UFC Fight Night 118 Preliminary Results: Marcin Held Decisions Nasrat Haqparast

It’s once again fight day here at LowKickMMA, and the talent on display today (Saturday, October 21st, 2017) will come from in the form of UFC Fight Night 118. Headlining the card are Donald Cerrone and Darren Till, but there’s a whole bunch of great fights also taking place on the preliminary section of the card.

Marcin Held vs. Nasrat Haqparast in a lightweight bout closes the preliminary card on UFC Fight Pass. In round 1, Haqparast hits a glancing head kick but slips. Big straight left lands for him as well. Held looking to slip and counter. Another long left from Haqparast is answered by right cross for Held. Both men throwing but neither landing much cleanly. Held leg kick answered by Superman punch from Haqparast. Held meets it with a jab. Counter cross for Nasrat. Held finally shoots. Held is relentlessly pursuing the shot but Haqparast continues to deny it. In round 2, Mouse under Haqparast’s right eye. He touches gloves and immediately jabs Held in the face. Apparently not because he drops Held with a looping left. He briefly follows Held to the mat but retreats. Short break in the action to cut off a loose string from Haq’s shorts. Held is shooting whenever he can but Haq stuffing. Held lands a spinning back fist but he’s getting the worse of the boxing. He seems to have recovered. Held is in side control with half a round to work. He’s going to have to do something to negate that knockdown but he’s got time. In round 3, Held wastes no time and gets in on a deep reactive double and gets it. Held uses a can-opener and sits back for a leg. Haq defends but Held able to get back on top. Sits back for a leg again. Haqparast again defends the leg lock but Held able to reclaim top position. He passes to half now and briefly looked for the kimura. Held passes to side control and locks up an armbar as Haqparast tries to escape out the back door. Haqparast escapes back to feet. Now Held jumps guard at the base of the fence and tries shifting his hips for an armbar. Haq hits a right and backs off. Held shoots a reactive double again but is stuffed this time. Haq lands a skip knee to the body, stuffs another shot. The judges gave the decision win to Held.

Brian Kelleher vs. Damian Stasiak is next in a bantamweight bout. In round 1, Kelleher clinches but can’t get the fight to the floor. Kelleher trying to line up a big shot but Stasiak is landing more. Kelleher settles into top position and lands moderate ground and pound. Stasiak tries to sit up for his own takedown but Kelleher threatens choke. In round 2, Kelleher has been able to stuff most Stasiak shots or threaten with a guillotine to force Stasiak to bail. Big Kelleher right. In round 3, Damian shoots, has to defend yet another guillotine, and winds up on bottom to defend the choke once more. Takedown for Kelleher and now he’s looking to take the back. Stasiak gets to his feet and is fighting off Kelleher. Another back kick lands for Stasiak then a flush 2-3 but Kelleher staying in his face. Big overhand drops Stasiak and after some extra strikes, the fight was called.

Sam Alvey vs. Ramazan Emeev is next in a middleweight bout. In round 1, Emeev leg kick. He follows a right hand into a takedown attempt but can’t keep Alvey down. He hits an elbow as he exits the clinch. And Alvey’s doing his usual thing, standing and waiting to land a big counter. Emeev again follows overhand into a shot. This time Emeev gets Alvey on his seat but no further. Emeev smashes Alvey with multi-punch combo as Alvey gets to his feet. In round 2, Alvey doing nothing at all. Corner imploring him to pump the jab but he’s just pawing. He finally throws one and eats counters. Alvey pushes forward behind a combo but it falls short. Referee stops them to warn them both for timidity. In round 3, Emeev shoots to start the round but gets stuffed. Alvey pummels for the Thai clinch and hits a couple knees but Emeev is undeterred. Back at range Alvey still not pulling the trigger. Emeev not doing much either except the occasional clinch. Alvey with a leg kick and hook. The judges gave the decision win to Emeev.

Andre Fili vs. Artem Lobov is next in a featherweight bout. In round 1, Fili’s jab finding a home. He’s staying orthodox much more than last fight where he switched a lot. Lobov’s face busted up. Another body kick and cross land for Lobov. Fili returns fire and stays on his bike. His reach is making the difference. Lobov going to low kicks more now as he has a hard time reaching Fili with his hands. Head kick drops Artem. In round 2, Lobov body kick leg kick answered by leg kicks from Fili. Lobov pushes forward but Fili circles away. They both land big lefts. Strong cross for Fili. Lobov catches a kick that stumbles Fili but he can’t follow up. Right hook for Lobov but eats return fire. Very active fight. Fili shoots but bails on it, seems just to create space. They’re banging in a pretty even fight. Lobov’s kicks are his most consistent weapon but he’s scoring with his hands too when Fili plants his feet. Fili landing too. Fili shoots a double and ref Marc Goddard pauses the action to tell Conor McGregor to sit down. In round 3, Lobov uses a leg lock to get back to his feet but Fili shoots right away to get back on top. Lobov sweeps again, taken down again. Fili isn’t getting much done on top but he’s shutting down any Lobov offense. Lobov again gets upright but gets planted once more. The judges gave Fili the decision win.

Warlley Alves vs. Jim Wallhead is next in a welterweight bout. In round 1, Alves gets his kicks going while Touahri goes to the body with punches. Alves trying to pressure but not throwing enough. Body and leg kicks land for Alves, then he steps in with a knee followed by a right. He crashes forward and gets a takedown. In round 2, Touahri trying to go to body with jab but having a hard time finding range. Strong kicks for Alves. Alves misses on looping overhand right. Touahri looking for counter left hook. Couple of booming rights partially land for Alves.  Touahri lands a shovel uppercut on a backed up Alves. Spinning back kick then head kick for Alves. Touahri snaps the head back with a jab. Hard low kicks for Alves, then counter right. In round 3, looks for lead head kick on ducking Touahri but can’t find it. Has to settle for leg kicks. Low blow doubles over Touahri and we get a break in the action. We restart and the two men trade body kicks. Alves is active coming out of the break, sending massive kicks Touahri’s way. Alves picked up the decision win.

Aspen Ladd vs. Lina Lansberg is next in a women’s bantamweight bout. In round 1, Ladd quickly initiates the clinch and pushes Lansberg into the cage. Lansberg finds some knees while Ladd searches for a throw. Lansberg turns Ladd around into the cage and keeps the knees going, pinning Ladd in place with head pressure. Lansberg creates some space looking for an elbow, but Ladd defends and a right to the mouth. Lansberg pushes back in In round 2, Ladd goes right back to walking in and trading 1-for-1 with Lansberg. Ladd shoots in and has Lansberg down. Ladd was landing some hard elbows on top. Smothering Lansberg with pressure as she lands strikes, which stopped the fight after the referee stepped in.

Opening the UFC Fight Pass prelims is Felipe Arantes vs. Josh Emmett in a featherweight bout. In round 1, Emmett kicks at Arantes’ legs, before letting him up. Another right drops Arantes again. Arantes doesn’t seem badly rocked. But now Emmett has him pinned on the fence and is unloading power shots. Cross to the body then Emmett drops Arantes a third time with a 1-2. Emmett pounds on him, but Arantes works up again. Arantes starts trying to pressure on a slowing Emmett. Arantes shoots is easily stuffed and goes to his back. Emmett follows. In round 2, Front kick and a head kick that just misses. Emmett pressuring, looking for another big right. Emmett switch head kick that’s blocked. Arantes is being much more careful not to stand right in front of Emmett. Arantes is outboxing Emmett now. Emmett has slowed considerably. Has Arantes backed to the fence, firing rights. Big knee for Arantes. In round 3, Emmett pushes Arantes into the fence and throws punches that all bounce off Arantes’ guard. Emmett has re-upped his work rate this round. Emmett was attacking with kicks and punches to the body and legs. He eats a counter but is undeterred. The judges gave Emmett the decision win.

Here are the results:

PRELIMINARY CARD (12:15 p.m. ET, UFC Fight Pass)

Marcin Held def. Nasrat Haqparast by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Brian Kelleher def. Damian Stasiak by TKO (punches) at 3:39 of Round 3

Ramazan Emeev defeated Sam Alvey via unanimous decision 30-27, 30-27, 30-27

Andre Fili def. Artem Lobov by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Warlley Alves def. Salim Touahri by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Aspen Ladd def. Lina Lansberg via TKO (kiai) at 2:33 of Round 2

Josh Emmett def. Felipe Arantes by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-25)