Kyler Phillips

Loss

vs Charles Jourdain

UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Malott
Apr 18, 2026

Decision R3 5:00

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Kyler Phillips	0	36 of 77	46%	48 of 92	7 of 13	53%	0	0	7:13
Charles Jourdain	0	58 of 104	55%	88 of 142	1 of 4	25%	0	1	0:21

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Rev.	Ctrl
1	Kyler Phillips	6 of 12	50%	14 of 21	3 of 4	75%	0	3:51
1	Charles Jourdain	5 of 10	50%	15 of 22	0 of 0	---	0	0:00
2	Kyler Phillips	10 of 22	45%	12 of 26	2 of 4	50%	0	1:36
2	Charles Jourdain	22 of 42	52%	38 of 63	1 of 1	100%	1	0:21
3	Kyler Phillips	20 of 43	46%	22 of 45	2 of 5	40%	0	1:46
3	Charles Jourdain	31 of 52	59%	35 of 57	0 of 3	0%	0	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Kyler Phillips	36 of 77	46%	28 of 68	6 of 7	2 of 2	34 of 75	0 of 0	2 of 2
Charles Jourdain	58 of 104	55%	28 of 62	26 of 37	4 of 5	41 of 86	17 of 18	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Kyler Phillips	6 of 12	50%	5 of 10	0 of 1	1 of 1	4 of 10	0 of 0	2 of 2
1	Charles Jourdain	5 of 10	50%	3 of 6	2 of 4	0 of 0	4 of 9	1 of 1	0 of 0
2	Kyler Phillips	10 of 22	45%	6 of 18	4 of 4	0 of 0	10 of 22	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Charles Jourdain	22 of 42	52%	8 of 22	12 of 18	2 of 2	13 of 32	9 of 10	0 of 0
3	Kyler Phillips	20 of 43	46%	17 of 40	2 of 2	1 of 1	20 of 43	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Charles Jourdain	31 of 52	59%	17 of 34	12 of 15	2 of 3	24 of 45	7 of 7	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Charles Jourdain vs. Kyler Phillips
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Jourdain (-140); Phillips (+110)

Round 1
Once a fighter deemed on the rise at bantamweight, Phillips (12-4, 6-3 UFC) has fallen on hard times to reach his first career losing streak. Inactivity and inconsistent results have plagued “The Matrix” since his debut with the company in 2020, so he will try to take the wind out of the sails of high-flying Canadian Jourdain (17-8-1, 8-7-1 UFC). In this co-main event, referee Jerin Valel is on standby. The athletes gladly touch gloves before handling their business.
Phillips rushes forward to put his jab in the face of the Canadian and force him to fight off his back foot. Jourdain welcomes this so he can measure a flying knee, and he misses it by a small margin. Phillips shoots in on his hips to take the fight down, and Jourdain hops around on one leg and drops to his back. “Air” Jourdain sets up a triangle choke when put down, and Phillips springs out of it and positions himself in side control. Phillips jumps over into full mount, so Jourdain times twisting to his side to thwart it partially. Phillips get stuck in a partial half guard position, and Jourdain explodes back to his feet and puts his back to the wall to try to scrape Phillips off of him. Phillips completes a mat return, and Jourdain sits down to set up a kimura in hopes of sweeping. Phillips is wise to it all and smothers as he regains half guard, fighting off the bucks and shifts of the active Canadian.
Jourdain tries to fight back while on his back, slashing with elbows until he flirts with a guillotine choke while on his seat. Phillips leaps all the way over through it to get himself in a better position, preferring to stay on top rather than go for anything in particular. When Jourdain sits up, Phillips slings him down, and Phillips has to mind his P’s and Q’s as an upkick zooms right at his face. Jourdain hunts for a triangle choke, and Phillips is about to slam him out of it but lets go before the impact. Phillips controls with his wrestling, reassuming himself on top for mere seconds as Jourdain once more bucks and escapes. Jourdain leans against the wall to keep his balance, and he hunts for a guillotine choke. Phillips immediately abandons the grappling, and Jourdain points at him. Jourdain slings two huge punches, catching the American cleanly. Phillips attacks back with a vengeance, but it is Jourdain who swings more violently as the round ends.

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

Round 2
Jourdain goes right after his opponent as the round begins, backing off only when Phillips initiates a few jabs. Jourdain gets right back to crowding him after those sequences, and he boots Phillips in the gut. Phillips times the kick perfectly, sweeping the other leg to dump the Canadian on his back like a back of groceries. Jourdain scrambles and slithers his legs between Phillips to trip him up, where he briefly turns Phillips over. Phillips regains position, ignoring a possible guillotine from Jourdain to body lock him down to the floor. Jourdain on his seat thinks about another guillotine, but he does not have the leverage for it. Instead, Jourdain climbs back up even as Phillips holds his other limb, and he jacks Phillips in the jaw three times with vicious uppercuts. When Phillips adjusts his grip, Jourdain tries to actually get hold of that guillotine he is seeking, but Phillips is able to move well enough to force him back and reset. The two crash together like waves in the night, both slamming into one another with power strikes.
Jourdain misses on another jump knee, but his front kick to the stomach takes the wind out of Phillips’ sails a bit. Jourdain practically sprints at his man and belts him with a left, right and a left. Phillips kicks him in the side, but it has far less venom than before and Jourdain knows it. Phillips gloms onto the Canadian, who is looking for a standing kimura to readjust their position. They break free, and Jourdain is the aggressor, chasing “The Matrix” around and just missing with a spinning back elbow. Phillips hurls Jourdain to the mat, and Jourdain turns the tables, puts himself on his knees and threatens with a choke. There is no choke to be had, so they fight their way back up and proceed to recklessly duke it out. Phillips busts Jourdain in the chops with an uppercut and stays away from the crazy, flying moves aimed at him for the most part. Jourdain ends the round with an inaccurate rolling thunder kick.

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

Round 3
It is all offense, all the time as the two bruisers proceed to harm, damage, bludgeon and bash one another with anything they can find. Jourdain’s arsenal is a broad one, while Phillips wants to ultimately turn his attacks into ground control. As they go back and forth, Phillips finds an opening and trips Jourdain down. Jourdain stands even while Phillips is controlling him from behind, hands clasped around his waist, and he still turns Phillips around. Jourdain thanks him for the bit of grappling with an elbow on the temple and a high knee, and he keeps after Phillips with long punches. Phillips fires off an uppercut and a left hand to stun him for a second, but Jourdain does not need long to take a quick count of his teeth and leap at Phillips again with a flying knee.
When Jourdain goes to the well again with yet another flying knee, Phillips catches him in midair and slings him to the canvas. Jourdain wraps up Phillips left hand with a two-on-one wrist grip in hopes of sweeping Phillips off of him, but Phillips shuts it down with sheer force of will. Knowing Jourdain is about to stand, Phillips circles around to take his back standing. Jourdain keeps moving while pressed against the cage, spinning them about once before Phillips reasserts the controlling clinch posture. Jourdain trips Phillips to the floor, allows him to stand back up and belts him in the belly with his shin. Jourdain follows with a knee that busts Phillips’ left eyebrow wide open. Blood pours from the veritable axe wound on his face, and Phillips paws at it, knowing he suffered some real damage. He does not slow down, instead meeting Jourdain in the air with a right hand as Jourdain inevitably jumps. Phillips tries to throw Jourdain down one last time, but it is Jourdain who muscles him around and gives him everything he has to offer. The banger concludes with one last rolling thunder kick from Jourdain, this one banging into the back of his foe’s neck at the bell. The two bantamweights leave it all in the hands of the judges, likely about to become at least $100K richer for their back-and-forth rumble.

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

The Official Result
Charles Jourdain def. Kyler Phillips via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Expert Picks (9)

AN

Angelo Bodetti Expert Lean picked Apr 12, 2026 (6 days before fight)

Charles Jourdain

Angelo leans Charles Jourdain but is hesitant, noting Kyler Phillips is not a bum and has faced tough competition. He worries about Kyler's inconsistent cardio and Charles's lack of meaningful wins. He thinks Charles's experience and toughness give him a slight edge, but advises staying away from betting.

"I'm going to lean him here, very slight lean toward Charles. I am worried that he can be out-wrestled."

We Want Picks

BI

Big Brady Expert Confident picked Apr 14, 2026 (4 days before fight)

Charles Jourdain

Big Brady picks Charles Jourdain, citing Kyler Phillips' poor cardio. He notes Phillips wins the first round but fades dramatically, as seen in fights against Oliveira and Font. Brady expects Jourdain to lose round one then turn it up, finishing Phillips by third-round knockout.

third round knockout

"I'm going to say Charles Jourdain wins this fight by third round knockout."

DFS by the Numbers

CO

Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Apr 15, 2026 (3 days before fight)

Charles Jourdain

Cody picks Charles Jourdain, expecting him to win by decision after losing the first round. He notes that Kyler Phillips is a strong first-round fighter but fades, and Jourdain's high pace and guillotine threat will be key. He suggests live betting Jourdain after the first round.

over 2.5 rounds, split decision prop

"I do have Charles Rodane to win one way or another."

Bookie Beatdown

DA

Daniel Vreeland Expert Confident picked Apr 14, 2026 (4 days before fight)

Charles Jourdain

Daniel loves Jourdain's move to bantamweight, noting he looks incredible and has been finishing fights quickly. He believes Jourdain's pressure and durability will overcome Phillips' tendency to fade after the first round. He predicts Jourdain will win and become a top-10 contender.

"I'm going to pick Charlan to continue the win streak, get the biggest win of his career, and establish himself as a true contender in the UFC bantamweight division."

Half the Battle

DI

Diary of a Pro Gambler Expert Lean picked Apr 18, 2026 (fight day)

Charles Jourdain

Jourdain has a big advantage on the feet with high volume and power, and he is the aggressor. Phillips has poor cardio and is a point fighter. However, Jourdain's takedown defense is weak and he is easy to hold down. Phillips could grapple his way to a decision. Home advantage for Jourdain is a factor. Lean Jourdain but not confident enough to bet at these odds.

"Jourdain is a very tempting bet for a lot of reasons, but there's just one thing that gives me like that nagging doubt."

Diary of a Pro Gambler

LU

Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Apr 12, 2026 (6 days before fight)

Charles Jourdain

James picks Charles Jourdain to win via finish in round three. He notes that Kyler Phillips is dominant in round one but fades, while Jourdain is strong in round three and has finishing upside. He sees Jourdain's trajectory and self-belief as factors.

Charles Jourdain wins in round three

"I pick Charles Jordane to win this fight via finish in round three."

Lucrative MMA

LU

Lucrative James Expert picked Apr 15, 2026 (3 days before fight)

No clear pick

The host mentions the co-main event but does not make a pick. He only expresses excitement for the fight.

"I'm liking the look of the co-main event where Charles Jourdain is taking on Kyle Nelson The Matrix. That's going to be an absolute fun all-out war."

Lucrative MMA

MM

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Apr 14, 2026 (4 days before fight)

Charles Jourdain

The host thinks Charles Jourdain is the side here, noting that Phillips has cardio issues and struggles under pressure. He expects Jourdain to apply pressure, work Phillips down, and find a finish in round two or three. He highlights Jourdain's dangerous guillotine and improved BJJ, and believes Phillips will either slow down or get caught in a submission if he grapples.

submission round three at +2500

"I think after a competitive first round, we see Jordain really start to pull away. He's got to know that Phillips does not like pressure, and I think you will see him start to apply that pressure, really work Phillips down, and I think that leads to a round two or round three finish for Jordain."

MMA Lock of the Night

PA

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Apr 15, 2026 (3 days before fight)

Charles Jourdain

Paul agrees with Cody, picking Charles Jourdain. He highlights that Phillips wins first rounds but fades, and Jourdain's work rate will take over. He also likes the split decision prop and suggests live betting.

over 2.5 rounds, split decision prop

"Pre flop, the the pick would be Charles Jordane. I'm not getting overly invested in that. Um, haven't even looked at the prices for it, but uh the splitty props um split props on this one could be kind of interesting."

Bookie Beatdown

Loss

vs Vinicius Oliveira

UFC 318: Holloway vs. Poirier 3
Jul 19, 2025

Decision R3 5:00

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Kyler Phillips	0	49 of 151	32%	54 of 156	0 of 5	0%	0	0	0:09
Vinicius Oliveira	1	96 of 232	41%	102 of 238	1 of 4	25%	0	0	2:20

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Kyler Phillips	0	29 of 67	43%	29 of 67	0 of 1	0%	0:00
1	Vinicius Oliveira	0	22 of 69	31%	22 of 69	0 of 1	0%	0:03
2	Kyler Phillips	0	4 of 26	15%	9 of 31	0 of 3	0%	0:09
2	Vinicius Oliveira	1	41 of 81	50%	47 of 87	1 of 2	50%	2:17
3	Kyler Phillips	0	16 of 58	27%	16 of 58	0 of 1	0%	0:00
3	Vinicius Oliveira	0	33 of 82	40%	33 of 82	0 of 1	0%	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Kyler Phillips	49 of 151	32%	33 of 126	13 of 22	3 of 3	49 of 151	0 of 0	0 of 0
Vinicius Oliveira	96 of 232	41%	52 of 161	26 of 50	18 of 21	79 of 207	5 of 7	12 of 18

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Kyler Phillips	29 of 67	43%	18 of 52	8 of 12	3 of 3	29 of 67	0 of 0	0 of 0
1	Vinicius Oliveira	22 of 69	31%	12 of 47	5 of 15	5 of 7	22 of 69	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Kyler Phillips	4 of 26	15%	2 of 22	2 of 4	0 of 0	4 of 26	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Vinicius Oliveira	41 of 81	50%	27 of 65	9 of 11	5 of 5	27 of 60	2 of 3	12 of 18
3	Kyler Phillips	16 of 58	27%	13 of 52	3 of 6	0 of 0	16 of 58	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Vinicius Oliveira	33 of 82	40%	13 of 49	12 of 24	8 of 9	30 of 78	3 of 4	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Vinicius Oliveira vs. Kyler Phillips
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Oliveira (-175), Phillips (+145)

Round 1
Wrapping up the unpaid portion of the event, two speedy bantamweights collide. While they are both ranked in the UFC’s top 15 at 135 pounds, the losing party may fall off on Monday or Tuesday. Phillips (12-3, 6-2 UFC) needs to get back in the win column, but to do so he has to outhustle heavy-handed Brazilian “LokDog” Oliveira (22-3, 3-0 UFC). The two will be joined in the Octagon by referee Chris Hill, and they opt against touching gloves while he watches on.
Oliveira says hello with a head kick rather than bumping gloves, and this fires up Phillips. Phillips strikes back with his own high kick and flurry of punches, hurting the Brazilian and keeping his defenses ready to stop the incoming takedown. Phillips hurts “LokDog” with another right hand, springing round side to side and pecking his foe with sharp jab and a body shot. Oliveira whiffs on a big left hook, and Phillips fires off a wheel kick that is too high and misses the target. Phillips’ right hands stagger Oliveira twice, and Oliveira has to shake it off but has his hands low. Oliveira walks Phillips down, absorbing single targeted strikes while not connecting on much power. “LokDog” gets off a front kick, and he takes a right hand on the temple. When Phillips misses on a punch, Oliveira tries to chase him down, but “The Matrix” is elusive as ever.
Oliveira drives a front kick that sounds like it ricocheted off the cup, but Phillips does not express concern and shoots in for a takedown. Oliveira staves it off and absorbs a few kicks to the midsection. Phillips is on his bouncing bike, avoiding the worst of the Brazilian’s right hands while not letting the kicks reach him either. Phillips goes toto the body and head, and Oliveira lines up a kick to the ribs. Phillips slips punches, lands his own and drives a knee to the chin that stuns Oliveira for a second. Oliveira shrugs and goes back to chasing Phillips with his hands low. Oliveira tosses out kicks from both legs, and he lowers himself down to hurl bungalows. Phillips takes the power cleanly and tries to keep him at bay with kicks, but Oliveira is starting to time and catch them. Oliveira kicks low, and Phillips jumps over it and springs away from a spinning back kick. Phillips scores a knee and falls over, and he gets back up and finds Oliveira chasing him with attacks. Phillips defends with his back to the wall as the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Phillips

Round 2
Phillips starts off the round with is own head kick to mirror what Oliveira did in the previous round, and he gets away from the wild kicks of his opponent that are feet away from his intended target. The elusive Phillips stays light on his heels, only for Oliveira to wind up a right hand that sends him flying. “The Matrix” gets back up, takes another huge right hand and then turns away and gets kicked in the face. Oliveira continues to bombard Phillips with attacks, bowling him over and finding himself lording over Phillips with standing-to-ground punches. Oliveira lowers himself in the guard, and he positions himself flat on his adversary. Oliveira briefly flirts with an arm-triangle choke until sitting up to adjust his position, and Phillips kicks him off in the chest and stands back up. Oliveira tries to hold him down or wrap up a sub, but Phillips is free and out of danger.
Oliveira tries to bring back the danger, clubbing Phillips with looping punches including a left hand that stings Phillips again. Phillips works his way back to his feet, and Oliveira stands in front of him, hands down, taking deep breaths. The Brazilian explodes back into his offense, tagging Phillips with punches that “The Matrix” would have evaded previously. He ducks a spinning wheel kick and tags Phillips with three punches down the forward bow. Oliveira kicks low and swings high, and when Phillips hits him back, he does not budge. “LokDog” tries to catch the kick, chest heaving, and he fights off a takedown and trips Philips up to put him on his back. Oliveira is pushed off when landing some ground strikes, but he hurls himself back into top position. The round ends with Oliveira riding out this position.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira

Round 3
Oliveira motions to the crowd to pump them up, and bows at his opponent. They resume with five minutes left to battle it out, and Oliveira starts by walking Phillips down. Phillips remains on his bike, kicking and probing with single strikes while trying to avoid the booming blows aimed at his face. Oliveira dodges a wheel kick and plods forward, slamming his shin on Phillips’ calf and drawing a short limp from him. Phillips keeps moving while Oliveira is going after him, with his head kick blocked before Oliveira gets to him and belts him in the face with three punches. “LokDog” hammers the front leg again, takes a body shot and misses on his counters. They both let go with big right hands, and Oliveira’s calf kick does further damage. Oliveira misses on a few punches and a high kick, while Phillips is jabbing aplenty. Phillips scores a body kick, and Oliveira punches him in the chest back. Once more, the Brazilian attacks the front leg, and movement from Phillips is starting to dwindle.
As Phillips tries to push his way forward, Oliveira drills him with a close-range spinning back kick to the chest. Oliveira races forward behind looping hooks, and his spinning wheel kick misses the mark. Phillips kicks him in the face, and Oliveira still keeps his hands down and shrugs off anything that catches him. Oliveira tries to connect with three big punches, and he ducks down and shoulder-checks his adversary. Phillips tries to back him off with hooks, and Oliveira ducks, moves and kicks him. The Brazilian dodges, weaves, connects and shoots for a takedown. Phillips shuts the latter down but eats a hard kick on the way out. Oliveira nods when he gets elbowed in the face, because he has a plan: punch Phillips in the face. The plan succeeds. Again and again. Phillips keeps backpedaling but is featuring his jab more than usual, and he mixes in a few side kicks to not let “LokDog” get to him. Oliveira bull-rushes him with punches, tackles Phillips to the mat and is bounced back to his feet. He proceeds to chase Phillips around the cage until time expires.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (29-28 Oliveira)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (29-28 Oliveira)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (29-28 Oliveira)

The Official Result
Vinicius Oliveira def. Kyler Phillips via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Expert Picks (4)

AN

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jul 13, 2025 (6 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Angelo picks Vinicius Oliveira, calling him a dog who has beaten better competition than Kyler Phillips. He notes Oliveira's aggression, power, and takedown defense. He is surprised by the -180 line and considers it a gift, suggesting it could be parlayed.

Says you could parlay him and get him at almost 2 to 1.

"Venicious Olivera is the pick. I honestly think you could parlay him and you're going to get him at almost 2 to1."

We Want Picks

BI

Big Brady Expert Hesitant picked Jul 15, 2025 (4 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Big Brady hesitantly picks Vinicius Oliveira due to Kyler Phillips' poor cardio. He believes Phillips wins the first round dominantly but fades, allowing Oliveira to take over in later rounds. He predicts a split decision for Oliveira, though he dislikes the pick.

Live bet Oliveira if Phillips wins early; Oliveira by split decision

"I think I'm going to take Olive here. I really don't like the pick at all."

DFS by the Numbers

MM

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Jul 16, 2025 (3 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

The host sees this as a perfect matchup for Oliveira to showcase dominance, citing his performances against Ricky Simon and Said Nurmagomedov. He expects Oliveira to shut down Phillips's grappling and striking and produce a round three knockout.

round three knockout

"I expect him to be able to shut down Phillips's grappling game and striking game and eventually pull away with this matchup in the second and third rounds producing a round three knockout."

MMA Lock of the Night

TH

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jul 16, 2025 (3 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

The MMA Guru picks Vinicius Oliveira over Kyler Phillips, predicting a third-round finish. He criticizes Phillips' inability to adjust and his tendency to fade in later rounds, as seen against Rob Font and Howie PA. Oliveira is praised for his pace, durability, and pressure, having schooled Ricky Simon and broken Said Nurmagomedov. The Guru believes Oliveira will break Phillips down and finish him, comparing the matchup to Oliveira's win over Nurmagomedov.

"I'm gonna go with Venicious Soliva."

THE MMA GURU

Loss

vs Rob Font

UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Pereira
Oct 19, 2024

Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) R3 5:00

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Rob Font	0	61 of 137	44%	65 of 144	0 of 1	0%	0	0	1:19
Kyler Phillips	0	38 of 125	30%	50 of 143	4 of 5	80%	0	0	4:42

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Rob Font	7 of 19	36%	7 of 20	0 of 1	0%	0:29
1	Kyler Phillips	10 of 26	38%	21 of 42	1 of 1	100%	3:34
2	Rob Font	31 of 58	53%	34 of 63	0 of 0	---	0:29
2	Kyler Phillips	14 of 48	29%	15 of 49	2 of 2	100%	0:24
3	Rob Font	23 of 60	38%	24 of 61	0 of 0	---	0:21
3	Kyler Phillips	14 of 51	27%	14 of 52	1 of 2	50%	0:44

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Rob Font	61 of 137	44%	50 of 122	11 of 15	0 of 0	56 of 131	5 of 6	0 of 0
Kyler Phillips	38 of 125	30%	19 of 98	9 of 14	10 of 13	32 of 112	1 of 6	5 of 7

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Rob Font	7 of 19	36%	6 of 17	1 of 2	0 of 0	6 of 18	1 of 1	0 of 0
1	Kyler Phillips	10 of 26	38%	8 of 23	2 of 2	0 of 1	5 of 19	0 of 0	5 of 7
2	Rob Font	31 of 58	53%	23 of 48	8 of 10	0 of 0	28 of 55	3 of 3	0 of 0
2	Kyler Phillips	14 of 48	29%	6 of 38	5 of 6	3 of 4	13 of 44	1 of 4	0 of 0
3	Rob Font	23 of 60	38%	21 of 57	2 of 3	0 of 0	22 of 58	1 of 2	0 of 0
3	Kyler Phillips	14 of 51	27%	5 of 37	2 of 6	7 of 8	14 of 49	0 of 2	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Phillips (-425), Font (+330)

Round 1
Sitting in the co-main event slot is a bantamweight contest that will reestablish or coin a new contender in the talent-rich division. Having lost four of his last five, Font’s (20-8, 10-7 UFC) back is about as against the wall as it gets. As much as Font has largely struggled, Phillips (12-2, 6-1 UFC) has flourished, winner of his last three—albeit with one win in 2022, one in 2023 and the latest in March. This potential passing of the torch encounter will be officiated by referee Keith Peterson, and the 135ers touch ‘em up without a shred of nonsense between them. Font jabs his way directly into action, landing a few punches and setting up more. As Font presses forward, Phillips shoots in and easily hits a takedown, landing in side control and laughing off a guillotine choke defense from the New Englander. Phillips steps over from one side to the other, shifting to half guard as he sets up an arm-triangle choke. When Phillips abandons the choke, he secures side control almost effortlessly. Font turns to the other direction, but he stops doing so when realizing this will give his back up. Phillips controls from on top without unleashing much offense, posturing to the other side to drop down a single elbow. Any time Font tries to scramble, Phillips easily sees it coming and lays into Font with powerful elbows. Font turns over after fighting off a submission setup to explode back to his feet, and Phillips greets him with a spinning wheel kick. Font keeps his guard up and plods forward, scoring an uppercut and swinging a second before shooting in for a double. Font takes Phillips’ back standing, and Phillips breaks out of the position without much concern. Phillips scores a one-two, Font throws back, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Phillips

Round 2
Font stalks out of his corner to engage in the second round, no-selling a leg kick so he can chamber and loose a few hard right hands. Font busts Phillips in the chops with a particularly strong right, and “The Matrix” responds with a shot that plants Font on his back. Font fights much more aggressively to get to his feet, walking up the wall and pressuring Phillips as much as he can. Font trails after Phillips, keeping his guard high and using tight boxing combinations to keep Phillips honest. Font winds up with a right hand that misses the mark, and he lets Phillips throw first so he can counter and tie him up. Font decides to disengage, taking a body kick to the side and chasing after Phillips to make Phillips turn tail and run. Phillips resets and kicks Font in the ribs, and he leans back after a leg kick to get popped with an overhand right. Font digs a body shot, and Phillips escapes and is eating powerful blows while his hands are low and his chin is high in the air. Font stabs his foe in the sternum with his foot, and he ignores a lazy high kick aimed his direction so he can blast Phillips in the face with a right hand. Fond chomps down on his mouthpiece and nails Phillips again, and swelling quickly develops around the Arizonan’s left eye. Phillips keeps on his bike, and Font is a Terminator walking through anything aimed at him so he can tag Phillips with power. A Phillips spin strike fails, as Font keeps his hands high and works the body to open up the head. Phillips tries to tie him up, and he pushes off to fire off a one-two and a spinning back fist. Phillips clinches, and Font wrenches himself away so he can keep the suffocating pace. Phillips gets backed off courtesy of several jabs, and Font utilizes the clinch to wear further on Phillips. Right before the bell, Phillips hits a foot sweep and puts Font on his seat.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Font
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Font
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Font

Round 3
Phillips starts off the round backing away from his opponent, and he lands a leg kick and shoots for a successful takedown. Font hits the ground and starts hand-fighting, eventually settling for muscling back to his feet. Phillips hacks at him with a tomahawking elbow when upright, and Font laughs it off and slugs him in the face with a right hand. Font loads up two more times on heavy rights, and both whoosh past “The Matrix.” Font surges into action behind his punches, landing and turning Phillips around. Phillips steels himself and swing back for vengeance, cracking Font with a right hand and rushing to the side to get a modicum of space. Font will not let him breathe for long, bearing down on him and crushing him against the cage wall. Phillips escapes and ducks an overhand right, kicking the side as he further escapes. Font sticks out a jab, and he sets up an uppercut when Phillips splits the distance to take him down. Font keeps pursuing Phillips fearlessly, getting his calf kicked hard but keeping his balance to stride ever forward. Font’s punches are telegraphed, as are Phillips’ takedowns. The latter is what comes next, but Font stops it in its tracks. Phillips breaks away before eating a strike, and he backpedals and has his left hand up to block Font’s wide right hooks. Phillips clips Font with his own short flurry, and Font tags him with one overhand right to slow him again. Font’s momentum leads to another clinch, and Phillips frames off with his knee. Font loads up time and again on his booming right, and Phillips gives him a little extra something to think about with a wheel kick. Font catches Phillips with a right hand on the way out, and Phillips’ legs are loose but he is still with it. Font keeps after him, watching for a spin kick that comes and advancing to sling final leather. Font stuffs one final takedown, and time expires.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Font (29-28 Font)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Font (29-28 Font)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Font (29-28 Font)

The Official Result
Rob Font def. Kyler Phillips via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Expert Picks (7)

AN

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Oct 13, 2024 (6 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Angelo picks Kyler Phillips, citing the decline of the New England Cartel's takedown defense. He notes Rob Font's vulnerability to wrestling and believes Phillips' diverse striking and wrestling will make Font look old and slow. He expects Phillips to mix in takedowns and win comfortably. He criticizes the New England Cartel's inability to evolve.

"kylo phil pH is going to be fast on the feet he'll mix in some wrestling and he's the pick"

We Want Picks

BI

Big Brady Expert Confident picked Oct 17, 2024 (2 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Big Brady picks Kyler Phillips by any method. He notes Font's durability is diminishing, he gets wobbled often, and has poor takedown defense. Phillips can win on the feet or by takedown. He expects Phillips to get it done, possibly by knockout, submission, or decision, given Font's toughness.

"this should be Phillips all day um you I think rob font's you know trending towards being on his way out and I think Phillips can just win this fight wherever it goes"

DFS by the Numbers

CO

Connor Ruebusch Expert Hesitant picked Oct 17, 2024 (2 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Connor also picks Phillips but with hesitation, noting that Phillips' early speed and variety are key, but he fades late. He thinks Font could come on strong in the third round if Phillips hasn't put him away. Connor is not fully convinced about Phillips yet, but sees the takedowns and speed as enough to win over three rounds.

"I will take Phillips as well, but I don't know about him yet"

MMA Vivisection

LU

Lucrative James Expert picked Feb 21, 2026 (fight day)

No clear pick

This fight was not discussed in the transcript.

Lucrative MMA

MM

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Oct 17, 2024 (2 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Font has been on a bad slump. His volume style can be effective, but Phillips will land more significant strikes and mix in takedowns. Phillips will grind out a win on the scorecards.

"I think that will see Carla land the more significant or more significant strikes not just volume wise but at least in ter ter of making it look better for the judges and mix that in with a few takedowns look look for Phillips to grind this fight out and win it on the scorecards"

MMA Lock of the Night

TH

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Oct 15, 2024 (4 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

The Guru picks Phillips over Font, citing Font's susceptibility to being grappled and his age (37). He notes Phillips has explosive takedowns and offensive grappling, as shown against Pedro Munhoz, and trains with Sean O'Malley. He expects Phillips to mix things up and win a decision, though he acknowledges Font is a good boxer.

decision

"I'm going to go with Kyler Phillips over Rob font little bit more Dynamic on the f"

THE MMA GURU

ZA

Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Oct 17, 2024 (2 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Zane picks Phillips, citing his speed and variety early in the fight to stump Font for two rounds. He acknowledges that Phillips tends to fade in the third round, but believes Font's linear style and lack of adaptability will allow Phillips to build an insurmountable lead. He notes that Phillips may also use takedowns, though that could gas him.

Font opened +232, now +333; Phillips opened -275, now -417; Zane says the odds are too wide on Font

"I think I'm gonna take Kyler Phillips"

MMA Vivisection

Win

vs Pedro Munhoz

UFC 299: O'Malley vs. Vera 2
Mar 09, 2024

Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) R3 5:00

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Kyler Phillips	0	52 of 140	37%	52 of 140	1 of 8	12%	0	0	0:24
Pedro Munhoz	0	114 of 275	41%	115 of 276	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:02

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Kyler Phillips	19 of 54	35%	19 of 54	1 of 4	25%	0:24
1	Pedro Munhoz	55 of 120	45%	56 of 121	0 of 0	---	0:02
2	Kyler Phillips	20 of 42	47%	20 of 42	0 of 2	0%	0:00
2	Pedro Munhoz	32 of 75	42%	32 of 75	0 of 0	---	0:00
3	Kyler Phillips	13 of 44	29%	13 of 44	0 of 2	0%	0:00
3	Pedro Munhoz	27 of 80	33%	27 of 80	0 of 0	---	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Kyler Phillips	52 of 140	37%	23 of 99	17 of 24	12 of 17	48 of 134	3 of 5	1 of 1
Pedro Munhoz	114 of 275	41%	74 of 224	17 of 24	23 of 27	111 of 269	2 of 5	1 of 1

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Kyler Phillips	19 of 54	35%	11 of 44	5 of 5	3 of 5	17 of 50	1 of 3	1 of 1
1	Pedro Munhoz	55 of 120	45%	41 of 104	6 of 8	8 of 8	52 of 114	2 of 5	1 of 1
2	Kyler Phillips	20 of 42	47%	7 of 22	7 of 12	6 of 8	20 of 42	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Pedro Munhoz	32 of 75	42%	16 of 56	8 of 9	8 of 10	32 of 75	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Kyler Phillips	13 of 44	29%	5 of 33	5 of 7	3 of 4	11 of 42	2 of 2	0 of 0
3	Pedro Munhoz	27 of 80	33%	17 of 64	3 of 7	7 of 9	27 of 80	0 of 0	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Pedro Munhoz vs. Kyler Phillips
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Phillips (-238), Munhoz (+195)

Round 1
In the talent-rich no-nonsense bantamweight division, speed sells, and both Munhoz (20-8, 2 NC; 10-8, 2 NC UFC) and Phillips (11-2, 5-1 UFC) are buying. Nine years the elder, Munhoz has served as the more active man of the two over the last few years. Referee Keith Peterson is ready to keep up with these two talented competitors, whether they need 15 seconds or 15 minutes to get things done. The fighters touch ‘em up to begin, and Munhoz moves forward, only to dodge a low kick and a pair of jabs. Phillips reaches his foe with a second leg kick, and Munhoz leaps forward to grab the leg and take the fight down. Phillips spins with a wheel kick that draws audible gasps but does not connect, and he chains a few punches into it to keep Munhoz from crowding him. “The Young Punisher” gets inside to land a right hand, and Phillips scores back with his own offense. Munhoz intercepts a striking Phillips to tackle him to the mat. Munhoz leaps into the guard, but Phillips kicks him off and pushes off with a finger when getting to his feet. Peterson sees this and allows Munhoz to recover, and Munhoz only takes a few seconds before he is ready to go. The two bantamweights jab at one another, and Phillips whips a head kick after. Both men throw leg kicks, and Munhoz crowds him and lands punches that force Phillips to turn away and escape on the edge of the cage. Munhoz pushes out a front kick, and Phillips times a right hand over the top. The two measure one another in single strikes, and Phillips kicks low and buzzes the hair with a kick. Phillips keeps his long jab outstretched, and he leans back when Munhoz wings inaccurate but powerful punches at him. Phillips dodges and spins with a back kick, and he drives a knee on the chin that stings Munhoz. Phillips unloads with a barrage of punches and kicks, and he further tags Munhoz in his long series of strikes. Munhoz gathers himself and throws back, and he knees him in the face. Phillips jabs out his finger while rattling off a long combo, and he jams it into Munhoz’ eye. Phillips also cuts Munhoz, and it was a punch that cause it and not the poke. When they get back to it, Munhoz wipes his eye and engages in a brawl. Phillips sticks and moves, landing flush and getting shoved back with a front kick. Phillips nods at him and eats a left hook that cuts him on the cheek. The fast and furious round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Phillips

Round 2
The cut on the eyelid of Munhoz is not sealed between rounds, and blood leaks from it to start off the round. Phillips sprints forward to attack, and Munhoz is right there to greet him with strikes including a pair of low kicks. Phillips has a one-two bounce off the guard, and he comes up short with a hook kick. Munhoz checks a low kick, and he dips down to rip a left to the body. Phillips kicks him back in the leg, and Munhoz is right there to chop him back. They both crack one another with left hooks, and Munhoz slips and scores a right. Phillips connects with a solid right hand, and Munhoz’ chin is made of sterner stuff. Phillips grazes the hair with a fast head kick, and he swats away a jabbing front kick. Phillips rifles off several jabs while Munhoz comes at him, and he evades the heavier of the strikes coming his way. They both go low with a kick, and Munhoz has his guard raised to block a standing elbow but it cannot defend against a body kick after it. Munhoz keeps his head movement on full display as he dodges and ducks vicious strikes like a spinning back fist, and he remains right close to Phillips. Phillips kicks him in the mouth, and Munhoz takes it cleanly and wades forward to throw back. Munhoz shoulder-rolls when a right hand comes down the pipe, and he parries a left hook. The two trade leg kicks, and Phillips hops forward and stomps the side with a kick. Phillips digs a left to the body and right to the head, and Munhoz does not bat an eye. Phillips chains punches together into a low kick, and he slides back before Munhoz can reach him. Munhoz scores a single body kick, but it is one-and-done while Phillips is largely more active. Phillips gets off a right and a left, and he leapfrogs Munhoz when Munhoz ducks down. Phillips spins with a wheel kick that tags Munhoz, and he stops a potential takedown from coming at the bell.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Phillips

Round 3
Munhoz sprints out of his corner ready to engage, and he tosses out a glove touch before darting in to shoot for a takedown. Phillips staves it off and pops out several jabs, keeping him away from the right hand of the Brazilian. They both smack one another with leg kicks, and then aim body shots. Phillips lands a right to the body and a spinning back kick to the other side. Munhoz jabs his way in and misses with an overhand right, and Phillips jabs and paws at the damaged eye of his opponent. Phillips shimmies as he dodges, and he flicks out a front kick that lands on the chin. The two clinch up, but nothing comes of it as Phillips is out of range when he tries to reach a left hand on the break. Phillips strafes to the side and lands a right hand up top along with a body kick. Munhoz scores a low kick, but Phillips is right in his face with punches and his own leg kick. Munhoz snaps the head back with a jab, and he absorbs a clean leg kick in response. Phillips looks to counter a leg kick with a right hand over the top, and he bounces and moves to flick out jabs. Munhoz times a right hand while Phillips is bouncing around, and Phillips has to reset. Phillips slaps a leg kick in the outer lead leg, and he steps in with a left hook and whips a head kick up on the other side. Munhoz does not bat an eye, and he spins with a back kick aimed at Phillips’ head but cannot reach him. Munhoz prods out a front kick, only to get driven back by punches and a head kick. Phillips kicks low to stop Munhoz from getting to him. It temporarily disrupts Munhoz’ constant forward movement, but Munhoz is quick to get back to racing forward. Phillips has a head kick bounce off the guard, and he clips Munhoz with an overhand right. “The Matrix” styles on his opponent with punches that leads to a spinning kick, and the fight ends as Phillips attempts and lands a back flip to celebrate.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips (30-27 Phillips)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Phillips (30-27 Phillips)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Phillips (30-27 Phillips)

The Official Result
Kyler Phillips def. Pedro Munhoz via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Expert Picks (7)

AN

Angelo Bodetti Expert Lean picked Mar 3, 2024 (6 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Angelo leans Kyler Phillips due to his youth, cardio, and well-rounded game, but acknowledges Pedro Munhoz is the better fighter on paper. He notes Munhoz is 37 and has only one win in five fights, while Phillips is younger and has momentum. He won't bet because the odds on Phillips are too wide for an untested fighter.

"I gotta lean Kyler Phillips here no bets though I don't trust Kyler I think these odds are too far gone as well he's too big of a favorite considering this is his toughest test of his career"

We Want Picks

BI

Big Brady Expert Confident picked Mar 5, 2024 (4 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Big Brady picks Kyler Phillips to win by decision. He likes Phillips' movement, volume, and sneaky power, and notes that Munhoz has been outlanded in recent fights. He expects Phillips to win the first two rounds and possibly drop the third, winning 29-28. He also mentions a PrizePicks play on Phillips under 2.5 takedowns.

win by decision; PrizePicks: Kyler Phillips under 2.5 takedowns

"give me Phillips give me Phillips to win this fight by decision"

DFS by the Numbers

CO

Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Mar 6, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Cody acknowledges Phillips' speed and athleticism but worries about his cardio and durability. He thinks Phillips can win the first two rounds with movement and volume, but Munhoz's durability and pressure could lead to a late finish or decision for Munhoz.

"I'm still going to pre-fight bet Kyler Phillips but this is this is like apple pie [ __ ] potential one that you're going to watch and you're going to feel pretty bad about"

Bookie Beatdown

DA

Daniel Vreeland Expert Lean picked Mar 6, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Daniel leans towards Phillips due to youth, speed, and explosiveness. He notes Phillips goes balls to the wall and may fatigue, but Munhoz has also slowed down in later rounds recently. Daniel is not interested at the price but picks Phillips to win.

"I'm going to lean a little bit towards Kyler just not interested at this price"

Half the Battle

MM

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Mar 4, 2024 (5 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Phillips has a speed, footwork, and technical striking advantage that should allow him to dance around at range and touch up Munhoz. He tends to fade in the third round due to cardio issues, but he should win the first two rounds clearly and survive the third. Munhoz is a tough veteran with power and forward pressure, but his short reach and tendency to get outpointed by technical strikers is a concern. Phillips should put on a similar performance to his win over Barcelos, using movement and output to win a decision.

"I think Phillips's movement uh his ability to kind of just see the kicks coming will allow him to either check the kicks or get out of the way and then just get back to his handywork of touching MOS up down the pipe"

MMA Lock of the Night

PA

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Mar 6, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Paul agrees with Cody's assessment, noting Phillips' reach and speed advantages. He thinks Phillips can win the first two rounds and hold on in the third, but acknowledges the risk of Munhoz's leg kicks and pressure.

"I'm going to side with you I'm going to say that he gets the first two rounds and then kind of holds on for deer life"

Bookie Beatdown

TH

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Mar 5, 2024 (4 days before fight)

Pedro Munhoz

The MMA Guru picks Pedro Munhoz, arguing that Kyler Phillips' flashy striking style relies on hurting opponents, but Munhoz has never been dropped or wobbled. He notes Munhoz's low kicks and durability, and that even Sean O'Malley couldn't do much to Munhoz. He predicts Munhoz will win a decision, possibly 29-28, or even a draw if Phillips wins early rounds.

decision

"I think monoz will get this one done by decision uh 29-28"

THE MMA GURU

Win

vs Raoni Barcelos

UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Font
Aug 05, 2023

Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 29–28, 29–28) R3 5:00

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Kyler Phillips	1	72 of 187	38%	80 of 196	1 of 4	25%	0	0	0:47
Raoni Barcelos	0	46 of 116	39%	52 of 124	3 of 11	27%	0	0	1:42

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Kyler Phillips	1	30 of 68	44%	31 of 69	0 of 2	0%	0:11
1	Raoni Barcelos	0	18 of 45	40%	20 of 48	1 of 3	33%	0:30
2	Kyler Phillips	0	22 of 58	37%	29 of 66	1 of 1	100%	0:36
2	Raoni Barcelos	0	9 of 27	33%	11 of 30	1 of 5	20%	0:54
3	Kyler Phillips	0	20 of 61	32%	20 of 61	0 of 1	0%	0:00
3	Raoni Barcelos	0	19 of 44	43%	21 of 46	1 of 3	33%	0:18

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Kyler Phillips	72 of 187	38%	40 of 146	18 of 26	14 of 15	62 of 174	6 of 8	4 of 5
Raoni Barcelos	46 of 116	39%	20 of 87	15 of 17	11 of 12	39 of 105	7 of 10	0 of 1

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Kyler Phillips	30 of 68	44%	14 of 48	9 of 13	7 of 7	26 of 63	4 of 5	0 of 0
1	Raoni Barcelos	18 of 45	40%	12 of 38	4 of 4	2 of 3	13 of 37	5 of 7	0 of 1
2	Kyler Phillips	22 of 58	37%	16 of 51	3 of 4	3 of 3	17 of 51	1 of 2	4 of 5
2	Raoni Barcelos	9 of 27	33%	2 of 20	5 of 5	2 of 2	8 of 26	1 of 1	0 of 0
3	Kyler Phillips	20 of 61	32%	10 of 47	6 of 9	4 of 5	19 of 60	1 of 1	0 of 0
3	Raoni Barcelos	19 of 44	43%	6 of 29	6 of 8	7 of 7	18 of 42	1 of 2	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Raoni Barcelos vs. Kyler Phillips
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Phillips (-198), Barcelos (+164)

Round 1
Kevin MacDonald will ref this bantamweight pairing. Phillips opens with a leg kick and a 1-2. Barcelos blocks a body kick. A right connects for the Brazilian. Phillips with a stiff jab and then he partially lands an overhand right. Barcelos catches a low kick and drives Phllips into the fence. Phillips jumps guard and hunts for an armbar. He kicks Barcelos off him and hustles back up. Barcelos with a right uppercut. They trade, and Barcelos eats a head kick but catches the leg. Phillips frees himself from the body lock. Phillips moves well, landing a 1-2. Phillips has a takedown stuffed and Barcelos tags him on the exit. Moments later, a right puts Barcelos on his seat. Barcelos recovers quickly, however. Barcelos is cut on the bridge ofhis nose. Barcelos stalks his man against the fence and lands some combinations. They tie up and Barcelos is still throwing heavy leather. Phillips fires back. Barcelos flicks out a nice jab then backs up Phillips with some heavy hooks. They clinch and Phillips shoves him off. Phillips lands a glancing head kick that Barcelos catches. They continue to trade until the horn.

Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Phillips

Round 2
Phillips lands a two-punch combo, catches a leg and takes Barcelos to the mat. Phillips drops some elbows while Barcelos is active with his guard. Barcelos eventually scrambles up. Barcelos blocks a high kick. Phillips with a leg kick. The pace has slowed from Round 1. Barcelos lands a right and a left hook, then shoots for a takedown. Phillips denies it. Phillips snaps his foe’s head back with a straight right. Another Phillips high kick is blocked, but he connects with a 1-2. Barcelos changes levels and has Phillips in a body lock. Phillips tries to use a kimura to defend, but Barcelos maintains his grip. He lifts Phillips and dumps him on the mat. Phillips rolls for a kneebar in a scramble and that allows him to stand. Phillips flicks out a couple of jabs. Barcelos pressures forward and they trade knees in close. Phillips fires off another jab and misses a combination at the horn.

Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Phillips

Round 3
Phillips grabs a leg, lets it go and knees the midsection. Barcelos with a solid low kick. Phillips answers a high kick with a standing side kick to the gut. Phillips stays on the outside, but Barcelos partially lands a knee upstairs. Phillips kicks the body but it bounces off Barcelos’ elbow. Barcelos with an inside leg kick. He catches Phillips’ kick and dumps him to the canvas, but Phillips bounces right up. A Barcelos right uppercut digs to the body. Phillips is content to remain on the outside moving laterally. Barcelos stalks him and lands a jab. Barcelos just misses an uppercut through the guard of his foe. A front kick down the middle lands for Barcelos and he pressures with punches. Phillips lands a counter right in response. Barcelos shoots for a takedown against the fence and briefly pulls him down. Barcelos releases the body lock and deftly throws a kick upstairs. That draws a smile from Phillips before the horn.

Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos (29-28 Phillips)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos (29-28 Phillips)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos (29-28 Phillips)

The Official Result
Kyler Phillips def. Raoni Barcelos via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Expert Picks (8)

AN

Angelo Bodetti Expert Lean picked Jul 30, 2023 (6 days before fight)

Raoni Barcelos

Angelo picks Raoni Barcelos despite his recent skid, believing he is the better fighter everywhere except age and youth. He notes Barcelos has superior wrestling, technical striking, and BJJ. He warns that Kyler Phillips is sloppy and lacks one-punch power, so Barcelos should control the fight with wrestling. Angelo has a half-unit bet on Barcelos at +143 but says this is his last time betting on him and advises not to tail blindly.

0.5 units at +143

"Honey's gonna be the pick I think he's gonna use some wrestling here to control this is my last and final time betting on honey bar solos"

We Want Picks

BI

Big Brady Expert Hesitant picked Aug 1, 2023 (4 days before fight)

Raoni Barcelos

Big Brady is very uncertain. He notes Barcelos has elite takedown defense, so Phillips' wrestling won't work. However, Barcelos is 36, on short notice, coming off a brutal KO loss, and has declined. Phillips is coming off a PED suspension. He thinks it will be a close striking match and picks Barcelos by split decision with little confidence, saying he'd rather be on the dog money.

Barcelos by split decision; fight goes to decision

"I'll take barcelos with little to no confidence in this one"

DFS by the Numbers

CO

Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Aug 2, 2023 (3 days before fight)

Raoni Barcelos

Cody picks Barcelos as a plus-money underdog, citing his well-rounded skills, wrestling, and cardio. He notes Phillips' tendency to fade in later rounds and his questionable takedown defense. He believes Barcelos can survive the first round and take over as Phillips gasses. He also suggests a live bet on Barcelos after the first round.

"I've got faith in him to get the job done plus money"

Bookie Beatdown

DA

Daniel Levi Expert Lean picked Aug 2, 2023 (3 days before fight)

Raoni Barcelos

Daniel Levi picks Raoni Barcelos, though he admits he has no strong read. He likes Barcelos' well-rounded skills (black belt in BJJ, Brazilian wrestling team, good striking) but is concerned about his age (36). Levi notes that Phillips is explosive but slows down badly in fights, and that Barcelos' output and durability could be factors. He is not worried about the Umar Nurmagomedov knockout, crediting Umar's skill. Levi sees this as a tough fight and prefers the dog price on Barcelos.

No specific prop bet. Notes that sharp action has come in on both sides.

"I'm gonna go on the opposite side and take hyony."

Half the Battle

LU

Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Aug 4, 2023 (1 day before fight)

Kyler Phillips

James thinks Barcelos is past his prime, citing recent wobbles and a knockout loss to someone with no KOs. He believes Phillips can knock him out and that the minus 200 line is about right. He also mentions Phillips could get takedowns to consolidate rounds.

Phillips by knockout

"I think Kyler Phillips is probably going to knock him out in this spot... I like him to get a finish actually."

Lucrative MMA

MM

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Lean picked Aug 4, 2023 (1 day before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Phillips has a style that gives Barcelos problems: he moves a lot, uses distance striking and kicks, and stays out of range. Barcelos has a better gas tank and could push into deep waters, but it will be too little too late. The fight is closer than the odds suggest, but Barcelos's time has passed and Phillips is a bad stylistic matchup. I'd rather pass on this matchup entirely.

"I'd rather just pass on this matchup as a whole"

MMA Lock of the Night

PA

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Aug 2, 2023 (3 days before fight)

Raoni Barcelos

Paul agrees with Cody, noting Phillips' cardio issues and Barcelos' wrestling advantage. He mentions that Phillips has been taken down by lesser grapplers and that Barcelos is the toughest opponent he has faced. He sees value in the plus money.

"I could never see myself pull the trigger on minus 210 for Kyler Phillips so clear dog or pass situation"

Bookie Beatdown

TH

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Aug 1, 2023 (4 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

The host picks Kyler Phillips, citing his youth (28), diverse striking, and BJJ. He notes Barcelos is 36, coming off a knockout loss, and has slowed defensively. He believes Phillips will land fight-impacting shots and can capitalize on Barcelos' diminished chin and slower movement. He thinks Phillips may get a finish but is confident in a decision win. He finds the -200 line a bit high but still picks Phillips.

line opened -178, now -200; suggests Phillips lands a big shot

"give me Kyler Phillips to get the job done here"

THE MMA GURU

Win

vs Marcelo Rojo

UFC 271: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2
Feb 12, 2022

Submission (triangle armbar) R3 1:48

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Kyler Phillips	0	80 of 164	48%	90 of 176	3 of 8	37%	2	0	2:33
Marcelo Rojo	0	55 of 153	35%	57 of 155	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:30

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Ctrl
1	Kyler Phillips	34 of 64	53%	36 of 66	2 of 4	50%	0	1:37
1	Marcelo Rojo	15 of 49	30%	16 of 50	0 of 0	---	0	0:00
2	Kyler Phillips	38 of 85	44%	44 of 91	0 of 2	0%	0	0:22
2	Marcelo Rojo	35 of 94	37%	36 of 95	0 of 0	---	0	0:00
3	Kyler Phillips	8 of 15	53%	10 of 19	1 of 2	50%	2	0:34
3	Marcelo Rojo	5 of 10	50%	5 of 10	0 of 0	---	0	0:30

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Kyler Phillips	80 of 164	48%	52 of 135	14 of 15	14 of 14	63 of 146	8 of 9	9 of 9
Marcelo Rojo	55 of 153	35%	32 of 123	5 of 10	18 of 20	53 of 147	2 of 6	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Kyler Phillips	34 of 64	53%	21 of 51	8 of 8	5 of 5	24 of 53	6 of 7	4 of 4
1	Marcelo Rojo	15 of 49	30%	10 of 40	0 of 2	5 of 7	15 of 46	0 of 3	0 of 0
2	Kyler Phillips	38 of 85	44%	25 of 72	5 of 5	8 of 8	36 of 83	2 of 2	0 of 0
2	Marcelo Rojo	35 of 94	37%	19 of 75	4 of 7	12 of 12	33 of 91	2 of 3	0 of 0
3	Kyler Phillips	8 of 15	53%	6 of 12	1 of 2	1 of 1	3 of 10	0 of 0	5 of 5
3	Marcelo Rojo	5 of 10	50%	3 of 8	1 of 1	1 of 1	5 of 10	0 of 0	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Kyler Phillips vs. Marcelo Rojo

Round 1
We keep things moving right along to the bantamweights, in what should be a fast-paced, high-intensity battle between Phillips (9-2, 3-1 UFC) and Rojo (16-7, 0-1 UFC) that was initially set for the main card but for late lineup shuffling. Taking charge of the cage is referee Dan Miragliotta, and the fighters touch gloves to begin what could be a fun one. At any rate, it will be better than the last fight, if one could call it that. Phillips leads off with a leg kick, and Rojo fires right back. Phillips aims a right hand over the top, and he jabs up high, throws a right hand and a left to the body. “Matrix” spins with a body kick, and he backs away when Rojo tries to counter him. Rojo just misses with a looping right hook, and Phillips delivers a one-two across the bow. The American cannot connect with a spinning wheel kick, but he does get off a flying knee. Phillips goes low with a kick that trips Rojo to the mat, and he charges ahead with a three-punch salvo. Rojo looks to counter, and Phillips changes things up with a takedown entry. Although it does not succeed, Phillips backs away just enough to whip a spinning wheel kick around, and it clatters off the high guard of his foe. They both fire off right hands at the same time, and Phillips rushes in to clip the Argentinian with an elbow and a left hand before tripping “Pitbull” to the mat. Phillips claims Rojo’s back quickly when Rojo stands, and he drags Rojo’s legs out and steps over to full mount. Rojo quickly recovers half guard, but a few short elbow strikes from Phillips have opened a cut on the side of Rojo’s eye. Rojo sits up, gets to his knees and stands up, but not before eating a crisp knee to the body on the way up. Phillips resets and paws out with a jab, and he darts out of the way when a combination whizzes past him. A high spinning back kick lands flush on Rojo’s arms, and he follows it with a jab that split the guard. Rojo fires back, only to get countered with a right hand on that damaged eye. Phillips is just a little too high from yet another spinning wheel kick, and Rojo ducked just in time. After a brief clinch, they break away where Phillips tags Rojo with a swatting left hook. Phillips steps in with a right hand, and he sweeps Rojo down to the mat with 15 seconds to go. Rojo throws his legs up for a sneaky armbar, and Phillips stands up to pull his arm out, lowering himself back down right as the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Phillips

Round 2
Rojo strides out of his corner to attack at the beginning of Round 2, but Phillips beats him to the punch and works the body with a left hand. Chaining punches into a spinning back kick, Phillips has Rojo guessing. Rojo swings back, mostly hitting air, and he sticks out a leg kick but gets met with three punches. The Argentinian attacks the lead leg again, leading Phillips to do the same with his own strikes. “Matrix” fires off a head kick that collides with the raised guard, and he sets his leg down and is already on to stringing jabs into a combination. Rojo throws caution to the wind, swinging wildly but inaccurately, as Phillips jabs away and starts drilling Rojo’s calf with repeated kicks. Rojo meets him in the middle with a jab back, but the kicks from Phillips are quickly doing damage and changing the color of Rojo’s lead calf. Phillips is loose, light on his feet, hopping in and out of range to toss a flying knee or piercing jab out. Rojo catches Phillips at the end of a right hand after blocking a head kick, but Phillips’ strikes are straighter and sharper, and therefore finding their target at a much higher clip. The American springs out of the way when Rojo bears down on him, and he continues battering Rojo’s calf as swelling grows. Rojo fights to through the pain to swing for the fences, and as soon as he commits to a big punch, Phillips dives low for a takedown. Rojo pops right back up before staying down for more than one second, and Phillips feeds him a steady diet of jabs on an increasingly reddening nose. Rojo scores to the body, forcing Phillips to crash forward and attempt a body lock trip. Rojo sneaks in a knee and an uppercut before they separate, and the round ends with Phillips blocking a high kick.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Phillips

Round 3
Coming out to the third round, Rojo’s lead leg is hamburger, swollen and bruised badly. Phillips picks up where he left off there, attacking the damaged leg before assailing his man with a chained takedown that set Rojo on his back. Phillips lands in side control, and he grips on to a double wrist lock that he uses to claim mount brilliantly. In a very high mount, Phillips locks up a high mounted triangle, and he sits up to smash Rojo in the head with punches and elbows. Rojo turns over, in an effort to slide his neck out.
When Phillips lands on his back, he is already setting up an armbar while he still holds on to the triangle choke. The combo submission is tight as can be, and there is no way out for the Argentinian. “Matrix” elicits the tap right when Rojo stands, with Rojo surrendering before losing consciousness or hyperextending his elbow.
That’s a rare triangle armbar on the books for the highly touted prospect from Arizona.

The Official Result
Kyler Phillips def. Marcelo Rojo R3 1:48 via Submission (Triangle Armbar)

Expert Picks (7)

AN

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Feb 6, 2022 (6 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Angelo picks Phillips, expecting a competitive back-and-forth fight where Phillips leans on his wrestling. He notes that Phillips has made mistakes in the past that cost him, but believes his technical striking and grappling will be enough. He suggests a plus 3.5 prop bet on Rojo as an underdog.

plus 3.5 prop bet on Marcelo Rojo

"i am going to go with kyler here i think he wins a really competitive back and forth fight and i think he will lean on his wrestling to get that done"

We Want Picks

BI

Big Brady Expert Confident picked Feb 7, 2022 (5 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Big Brady is very impressed with Phillips, calling him a skilled striker with good wrestling and BJJ. He believes Phillips should take the fight to the mat, where Rojo has been submitted multiple times. He predicts Phillips will win by first round submission. He notes Phillips' cardio is a concern but Rojo's cardio is also questionable. He thinks Phillips will look his price tag.

Phillips by first round submission

"give me phillips to win by first round submission"

DFS by the Numbers

CO

Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Feb 9, 2022 (3 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Cody defends the price, noting Phillips is young and talented. He thinks Phillips' cardio issues are overblown and that he should dominate Rojo, who is a brawler with poor cardio. He expects Phillips to win, possibly by finish.

"i'm not fully disagreeing with the price tag i think phillips had a slip up in his last fight"

Bookie Beatdown

DA

Daniel Levi Expert Lean picked Feb 10, 2022 (2 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Daniel Levi picks Kyler Phillips to win a decision, but expects a tough fight. He notes that Phillips is more dynamic and explosive early, but tends to slow down. Rojo is a durable dog who can drag Phillips into deep waters. Levi thinks Phillips will win but not cover the -430 line.

"kyler phillips gets the decision win but probably doesn't look minus 400"

Half the Battle

MM

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Lean picked Feb 8, 2022 (4 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Phillips is the more skilled fighter with good movement and jiu-jitsu. Rojo is a brawler with knockout power but poor submission defense. Phillips should take the fight to the ground and submit Rojo. Phillips' cardio is a concern if he gasses, but he should finish early. The under 2.5 rounds is a good prop if plus money.

Phillips by submission; under 2.5 rounds if plus money

"i like phillips here again i'm not a too high on the the price tag but he should win this fight he should go out there and do what he needs to do and in my opinion that's getting this fight to the ground and getting that submission"

MMA Lock of the Night

PA

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Feb 9, 2022 (3 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Paul picks Phillips but thinks the price is too high. He notes Phillips has cardio issues but should dominate early. He warns that Rojo could be dangerous if he survives the first round, and that the weight cut for Rojo is a concern.

"i like phillips to win but minus 410 i think is getting a little bit too expensive"

Bookie Beatdown

TH

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Feb 7, 2022 (5 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

The MMA Guru picks Kyler Phillips by decision, citing his well-rounded skills and learning from the Paiva fight. He expects Phillips to drop Rojo early but not chase the finish, winning a clear decision.

unanimous decision 30-26

"gonna go with kyla phillips"

THE MMA GURU

Loss

vs Raulian Paiva

UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw
Jul 24, 2021

Decision (majority) (29–28, 29–28, 28–28) R3 5:00

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Raulian Paiva	1	74 of 132	56%	95 of 155	4 of 9	44%	0	1	3:02
Kyler Phillips	0	51 of 117	43%	72 of 147	2 of 6	33%	0	0	3:32

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Rev.	Ctrl
1	Raulian Paiva	1	45 of 70	64%	61 of 86	1 of 2	50%	1	1:01
1	Kyler Phillips	0	13 of 32	40%	19 of 38	1 of 2	50%	0	1:23
2	Raulian Paiva	0	13 of 28	46%	15 of 32	2 of 3	66%	0	1:37
2	Kyler Phillips	0	23 of 47	48%	23 of 47	0 of 3	0%	0	0:25
3	Raulian Paiva	0	16 of 34	47%	19 of 37	1 of 4	25%	0	0:24
3	Kyler Phillips	0	15 of 38	39%	30 of 62	1 of 1	100%	0	1:44

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Raulian Paiva	74 of 132	56%	62 of 115	7 of 11	5 of 6	43 of 95	8 of 9	23 of 28
Kyler Phillips	51 of 117	43%	37 of 96	14 of 21	0 of 0	41 of 102	7 of 10	3 of 5

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Raulian Paiva	45 of 70	64%	41 of 64	2 of 3	2 of 3	19 of 39	3 of 3	23 of 28
1	Kyler Phillips	13 of 32	40%	9 of 28	4 of 4	0 of 0	9 of 26	1 of 1	3 of 5
2	Raulian Paiva	13 of 28	46%	9 of 23	3 of 4	1 of 1	11 of 26	2 of 2	0 of 0
2	Kyler Phillips	23 of 47	48%	17 of 38	6 of 9	0 of 0	17 of 38	6 of 9	0 of 0
3	Raulian Paiva	16 of 34	47%	12 of 28	2 of 4	2 of 2	13 of 30	3 of 4	0 of 0
3	Kyler Phillips	15 of 38	39%	11 of 30	4 of 8	0 of 0	15 of 38	0 of 0	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Raulian Paiva vs. Kyler Phillips

Round 1
Two top-flight teams will wage a proxy battle as the MMA Lab’s Phillips (9-1, 3-0 UFC) faces ex-flyweight and Team Alpha Male rep Paiva (20-3, 2-2 UFC) at bantamweight. The co-main event will tolerate zero nonsense as it draws oversight from referee Keith Peterson, and the gloves are touched to clock in this fight. Paiva is quick on the draw, with a few crisp punches when Phillips tries to close the distance. Phillips opens up with kicks, and he cracks the Brazilian with a right hand. Phillips opens up with a flying knee, and when he lands, he spins with a back fist that glances off the target. Paiva appears to have recovered from the big blow and partial knockdown to throw at Phillips, but “The Matrix” enters the matrix as he dodges several strikes and ducks down to clash heads with his advancing opponent. Phillips kicks the body, and his leg is caught and he takes two right hands and succumbs to a takedown from the position. When Phillips walks up the fence, he is able to spin around and spin Paiva around with a kimura. Phillips lifts his foe up in the air and slams him down like he was carrying groceries, and he lets Paiva up so that he can land a flashy kick to the body. Paiva appears unflustered and he walks Phillips down, but he eats a fierce right hand that hurts him. Another wobbles Paiva, who shoots in for a single and is stuffed. Phillips makes him pay with several punches, until the Brazilian bails on it and stands up. Phillips kicks him in the head, and spins around with a heel kick that clacks on the side of Paiva’s head. Paiva allows him to land the strike so that Phillips falls to the ground without any balance, and he climbs into Phillips’ guard to slow things down. Paiva postures up and lands a few long punches, but Phillips is quick to reverse him and put Paiva on his back. Phillips takes side control, and slices over to mount but is pulled back to half guard in an exchange. Paiva eats an elbow, scrambles back to his knees, takes another elbow, and stands back up. When Paiva stands back up, Phillips rocks him with another brutal right hand, and the Brazilian pushes for a desperation takedown. Paiva can barely stand, and Phillips cracks him with another right hand. A nasty elbow cracks the Brazilian on the jaw, and he collapses in a heap. The fight not quite over, Phillips dives in to finish the job. He continues to club Paiva with everything he has, and Paiva miraculously survives to the bell.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Phillips
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-8 Phillips
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Phillips

Round 2
The gloves are touched to begin the round, and Paiva comes out of his corner swinging for the bleachers. Phillips spins with a wheel kick to try to throw things off, and Paiva drops down to pursue a takedown. As soon as Phillips drops to a knee, he rolls for a leglock, and Paiva abandons the position before anything gets set up. Both men get back to their feet, and Phillips is ready with pep in his step and a blistering elbow square on the chin. Paiva takes it flush and fires back with a straight right hand, knocking Phillips off of his feet. Paiva sees that Phillips may be hurt and a little gassed, and he chases Phillips around the cage and unloads a fury at him. Paiva scores a clean uppercut that stings Phillips badly, and even though he may be bloodied and has taken some damage, he appears the fresher man and ignores a flying knee when Phillips tries to recover. Paiva pursues a takedown, and when Phillips fights it off, the latter takes a very deep breath before the midpoint of the round. Phillips dives forward for a tackle takedown, landing it and putting the Brazilian on his back. Paiva scoots his way to the fence, and he calmly stands back up while Phillips tries to keep him down. Paiva is able to break free, and he lands a one-two as Phillips is tiring fast. Paiva ducks a punch and grabs a body lock to try to plant “The Matrix” on the ground, but Phillips stops it and lands a spinning back elbow. When Paiva looks to do some damage with a right hand, Phillips evades it, grabs the back and drags Paiva down to the ground. Phillips takes back control and fishes for a choke, but Paiva rolls through to his knees. Phillips flattens Paiva out to set up a choke, and Paiva turns and nearly gives up mount. Phillips turns to try to get a better position, and he is forced to stand up. Phillips smashes Paiva in the face with a huge right hand, and Paiva eats it like an acai bowl and blasts Phillips back with one of his own. The spent fighters end the round pressed against the wall.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Paiva
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Paiva
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Paiva

Round 3
The bantamweight battle well worth the price of admission, both men touch gloves to begin the last round. Whose cardio is better is anyone’s guess. Paiva starts the dance with a few jabs, and Phillips comes back at him with a long right hand and a possible takedown entry. Paiva stuffs it without much effort and connects with a right hand that wobbles Phillips. Paiva opens up with a right and a left as Phillips bears down on him to take him down, stopping the attempt before it gets too far. Phillips shrugs off a right hand on the jaw to duck down low for a single, and both men fall to the ground with neither in an advantageous position. Phillips ducks face-first into an uppercut, and Paiva lays into him with a few punches but cannot hurt him. Phillips sells out with a huge right hand, and the two fighters are so wiped out, they are slipping all over the cage and wobbling after every punch. Phillips escapes a few strikes but takes some more when Paiva gives chase, and Phillips attacks with a spinning kick that is well short of the mark. Phillips goes all-in for a double leg takedown, scooping the Brazilian’s legs out beneath him bot not able to ground him for long. Paiva scores a right hand only to get pursued with another takedown, and Paiva grits it out and turns him around to take him down. Phillips defends with his legs to set up a reversal, but he does not have the energy to land it and instead is stuck on his back while Paiva is on top of him. The Brazilian holds on tight, not wanting “The Matrix” to get off any more wild strikes on his feet, and he gets off some ground-and-pound to stay busy. Paiva in half guard continues to control his opponent and land effective if not damaging punches. At the 10-second clapper, Phillips explodes to his feet and is ready to brawl. Phillips smashes his fist into the granite chin of Paiva, and Paiva throws everything he has back at his foe. One final flurry ends the fight, and this one could be close – close enough to be dead even, depending on how the judges see the rounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Paiva (28-28)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Paiva (28-28)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Paiva (28-28)

The Official Result
Raulian Paiva def. Kyler Phillips via Majority Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)

Expert Picks (8)

AN

Angelo Bodetti Expert Lean picked Jul 21, 2021 (3 days before fight)

Raulian Paiva

Angelo picks Raulian Paiva because he thinks Paiva is a real threat on the ground with jiu-jitsu and is a good striker. He notes that Kyler Phillips has wrestling and fight IQ, but Paiva could cause problems. He is not confident and is not betting on this fight. He likes the more/more on monkey knife fight, expecting a decision.

more/more on monkey knife fight

"paiva is my pick don't i'm not betting on that this is just a pick to have a pick"

We Want Picks

BI

Big Brady Expert Confident picked Jul 20, 2021 (4 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Big Brady is very high on Kyler Phillips, especially after his impressive win over Song Yadong. He notes Paiva is moving up from 125 lbs and has poor striking defense (51%) and a negative striking differential. He expects Phillips to mix in takedowns (3 per 15 min, 63% accuracy) and win a convincing decision, as Paiva has been taken down in every UFC fight except one. He considers this a step down in competition for Phillips.

"i like phillips quite a bit and i'm gonna take him to win by a very convincing decision"

DFS by the Numbers

CO

Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Jul 21, 2021 (3 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Cody picks Phillips, calling him a legitimate top ten guy. He praises Phillips' fight IQ, striking, and wrestling, noting his performance against Song Yadong. He thinks Paiva's move up to 135 removes his size advantage and that Phillips is on a different level. He considers Phillips a safe parlay piece.

"i think phillips is the real deal like a legitimate top ten guy in this division"

Bookie Beatdown

DA

Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Jul 23, 2021 (1 day before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Daniel Levi picks Kyler Phillips to win, acknowledging Paiva's toughness but believing Phillips is too clean and will edge a decision. He notes that Paiva is dangerous with nothing to lose, but Phillips' footwork and technique are superior. Levi expects a close fight but sees Phillips' skill set prevailing, though he wouldn't play the -300 line against Paiva.

"i kind of see kyler being a little bit too clean kind of edging the decision"

Half the Battle

JA

Jacob Lines Expert Confident picked Jul 21, 2021 (3 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Jacob picks Kyler Phillips as his lock of the week, calling him the 'king of lock of the weeks.' He praises Phillips' fight IQ and wrestling, noting that he gets takedowns when needed. He believes Phillips will dominate with wrestling and timely takedowns. He is very confident despite the short-notice opponent moving up in weight.

"he's the lock of the week this week i don't care if he's a two to one two and a half to one there whatever he's the lock of the week kyla phillips"

We Want Picks

MM

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Lean picked Jul 23, 2021 (1 day before fight)

Raulian Paiva

The host leans toward Raulian Paiva as a dog, noting his striking and Muay Thai. He believes Paiva's move to 135 pounds will benefit his cardio and durability. He thinks the line is too wide and Paiva can make it a close fight. He likes Paiva by decision at +455 and the moneyline at +240.

Paiva by decision +455; Paiva moneyline +240

"i like paiva in this spot as well plus 240 ish is a great line i'm gonna be taking a shot on the money line there myself"

MMA Lock of the Night

PA

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Jul 21, 2021 (3 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Paul agrees with Cody, emphasizing that Paiva's biggest advantage was his size at 125, which is gone at 135. He notes Paiva hasn't looked ultra impressive and arguably lost to Zalgus. He sees Phillips as a surgeon and expects him to win on the feet or ground.

"i definitely think tyler phillips wins this fight whether it's stand up or on the ground"

Bookie Beatdown

TH

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jul 18, 2021 (6 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

The Guru confidently picks Phillips, citing his size advantage at bantamweight, chain takedown ability, and mixing strikes with takedowns. He notes Paiva is a short-notice replacement and likely views this as a free payday. He predicts a first-round rear-naked choke submission, as Paiva has been outgrappled before.

first round submission via rear-naked choke

"kyla phillips first round submission i really like kyla phillips"

THE MMA GURU

Win

vs Song Yadong

UFC 259: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya
Mar 06, 2021

Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) R3 5:00

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Kyler Phillips	0	67 of 161	41%	89 of 189	0 of 0	---	0	1	1:06
Song Yadong	0	59 of 142	41%	69 of 152	3 of 5	60%	0	0	1:36

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Rev.	Ctrl
1	Kyler Phillips	21 of 39	53%	28 of 48	0 of 0	---	0	0:05
1	Song Yadong	27 of 59	45%	28 of 60	1 of 1	100%	0	0:27
2	Kyler Phillips	20 of 61	32%	23 of 64	0 of 0	---	0	0:00
2	Song Yadong	19 of 47	40%	22 of 50	1 of 2	50%	0	0:41
3	Kyler Phillips	26 of 61	42%	38 of 77	0 of 0	---	1	1:01
3	Song Yadong	13 of 36	36%	19 of 42	1 of 2	50%	0	0:28

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Kyler Phillips	67 of 161	41%	39 of 120	20 of 32	8 of 9	67 of 158	0 of 1	0 of 2
Song Yadong	59 of 142	41%	38 of 112	16 of 23	5 of 7	54 of 137	2 of 2	3 of 3

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Kyler Phillips	21 of 39	53%	13 of 29	6 of 8	2 of 2	21 of 39	0 of 0	0 of 0
1	Song Yadong	27 of 59	45%	14 of 40	11 of 15	2 of 4	25 of 57	1 of 1	1 of 1
2	Kyler Phillips	20 of 61	32%	13 of 45	7 of 15	0 of 1	20 of 59	0 of 1	0 of 1
2	Song Yadong	19 of 47	40%	14 of 41	3 of 4	2 of 2	16 of 44	1 of 1	2 of 2
3	Kyler Phillips	26 of 61	42%	13 of 46	7 of 9	6 of 6	26 of 60	0 of 0	0 of 1
3	Song Yadong	13 of 36	36%	10 of 31	2 of 4	1 of 1	13 of 36	0 of 0	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Yadong Song vs. Kyler Phillips

Round 1
Back in the first season of Dana White’s Contender Series, not every fighter was signed off a win, even if they scored a stoppage. This was the case for Phillips (8-1, 2-0 UFC), who notched a 46-second finish and then had to compete two more times before earning a spot on the roster. Two wins in the UFC have led to him meeting “Kung Fu Monkey” Song (16-4-1, 1 NC; 5-0-1 UFC) tonight, with the latter undefeated at bantamweight inside the Octagon. This 135-pound clash will draw officiating from referee Mark Smith, and a glove touch starts things off. Phillips quickly marches forward with a one-two, and he swings a leg kick shortly after it. “Matrix” is elusive and throwing strikes from distance, and he gets off a head kick that rolls off Song’s shoulder. Phillips sticks out a long jab, and Song strides forward with a shovel uppercut. Phillips scores a body kick, and a right hand when Song bears down on him. Song gets off a jab and then a left hand gets Song’s attention. Phillips nails Song with a head kick, and Song miraculously stays upright only to take a crisp spinning back kick to the body. The Chinese fighter bounces off the cage and survives a flurry from Phillips, and he gathers himself to throw back at Phillips. Song swings a right hand, and Phillips ducks it and scores a leg kick on the way out. Song stings Phillips with an uppercut, and he avoids a long jab and a sweeping leg kick. Song spins with a hook kick that bounces off Phillips’ guard, and the American is no worse for wear as he sticks out a stiff jab. Song stabs his toes into Phillips’ midsection, and he eats a one-two as he takes a step back. Song leaps in the air with a knee that glances off its intended target, and Phillips sticks him with a single right hand. Song gathers his thoughts and flicks out a few jabs, and he gets smashed on the chops with a monster right hand. Song does not even wobble, but Phillips uses the momentum to bowl Song over and take the fight down. “Kung Fu Monkey” simply powers his way back up to his feet, and he tries to throw back but Phillips is well out of the way in time. Phillips delivers a stiff left hand to the jaw, and Song times an uppercut counter that makes Phillips shake his head. Phillips tries to get off a head kick, and Song walks through a low kick to make his opponent stumble. Song tries to clinch up, and the two jockey for position on the cage as they spam knees. Phillips tries to separate and gets elbows in the face, and he backs off to absorb a spinning back kick on the torso. Phillips lets him have it with a barrage as the horn sounds.

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

Round 2
Phillips begins the round with a long jab, and he takes a right hand on the chops when he aims for a leg kick. Phillips drills Song with another head kick, but the Chinese fighter is completely unfazed and ready to brawl with a pair of hooks. Phillips sticks out a few jabs and the two start trading violently. Both men clip the other with right hands, and Song backs off to connect with a kick to the midsection. Song presses his man into the fence, and Phillips pushes off and nails Song with a spinning back kick that surprises “Kung Fu Monkey.” Song gathers his thoughts, circles around, and tries to kick Phillips in the chest. Both men land right hands at the same time, and Phillips resets to score a leg kick. Song targets the body with a few kicks, and Phillips ducks down to sling a huge right hand. Song does not even register that he took a shot, and he ducks a spinning wheel kick that zooms past him. Song throws a monster right hand that Phillips is barely able to duck in time, and both swing and hit nothing but air. Phillips dings him with a right hand, and when Song steps forward to kick, Phillips nearly drops him with a jab. Song does a quick count of his teeth and starts throwing looping shots as Phillips is backed into the fence, and Song chases him down with big strikes. Phillips ducks a punch to hit a speedy takedown, and Song bucks him off but cannot get the American away from him. “Matrix” climbs over and takes the half guard using a fierce elbow from above, and the two scramble until they both split up and stand. Phillips gets off a right hand, and then circles to pepper Song with a few jabs. Song crashes the pocket with several huge punches, and he stings Phillips with a right hand. Song is ready to throw with bad intentions, and he does just that until the horn blares.

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

Round 3
Phillips starts off with a quick jab, keeping Song at bay, who has already enabled headhunter mode. Song tries to lob huge shots to figuratively take Phillips’ head off, and “Matrix” avoids most of the damaging blows. Phillips lands a few jabs and shoots in for a takedown, but Song stuffs it and does not go down. Song takes a right hand to rip four punches to the body, and he gets Phillips’ attention with a left hook to the jaw at the end of it. Phillips chops down the lead leg with a kick, and Song scores a counter right hand across the forward bow. Song swings recklessly, and he clips Phillips with a ferocious left hand that makes Phillips back away to the fence. Phillips jabs a few times to keep an aggressive Song at bay, but “Kung Fu Monkey” is ready to brawl. A right hand from the Chinese fighter opens up a cut on the corner of Phillips’ left eye, and Phillips answers with a spinning wheel kick that does not land flush. Song plants his fist on the side of Phillips’ head, and Phillips throws back and misses the mark. Song rushes in with a pair of punches that force Phillips to ricochet off the fencing, and he circles and sticks out a jab. Song tattoos his fist on the chin three times, so Phillips responds with a takedown that puts Song on his back. Song scoots his way to the fence to sit up, and when he tries to wall-walk, Phillips circles around to take his back. Phillips cannot secure the body lock, and instead Song reverses him and places Phillips flat on his back. Song sits up to land punches, and Phillips closes his guard to lock the fighter down and ride out the round. Song gets off some ground-and-pound from above, and Phillips rolls for an armbar and a kneebar as time expires.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Song (29-28 Phillips)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Song (29-28 Phillips)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Song (29-28 Phillips)

The Official Result
Kyler Phillips def. Yadong Song via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Expert Picks (4)

BI

Big Brady Expert Confident picked Mar 3, 2021 (3 days before fight)

Song Yadong

Big Brady picks Song Yadong, initially leaning toward fading him but changing his mind after tape study. He notes Yadong's takedown defense is solid and he lands harder shots. He questions Phillips' chin, recalling Yadong's power against Marlon Vera. He predicts a knockout win for Yadong.

"i'm going to take song dong here to win by knockout"

DFS by the Numbers

DA

Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Mar 5, 2021 (1 day before fight)

Song Yadong

Daniel picks Song Yadong to win a decision, arguing that Song is undervalued after close fights with top competition. He believes Song's level of competition is higher than Phillips' and that Song's power and durability will be too much.

"i'm going to go with song ye dong to come out here and win this decision"

Half the Battle

MM

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Lean picked Mar 4, 2021 (2 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Phillips has a five-inch reach advantage and good movement, which should help him stay at range and avoid Yadong's power. Yadong has cardio issues in the third round, and Phillips can potentially secure a takedown there. The host picks Phillips by decision.

"i like tyler here man i i lean him here"

MMA Lock of the Night

TH

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Feb 26, 2021 (8 days before fight)

Song Yadong

The MMA Guru picks Song Yadong over Kyler Phillips. He notes Yadong's takedown defense, KO power, and youth, while Phillips has not beaten anyone significant. He believes Yadong is more battle-tested and will win by 29-28 unanimous decision, with Phillips possibly coming back in the third.

"i'm picking song yudong a lot of people don't like song you don they feel like he's kind of been pandered to by the ufc"

THE MMA GURU

Win

vs Cameron Else

UFC on ESPN: Holm vs. Aldana
Oct 04, 2020

TKO (punches and elbows) R2 0:44

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Kyler Phillips	0	32 of 78	41%	34 of 80	2 of 2	100%	0	0	2:25
Cameron Else	0	11 of 30	36%	20 of 43	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:03

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Kyler Phillips	26 of 57	45%	28 of 59	1 of 1	100%	2:04
1	Cameron Else	9 of 25	36%	18 of 38	0 of 0	---	0:03
2	Kyler Phillips	6 of 21	28%	6 of 21	1 of 1	100%	0:21
2	Cameron Else	2 of 5	40%	2 of 5	0 of 0	---	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Kyler Phillips	32 of 78	41%	22 of 63	5 of 8	5 of 7	13 of 41	0 of 0	19 of 37
Cameron Else	11 of 30	36%	4 of 20	6 of 8	1 of 2	10 of 28	0 of 0	1 of 2

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Kyler Phillips	26 of 57	45%	16 of 43	5 of 8	5 of 6	12 of 35	0 of 0	14 of 22
1	Cameron Else	9 of 25	36%	4 of 17	4 of 6	1 of 2	8 of 23	0 of 0	1 of 2
2	Kyler Phillips	6 of 21	28%	6 of 20	0 of 0	0 of 1	1 of 6	0 of 0	5 of 15
2	Cameron Else	2 of 5	40%	0 of 3	2 of 2	0 of 0	2 of 5	0 of 0	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

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Kyler Phillips vs. Cameron Else

Round 1
Looking to make his opponent feel unwelcome in his short-notice debut, Phillips (7-1, 1-0 UFC) closes as one of the biggest favorites on the card against British finisher Else (10-4, 0-0 UFC) at bantamweight. Drawing the assignment is referee Marc Goddard, who watches over when the two men touch gloves. Phillips swings and misses with a leg kick, and Else plants one on his opponent’s thigh. Phillips returns fire with a leg kick, and he chains this into a one-two as Else dances back away from the strikes. Phillips keeps cracking the lead leg with kicks, and Else loads up on a right hand to nail Phillips on the chin. “The Matrix” wings a high kick and almost loses his balance, but he is able to avoid the oncoming strikes that soar his way. A spinning wheel kick pounds off the guard of Else, and Else looks surprised as a flying knee closes in on his chin. Else ducks in time, and Phillips resets to score a right hand. Else tries to load up on a big right hand, and Phillips is quicker and lands flush. Phillips continues to target the knee with kicks, and Else’s movement already appears to be hampered to an extent. When Else reaches forward with an overhand right, Phillips takes him down with ease. Phillips pops back up to try to advance position, and Else nearly clips him with a few upkicks. Phillips smacks the newcomer in the face with a right hand as he jumps down into the guard, and Else defends the move by threatening with an anaconda choke off his back. Phillips scrambles to get out, and stands back up to lord over his foe. When Phillips kicks from above, Goddard looks on to see if one of the kicks landed to an illegal area. Phillips jumps down and catches Else while turning to take his back. Phillips smashes down with some elbows and punches, and one lands hard to the back of the head. Else twists and turns to get out of danger, but finds himself on his back while Phillips attacks the body from above. The round ends with Phillips reaching down to land shots.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Phillips

Round 2
Phillips comes out of his corner attacking, where he leaps in with a switch kick and some unorthodox offense. Phillips throws up a head kick before pushing Else to the fence. “Matrix” rips the legs out from beneath the Brit, and he quickly takes Else’s back when “Camchida” scrambles.
Phillips commences bombardment of ferocious elbows to the side of Else’s head, and these are doing damage fast. As Phillips continues to feed Else a steady diet of elbows, Goddard sees that “The Matrix” has Else and there is no way out for the UFC newcomer, calling a stop to the contest.

The Official Result
Kyler Phillips def. Cameron Else R2 0:44 via TKO (Elbows)

Expert Picks (4)

BI

Big Brady Expert Confident picked Sep 30, 2020 (4 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Big Brady confidently picks Kyler Phillips to win inside the distance. He states Phillips is better everywhere and Else is not UFC caliber. He expects a late first or early second round stoppage, as Else is dangerous only in the first round.

inside the distance

"give me phillips inside the distance here"

DFS by the Numbers

DA

Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Oct 2, 2020 (2 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

Daniel confidently picks Phillips, noting his evolution and impressive UFC debut. He criticizes Else's competition level, calling it bottom of the barrel, and sees Phillips as the more experienced fighter despite fewer pro fights. He expects Phillips to style on Else and win handily.

"i think the line is justified i think tyler phillips comes out here styles on the kid i got kyler phillips for the win"

Half the Battle

MM

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Oct 1, 2020 (3 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

The host is confident in Kyler Phillips, expecting a first-round submission via rear-naked choke. He notes Phillips' superior skills and Else's low-level competition, and likes the under 1.5 rounds at +100.

Under 1.5 rounds +100; Phillips inside distance -160 (too steep)

"i love kyler phillips here and i think you can get it done under one and a half rounds"

MMA Lock of the Night

TH

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Sep 28, 2020 (6 days before fight)

Kyler Phillips

The Guru picks Kyler Phillips, citing his great performance against Gabriel Silva and his contender series win. He criticizes Cameron Else's competition and believes Phillips will make a statement, predicting a first-round KO.

Prediction: KO round 1

"i'm going to be picking kyla phillips he's a very reasonable favorite in my opinion"

THE MMA GURU

Win

vs Gabriel Silva

UFC Fight Night: Benavidez vs. Figueiredo
Feb 29, 2020

Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) R3 5:00

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Kyler Phillips	0	31 of 97	31%	43 of 112	2 of 6	33%	1	0	2:28
Gabriel Silva	0	89 of 168	52%	112 of 195	2 of 4	50%	1	0	5:52

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Ctrl
1	Kyler Phillips	24 of 74	32%	30 of 82	1 of 1	100%	0	0:49
1	Gabriel Silva	51 of 102	50%	52 of 103	0 of 2	0%	0	0:02
2	Kyler Phillips	2 of 6	33%	6 of 10	1 of 5	20%	1	1:38
2	Gabriel Silva	8 of 20	40%	17 of 31	1 of 1	100%	0	2:13
3	Kyler Phillips	5 of 17	29%	7 of 20	0 of 0	---	0	0:01
3	Gabriel Silva	30 of 46	65%	43 of 61	1 of 1	100%	1	3:37

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Kyler Phillips	31 of 97	31%	22 of 85	6 of 9	3 of 3	27 of 89	1 of 3	3 of 5
Gabriel Silva	89 of 168	52%	66 of 139	13 of 19	10 of 10	58 of 124	11 of 15	20 of 29

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Kyler Phillips	24 of 74	32%	17 of 64	5 of 8	2 of 2	22 of 69	1 of 3	1 of 2
1	Gabriel Silva	51 of 102	50%	35 of 80	8 of 14	8 of 8	45 of 91	6 of 10	0 of 1
2	Kyler Phillips	2 of 6	33%	1 of 5	0 of 0	1 of 1	2 of 6	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Gabriel Silva	8 of 20	40%	7 of 19	0 of 0	1 of 1	2 of 11	1 of 1	5 of 8
3	Kyler Phillips	5 of 17	29%	4 of 16	1 of 1	0 of 0	3 of 14	0 of 0	2 of 3
3	Gabriel Silva	30 of 46	65%	24 of 40	5 of 5	1 of 1	11 of 22	4 of 4	15 of 20

Play-by-Play

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Gabriel Silva vs. Kyler Phillips

Round 1
We now move on to a bantamweight scrap, as Silva (8-1, 0-1 UFC) looks for his first win with the organization as he greets the debuting Arizonan Phillips (6-1, 0-0 UFC). Both men sport exactly one defeat, and they both have dropped their lone bout by decision, so referee Dan Miragliotta is on top of the action. The two men touch gloves, and Phillips opens with a kick and gets countered with a right. Silva throws one more, and catches Phillips right on the jaw. The next few seconds are furious and something out of crazy Andy Capp cartoon with a flying knee, a spinning wheel kick, and even some shoulder strikes in the clinch until they separate. Phillips backs off and tries to time a right hand, and Silva whiffs on one that blows the hair back from those not named Dana White and Jeff Novitzky sitting in the front row. Silva clinches up and considers a takedown, but Phillips stuffs it and defends it well. Phillips loads up on two elbows and a huge right hand, but Silva ducks the final strike. Phillips tags him with a spinning back kick to the midsection, and Silva recovers with a right hand. Phillips leaps through the air with a knee and clips the Brazilian, but “Gabito” wears it well. On the outside, the American lands the jab and tries to stay away while Silva wings punches at him. Phillips whips a few leg kicks and aims to the body, all while avoiding the looping right hand. Another calf kick lands, and Silva is putting everything he has into counter right hands that are narrowly missing the target. Phillips bites down on his mouthpiece by launching a huge right hand that staggers his opponent, and he chases after him with a flurry of punches that are mostly blocked. As the two continue to trade, Phillips drops down to aim for a takedown, and Silva spins with an elbow that is just a little too high. Silva tries to connect with a monster right hook, and Phillips avoids it and fires back at him in the form of another spinning wheel kick, flying strike and some big punches. Silva eats it all, and presses the pace to clinch up and trip the legs out from beneath the American. Phillips pops back up, and Silva tries to kick him but falls over in the process. Phillips dives after him, and the horn sounds, with this insane round coming to an end.

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

Round 2
The two keep their feet on the gas to start the second frame, as Phillips tags him with a few punches, but Silva fires right back. Silva stings him with a looping right, and then changes levels to pursue a takedown. In the scramble, Silva nearly takes his back, but Phillips spins free as the two both go down to the canvas. A long string from Phillips’ cup is hanging down from beneath his shorts as the tie has broken, but Miragliotta does not halt the action because Silva is continuing to pursue the takedown. The two keep circling around one another, and Silva goes after a single while Phillips hacks at him with elbows. Silva somehow gets him down by muscling him down with a body lock, and Phillips forces his way back up, if only for a moment. Silva applies his body weight to drag him down, but unfortunately for him, he falls down. The Brazilian scrambles, and gives up his back for a moment, but rolls out. Phillips quickly takes mount, and Silva rolls around to get back to half guard. Phillips drops down to hit a guillotine choke, but Silva is wise to it and avoids it. Silva tries to lock up the arm, and then transitions to a kneebar, before Phillips jumps past his guard to start thumping down punches. Silva continues to go after a kneebar, and rolls over to it. Phillips defends it by pushing off with his leg, and he frees himself from danger while he smashes him with some heavy hammerfists. The round concludes, and Silva falls to his back.

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

Round 3
The last round clocks in, and the cup appears to be retied. Phillips jabs his way in and avoids a counter right, while going low with a sweeping calf kick. The big right hands from Silva are more telegraphed now, and have slowed. Phillips opens up with a head kick that is blocked, and then chains several punches together before spinning with a kick and then flying with a knee. Phillips keeps the pedal to the metal and hits a takedown that practically pushes the Brazilian over. In full guard, Phillips looks to set up some punches but is more aware of the submission attempts that will inevitably be flying his way, including a triangle choke and a leg lock. Phillips rolls over to tie up the neck, and pulls for a brabo choke, but it’s nothing doing. Phillips pushes off and lands a thunderous elbow, and Silva is stunned but shakes off the cobwebs. When he regathers his thoughts, he comes at Phillips with a fury, but the American times the double leg takedown and gets his man down. Advancing quickly to half guard, Silva is active off his back but takes strikes, including one to the back of the head. Phillips slowly works him with elbows, including some to the body, and gets a little overzealous and nearly falls off from a high mount. Silva scrambles and almost gets back up, but Phillips stays on him and hops over to half guard before taking mount. Phillips throws some undercuts (uppercuts from behind, underneath the arm of his opponent) and keeps punching until the bitter end. Silva gets up, but has been roughed up. “The Matrix” celebrates with his corner, confident that he will come out with the win.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips (30-27 Phillips)
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Phillips (30-27 Phillips)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Phillips (30-27 Phillips)

The Official Result
Kyler Phillips def. Gabriel Silva via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Career Averages

Win Methods (6)

Loss Methods (4)

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