Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Matthews

Round 1
Sanchez (30-12, 19-12 UFC) is back and this time with an additional cornerman (Stephan Bonnar) beyond self-awareness coach Josh Fabia, and he will be facing a tough test in the form of “The Celtic Kid” Matthews (16-4, 9-4 UFC) at welterweight. The third man inside the octagon is referee Jason Herzog, and the two 170-pounders have absolutely no interest in touching gloves before the action begins. Sanchez races forward with a body kick, and he eats a right hand and rolls around to try to get out of harm’s way. Sanchez gets back to his feet after Matthews grabbed hold of it, and he just barely ducks an overhand right that zips past his head. Sanchez evades another heavy shot and whiffs with a return fire leg kick. Matthews sneaks in a right hand when Sanchez closes the distance, and nearly turns Sanchez into a Pez dispenser with an uppercut. Sanchez goes to the body and swats at the head, but Matthews rolls with it. Sanchez starts waving his hands around in a stance more likely seen in “Cobra Kai” than the UFC, and Matthews fires a kick at his head. The Aussie walks forward to land a body shot and avoids the Sanchez counterattack. Matthews snaps Sanchez’ head back with a right hand, and ducks out of the way when Sanchez swings at him with open hands. “Nightmare” leaps forward with a right hand, and Matthews avoids it while landing one of his own to sting the TUF 1 winner. Sanchez comes up short with a counter, although he does land a leg kick. Sanchez surprises the Aussie with a right hand, and Matthews backs away to reset. Sanchez stalks him down and rushes forward hands down with a barrage of punches, but Matthews is able to jog out of the way. Matthews scores a one-two and evades the swarming attack of Sanchez, but “Nightmare” keeps at it with looping punches. Sanchez lands a slapping body kick and changes levels for a takedown. Matthews defends it and decides to take Sanchez down, where he hops on top to get off some ground-and-pound. When Matthews sits up, Sanchez hunts for a heel hook. Matthews punches his way out with a few fierce right hands that hurt Sanchez, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Matthews
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Matthews
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Matthews

Round 2
Sanchez comes out with his nose already bleeding, and Matthews plants a right hand on that nose. Sanchez swarms in with several wild punches, and Matthews is able to avoid them in time. Sanchez tries this flurry once more, and Matthews snaps out a jab to keep him at bay. Sanchez lets fly a heavy leg kick, but “The Celtic Kid” walks through it. Sanchez explodes forward with winging, slopping punches that do not reach his opponent, and Matthews walks him down to the cage before scoring a quick uppercut. Sanchez circles around and switches stances a few times to shake it out, but Matthews stays composed and scores a right hand followed by a one-two. Sanchez takes a right hand so he can land a body kick, but Matthews redoubles his effort with another right hand that makes Sanchez back off. When the original TUF winner comes forward, again Matthews is ready for him with that right hand. Sanchez races forward and just misses with an overhand right, and Matthews accurately targets the nose again. Matthews gets up another uppercut, and clips Sanchez at the end of a left hand. Sanchez grins and starts throwing bombs like the days of old, but Matthews is able to avoid the brunt of the damage. An open-handed slap skims over Matthews’ head, and Matthews returns fire with a closed fist that makes Sanchez retreat. “Nightmare” shakes off the cobwebs only to get tagged again a few times, and Matthews is able to dart out of the way after landing to avoid the Sanchez blitz. Sanchez lands a calf kick and blocks an uppercut that is aimed at his face, and he ducks down to attack but gets cracked on the way in. The horn concludes this second frame.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Matthews
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Matthews
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Matthews

Round 3
Sanchez starts the third round with his hands behind his waist leaning against the cage, and after a few seconds of standing there, he runs forward with an attack similar to Jorge Masvidal against Ben Askren. The Aussie is wise to it and the knee misses by a wide margin, but he is unable to make Sanchez pay for it. Matthews cracks Sanchez with a one-two and sets him down hard, where he hammers down several punches to slash Sanchez’ right eyebrow open. The blood has positively erupted from Sanchez’ eyebrow, and a growing pool of blood is forming beneath his head fast. Matthews pays it no mind and lands some more ground-and-pound. Sanchez locks him down in guard, and he tries to kick his hips to hunt for submissions and stave off any further strikes. Sanchez grabs hold of the neck for a guillotine choke off his back, but it is nothing doing as Matthews stays patient and pops his head out. Sanchez kicks Matthews off of him and Matthews lords over him while trying to find a way back in to do some more damage. “The Celtic Kid” finds his angle and crashes down into the guard, while Sanchez twists and turns for any sort of Hail Mary submission, but none is to be had. Matthews gets off a few more heavy right hands as the blood continues to flow for Sanchez, and Sanchez throws his legs up for a triangle choke. Matthews stops it by smashing him in the face with several punches, but the crafty vet hunts for an armbar. Sanchez has it tight briefly, but the slipperiness allows Matthews to pull his arm and then head free from the submission danger. Sanchez looks away for several seconds to his corner as he decides to lock Matthews down. Matthews does not accept that, and postures up to get off several more punches. He lets loose one final salvo to wrap up this fight with style points, although Matthews was unable to get the finish he so desired.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Matthews (30-26 Matthews)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Matthews (30-26 Matthews)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Matthews (30-26 Matthews)

The Official Result
Jake Matthews def. Diego Sanchez via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

Diego Sanchez vs. Michel Pereira

Round 1
Our co-main event virtually guarantees action as the original winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” Sanchez (29-12, 18-12 UFC) comes to blows with the high-flying, wild and crazy Pereira (23-10, 2 NC; 1-1 UFC). As Pereira’s song comes on the speakers, he stops and dances for a minute or two. The crowd is not into it, and they start booing him. Not to be outdone, Sanchez calmly walks out to the cage, and struts around like a peacock when he reaches the Octagon. Hold on tight, just like referee Jason Herzog, as the fight is about to pop off. Sanchez starts off the fight as one would expect in this kind of contest, with a somersault kick. It partially lands, and Pereira laughs it off. They end up against the fence, and Sanchez escapes. Sanchez holds his hands out straight in front of him, and Pereira throws a few front kicks before faking that he will run off the walls. Sanchez wings two punches that are well short of the mark, and takes a punch to the body. Pereira throws another powerful front kick, and Sanchez is running back and forth as he narrowly avoids a Showtime kick. Pereira leaps in with a knee, and Sanchez drops down to take his ankle out from beneath him. Sanchez backs off, and throws a low kick. Pereira again snaps the front kick up the middle, so Sanchez tries to fire back with a body kick but he misses. Sanchez has his back against the fence the entire time, and takes a punch and then a kick to the midsection. Sanchez lands a left hand but misses with the right hook that follows, as Pereira darts out of the way. The Brazilian sneaks up a front kick through the guard of “The Nightmare,” and ducks a spinning back fist from Sanchez. The two come together and swing, but neither land as Sanchez stumbles against the cage wall. Sanchez shoots in low for a takedown to get Pereira to bite on a defending, and he lands a low kick. Pereira misses with a spinning wheel kick, and Sanchez runs forward to engage but backs off before he reaches his opponent. Pereira lands a few punches and a stern knee up the middle. As Sanchez circles away he nearly absorbs a head kick, and then misses wide with another somersault kick. Sanchez sprints at his opponent with punches, but does not connect as the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pereira

Round 2
Pereira opens the round with a body kick and then another front kick, while Sanchez ducks low to pursue a takedown. The Brazilian shoves him away and evades the strikes that come from Sanchez. Sanchez aims to the body with a few punches, and then a leg kick, before taking a right hand on the jaw. Pereira lands two punches, and hops out of the way when Sanchez fires a head kick at him. Pereira narrowly misses with a knee and then a spinning kick, and Sanchez goes back to holding his palm outstretched. Pereira times a flying knee as Sanchez wades forward, and Sanchez eats it without issue. Pereira attempts a capoeira kick, leading to Sanchez sprinting forward to land strikes. Sanchez lunges forward with several more punches, and the Brazilian is easily able to back away. Pereira lands a heavy body kick, causing “The Nightmare” to bend over and grimace for a moment. Sanchez clinches up and goes after a takedown, but he cannot hit it as Pereira circles away and lands a flying knee on the chest. Pereira blocks a body kick after he throws a kick behind his other leg, and blasts Sanchez in the face with a right hand that forces Sanchez to stumble backwards. Sanchez bites down on his mouthpiece and throws back at him, landing a left hand as Pereira drops his hands down to his waist. Pereira circles around and backs off before landing a superman punch by jumping off the cage. Pereira scores another front kick to the body, and dings Sanchez with a flying knee before backing off. Pereira rips the body with a hard right hand, and evades the body kick soaring at him. The 10-second clapper spurs Sanchez to throw a spinning back kick, but Pereira dodges it and suplex Sanchez to end the round.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pereira

Round 3
Pereira stands before his opponent to start the round, as he looks down at the cage floor instead of his opponent. He taunts Sanchez, as he avoids his charging adversary. Another front kick from Pereira scores, and Sanchez has no counter to them. Two punches land successfully for the Brazilian, and Sanchez whiffs with a spinning back fist as he gets taken down. Pereira flips in the air to land some kind of a stomp, and the legality of that technique is questionable. Sanchez gets up, takes a knee to the chest and falls over, and Pereira chases after him with some ferocious ground-and-pound. Sanchez springs free, and gets up to charge at his opponent like a bull. Playing the matador, Pereira shoves him away against the fence, and does so a second time to make Sanchez look like Ronda Rousey against Holly Holm. Sanchez wings shots but they are not landing, while overextending himself as Pereira works him to the body. Sanchez is stalking “Demolidor” down, but Pereira throws several crushing knees that make Sanchez fall over.
As Sanchez falls to his knees, Pereira cracks him in the head with an illegal knee. Herzog rushes in to stop the action for a moment, and the knee busted Sanchez’ head wide open. Blood is pouring out of Sanchez’ forehead, and the doctor is trying to figure out what to do. Herzog allows Sanchez to recover, and deducts one point from Pereira, but Sanchez claims that he cannot see. Sanchez asks Herzog what the result would be given on the stoppage, and upon learning it would be a disqualification, Sanchez says he cannot continue.
Unbelievable. As it was an illegal knee that caused the stoppage, Pereira will indeed be disqualified. This is the first event in UFC history where multiple fights have ended by DQ. Truly a bizarre end to a totally bizarre fight.

The Official Result
Diego Sanchez def. Michel Pereira R3 3:09 via Disqualification (Illegal Knee)