UFC Vegas 95: Danny Barlow vs. Nikolay Veretennikov: Live round-by-round updates
At UFC Vegas 95, the Danny Barlow vs. Nikolay Veretennikov live round-by-round updates will guide fans through a catchweight bout that has likely slipped under the radar for many. The two men were originally scheduled for a welterweight matchup, but a Barlow weight-cutting mishap led to a change in plans.
The American could drop no lower than 171.25 pounds, which is a quarter of a pound over the non-title fight limit for welterweight. With the fight at a catchweight, Barlow will be scrutinized, but he will look to mark his sophomore UFC fight with a dynamic performance.
Barlow is hyper-dangerous, having finished six opponents in an 8-0 run, including a third-round TKO of Josh Quinlan at UFC 298. Meanwhile, his opponent, Kazakhstan's Veretennikov, is a layup, fielding a 12-4-0 record, with no prior UFC experience.
He is nothing like his unbeaten countryman, Shavkat Rakhmonov, and the odds for his fight with Barlow reflect that, as DraftKings Sportsbook lists Barlow as a -380 favorite, and Veretennikov a +300 underdog.
Follow Sportskeeda for play-by-play analysis and live scoring of the catchweight bout.
UFC Vegas 95: Danny Barlow vs. Nikolay Veretennikov
Round 1: Veretennikov throws a low kick, but Barlow slides his lead leg out of range. A body jab lands for Veretennikov. The Kazakh lunges in with a combination and eats a flying knee to the body from Barlow. A lot of patience from Barlow, who seems to be looking for a counter.
Barlow lands a round kick to the body, which he follows with a low kick. Veretennikov counters him with a check hook. They clinch and break. A switch kick to the body lands for Barlow, followed by more body kicks. He lands a slick straight left and tries to reverse a clinch from Veretennikov into a takedown but fails.
They end the fight clinching against the fence, where Barlow scores a sneaky throw at the horn. 10-9 Barlow.
Round 2: Veretennikov lands a lightning-quick oblique kick, snapping Barlow's lead knee back to stop his advance. Barlow returns fire with a head kick, but it's blocked. A leaping lead hook for Veretennikov comes within a half-inch of landing. Barlow counters Veretennikov as the Kazakh tries lunging in.
They clinch, with Veretennikov pinning Barlow against the fence, only to be reversed. Barlow lands knees to the thigh, but eats a knee to the groin from Veretennikov, forcing a time out from the referee. The fight resumes in the same position against the fence, before they break.
A right cross to the body lands for Veretennikov. This is a close round, with neither man doing anything to pull away with it. Barlow with a knee to the groin, but Veretennikov doesn't request any time. The round ends with Veretennikov landing. 10-9 Veretennikov.
Round 3: Veretennikov is heavy on the front foot. They trade and Barlow clinches, pinning his opponent to the fence, but abandons the position after the Kazakh threatens with a standing guillotine. Both men are hesitant, but Veretennikov lands a nice one-two. He lands again, with more leather this time.
Barlow isn't offering much resistance, and eats another one-two. Veretennikov snaps his head back with more strikes. He's landing with relative ease now. Barlow is tired and his defensive striking has plummeted off a cliff. A right straight lands for Veretennikov.
Veretennikov stalks him toward the fence, but gets sniped by a right hand mid-kick. The round ends with both men embracing. 10-9 Veretennikov.
Official Decision: Danny Barlow def. Nikolay Veretennikov via split-decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)