Welcome to our live coverage of UFC Fight Night 94: Poirier vs. Johnson, emanating from the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas.
The show is headlined by a five-round lightweight bout as Dustin Poirier puts his four-fight win streak on the line against Michael Johnson. In the co-main event, Uriah Hall takes on Derek Brunson in a battle of top-ten ranked middleweights.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7 PM EST.
Some additional coverage:
- UFC Fight Night 94 DFS Playbook
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UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS | 7 PM ET/4 PM PT)
> Alejandro Perez (17-6, 3-1 UFC) vs. Albert Morales (6-0, 0-0 UFC)
Bantamweights
R1- They spent the round on the feet with both men trading punches and kicks. Morales was landing harder and kept Perez on the retreat. Morales controlled the center of the Octagon and was the better defensive fighter. Perez did open a cut on the cheek of Morales with a left hand. Morales landed more of his strikes and this was his round. They both landed punches after the bell and got warnings from the referee. Solid round, but not spectacular. 10-9 Morales.
R2- This fight remained on the feet and Perez started landing more than he did in the first round. Both men landed big punches and Morales' right eye was starting to swell up. Morales was working well by landing the leg kicks and hindered the movement of Perez. Morales was the one backing up Perez. It was a better round for Perez and again both men landed punches after the bell. Closer round. 10-9 Morales, 20-18 Morales.
R3- Perez got deducted a point before the round for landing a punch after the bell in round two. I don't agree with that. They both came out swinging and Perez got a takedown and was looking for the finish. Morales was in a lot of trouble. Perez then went down and Morales landing a blatant illegal knee that went uncalled. Perez survived and both got up and Morales was very tired. Morales was very bloodied up. Both men got tired but survived to the end. Solid fight. 9-9, 29-27 Morales.
Official Result- Alejandro Perez vs. Albert Morales declared a majority draw (27-29 Morales, 28-28, 28-28)
Instant Analysis- I have to start off by saying this. Kerry Hatley is one of the worst referees in the sport. Not only was his point deduction of Alejandro Perez a bad call, since both men should've been deducted since they both landed punches after the bell, he missed a blatant illegal knee from Albert Morales that anyone could see. The call cost Perez the fight, but I thought Morales won the fight so we were looking at a potential bad decision. The fight was solid but both men have a long way to go if they are ever going to contend. 135 pounds is a tough division, and I don't like future contention status for either fighter.
> Erick Montano (7-3, 1-0 UFC) vs. Randy Brown (7-1, 1-1 UFC)
Welterweights
R1- Brown worked early in the clinch looking to use his size advantage. Montano was able to hit Brown but Brown went right back into the clinch and almost scored a big takedown but then landed a nice flying knee. It was mostly clinching in the round and neither man was able to land solidly when they were separated. Montano did land some leg kicks towards the end before Brown pushed him against the fence. 10-9 Brown.
R2- Brown went back to work in the clinch and finally got the takedown he was looking for but Montano got to his feet and got his own takedown. Montano landed a big right hand from inside the guard. Brown got to his feet and grabbed the fence to avoid a takedown but Montano ended up scoring it anyways. Brown wasn't doing much to get out of danger on the bottom as Montano had him planted down good. A great round for Montano. 10-9 Montano, 19-19.
R3- Morales went right for a takedown but Brown got him in a front choke and Montano tapped out! Finish out of nowhere for Brown.
Official Result- Randy Brown def. Erick Montano by submission (guillotine choke) at :18 of Round 3
Instant Analysis- Randy Brown got a solid victory after pulling the submission out of nowhere, but the fight showed some holes he still needs to improve on. He called out Bryan Barberena after the fight but that is a tough call out. Brown has to improve on his defense on the mat as his striking is solid for his experience level. Erick Montano was doing great until he found himself caught in the submission. It was a solid showing for him but he tapped quickly once he was in trouble. He will be looking to work his way back as the abilities are there, and finishes will come along.
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FS1 PRELIMS (8 PM ET/5 PM PT)
> Jose Quinonez (4-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Joey Gomez (6-1, 0-1 UFC)
Bantamweights
R1- Quinonez got a couple of early takedowns but Gomez was able to get up both times. They were both landing solid punches and kicks. Quinonez got another takedown and was in control on the mat. Quinonez landed some body kicks that knocked Gomez down and he looked for the finish but Gomez landed an upkick and they got to their feet. Quinonez went back and landed more body kicks and this was his round. 10-9 Quinonez.
R2- Gomez was doing better on his feet but Quinonez scored a takedown and worked from the top. Gomez was able to get up. Gomez started getting the better of the striking and dropped Quinonez with a left hand but Quinonez recovered to his feet. Gomez continued to find openings but Quinonez was pressuring him and looking to score the takedown. Close round but Gomez won the battle on the feet. 10-9 Gomez, 19-19.
R3- The pace slowed at the start until Quinonez dropped Gomez with a knee but left enough time for Gomez to recover, but then Quinonez was able to get into full mount on the mat. Quinonez was controlling on the mat and looking for submissions and almost had Gomez in a choke but Gomez escaped to his feet. They traded on the feet and both men had solid finishes to the fight. 10-9 Quinonez, 29-28 Quinonez.
Official Result- Jose Quinonez def. Joey Gomez by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Instant Analysis- This was a very good fight between both men. Both are lower-level bantamweights, but they are solid fighters for their position. Jose Quinonez showed good takedowns and good top control, and his striking was very good. Joey Gomez also had good striking, and while his defense on the mat needs work, he was able to escape from being mounted to his feet, so that was good for him. As back-and-forth as it was early, Jose Quinonez definitely won this fight.
> Antonio Carlos Junior (5-2 1 NC, 2-2 1 NC UFC) vs. Leonardo Augusto Leleco (11-2 1 NC, 0-1 UFC)
Middleweights
R1- Nothing much happened early in this fight until Leleco landed a right hand. Carlos Junior then went for a takedown but couldn't score on it. Leleco showed good takedown defense and Carlos Junior went for more and landed an illegal knee so there was a break. Carlos Junior was deducted a point for that knee. Carlos Junior went quickly back to work and scored a takedown as he needed to get this as an even round. Carlos Junior with a late takedown. 9-9.
R2- Carlos Junior came out looking to grapple and scored a takedown and was dominant from the top as Leleco had no answer to getting up from the bottom. Carlos Junior just kept landing punch after punch and Leleco was doing nothing to get up. He finally got to his feet against the fence but was taken back down. Leleco went for a guillotine but didn't have enough time. Complete dominant round for Carlos Junior. 10-8 Carlos Junior, 19-17 Carlos Junior.
R3- Leleco was needing a finish but looked exhausted as Carlos Junior went to work in the clinch. Carlos Junior got the takedown but Leleco got back to his feet. Leleco kept grabbing the fence in looking to defend the takedown but Carlos Junior got a big takedown. Leleco has done absolutely nothing in this fight and is very tired. Carlos Junior working for the rear-naked choke. He got it locked in and Leleco tapped out with just 15 seconds left.
Official Result- Antonio Carlos Junior def. Leonardo Augusto Leleco by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:46 of Round 3
Instant Analysis- Antonio Carlos Junior completely dominated this fight to get back on the winning track. The point deduction was very bad and it showed the inconsistencies in referees as the same situation didn't see a deduction in an earlier fight. Thankfully, the hand being down rule is going away on January 1. Leonardo Leleco had an awful performance and was just overmatched in this fight. With an 0-2 record and being finished twice, and putting on bad performances, he's likely going to be cut from the roster. Carlos Junior is a former TUF winner and he's had his ups-and-downs, but I like his potential at just 26-years-old.
> Augusto Montano (15-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Belal Muhammad (9-1, 0-1 UFC)
Welterweights
R1- Montano fighting for the first time in 15 months. He landed an early groin strike, probably to get it out of his system. Muhammad hurt him with a right hand. Both men were trading punches and kicks. Montano poked Muhammad in the eye and got another warning. Muhammad landed a head kick as Montano kept his hands low. Montano with some inside leg kicks. Montano was getting his timing down on his leg kicks and defended a takedown. Muhammad landed another head kick. 10-9 Muhammad.
R2- They came out trading with both men landing but Montano was getting the better of it. Muhammad got a takedown. Muhammad easily passes guard and takes the back. Muhammad got to the top but Montano scrambled to his feet. Muhammad misses a head kick. Montano lands a combo. Muhammad with a short elbow. Close round. 10-9 Muhammad, 20-18 Muhammad.
R3- They were trading. Muhammad scored the takedown and took the back looking for the choke. Montano survived the attempt and they got to their feet and traded. Muhammad got a big takedown with some big ground-and-pound looking for the finish. Muhammad with a lot of punches and Herb Dean finally called it off. Big win for Muhammad.
Official Result- Belal Muhammad def. Augusto Montano by TKO (punches) at 4:19 of Round 3
Instant Analysis- Belal Muhammad had a solid showing in a losing effort to Alan Jouban in his UFC debut, but he backed that up with an impressive win here in becoming the first fighter to stop Augusto Montano. He showed excellent timing on his takedowns, and got them at the right moments, and Montano had nothing for him on the mat. His ability to turn on the pressure late made the difference in the fight. He is a solid addition to the 170-pound roster. Montano falls to 1-2 inside the Octagon, and that was coming off of a year-long suspension. He's had two straight bad showings after an impressive debut, and I do think he's going to get cut from the roster. I believe that would be justified because he doesn't seem well-prepared for UFC competition.
> Gabriel Benitez (18-5, 2-1 UFC) vs. Sam Sicilia (15-6, 5-5 UFC)
Featherweights
R1- Benitez went right after Sicilia with leg kicks. They started trading as both men were looking for that knockout blow. Benitez showing off strong leg kicks. Sicilia landed a strong body kick but Benitez fired back with some strong leg kicks. Those kicks are massive and Sicilia isn't checking them. Sicilia just looking for the big right hand. Benitez with a strong right due to those leg kicks and it'll be interesting to see how Sicilia responds now. 10-9 Benitez.
R2- Benitez landed a straight left hand and dropped Sicilia. Big elbows from Benitez but Sicilia survives and gets to his feet. Benitez with more leg kicks. Benitez locked in a guillotine as Sicilia went for a takedown and Sicilia is out cold! Benitez with the big submission win!
Official Result- Gabriel Benitez def. Sam Sicilia by submission (guillotine choke) at 1:20 of Round 2
Instant Analysis- This was the best fight of the night so far with a lot of good action. Gabriel Benitez was excellent on his feet in constantly landing those leg kicks which took away some of Sam Sicilia's offensive attack. He dropped Sicilia with a left hand and was able to counter a takedown attempt nicely with the guillotine choke. It is the best he has looked in the UFC as he has now won three of four. It will be interesting to see his further progression, but he looked really impressive here. Sicilia is now 5-6 in the UFC but he always comes to fight. He showed serious improvements early but his inability to check leg kicks hindered him. He tried to go to his wrestling but left his neck open and Benitez capitalized. I would like to see him remain in the UFC as he is a fun featherweight fighter.
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MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1 | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
> Chas Skelly (15-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. Maximo Blanco (12-7-1 1 NC, 4-4 UFC)
Featherweights
R1- They both went right away and landed flying front kicks and Skelly locked in an anaconda choke and Blanco went to sleep. Less than 30 seconds. Big finish.
Official Result- Chas Skelly def. Maximo Blanco by submission (D'arce choke) at :19 of Round 1
Instant Analysis- This was so quick that any analysis would be hard to say. Chas Skelly went right out and pulled a trick out of Maximo Blanco's playbook with a flying front kick to start the fight and capitalized on Blanco being in bad position. Interesting win for Skelly as he moves to 5-2 and he should get a solid opponent in his next bout. Blanco always plays with fire and he lost here. He falls to 4-5 in the UFC but he always brings good action to the Octagon. Go out of your way to watch a replay of this.
> Chris Wade (11-2, 4-1 UFC) vs. Islam Makhachev (12-1, 1-1 UFC)
Lightweights
R1- They traded early and Makhachev went right for the takedown. Wade had his neck but he got out. Wade reversed to top position. Makhachev went for a triangle choke but Wade defended well and Makhachev got warned for his toes being locked onto the cage. Wade got into more dominant position and landed from the top but the crowd started booing. Slow close round. 10-9 Makhachev.
R2- Makhachev landed a left hand and Wade grabbed the neck for a guillotine choke and ended up on top in dominant position. Makhachev rolled out and took the back but Wade reversed into the neck but Makhachev swept into side control. Good ground action here. Makhachev has dominant side control. He takes the back looking to get the hooks in. They scramble and Makhachev remains with back control. Lots of scrambling. Wade looking for a late heel hook. 10-9 Makhachev, 20-18 Makhachev.
R3- Lots of grappling in this round as both men scramble and spent time on top. Wade went for a guillotine but didn't have it and it allowed Makhachev to end up on top against the fence. Makhachev in the half-guard and landing from the top as he gets to mount and then takes the back. Makhachev lands punches from the back. Makhachev just dominating this round on the mat but he doesn't have Wade in any real danger. Some excellent grappling in this fight though it slowed in the third. 10-9 Makhachev, 30-27 Makhachev.
Official Result- Islam Makhachev def. Chris Wade by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Instant Analysis- This fight had some high-level grappling though it slowed in the third round. Islam Makhachev bounced back nicely and showed he is one of the better grapplers in the division, but his striking still needs some work, though there was improvement. He has some good skills and trains with a top camp, so the future is bright for him. For Chris Wade, this is now two straight losses after four straight wins to start his UFC career. For the second straight fight, he was just out-grappled, which leaves a lot of questions to be answered for a strong wrestler like him. His striking is solid, but not great, and he definitely needs a win when he gets another fight inside the Octagon.
> Roan Carneiro (20-10, 3-4 UFC) vs. Kenny Robertson (15-4, 4-4 UFC)
Welterweights
R1- Carneiro quickly took the fight to the mat. Robertson scrambled to his feet. Carneiro with the tie-up but Robertson slipped out and landed a right hand. Robertson telegraphing himself and Carneiro with a big body kick. Both men missing on wild punching attempts. Carneiro with a big leg kick. You can see both mens' punches coming a mile away. Not the most exciting round. Close round. 10-9 Carneiro.
R2- Carneiro scores a takedown after Robertson misses some loopy punches. Robertson swept and landed a hammerfist. Robertson landing short elbows from the top. Carneiro goes for a submission but Robertson gets out. Carneiro not doing much from the bottom. Carneiro had a shoulder lock and swept into full mount. Carneiro not doing much from the mount. Crowd boos. Close round. 10-9 Robertson, 19-19.
R3- Neither man doing much early but Carneiro landing the jab. Carneiro lands a big uppercut that stuns Robertson. Robertson caught his bearings. Very slow pace here. Robertson lands a right hand. They trade jabs. Robertson with a left hand. Robertson with a combo as the crowd boos. Both men very tired. Carneiro with an uppercut. Carneiro clinches. Close fight all around. 10-9 Carneiro, 29-28 Carneiro.
Official Result- Roan Carneiro def. Kenny Robertson by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Instant Analysis- This was a very boring fight. The weight cut looked to slow down Roan Carneiro late, and Kenny Robertson wasn't much better. Neither man could get the edge anywhere in the fight and it was three close rounds. Unfortunately, they were also three bad rounds. Carneiro is getting up there in age and I don't sense he has much left. Robertson didn't fare much better. Neither man deserves to be anywhere near the main card. Onto the next one.
HOT RUMOR ALERT- Eddie Alvarez vs. Conor McGregor is a done deal for UFC 205.
> Evan Dunham (#15, 17-6, 10-6 UFC) vs. Rick Glenn (18-3-1, 0-0 UFC)
Lightweights
R1- Dunham with a combo and then scores a takedown. Dunham postured up and Glenn tried to land some upkicks but Dunham went back into the guard. Dunham takes the back and has the rear-naked choke locked in. Glenn fights to survives and somehow gets out. That was an incredible escape. Dunham ends up on top to end the round. Big round for Dunham. 10-8 Dunham.
R2- Glenn lands a left hand but gets taken down by Dunham. Dunham is by far the superior ground fighter. They get to their feet. Dunham has the body locked and lands a knee. Dunham looking fantastic here. Dunham lighting Glenn up with some combos. Glenn firing back. Dunham slowing just a little. They trade strikes. Time out called due to a groin strike. Back to action but round ends with nothing happening. 10-9 Dunham, 20-17 Dunham.
R3- Glenn coming out strong as he needs to finish Dunham here. Dunham with the clear advantage in strikes landed. They trade left hands. Glenn is landing and hurts Dunham. Glenn has more energy at this stage. Dunham lands a combo. Dunham lands another combination. Dunham lands a big head kick followed by a hard right hand. Both men tired. Back-and-forth on the feet and both men are landing. Dunham with a big head kick. Dunham hurts Glenn with a punch. Dunham tries a late armbar. Fun fight. 10-9 Dunham, 30-26 Dunham.
Official Result- Evan Dunham def. Rick Glenn by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Instant Analysis- This was a fun fight, especially the latter stages of the final round as both men started swinging while clearly tired. Evan Dunham looked fantastic early, and even when his conditioning started going, he was still effective on his feet and had Rick Glenn hurt late. It was a solid showing on short notice for Glenn, who has earned himself a couple of fights in the UFC with this effort. Dunham is back into contention with four straight wins, and time for a top match-up for him. This is a very solid win for Dunham. Glenn may settle back to the featherweight division, and I look forward to more fights inside the Octagon for him.
> Uriah Hall (#9, 12-6, 5-4 UFC) vs. Derek Brunson (#10, 15-3, 6-1 UFC)
Middleweights
R1- Hall came right out after Brunson and they clinched. Brunson with a big knee against the fence. Brunson drops Hall with a big left hand and then lands punches on the ground and Herb Dean stops it! Hall protests but Brunson gets the big win.
Official Result- Derek Brunson def. Uriah Hall by TKO (punches) at 1:41of Round 1
Instant Analysis- Derek Brunson now has four straight first-round wins with this stoppage, and he has put himself in line for a chance at getting a title shot. This is a big win for him and one that he needed to get if he were ever going to contend. A 7-1 record in the UFC middleweight division is very, very good. Uriah Hall came out strong but got caught. He probably could've continued and the replay shows it was probably early. He is now 5-5 in the UFC but still a quality fighter and with this controversial stoppage, he shouldn't lose much ground.
> Dustin Poirier (#7, 20-4, 12-3 UFC) vs. Michael Johnson (#10, 16-10, 8-6 UFC)
Lightweights
R1- They trade punches and kicks early. Johnson lands a solid combo and Poirier is cut a little under his eye. Johnson with a big left hand that knocks Poirier down and he finishes him off with several more punches on the ground! Big knockout for Johnson.
Official Result- Michael Johnson def. Dustin Poirier by knockout (punches) at 1:35 of Round 1
Instant Analysis- This is a huge win for Michael Johson, who had lost his last two fights. Another loss would've knocked him out of the title picture completely, but this is a statement win, and his biggest win to date in the UFC. He has earned himself a big fight in his next bout and adds to the stacked lightweight title picture. Dustin Poirier was on the cusp of title contention but now suffers his first loss since dropping down to 155 pounds. He is still one of the best fighters at lightweight, but he has lost every opportunity he has had to break into that true elite category. He takes a step backwards, but with his talent, he should be able to put together some wins and get himself back into contention.
Final Thoughts- This was a show of highs-and-lows. Michael Johnson and Derek Brunson had excellent victories in the two big fights to put their names into crowded title pictures. Evan Dunham had an excellent showing despite slowing down late. Chas Skelly had one of the more memorable finishes in recent UFC memory, and that quick win is worth going out of your way to see. Gabriel Benitez had a very impressive showing in finishing Sam Sicilia. That was the good. There was some bad, and some bad fights, but more good than bad. Not the best of shows, but not the worst of shows either, and the two last fights having good performances gave the event a boost.
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