UFC On FOX 23 Preliminary Card Results: Sam Alvey Outlasts Nate Marquardt

It’s once again fight day here at LowKickMMA, and the talent on display tonight (Saturday, January 28th, 2017) will come in the form of UFC on FOX 23. Headlining the card are Julianna Pena and Valentina Shevchenko, but there’s a whole bunch of great fights also taking place on the preliminary section of the card.

Sam Alvey vs. Nate Marquardt in a middleweight bout closed the preliminary card on FOX Sports 1. In round 1, Marquardt with a landing left hand then clinched with Alvey up against the fence. Marquardt landed some knee strikes. They exchanged to the finish. In round 2, Alvey just misses with the counter hook. Marquardt lands a nice combo right after. Marquardt clinched with him halfway through the round and Alvey dropped Marquardt with a left hand but Marquardt right back up. Marquardt is cut over his left eye. Alvey ends the round with another good combo. In round 3, Marquardt clinched with him up against the fence and then took him down and got his back. Alvey scrambled back to his feet. Marquardt clinched with him late in the round and landed some shots. They exchanged to the bell. Alvey picked up the decision win.

Raphael Assuncao vs. Aljamain Sterling is next in a bantamweight bout. In round 1, they exchanged leg kicks early. Sterling was kicked low but after some recovery, they went back to action. They kept the fight on the feet and it was a very close round. In round 2, Sterling arguing a nut shot to begin the round but the referee hasn’t stopped the fight. Assuncao being classy and won’t jump on Sterling. Sterling got back to his feet. Sterling eats a big counter right hand that drops Sterling to one knee but he’s back up. Sterling shoots in but has his attempted stuffed, back to striking now. They exchanged to end the round. In round 3, Sterling landed a nice right hand to open the round. Sterling shot in on a takedown but it was stuffed. Sterling started pressing and was landing a left hook often. They exchanged to the finish. The judges gave the decision win to Assuncao.

Li Jingliang vs. Bobby Nash is next in a welterweight bout. In round 1, after having a feeling out process, a massive counter left from Nash drops Jingliang. Nash locks up a no-hooks rear-naked choke and it’s deep but Jingliang powers out. Nash in mount and raining down strikes. In round 2, Nash bull rushing Jingliang and he’s hurting him with every flurry. Nash clinches and lands some good uppercuts. Nash stunned him with a right hand and Jingliang fired back with his own. Nash shot in on a takedown and got it. Jingliang lands two huge rights and puts Nash out for the win.

Luis Henrique da Silva vs. Jordan Johnson is next in a light heavyweight bout. In round 1, after having a feeling out process, Johnson clinched and took him down. Silva scrambles, Johnson goes for an anaconda but Silva got out of it. Silva got to his feet and they got back to striking. Hard body knees from da Silva, but Johnson keeps pumping jab into his eye, then gets a takedown with a minute left. In round 2, Johnson blocked a kick to the body and took him down. John controlled him for the majority of the round from guard and just beat him down. Silva scrambled to his feet with a minute to go. Johnson got stalled in the clinch. Johnson backed off. In round 3, after a brief exchange, Johnson tossed him to the ground and got his back. Johnson dives into side control on Silva and he’s looking for the straight armbar. Johnson continued to land strikes from top position. Johnson received the decision win. 

Alessio Di Chirico vs. Eric Spicely in a middleweight bout is next. Spicely came out and clinched with him up against the fence. Di Chirico reversed that takedown really nicely, and then threw himself straight into a triangle choke. Spicely wins the fight.

Marcos Rogerio de Lima vs. Jeremy Kimball in a light heavyweight opens the FOX Sports 1 preliminary bouts. After a feeling out process, Kimball pushed him down and got guard. Lima kicked him off and they went back to striking. Kimball slipped ducking a punch, froze on his knees and got smashed with a diving punch. Lima finished him on the ground with strikes.

Eric Shelton vs. Alexandre Pantoja in a flyweight bout finished off the UFC Fight Pass prelims. In round 1, Shelton gets the takedown right away but Pantoja kicks off and gets back to his feet. Pantoja gets his back midway through the round and worked him over with strikes. Shelton finally able to spin out and hit a double leg. But Pantoja kicks out and gets back up with seconds to go in the round. Shelton took him down to end the round. In round 2, Shelton out of the gate on a low single off a caught body kick from Pantoja. They clinched up against the fence. Shelton with a bad shot that Pantoja stuffed, but Shelton wrestled through it and into a guillotine that he got out of. Pantoja landed a flying knee while Shelton was working for a takedown. Pantoja took him down and got his back and worked him over with strikes. Shelton stayed through it and survived the round. In round 3, Pantoja pressing forward right into a Shelton backfist. Both fighters slowed down in this round. Pantoja shoots from way out and Shelton ragdolls him into the cage. The judges gave the win to Pantoja by split decision. 

Opening the UFC Fight Pass prelims was Jason Gonzalez vs. J.C. Cottrell in a lightweight bout. Gonzalez threw a lot of kicks early then stunned him with a right hand. However, Cottrell took him down and got guard. Gonzalez scrambled and got to his feet but Cottrell slammed him back down to the ground. Cottrell worked for a north-south choke but let it go. Cottrell had side control and worked him over with shots. Gonzalez locked in a d’arce choke and won the fight. Nice comeback for Gonzalez.

Here are the results:

PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1, 5 p.m. ET)

Sam Alvey def. Nate Marquardt via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Raphael Assuncao def. Aljamain Sterling via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28

Li Jingliang def. Bobby Nash via TKO (punches) at 4:45 of R2

Jordan Johnson def. Luis Henrique da Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Eric Spicely def. Alessio Di Chirico via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 2:14

Marcos Rogerio de Lima def. Jeremy Kimball via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:27

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 4 p.m. ET)

Alexandre Pantoja def. Eric Shelton by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Jason Gonzalez def. JC Cottrell by submission (D’arce choke) at 3:54 of Round 1