UFC Fight Night 146 Results: Veteran returns after 3 years, fans boo after judges potentially make a big mistake
UFC stopped by at the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas for a Fight Night offering headlined by a heavyweight showdown between Derrick Lewis and Junior Dos Santos.
Ben Rothwell returned to the Octagon after almost 3 years in the other heavyweight fight on the main card. That and much more went down at the event that had the finishes and hard-fought decisions that kept the fans engaged.
Let's not waste any more time and jump right onto the results and highlights of the show:
UFC Fight Night 146 Prelims Results:
* Anthony Rocco Martin def. Sergio Moraes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
* Yana Kunitskaya def. Marion Reneau via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
* Grant Dawson def. Julian Erosa via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-27)
* Maurice Greene def. Jeff Hughes via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
* Louis Smolka def. Matt Schnell vs. via submission (triangle choke) (3:18, Round 1)
* Alex Morono def. Zak Ottow via TKO (punches and elbows) (3:34, Round 1)
* Alex White def. Dan Moret via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
#1. Tim Boetsch (21-12) vs Omari Akhmedov (Middleweight)
It was time for the main card action to begin. Let's go!
Round 1: Lots of movement but not much contact in the first few seconds as the feeling out process was on full display. Omari drew first blood with a body kick and Tim clinched.
Tim attempted a leg trip takedown but Omari defended well and pushed him to the cage. Omari went for the legs but Tim defended the takedown well this time around. They separated and get back to the center of the Octagon. Omari landed two rights hooks and missed with a spinning back elbow.
A good calf kick from Omari, Omari shot for the takedown in the closing stages but Tim defended and tagged Omari on the way out.
The round came to a close.
Round 2: Tim's corner encouraged him to get into Omari's face. Tim increased his volume has he landed with a few front leg kicks.
Omari connected with a solid straight right which seemed to have shattered Tim's nose. Omari kept going for the haymaker from the top but didn't find any success.
Nothing much happened until the final minute of the round when both men clinched. A few knees from Tim and one may have hit Omari's groin. The fight was momentarily stopped before Herb Dean continued it from the same exact position, and that's where both men remained until the end of the round.
Round 3: Tim was ordered to take his chances by his corner and he came out all guns blazing. Tim kept pressing forward but couldn't land much as Omari navigated himself really well.
Omari connected with a combination. Omari was was in a counter-attacking mode as she forced Tim to commit and he answered with a hook in the follow-up.
Dean warned the fighters to engage with two minutes left on the clock. Tim seemed to be in a lot of trouble as his vision didn't look all that great as Omari tagged him with a few strikes in the end. They ended the fight in the clinch.
Result: Omari Akhemedov def. Tim Boetsch via unanimous decision (30-27, 30,27, 30-27)