Prelim Results | UFC Fight Night: Nicolau vs Perez

The veteran Benitez was sharp early, landing crisp counters and clean jabs at a greater clip in the opening round, using his experience to his advantage. But as Maheshate settled in, the 24-year-old Chinese prospect found more success, maintaining his output and varied attacks while Benitez began to slow.

After 15 gruelling minutes, the judges were called upon to determine the outcome, and when the cards came back, it was Maheshate that came away on the fortunate side of the split decision verdict. With the win, the Dana White’s Contender Series grad snaps a two-fight skid and advances to 10-3 overall. | Official Scorecards

While the Chinese athlete had moments on the feet early in both the first and second rounds, in each frame, Petrovic was able to duck around to the back, take the fight to the canvas and dominate from there. After unleashing blows from mount through to the horn in the second, Petrovic got Liang to the ground quickly in the third and found the finish.

After dropping her debut last July, this was a much more representative showing of what the Croatian brings to the table and why Petrovic is someone to watch going forward in the flyweight division. | Official Scorecards

Just after the midway point of the first round of his clash with fellow newcomer James Llontop, Padilla got cracked with a combination that knocked his gumshield out of his mouth. As Llontop looked to press forward and capitalize, Padilla grabbed a single leg and dumped him to the canvas, stemming the offensive tide. When the Dana White’s Contender Series grad looked to clamber back to his feet, Padilla quickly climbed on his back and sunk in the choke.

This was an emotional victory for the debuting Padilla, who navigated a 3-6 run on the regional circuit before rattling off four straight wins, reaching the big stage, and claiming a finish in his first trip into the Octagon on Saturday afternoon. | Official Scorecards

The former Invicta FC champ made the move down to strawweight and looked sharp, throwing without pause once she recognized Mann had little to offer in return. Souza connected with heavier combinations throughout, and while the Dana White’s Contender Series alum had occasional positive flashes, she was never able to threaten Souza in return.

All three judges saw it the same way, awarding Souza the clean sweep of the scorecards. After having her five-fighting streak (and her knee) snapped last time out, the talented Brazilian gets things moving in the right direction again here. | Official Scorecards

Mayes landed the best shot of the bout late in the first, catching Machado with a right hook on the tip of the chin that sent him to the canvas. For the remainder of the contest, they basically took turns throwing and landing, one offering and then the other, with neither ever establishing prolonged control of the exchanges.

The judges were tasked with determining the victor, and when the tens and nines were totalled, it was Mayes that came out ahead, earning 29-28 scores across the board. | Official Scorecards

While there were a smattering of takedown attempts on either side and a couple brief moments where Hubbard put Figlak on the deck, the majority of the fight saw the warring lightweights standing in front of one another and exchanging blows. Hubbard offered a little more variety, mixing up the target and his weapons, but Figlak was the more powerful of the two when he landed, with the duo running close to level the entire way.

Once again, the judges were required to determine the winner, and when the scores were read aloud, it was Hubbard that came out on top, registering his first win since returning to the promotion and fourth victory inside the Octagon overall. | Official Scorecards

The Josh Barnett protege did well to avoid any extended grappling entanglements with Yahya in the first, and claimed full control of the contest in the second, hurting the veteran late in the round and nearly securing the finish. It was more of the same in the third, as the battle-tested American continued to batter Yahya until referee Jason Herzog stepped in to wave things off.

This was an outstanding return to action for Henry, who was rendered unable to continue by an accidental low blow last time out. Now 3-1 with one no contest inside the Octagon, the 36-year-old remains a tough out and well-rounded talent in the 135-pound weight class. | Official Scorecards