UFC 231 Preliminary Card Results: Nina Ansaroff Decisions Claudia Gadelha

UFC 231 preliminary card results are underway as the Las Vegas-based promotion holds this latest event on television for fight fans around the world to watch the show.

It’s once again fight day here at LowKickMMA, and the talent on display tonight (Saturday, December 8, 2018) will come from in the form of UFC 231. Headlining the card are Max Holloway and Brian Ortega, but there’s a whole bunch of great fights also taking place on the preliminary section of the card.

Claudia Gadelha vs. Nina Ansaroff in a women’s strawweight closes the preliminary card on FOX Sports 1. In round 1, Gadelha comes out firing, landing punches to the face. Ansaroff is taken by surprise but is able to regroup. Ansaroff lands a side kick to the face and it stuns Gadelha briefly. Nina follows that up with an uppercut on this inside. In round 2, Gadelha is swinging wildly as she charges at Ansaroff, but she’s missing. Gadelha nose is bloodied at the midway point. Gadelha scoops Ansaroff up and slams her down, landing in side control. Gadelha lands plenty of solid ground and pound. In round 3, Ansaroff is keeping Gadelha away throughout the first minute of the third. Ansaroff is picking Gadelha apart with that left jab and right leg kick. Ansaroff got the decision win.

Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Gilbert Burns is next in a lightweight bout. In round 1, Burns changes levels and scores a powerful takedown. Aubin-Mercier pulls to butterfly guard with his back against the cage. Aubin-Mercier is dropped by a left hook. Burns pounces on him and rains down punches before taking his back. Burns is fishing for the rear naked choke, but Aubin-Mercier is defending it well. In round 2, Aubin-Mercier slams a left kick to the body but he’s rocked by a counter right to the head. Aubin-Mercier lands a few nice lefts, but Burns shoots in and takes him down Aubin-Mercier pops right back up. Burns with another takedown at the end of the round. In round 3, Aubin-Mercier presses Burns into the fence but eats a knee. Burns shoots in and scores a textbook double-leg with three minutes left. Burns is fishing for the rear-naked choke repeatedly but Aubin-Mercier is fending it off. Burns slips off Aubin-Mercier during a scramble and they explode to their feet. Burns got the decision win.

Katlyn Chookagian vs. Jessica Eye is next in a female flyweight bout. In round 1, Chookagian is moving well behind her jab. Eye is still applying tons of pressure but she’s not landing much at this point. Hook connects with an uppercut on the outside as Eye charges in. In round 2, Eye lands a nice elbow late in the second and it swings the round in her favor. Not a very action packed round. In round 3, Eye is rocked by a punch coming in and she stumbles looking for a takedown. Chookagian takes her  back briefly but slinks off to Eye’s right. Eye stands and tries to turn the tides. The two trade decent strikes down the stretch. Eye pulled out the decision win.

Elias Theodorou vs. Eryk Anders in a middleweight bout opens the FOX Sports 1 preliminary bouts. In round 1, Anders is having trouble figuring out Elias’s style and movement. Elias is in control early with his scattered kicks from all angles. Anders charges in but Elias evades him and grabs him behind against the cage. Elias lands several knees to the thigh and body. In round 2, Anders lands two hard punches to the chest, but Elias quickly moves to his right and slams a kick to the ribs. Anders cracks Elias with a punch upstairs and “The Spartan” is rocked. His legs are rubbery and he’s trying to recover. A left to the head drops Elias late in the second. Elias gets up and survives the round. In round 3, Elias tries for a takedown late, but Anders thwarts it. Elias misses a spinning backfist. Elias lands scattered punches and kicks down the stretch and likely steals the round. Elias got the decision win.

Brad Katona vs. Matthew Lopez in a bantamweight bout finishes off the UFC Fight Pass preliminary card. In round 1, Lopez slams a left shin to the ribs, but Katona answers with a right to the head. Katona is fighting at a measure pace now, landing plenty of low kicks. They trade hard punches in the center of the cage. Lopez shoots in and scores a takedown with about 25 seconds left. In round 2, they trade punches before Lopez scores a takedown. He is in side control, but Katona quickly battles back to his feet. Lopez is starting to slow down, likely from the myriad of body shots he’s taken. Katona looks fresh and in control. In round 3, Katona tags a straight right to the belly. Another. Lopez is looking more and more exhausted. Lopez shoots in but he’s exhausted; he misses badly. Katona tags him with a few rights to the head. Katona shoots in with 15 seconds left and gets the takedown and sinks in a tight rear-naked choke but the bell sounds. Katona got the decision win.

Chad Laprise vs. Dhiego Lima is next in a welterweight bout. In round 1, out of nowhere, Lima slams a massive left hook as Laprise charges in and Laprise is out cold.

Kyle Nelson vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira is next in a lightweight bout. In round 1, after some decent striking in the early going, Ferreira landed a head kick out of a break of a takedown. Ferreira also landed some nice straight right hands. Nelson was able to score a takedown and land some big strikes from back mount. Somehow some way, Ferreira was able to survive the round. In round 2, Nelson took him down right out of the gate, got back mount and landed a series of strikes and elbows to earn the TKO win.

Opening the UFC Fight Pass prelims is Devin Clark vs. Aleksandar Rakic in a light heavyweight bout. Opening the UFC Fight Pass prelims is Devin Clark vs. Aleksandar Rakic in a light heavyweight bout. Clark was able to clinch with him up against the fence and landed a series of knee strikes to the head of Rakic. Moments later, Clark pounced in and Rakic caught him with a back fist then finished him on the ground with strikes.

Here are the results:

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

Strawweight: Nina Ansaroff def. Claudia Gadelha via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Lightweight: Gilbert Burns def. Olivier Aubin-Mercier via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) 

Female Flyweight: Jessica Eye def. Katlyn Chookagian via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Middleweight: Elias Theodorou def. Eryk Anders by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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

Bantamweight: Brad Katona def. Matthew Lopez by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Welterweight: Dhiego Lima def. Chad Laprise via KO (punch) at 1:37 of R1

Lightweight: Diego Ferreira def. Kyle Nelson by TKO (strikes) at 1:23 of Round 2

Light Heavyweight: Aleksandar Rakic def. Devin Clark via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:05