UFC Event Features Multiple Knockouts and a Title Fight

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Are the judges getting bored?

J

By Jon Healy

So far we've had six fights and six knockouts.

There are judges on site, but they haven't been required yet.

One fight to come yet.

Ciryl Gane is the interim heavyweight champion!

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By Jon Healy

The Frenchman reaffirms his standing as perhaps the best in the division, flooring Pereira with a perfectly timed right-hand jab.

Pereira was hanging onto his leg desperately to try to keep it going, but Gane just kept hammering away with elbows to Pereira's head.

Somehow Pereira got back standing again, but Gane ended it with a massive right hand, leaving referee Herb Dean with no choice but to step in.

Somewhere, Tom Aspinall is warming up.

"Let's do that in Paris in September," Gane says of the rematch with Aspinall.

Gane drops Pereira, but he can't finish it

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By Jon Healy

Ciryl Gane sends Alex Pereira to the mat and I have no idea how the Brazilian has managed to get back to his feet and keep the fight going.

But the end is nigh.

A title fight is on at the White House

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By Jon Healy

Alex Pereira starts us off with an early kick up high and another down to the shin of Ciryl Gane.

The feet are flying between these two kickboxers, and Gane looks to be finding the range on his jab early. He's the first to threaten a takedown too.

A real feel-out round, won on points by Ciryl Gane, although Alex Pereira lands a couple in the final seconds before the horn sounds.

This is good from you, Jimmy

J

By Jon Healy

Is Daukaus the guy building the submarines?

- Jimmy

Pereira commanding the crowd

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By Jon Healy

Alex Pereira's entrance is one of the longest and most elaborate so far, pausing on the balcony to deliver his trademark bow and arrow celebration.

Giryl Gane looking relaxed

J

By Jon Healy

The Frenchman is up against one of the all-time greats in Alex Pereira, but he's clearly unfazed, dancing his way into and in the octagon.

AI galore

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By Jon Healy

I cannot tell you how many AI ads there have been during this event.

Most of them just advertising for the United States. Like, as a concept.

Happy birthday I guess.

Interim heavyweight title fight coming up

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By Jon Healy

Brazil's Alex Pereira and France's Ciryl Gane are up next in a fight for the interim heavyweight crown.

England's Tom Aspinall is the undisputed champion in this class, but is currently recovering after a fight against Gane ended in a no-contest after an eye poke that required surgery.

If Pereira can win the heavyweight belt he will become the first UFC champion in three weight classes — heavy, light heavy and middle.

It's over! O'Malley finishes Zahabi

J

By Jon Healy

Aiemann Zahabi's winning streak ends at seven as Sean O'Malley sends him to the canvas with pure power and accuracy.

It started with a left cross that sent Zahabi to the ground. He got up and O'Malley went bang bang to finish it off with a monstrous right hand, saluting as Zahabi fell backwards into the fence and referee Jason Herzog stepped in.

It was a quick stoppage by Herzog, but the right call. Zahabi was done.

Hey, Donald Trump has put on a hat.

Cat and mouse in the octagon

J

By Jon Healy

Zahabi keeps peppering the inside leg kicks. O'Malley is doing his best to counter by repeatedly switching stances.

O'Malley's got the reach advantage, so he's having more success with his hands, but these leg kicks will start to take a toll if he lands a few more on that front left leg.

Live look at this fight so far:

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I should say, the leg kicks seem to be Zahabi's only weapon right now. Any time they get within range, O'Malley is launching with power and accuracy with left and right hands.

Big boos for Aiemann Zahabi as round one starts

J

By Jon Healy

This is our third fight featuring an American vs someone from outside the US, but this is the first time I've heard the international fighter getting booed.

And guys, they're chanting USA again. You ever heard that one before?

Sean O'Malley is clearly a crowd favourite.

No major shots truly landed through the first half of the round.

Zahabi has a couple of good inside leg kicks, but that's about it.

Former champion Daniel Cormier in commentary has some concerns about the "awkward", but "effective", movement of the Canadian.

In the last 20 seconds of the round, O'Malley finds his range and lands a strong left and follows it up with a right over the top.

His coach calls it a "perfect warm-up round". He says Zahabi is dropping his head when he charges forward, and tells O'Malley to slip and try to land another uppercut.

Zahabi does look a little out of control when he attacks.

Mondays, am I right?

J

By Jon Healy

Here comes Suga Sean O'Malley

J

By Jon Healy

Former bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley comes out to Superstar by Lupe Fiasco.

Not too many theatrics from man with the cornrows though.

Oh Canada ringing out at the White House

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By Jon Healy

Canadian fighter Aiemann Zahabi is on his way out to the octagon.

His entrance song starts with the Canadian national anthem, and then it's Toronto rapper Drake's Started From The Bottom.

Josh Hokit brings down Derrick Lewis!

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By Jon Healy

Another one-sided win on this card, with Josh Hokit looking too fast, too accurate and too good for the 41-year-old Derrick Lewis.

Lewis was rattled by Hokit's booming hands and looked like he was lacking a little conditioning too, even by the standards of big heavyweights.

It's worth mentioning that Lewis likely wasn't initially on this card but apparently Trump pushed for him to be added after watching him with Dana White.

Hokit has presented Donald Trump, still in the front row, with some sort of big old medallion that he immediately puts on like a kid getting presented a VIP badge at his birthday party. Can't quite see what it is just yet, but I think it's just a signed card of Hokit.

"I'm the man with the plan, the beast that's ready to feast," he says.

Hokit calls out Alex Pereira and then shouts out some transphobic conspiracy theories into a microphone on the White House lawn.

Cool and normal stuff.

Crowd rallies for Derrick Lewis

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By Jon Healy

Derrick Lewis comes off the stool swinging, even trying a huge high kick.

He's showing some fight and the crowd starts chanting "LEWIS!" as he staves off another attempted takedown and responds with a few big right hands in the clinch.

But here comes Hokit with a massive four-shot combo.

Lewis is exhausted and wobbled by those shots. I'm not actually sure how he's still standing out there.

He's a completely stationary target and Hokit is hunting him.

Hokit is showing a little fatigue too, but he knows if this goes to a third round he is absolutely winning, so he's not blowing himself out by going too hard.

Lewis survives to round two after Hokit dominates

J

By Jon Healy

Josh Hokit is making the early moves, as Derrick Lewis stands there, waiting for a chance unload a bomb.

Hokit tries a spinning back heel and swings himself off his feet.

Lewis chases him, but backs off as the lighter Hokit escapes.

Hokit lands the first real shot of the night, with a right hand bursting through the defence of Lewis and clocking him right in the face.

Huge takedown by Hokit!! Front on double leg takedown and Lewis is vulnerable on the ground as Hokit lands shots from above.

Lewis is cut really badly and already looks exhausted. Hokit is 40 pounds lighter and looks rapid out there. Like a welterweight with heavyweight power.

Armbar! Hokit locks in a clean armbar with 32 seconds left. It looks over with, but Hokit can't find a way to really leverage the armbar against his hips and Lewis survives!

Good lord, I was bracing for the telltale click of a breaking arm just there.

Josh Hokit and Derrick Lewis are in the ring

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By Jon Healy

The heavyweight fighters are in the ring for a fight brought to you by Donald Trump's favourite social media website.

Derrick Lewis has been doing this for over a decade and has almost unmatched power.

Josh Hokit is a newer star in the division, sitting at 9-0.

As his name is announced, Hokit walks to the middle of the ring and flips the bird at Lewis.