UFC Vegas 66 Results & Rafa Garcia Wins Bloodbath Decision on Undercard
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Las Vegas, NV (December 18th, 2022)– In the main event of a 13-bout UFC card, UFC Vegas 66, UFC Fight Night 216, at UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada, Saturday night, December 17, 2022, the final UFC event of 2022, Jared Cannonier, the UFC number three world ranked middleweight, won a five-round split decision over UFC number contender Sean Strickland in a critical crossroads middleweight bout.
Cannonier, 16-6, Team MMA Lab, Anchorage, Alaska, and Strickland, 25-5, Team Quest. Anaheim, California, fought primarily a ground war. There was one apparent takedown, which did not count. The five-round battle emerged as a war of boxing skill, with some kick attempts, mostly by Cannonier. Strickland had an effective jab, but Cannonier landed the effective power shots, which proved the difference.
Cannonier won rounds two, three and five on the Real Combat Media scorecard. All three judges scored the five close rounds differently, and different than the Real Combat Media scorecard. However, Cannonier emerged from the bout as the slight, and overall winner. Strickland’s punches, when they did land, had no effect. Both men were in top condition, and neither combatant was hurt. In the ESPN + post-fight interview, Cannonier said he wanted to fight up next, rather than down, meaning Cannonier is angling for a middleweight title shot, or a bout with the number one or number two contender, next in 2023.
Result: Jaron Cannonier Win 5 Sean Strickland, Middleweights
Scoring: 49-46, 49-46 Cannonier. 49-46 Strickland. Referee: Herb Dean
Real Combat Media: 48-47 for Cannonier
On the undercard, lightweight Drew Dober, 26-11, Elevation Fight Team, Omaha, Nebraska, scored a decisive one-punch knockout at 2:45 on round two over Bobby ‘King’ Green, 29-14, Team Pinnacle MMA, Redlands, California. In a wild televised MMA slugfest bout style reminiscent of boxing’s George Foreman versus Ron Lyle in 1976 on ABC TV, Dober and Green just swung away wildly, with a lot of hits and misses. It was immediately apparent if either connected with a significant bomb the way they were throwing bombs, one person had to go. Dober landed a left hook to the jaw with Green’s back to the cage, and Green fell on his back with a thud, down and out, prompting the bout’s end by referee Keith Peterson. When a fighter in either MMA or boxing gets hit by a Rocky Marciano style power shot on the jaw, like the shot Marciano used to finish Jersey Joe Walcott in their first bout, they ain’t getting up, and it’s immediately over.
In an all-Russian lightweight Battle, Arman Tsarukyan, 19-3, American Top Team, Khabarovsk, Russian Federation, won a unanimous three-round decision over Damir Ismagulov, 24-2, Team Boets MMA, Orenburg, Russian Federation. Ismagulov was looking for his twentieth consecutive win. However, constant takedowns and superior floor grappling by Tsarukysan, who outworked Ismagulov, had ground control, and was five out of sixteen in takedown attempts to none by Ismagulov, proved the difference.
In the bloodiest MMA match ever seen, two lightweights fought at a catch weight. Rafa ‘Gifted’ Garcia’ 24-3, Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, Team Elevation/UFC Gym Costa Mesa, eventually lost twenty percent of his blood, needed two hours after the bout for doctors to stop the bleeding, and required fifteen stitches, on the way to winning a unanimous three rounds decision over game Maheshate Hayisaer, 9-2, Enbo Club, Chengdu, China. Garcia took an elbow from the Chinaman which cut an artery on the left side of his head in round two, triggering a bloody bloodbath inside The Octagon.
Garcia was four of eleven in takedown attempts, to none from Hayisaer, and had total ground control and overall standing control. Garcia landed 52 strikes to Hayisaer’s 10, but still had to work his way through the blood. Of all boxing and MMA matches ever witnessed, this was the worst, as Garcia fought the bout completely covered in blood, under the presumption he had to remain aggressive to the task at hand or referee Mark Smith would stop the bout. The crowd loved the gore, and the bout ran the full three rounds. Garcia stuck to his game plan and maintained superior takedown attacks and ground control in round two and three primarily to take home the win.
In a female strawweight battle, Cory ‘Poppins’ McKenna, 8-2, Cwmbran, Wales, United Kingdom, Team Alpha Male, won a unanimous three rounds decision over Cheyanne ‘The Warrior Princess’ Vlismas, 7-3, Team Extreme Couture, Clearwater, Florida. McKenna had two takedowns and led 112 to 42 in significant strikes landed to outwork Vlismas.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS & RESULTS
Preliminary Card Highlights
Said Nurmagomedov def. Saidyokub Kakhramonov
In this bantamweight bout, Said Nurmagomedov came from behind to defeat Saidyokub Kakhramonov with a guillotine choke. Catch the finish below.
Main Card Highlights
Michal Oleksiejczuk def. Cody Brundage
In this middleweight bout, Michal Oleksiejczuk earned a brutal first-round KO of Cody Brundage. Catch the finish below.
Drew Dober def. Bobby Green
In this lightweight bout, Drew Dober earned a devastating KO win over Bobby Green.
Round one saw Green have more success on the feet, consistently landing head strikes as Dober attempted to close the distance. Then in round two, Green continued putting together effective strikes until Dober landed a huge left to get the KO. Catch the finish below.
Alex Caceres def. Julian Erosa
Alex Caceres exquisitely set up and landed a perfect head kick to defeat Julian Erosa in their featherweight bout. Catch the finish below.
Amir Albazi def. Alessandro Costa
In this flyweight bout, Amir Albazi earned a huge KO win against Alessandro Costa.
A very tentative round one saw neither fighter land anything significant. In round two, Albazi dropped Costa early and dominated from on top for the rest of the round. Then in round three, Albazi dropped Costa with an uppercut and finished him off with ground and pound. Catch the finish below.
Arman Tsarukyan def. Damir Ismagulov
In this lightweight bout, Arman Tsarukyan earned a dominant victory over Damir Ismagulov.
In round one, Tsarukyan landed several takedowns, but Ismagulov managed to hold his own in the grappling. Round two saw Tsarukyan outwrestle Ismagulov, landing several takedowns and taking his back. In round three, Tsarukyan took Ismagulov’s back again twice but couldn’t lock in a submission. Catch the decision below.
Jared Cannonier def. Sean Strickland
In the main event, Jared Cannonier earned a split decision victory over Sean Strickland in their middleweight bout.
In round one, neither fighter landed anything decisive, but Strickland managed to get a brief takedown. Round two saw Cannonier push the pace landing heavy leg kicks and a stinging blow late on. In round three, both fighters started to let their hands loose, with Cannonier landing stinging combinations.
Round four saw both fighters have success on the feet, with Cannonier landing a stinging blow late in round one. In the final round, Cannonier landed several power shots to round out the win. Catch the highlights below.
Main Card
- Main Event – Middleweight Bout: Jared Cannonier def. Sean Strickland via split decision (49-46×2, 46-49)
- Co-Main Event – Lightweight Bout: Arman Tsarukyan def. Damir Ismagulov via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
- Flyweight Bout: Amir Albazi def. Alessandro Costa via KO: R3, 2.13
- Featherweight Bout: Alex Caceres def. Julian Erosa via TKO: R1, 3.04
- Lightweight Bout: Drew Dober def. Bobby Green via KO: R2, 2.45
- Middleweight Bout: Michal Oleksiejczuk def. Cody Brundage via KO: R1, 3.16
Preliminary Card
- Women’s Strawweight Bout: Cory McKenna def. Cheyanne Vlismas via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
- Welterweight Bout: Matthew Semelsberger def. Jake Matthews via unanimous decision 30-27, 29-28×2)
- Bantamweight Bout: Said Nurmagomedov def. Saidyokub Kakhramonov via submission: R2, 3.50
- Lightweight Bout: Rafa Garcia def. Maheshate via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
- Welterweight Bout: Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Bryan Battle via unanimous decision (30-25×2, 30-27)
- Flyweight Bout: Manel Kape def. David Dvorak via unanimous decision (30-27×2, 29-28)
- Bantamweight Bout: Sergey Morozov def. Journey Newson via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28×2)
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