Hawaiian veteran Tyson Nam earned his second consecutive UFC win in the bantamweight opener, stopping recent Contender Series competitor Jerome Rivera in round two.

Rivera was busy while using plenty of lateral movement in the opening frame, and though he scored with a lot of leg kicks, the power was on the side of Nam, who was clearly looking to land his right hand, clocking Rivera with one that got the newcomer’s attention with two minutes left.

In the second, Nam landed with that right once more, and this time, it spelled the beginning of the end, as the knockdown led to a barrage of ground strikes that brought in referee Chris Tognoni to halt the bout at the 34-second mark.

With the win, Nam moves to 20-11-1. Rivera falls to 10-3.

Bantamweights Andre Ewell and Irwin Rivera put together an entertaining three-rounder, but it was Ewell who got the nod via split decision.

Scores were 29-28 twice and 28-29 for Ewell, now 17-6. Rivera falls to 10-6.

There was no shortage of action in the first round, Ewell landing several hard shots from long range while Rivera took them and kept charging forward. Ewell also had some positive moments on the mat late in the frame, but Rivera scrambled and got into the top position just before the horn.

After the frantic first round, Ewell got started slow in the second as Rivera continued to press the action, but the Californian got his second wind and surged as the frame progressed, using his volume striking to keep the Mexico City native at bay.

Ewell finished strong in the third, keeping his pace high throughout. Rivera did get a takedown that allowed him to unleash some hard elbows, but it was too late for him to get the finish.

New England up and comer Randy Costa scored a big win in bantamweight action, knocking out fellow prospect Journey Newson in less than a minute

Both fighters took their time trying to find an opening as the fight began, and it was Costa who found it with a left kick to the head that dropped Newson hard to the mat. The follow-up from Costa ended matters moments later, with Mark Smith stepping in at the 41-second mark.

With the win, Costa moves to 6-1. Newson falls to 9-3, 1 NC.

Nebraska veteran Darrick Minner picked up the upset victory in his featherweight bout against TJ Laramie, submitting the recent Contender Series winner in the first round

A takedown attempt by Laramie went south almost immediately, as Minner locked in a guillotine choke and decided to drop to the mat, forcing a tap as the two hit the canvas. The end of the bout came officially at :52 of round one.

Minner moves to 25-11 with the win, Laramie falls to 12-4.

There was a bit of controversy in the bantamweight bout between Jessica-Rose Clark and Sarah Alpar, but in the end, Australia’s Clark had her impressive effort hold up as she halted Alpar in the final round.

Clark’s striking was sharp to kick off the fight, but Alpar broke her rhythm with a takedown and subsequently a swarming clinch attack against the fence. Clark reversed position in the final two minutes and scored a takedown, though, finishing strong.

The grappling action continued in the second, Clark gradually taking over on the mat with her ground-and-pound attack. Alpar hung tough, making it to the end of the round, and while Clark apparently closed the show in the third with a knee that bloodied Alpar as she fell to the mat, referee Chris Tognoni momentarily stopped the action, thinking the blow was illegal before ruling that it was not and allowing the fight to continue. When the bout continued, Clark delivered more punishment until the bout was finally halted, the end coming at 4:21 of round three.

With the win, Clark moves to 10-7, 1 NC. Alpar falls to 9-5.

Brazil’s Mayra Bueno Silva didn’t let a takedown get her rattled against Mara Romero Borella, as she smoothly locked in a submission off her back that ended the bout in the first round.

Borella went all-in for an early takedown, dragging her foe to the mat in the opening minute of the fight. The Italian landed some hammerfists, but the whole time Silva was seeking out a submission, and soon, she got it, forcing Borella to tap out to an armbar at 2:29 of round one.

With the win, Silva moves to 7-1. Borella falls to 12-9, 2 NC.

Back in the UFC for the first time since 2016, Damon Jackson took a fight with Mirsad Bektic on less than a week’s notice and made the most of it, submitting Mirsad Bektic in the third round.

Bektic dumped Jackson to the mat as soon as the fight began, and though Jackson rose quickly, Bektic put him back on the canvas moments later and the grappling exchanges continued for the rest of the frame.

In the second, Jackson kept looking for submissions, nearly catching Bektic in a guillotine early, but Bektic got loose and kept pressing, But in the third, the Texas submission ace hit paydirt, finishing Bektic with a guillotine choke at the 1:21 mark.

With the win, Jackson moves to 18-3-1, 1 NC. Bektic falls to 13-4.

In a clash of flyweight contenders, David Dvorak extended his current winning streak to 15 with a three-round unanimous decision over Jordan Espinosa.

Scores were 30-27 across the board for the No. 14-ranked Dvorak, now 19-3. The No. 13-ranked Espinosa falls to 15-8 with 1 NC.

Dvorak and Espinosa took the first five minutes finding their range and seeing what was going to work, each having their moments in a competitive frame. It remained a tactical war of nerves in the second, both fighters digging in with leg kicks, but Dvorak holding a slight edge. 

Espinosa got off to a fast start in the final frame, Dvorak answering right back with more leg kicks, but he ate several right hands for his trouble. In the end, though, it was Dvorak getting the nod.

Middleweight up and comer Kevin Holland held off a late charge from Darren Stewart to win a three-round split decision and extend his winning streak to three.

The judges saw it 29-28 twice and 28-29 for Holland, now 19-5. Stewart falls to 12-6, 1 NC. 

Stewart’s strength was acknowledged by Holland early on, and the Londoner obliged with a hard flurry of shots that was answered by Holland, who refused to back down from a fight. Some grueling infighting followed along the fence, and once the two separated, Holland cracked Stewart with more hard shots, prompting another grappling exchange before the end of the frame.

Stewart threw Holland to the mat in the first minute of round two, but “The Dentist” wouldn’t engage his foe on the ground, prompting a stand-up from referee Mark Smith. On the feet, Holland continued to implement an unorthodox, but effective, striking attack, but Stewart had his moments, switching things up nicely himself.

The third started with a pair of Stewart takedowns followed by clinch work against the fence, the Brit in control as Holland looked to be tiring. Another takedown followed for Stewart in the final two minutes, and after Holland took some big shots, Smith told the Texan that he had to fight back. Holland obliged, but it was Stewart talking to his foe as he punched him, capping off a big final round.

Strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern had her bout with Randa Markos where she wanted it almost as soon as it started, making her first-round submission victory no surprise at all to fans who know of her wizardry on the ground.

Dern missed a kick in the opening seconds of the match and fell to the mat. Markos followed and Dern went to work, but the Canadian defended well as the jiu-jitsu black belt looked for a submission. With three minutes left, Dern scrambled into the top position, searching for the tap out again, and she got it, locking in an armbar that ended the bout at 3:44 of the opening round.

With the win, the No. 15-ranked Dern moves to 9-1. Markos falls to 10-10-1.

In a wild light heavyweight bout, Johnny Walker put an end to Ryan Spann’s eight-fight winning streak, stopping the Texan in the first round

Spann took Walker down immediately, the Brazilian getting upright just as fast. Spann kept him locked up against the fence, the two proceeding to trade position control until breaking loose in the second minute. Spann proceeded to get the fight back to the mat, this time thanks to his left hand. Walker was in trouble, and while he rose to his feet, he was wobbly and dropped again. This time, though, Walker got his wits about him, and after a wild scramble a series of hammerfists and elbows brought in referee Dan Miragliotta to stop the fight at 2:43 of the opening round.

With the win, the No. 11-ranked Walker moves to 18-5. The No. 12-ranked Spann falls to 18-6.

If anyone doubted that Swedish phenom Khamzat Chimaev was for real, he silenced those doubters in 17 seconds, the time it took to knock out Gerald Meerschaert and notch his third UFC win in 66 days.

Chimaev pressured Meerschaert at the start, but instead of shooting a takedown, he blasted his foe with a flush right hand that put the middleweight veteran down and out.

Chimaev moves to 9-0 with the win. Meerschaert falls to 31-14.

A first round point deduction cost Niko Price the victory in his bout with welterweight star Donald Cerrone, with the match ultimately ending with a draw verdict.

Scores were 28-28 twice and 29-27 Cerrone.

Price (14-4, 1 NC) was throwing heat from the start, rattling Cerrone (36-15-1, 1 NC) with several hard shots. Cerrone held his foe off briefly with a couple knees and a clinch, but after a little breather and an inadvertent eye poke, Price went back on the offensive. This time, though, Cerrone was giving as good as he got. Unfortunately, Cerrone caught another poke in the eye, this time costing Price a point on the scorecards.

The action was steady in the second, both fighters taking turns getting their shots in, but Cerrone landing the more telling blows. Looking to make up for the lost point in the first, Price went on the attack with more urgency, only to be greeted by a quick takedown from Cerrone. Cerrone wasn’t able to keep his foe down long, but it did score points in a pivotal round, which, of course, ended with some heated exchanges.