Tristan Connelly

Tristan Connelly vs. Pat Sabatini

Round 1
Beginning the ESPN preliminary portion of the card is a featherweight matchup as former welterweight Connelly (14-6, 1-0 UFC) contends with promising UFC newcomer Sabatini (13-3, 0-0 UFC) at featherweight. These two men both post submission rates over 60 percent, and grappling may be on full display before referee Josh Rutgers. There is a glove touch in front of these excited fans, and away we go. Connelly stalks the newcomer down and lands a few right hands, all while absorbing a leg kick. Sabatini circles around the outside and lands a few crisp punches, and Connelly walks through them to continue chasing. Sabatini ducks a punch and blasts Connelly in the face with a right hand, setting the Canadian down. Sabatini does not miss a beat, pushing his foe flat on his back while landing strikes. The American exerts heavy top pressure as the “USA” chant rings through the arena for the first time of the night. Sabatini holds tight in half guard, and when Connelly sits up, he slides his arm under Connelly’s neck. The newcomer elbows Connelly in the head when Connelly rolls to his side, and this also thwarts a potential sweep attempt for “Boondock.” Sabatini squeezes down with his full body weight as he looks to advance to either three-quarter mount or full mount, and he sets up an arm-triangle choke that forces Connelly to surrender his back. Sabatini gets his hooks in and snags a rear-naked choke, but Connelly fights off the grip. “Boondock” starts taking punches to the side of the head as Sabatini secures a body triangle, and he fishes for the choke every so often as he softens Connelly up. Connelly rolls towards the fence to try to break the body triangle, and Sabatini sneaks his arm under the neck for a second, only to get it pulled away. The seconds peel off the clock as Sabatini maintains back control, and he rides out the round in this position.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sabatini
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Sabatini
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Sabatini

Round 2
The two touch gloves, and both kick early. Sabatini leaps in the air with a knee, and Connelly pushes it away and tries to land an overhand right. The newcomer goes back to his bike, but he scores a one-two as Connelly is advancing. In one explosive movement, Sabatini crashes forward and nails a double leg takedown that puts Connelly square on his back. The Canadian hacks with elbows from his back, and he sits up but Sabatini is not letting him up. Sabatini tries to readjust his position and pass guard by standing up, and he blocks an upkick to wade down into side control. The Pennsylvanian holds tight with his shoulder pressing on Connelly’s neck, and Connelly knees him in the side to little effect. Sabatini hops to three-quarter mount, but Connelly drags him back to half guard. Sabatini is fine with this, as he drops down punches while Connelly rolls. Connelly swirls through to his knees, and Sabatini threatens with a potential leglock to snag back control. Connelly falls to his back and Sabatini takes side control, until Connelly rolls through and gives up his back. Sabatini thanks him by taking his back, and Sabatini quickly locks up a body triangle again. Sabatini considers sliding into mount, until Connelly rolls to his knees to try to escape this disadvantageous position. “Boondock” topples to his back and into arm-triangle danger, and the two continue to scramble as Sabatini takes the back again. Connelly bucks free of the body kick, and Sabatini meets him by adjusting his hooks. Connelly elbows the thigh to try to spin around, and Sabatini snags the body triangle one last time before the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sabatini
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Sabatini
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Sabatini

Round 3
The two featherweights clap hands to clock in the last round, and Connelly stalks Sabatini down in the early going. Connelly loads up on a right hand, and Sabatini latches on to him to clinch him up and threaten a takedown. Sabatini adjusts, grabs a single and nearly plants Connelly down. Connelly wings a right hand as Sabatini backpedals, and the Canadian comes up short with a head kick. The two clinch up in the center of the cage, twisting around and trading knees as they try to be the advancing party. Sabatini changes levels and is rebuffed to take the fight down, grasping a single to wrench the fight to the canvas. Connelly does not let this happen, so Sabatini starts to work the body in the clinch. Connelly grabs hold of a guillotine choke from a standing position, and Sabatini pays it no mind and continues to press his foe heavily on the wire. The two turn back and forth, and Rutgers calls for the fighters to work. Sabatini obliges him with a combination to the body and head. Connelly bites on a takedown attempt to get smacked in the head, and he appears frustrated as he chases Sabatini down. “Boondock” reaches out with a few jabs, and Sabatini counters with a left hand. Connelly cracks him with a right, leading Sabatini to touch his jaw to taunt him. Sabatini ducks down for a takedown, and it is stuffed and the two tangle against the cage. Connelly breaks free and eats a left hook on the chin, but he is no worse for wear. Connelly wings a right hook to respond, and Sabatini dips and gives him one back. Connelly presses him back to the fence, where he executes a trip takedown and gets to half guard. Sabatini sits up into a guillotine choke, and Connelly gives up on it as he tries to pass guard. Sabatini threatens with a leg lock off his back, forcing Connelly to stand up. Sabatini lands a few upkicks, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Connelly (29-28 Sabatini)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Connelly (29-28 Sabatini)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Connelly (29-27 Sabatini)

The Official Result
Pat Sabatini def. Tristan Connelly via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Michel Pereira vs. Tristan Connelly

Round 1
The fourth in a series of fights each dropping down one weight class -- from heavyweight down to welterweight -- Pereira (23-9, 2 NC; 1-0 UFC) will try to keep his momentum going against short-notice debutant and former lightweight Connelly (13-6, 0-0 UFC). Keeping charge of this 172-pound catchweight contest, as Pereira missed weight but still dances to the cage, is referee Jason Herzog. Connelly rushes forward to touch gloves, and Pereira springs off the cage to land a superman punch. Flipping through the air but missing wildly, Pereira leaps off the fence to try to land a power shot, and again misses. Connelly tries for a takedown and gets shucked off, but as he avoids flashy strikes he attempts another that presses the Brazilian against the cage wall. "Demolidor" escapes and the Canadian goads him on. Pereira scores with a rolling thunder kick, and then leaps through the air with a knee that is blocked. A body shot from the Brazilian irritates the Canadian, and Pereira spins up to attempt a capoeira kick. Standing right in front of one another, the two trade looping shots, and Pereira surprisingly shoots in for a takedown that he lands. Connelly defends with a guillotine choke and even a triangle, but Pereira stands up to back flip and land on Connelly's body. This is exactly how it is happening, without any embellishments. Connelly returns to his feet and takes the fight back down, and he advances to half guard. The Canadian stays heavy on the wild striker, and takes full mount for a moment before Pereira stands back up. Backing away with his hands down, Pereira looks exhausted as he digs to Connelly's body with a left. A few right hands catch Pereira on the chin, and with seconds remaining Connelly drops down for a guillotine choke, but the horn sounds before it is locked up. Pereira looks spent, and even goes to the wrong corner before he is redirected between rounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pereira

Round 2
Connelly is energized and grins as the second round begins, and starts with a few kicks including a head kick that is just blocked. The crowd is electric for their countryman, who is scoring on Pereira. Connelly shoots for a takedown, and Pereira defends it with a brabo choke, but the Canadian defends it and returns to his feet. Pereira commits to several more body shots, but his output has slowed down considerably and the flashy strikes are largely out of his arsenal. A slow turning back kick from the Brazilian falls short, and he circles away until advancing with a high knee to Connelly's chin. Connelly clips Pereira with a right hand, and in a flurry forces Pereira to drop to a knee. Connelly is advancing hard, forcing the tired Brazilian to protect himself as he backs away. "Boondock" swings a big right hand and Pereira times it well, taking the fight down. In full guard, Pereira attempts to catch his breath while Connelly throws up his legs in a triangle attempt, before abandoning it. Connelly tries for a kimura sweep to take position, but Pereira pulls his arm out and stays on top with occasional strikes. The Canadian sits up to try to walk up the cage, but Pereira remains heavy as the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pereira

Round 3
The two men embrace in the center of the Octagon, and Connelly sticks Pereira with a left followed by a right leg kick that forces the Brazilian to spin around. "Boondock" attempts to bring the fight down, and although he can't get it, he pulls guard for a guillotine that is tight. As Pereira defends it, Connelly rolls to mount, and the choke tightens. With all his might, Pereira pushes out of the choke attempt and they get back to their feet. A weary Pereira backs away to catch his breath, but Connelly will not let him off the hook, and the Canadian takes the fight down. In half guard, Connelly puts his weight down on his gassed adversary, but he is not going after any strike attempts or submissions. Connelly pops his leg out for a second to take mount, only for Pereira to retrieve full guard, so Connelly tries to advance on the other side. The Canadian sits up to land some loud left hands, advancing to mount again before returning to half guard. Connelly steps over while scoring some more ground-and-pound, and while it is not individually significant, it adds up quickly. Seconds remaining, "Boondock" throws everything he has at Pereira, who is barely surviving. The crowd is deafening as they root for the final Canadian fighter on the card, and the fight concludes when the horn sounds. A dominant round for Connelly here could make scoring very interesting, and the judges have their hands full with this one. A massive upset could be ahead, as Connelly closed as a sizeable +365 underdog.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Connelly (28-28)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Connelly (28-28)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Connelly (29-28 Pereira)

The Official Result
Tristan Connelly def. Michel Pereira via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)