Despite all the issues, UFC Vegas 26 went down Saturday night and featured some thrilling fights.
Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson went toe-to-toe in the headline bout for 25 minutes as Rodriguez scored the victory.
Early on, Rodriguez used her striking to control the contest. But “The Karate Hottie” rallied back, earning a big takedown to dominate the fourth before the two stood again in the fifth and final round.
In the co-main event, Alex Morono stepped in on short notice and finished the legendary Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Morono used his striking to force the referee to stop the bout in the first round.
Neil Magny overcame the odds of being the underdog, defeating Geoff Neal via decision.
Marcos Rogerio de Liam, Gregor Gillespie and Phil Hawes were also victorious on the main card.
Michael Trizano, Jun Yong Park and Carlston Harris were all prelim winners.
Several bouts including Ben Rothwell vs. Philipe Lins, Ryan Benoit vs. Zarrukh Adashev and Amanda Ribas vs. Angela Hill were scrapped.
The UFC returns next Saturday with UFC 262 featuring Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler for the lightweight title.
UFC Vegas 26 Results
Marina Rodriguez def. Michelle Waterson via unanimous decision (49-48, 48-47, 49-48)
Alex Morono def. Donald Cerrone via TKO (strikes) at 4:40 of Round 1
Neil Magny def. Geoff Neal via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Marcos Rogerio de Lima def. Maurice Greene via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
Gregor Gillespie def. Carlos Diego Ferreira via TKO (strikes) at 4:51 of Round 2
Phil Hawes def. Kyle Daukaus via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-27)
Michael Trizano def. L’udovit Klein via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Jun Yong Park def. Tafon Nchukwi via majority decision (30-25, 29-26, 28-28)
Carlston Harris def. Christian Aguilera via technical submission (anaconda choke) at 2:52 of Round 1