Angela Hill will continue to make history Saturday night.
Hill will become the first Black American woman to headline a UFC card when she faces Michelle Waterson in the Fight Night main event in Las Vegas. Hill already was the first Black American woman to sign with the UFC, which she did in 2014.
“I’m ready to put on a show,” Hill told ESPN’s Alisa Harrison this week. “[A main event is] something that I felt like I was on the cusp of for a really long time. And the fact that it’s finally happened, I’m just embracing it. And I’m really happy to be having that type of exposure.”
The bout is a key one in the women’s strawweight division. ESPN has Waterson ranked No. 7 in that weight class.
Waterson (17-8) has dropped two straight following a three-fight winning streak. The New Mexico resident has long stated her goal to become the first mother to win a UFC title, and a win here would put her back on that path. Waterson, 34, is a former Invicta FC women’s atomweight champion and a perennial contender in the UFC at strawweight since 2015. This will be her third UFC main event.
Hill (12-8) is coming off a very close split-decision loss to Claudia Gadelha in May. The San Diego resident was on a three-fight winning streak prior to that. Hill, 35, is one of the most active fighters on the UFC roster. She has the most fights in UFC women’s strawweight history (15) and the UFC record for the least time spanning six consecutive fights (337 days). This will be Hill’s seventh fight since March 23, 2019.
In the co-main event, the undefeated Ottman Azaitar faces Khama Worthy in a lightweight matchup. Azaitar (12-0) won his UFC debut via first-round knockout of Teemu Packalen in September 2019. Worthy (16-6) has won seven straight.
Also on the card, Roxanne Modafferi faces Andrea Lee in a women’s flyweight rematch, exciting lightweight Bobby Green competes for the second time in six weeks against Alan Patrick and veteran Ed Herman takes on up-and-comer Mike Rodriguez in a light heavyweight bout.
Marc Raimondi, Brett Okamoto and Jeff Wagenheim recap the action as the fights happen in Las Vegas.
Fight in progess:
Women’s bantamweight: Julia Avila (8-1, 2-0 UFC, -280) vs. Sijara Eubanks (6-4, 4-2 UFC, +240)
Results:
Lightweight: Kevin Croom (22-12, 1-0 UFC) defeats Roosevelt Roberts (10-3, 4-3 UFC, -110) by first-round submission
Recap to come.
Brooooo that was awesome #UFCVegas10
— Niko Price (@Nikohybridprice) September 12, 2020
Heavyweight: Alexander Romanov (12-0, 1-0 UFC) defeats Roque Martinez (15-6-2, 0-1 UFC) by second-round submission
That’s what you call a smashing debut.
Romanov pummeled Martinez for practically every second of this heavyweight clash before securing a head-and-arm choke that elicited a tapout at 4:22 of Round 2.
The victory extended two streaks for Romanov: He remains unbeaten as a pro and has gotten a stoppage in all 12 wins. This was his eighth submission, to go with four knockouts.
Finally got that arm triangle i knew he would get it eventually. Amazing performance! #UFCVegas10
— Tatiana Suarez (@tatianaufc) September 12, 2020
Romanov, a 29-year-old former sumo wrestler from Moldova, signed with the UFC last year but had had three fights canceled.
Martinez might have wished that this one was called off, too. The 34-year-old from Guam was resilient, taking everything Romanov dished out, but that was all he could bring to the table.
Romanov outstruck Martinez in significant strikes by 33-4 in Round 1, with Martinez throwing only seven while spending nearly the entire five minutes on his back, thanks to three Romanov takedowns, including a big slam. The second round was much the same, with Romanov getting a takedown less than 30 seconds in, then outlanding his opponent 22-3 in significant strikes before getting the submission.
Both fighters were making their UFC debuts, making this the only fight on Saturday’s card featuring a fighter with no previous Octagon experience.
— Wagenheim
Catchweight (165 pounds): Jalin Turner (10-5, 3-2 UFC) defeats Brok Weaver (15-6, 1-2 UFC) via second-round rear-naked choke
0:33
Jalin Turner submits Brok Weaver with a rear-naked choke late in Round 2 at UFC Fight Night.
Turner basically got two finishes for the price of one.
Turner (10-5) rocked Weaver with a counter right hand in the second round of their 165-pound catchweight bout, but he did not initially follow him to the ground. Weaver was clearly hurt from the punch but never went unconscious, so referee Herb Dean did not stop the fight. Turner never went in for the kill, so Weaver was allowed back up, only to tap to a rear-naked choke at the 4:20 mark.
After knocking Brok Weaver down, @JalinTurner walked away and let him back up ? #UFCVegas10 pic.twitter.com/2fSO2JN9oq
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 12, 2020
“I thought he was out,” Turner said. “There was no need to punch him again. But it is what it is.”
Turner, who was supposed to fight Thiago Moises last week until Moises was pulled because of a positive COVID-19 test, was clearly the better striker throughout. He picked Weaver apart at range and dropped him in the first and second rounds. Weaver occasionally looked to wrestle, but he couldn’t get Turner to the ground.
For Turner, it’s his first win by submission since 2017. He improves to 3-2 in the UFC, while Weaver falls to 1-2.
— Okamoto
Welterweight: Bryan Barberena (15-7, 6-5 UFC) defeats Anthony Ivy (8-4, 0-2 UFC) by unanimous decision
It had been 15 months since Barberena was in the Octagon, a layoff due to back surgery. One thing sure hasn’t changed: He’s rarely in a boring fight.
Barberena bested Ivy by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) in an entertaining back-and-forth welterweight bout. Ivy’s strategy was to take the fight down to the ground. Barberena stuffed almost all of his takedown attempts and did what he does best, turning the fight into a brawl.
Barberena hurt Ivy with a body shot in the first round and then landed a flurry against the cage. Every time it seemed like Barberena had an opening, he attempted to pour it on. Ivy was game. He landed a hard combination in the second and finally got Barberena down late in the third. But otherwise, Barberena was the more aggressive, effective fighter on offense.
Ivy attempted 24 takedowns overall, the most in a single fight in UFC welterweight history, per ESPN Stats & Information research.
Barberena, 31, snapped a two-fight losing streak with the victory. The Tennessee resident had not fought since a loss to Randy Brown in June 2019. Ivy, a 30-year-old Texan, had a five-fight winning streak snapped.
— Raimondi
Women’s flyweight: Sabina Mazo (9-1, 3-1 UFC) defeats Justine Kish (7-3, 3-3 UFC) by third-round rear-naked choke
It took her nearly 14 minutes, but Mazo finally found her range in a fight she was losing, dropping Kish with a right head kick and then finishing her with a quick rear-naked choke at 3:57 of Round 3.
For Mazo, a 23-year-old native of Colombia who fights out of Southern California, it was her third straight victory after she dropped her UFC debut in 2019.
Woooiw what a finish
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) September 12, 2020
Kish, 32, was the more aggressive fighter right from the start, moving forward and scoring with leg kick combinations throughout the first two rounds. It was necessary for her to close the distance, as Mazo had a 6-inch reach advantage. When the fight was at distance, Mazo was kicking, too, with one opening a cut next to Kish’s left eye early on.
In Round 2, Kish became creative with her strikes, landing back fists (both spinning and straight) and connecting with side kicks to the body. But what she did not throw was no less effective. Her frequent feints drew out Mazo kicks, which Kish was able to dodge and counter.
Early on in the final round, though, Mazo found her target with three straight head kicks. Kish, a 32-year-old Muay Thai world champion who fights out of North Carolina, barely avoided a couple of others. Then one put an end to the evening’s opening fight.
— Wagenheim
Still to come:
Strawweight: Michelle Waterson (17-8, 5-4 UFC, +105) vs. Angela Hill (12-8, 6-6 UFC, -125)
Lightweight: Ottman Azaitar (12-0, 1-0 UFC, +115) vs. Khama Worthy (16-6, 2-0 UFC, -135)
Women’s flyweight: Roxanne Modafferi (24-18, 3-6 UFC, +250) vs. Andrea Lee (11-4, 3-2 UFC, -300)
Light heavyweight: Ed Herman (26-14 1 NC, 11-11 1 NC UFC, +200) vs. Mike Rodriguez (11-4 1 NC, 3-2 1 NC, -240)
Lightweight: Bobby Green (26-10-1, 7-5-1 UFC, -240) vs. Alan Patrick (15-2, 5-2 UFC, +200)
Men’s featherweight: Billy Quarantillo (14-2, 3-0 UFC, -240) vs. Kyle Nelson (13-3, 1-2 UFC, +200)
