UFC 222 Preliminary Card Results: Mackenzie Dern Edges Out Ashley Yoder

It’s once again fight day here at LowKickMMA, and the talent on display tonight (Saturday, March 3, 2018) will come from in the form of UFC 222. Headlining the card are Cris Cyborg and Yana Kunitskaya, but there’s a whole bunch of great fights also taking place on the preliminary section of the card.

Mackenzie Dern vs. Ashley Yoder in a women’s strawweight bout closes the preliminary card on FOX Sports 1 in what should be an interesting fight. In round 1, these girls were getting wild for a second there. Dern swarms forward with hard hooks, popping Yoder’s head back. Gets the clinch and she’ll likely pull guard if needed. Yoder breaks the first clinch. Dern looking for another chance to swarm forward. Yoder with a body kick and Dern walks right into a left hand. Dern back into the clinch. Nice elbow but Yoder breaking clinches. In round 2, Dern eats a left hand early, swarms forward to land a body kick, then eats more left hands. Dern bulls forward with wild punches and elbows. Yoder just dropped Dern with a left. In round 3, Yoder breaks and lands hard shots. Yoder with another solid left, but walks right into the clinch. Big problem for her when she tries to open up is that she walks into the clinch. ern trading shots with Yoder at range. Looks exhausted, but both women are landing. Dern in on a single in open space finally and gets the takedown right into back control, one hook in. However, this one went the distance. The judges gave the win to Dern. 

Beneil Dariush vs. Alexander Hernandez is next in a lightweight bout. In round 1, Hernandez runs out of the gate throwing body kicks and overhands. Lands a bomb of a left for a KO.

John Dodson vs. Pedro Munhoz is next in a bantamweight bout. In round 1, Nice body kick early from Munhoz. Him throwing a lot of kicks is his main path to victory and slowing Dodson down. Dodson with a nice kick catch to inside leg kick to overhand. Another hard inside leg kick from Dodson. He’s using Munhoz’s kicks against him so far. Dodson with a nice jab and a takedown off another caught kick. He’s getting backed up a lot, but he’s having most of the success. In round 2, Munhoz backs Dodson up,. throws a knee and they flurry against the fence. Dodson gets his nose bloodied, but comes back with left hands. Nice counter right from Munhoz, but he ate 3 body shots to land it. Dodson kicked in the pills. Jumped into a body kick. In round 3, Dodson comes out of the break with a left hand and a body kick. Another left hand, but Munhoz lands as Dodson steps out of the pocket. Munhoz doing well to enter behind knees. Shoots a takedown and gets it. Munhoz having to hang on Dodson’s hips to stop him getting up, but no offense for it. Lifts him for a slam, gets him down lands knees and both men end the fight landing shots. The judges gave the win to Dodson.

C.B. Dollaway vs. Hector Lombard in a middleweight bout opens the FOX Sports 1 preliminary card. In round 1, Dollaway with a nice head kick from range, just as DC was saying he should throw all the high kicks. Nice body shot from Dollaway and he’s picking his spots well. Just landed a nice lead left too. Dollaway with a nice body kick. Lombard catches it to land a right hand. So far, Dollaway fighting a very smart range fight working distance tools on a shorter opponent. Lombard bursts forward and pushes Dollaway back to the cage, but didn’t land much of consequence there. Dollaway with a nice head kick from range, just as DC was saying he should throw all the high kicks. Nice body shot from Dollaway and he’s picking his spots well. Just landed a nice lead left too. Nice right hand to the body from Dollaway. Has really picked all his punches well. Lombard catches a kick at the bell and hits Dollaway with an overhand that dropped him. Cut to commercial. Dollaway looked hurt bad. The referee ends the fight and Dollaway was awarded the DQ victory.

Mike Pyle vs. Zak Ottow in a welterweight bout finishes off the UFC Fight Pass preliminary card. In round 1, there’s the one right hand that drops Pyle hard and Ottow dives into his guard. Ottow lands rights as Pyle turtles and there’s a first round TKO loss for Pyle to retire on.

Bryan Caraway vs. Cody Stamann is next in a bantamweight bout. In round 1, Caraway pressuring early, lands a jab, ducks for a single and backs out. Dives in on the double, Stamann fighting him off, but Caraway chaining hard. Stamann fights for underhooks, Caraway backs up and re-shoots. Stamann breaks, lands a punch and is back to space. Caraway back in on a double, switching to a single. So far Stamann defending well. Nice knee caraway throws uppercuts and drives in again. Stamann pushing him back now. Caraway lures Stamann into over pressuring and shoots the double to get him down, right into half guard. Caraway dropped a quick knee on Stamann’s head to break his hands. Little veteran dirty move there. In round 2, nice hook combo from Stamann moving forward. He’s sticking and moving well in round 2 to keep Caraway from getting to his hips. Caraway lands a lead uppercut. Lowkick to left hand from Stamann, he’s generally winning the standup battle. Lands a hard right hand. Left hook to uppercut from Caraway, Stamann seems like he’s slowing his pace a bit. Caraway with a bad bad shot from way out, Stamann lands a knee as he stands. Caraway back in, Stamann lands another knee and another. In round 3, nice counter left hand as Caraway steps in with a jab. Stamann landing the much better sharper punches. Stamann lands a hard left hook as Caraway tries to step in. Caraway dives in on a low single and he’s running the pipe on it, but Stamann gets an underhook and shucks him back to range. Caraway lands a couple good right hands. Caraway ends the fight with hooks, Stamann dives in to a bad shot, Caraway hooks up the guillotine, but the buzzer ends it. The judges gave the win to Stamann.

Opening the UFC Fight Pass prelims is Jordan Johnson vs. Adam Milstead in a light heavyweight bout. In round 1, good body shot from Johnson as well, and he’s catching Milstead stepping in. Milstead throwing heat though. Johnson stuffed and he’s having to eat serious shots as his game gets going. Finally closes the clinch and gets to the single leg. Chaining now, but Milstead defending. Milstead lands a hard elbow inside and forces the clinch break. So far this fight is going as well as possible for Milstead. In round 2, counter uppercut from Milstead, but he slipped going forward. Johnson ties him up in the clinch. Johnson working the trip against the cage, but Milstead being a bit too strong for Johnson to catch out with a bodylock or single leg. Johnson going double to single but slides up to a body lock, just not getting deep enough on anything. Milstead with a trio of hard right hands in dirty boxing range. Hard rights from Milstead again, but he finally got too squared up and Johnson hit the counter double to drag him down. Now Johnson’s in ride, where he can do his best work. Milstead able to scramble up, Johnson pecking away at the legs with punches. In round 3, left hook lands for Milstead as Johnson enters behind the jab. Huge right hand from Milstead stumbles Johnson who shoots in and pushes the clinch. Milstead breaks back to space. Big right hand from  Milstead. Johnson just hasn’t found any way to enter wrestling range without eating punches. Johnson flurries forward and enters a single leg to push Milstead to the fence, then backs off to space. The judges gave the win to Johnson.

Here are the results:

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1/8 p.m. ET)

Strawweight: Mackenzie Dern def. Ashley Yoder via split decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Lightweight: Alexander Hernandez def. Beneil Dariush by knockout (punch) at :42 of Round 1

Bantamweight: John Dodson def. Pedro Munhoz by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)

Middleweight: CB Dollaway def. Hector Lombard by disqualification (strikes after bell) at 5:00 of Round 1

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass/6:30 p.m. ET)

Welterweight: Zak Ottow def. Mike Pyle via TKO (strikes) at 2:34 of R1

Bantamweight: Cody Stamann def. Bryan Caraway via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Light Heavyweight: Jordan Johnson def. Adam Milstead via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)