets a big takedown straight into the mount Teixeira lays a few elbows then hits from the top Teixeira comes back to the frame and tries to take the back but moves to Santos half-guard Teixeira with big punches from the top Teixeira takes back full guard of Santos as he continues to land from the top Santos with a few elbows from the bottom but Teixeira remains in full control on the punches top fist Teixeira completes the round up Really fun 10-9 Teixeira
Santos with a leg kick Santos goes high with a kick then lands a body Teixeira lands a right hand then gets a takedown Teixeira lands a few hammer fists Teixeira looks to switch to lateral control to set up a starter Teixeira with a few elbows from the top Teixeira with a big pitch and pound as Santos struggles to defend himself on the bottom Teixeira with more punches and elbows from the top Teixeira takes lateral control and elbows Teixeira tries to getting back to the mount as he lands more hits from the top Teixeira gets a locked naked rear choke but time is running out 10-8 Teixeira, 20-17 Teixeira
Teixeira tries a takedown but Santos lands a left hand that drops Teixeira Santos takes over and throws punches and elbows while he’s in the half-guard Santos lands over but they get up and Teixeira has back and gets a takedown Teixeira landing punches and locks into a naked rear choke He’s tight against the fence and Santos’ cocks! What a demonstration of Teixeira to escape real trouble twice to achieve victory What a fight too
Official result – Glover Teixeira beats Thiago Santos by submission (naked rear starter) at 1:49 of Round 3
Ultimate Fighting Championship, Raoni Barcelos
World News – USA – UFC Live Scores on ESPN 17: Thiago Santos vs Glover Teixeira