Chris Curtis, Nassourdine Imavov Bout Ends in No Contest

No. 14 Chris
Curtis and No. 12 Nassourdine
Imavov, came in looking to get back into the win column but
neither fighter left the Octagon satisfied after the bout was
called by referee Jason Herzog in Round 2 thanks to an accidental
headbutt in the featured UFC
289 preliminary match.

Imavov started the fight strong and kept Curtis guessing by mixing
clinical muay thai with crafty wrestling. Staying on the outside,
Imavov picked apart Curtis’ leg with hard calf kicks before
stepping off line and taking The Action Man’s back. Imavov proved
that his slick takedown wasn’t a fluke after catching Curtis with
the same trap only minutes later. This time however, Imavov nearly
ended the fight with a rear-naked choke but Curtis managed to
survive till the bell.

Imavov, looking to do damage inside midway through Round 2
accidently butted Curtis with the top of his forehead. The head
clash immediately opened a severe gash near Curtis’ right eye.
Curtis pleaded with Herzog for more time to recover, but after it
was clear the blood wasn’t stopping anytime soon, the bout was
called much to the dismay of both warriors.

Jasudavicius Grinds Way to Victory

Seemingly tied one round apiece heading into the final five
minutes, Ontario flyweight Jasmine
Jasudavicius pieced up No.15 Miranda
Maverick to edge out a unanimous decision victory (29-28,
29-28, 29-28) in front of her home crowd.

Jasudavicius (9-2) had no problem taking the fight to the ground
but Maverick nearly closed the show in Round 1 after catching
Jasudavicius in a dangerous armbar attempt off her back. Heading
into Round 2, the Niagara Top Team fighter didn’t sway from her
wrestling background and quickly put Maverick on her back.

Jasudavicius’ dominant second round gassed out Maverick (11-5),
setting her up for her striking in Round 3. Maverick was flustered
from the consistent pressure and Jasusdavicius took advantage. The
34-year-old Canadian landed at will, thudding Maverick with leather
all the way till the final bell. Coming in as a (+245) underdog,
Jasudavicius’ breakout performance may have earned her a spot in
the Top 15.

Zahabi Lays Out Aori in Round 1

After three straight decisions to kick off the night, Aiemann
Zahabi brought the Rogers Arena crowd
to its feet with a first round knockout of Qileng Aori
(3:56).

Both bantamweights came in looking to build off of their two-fight
win streaks and started the contests off cautiously feeling the
other out. Unfortunately for Aori (24-10), his simple leg kick was
met by a vicious left hook from the
Tristar Gym prospect. Aori thudded into the canvas, looking up
at a boisterous Zahabi, before having his head bashed in with two
more finishing blows.

The pro Canada crowd loved every second of Zahabi’s (10-2) victory
as the Quebec native provided another highlight reel to the delight
of his countrymen.

Nelson Stuns Bilder

Kyle
Nelson picked up his first win since 2019 after outclassing
previously unbeaten prospect Blake
Bilder (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) in their featherweight showdown
Saturday night.

Nelson (14-5-1) stalked Bilder the entire 15 minutes and even
though he was the less active fighter, he was noticeably more
efficient and damaging. Nelson wobbled Bilder with an overhand
right near the end of the first round and carried the momentum
throughout the fight.

In Round 2, Nelson’s leg kicks routinely spun Bilder around by the
force. Bilder continued to pop off shots, but Nelson’s heavy handed
strikes won the day.

Erceg Extends Winning Streak

Hoping to protect his eight fight win streak, Australian flyweight
prospect Steve Erceg
had his gloves full with No. 10 ranked David
Dvorak.

Dvorak, off the heels of a unanimous decision loss to Manel Kape
last December, looked sharp and fluid throughout the first two
rounds, but Erceg proved to be no slouch. “Astro Boy” cracked, then
dropped the five-fight UFC veteran before nearly pulling off the
upset with a guillotine choke late in the second round. Fans roared
as the two slugged it out to close out the round.

Round 3 was just as intense as both fighters kept up their
incredible pace, but as the clock ticked, Dvorak began to fade.
“The Undertaker” successfully took down Erceg to the mat but
couldn’t keep him there. Erceg, sensing that the round was still
anybody’s, found a takedown of his own with 53 seconds remaining.
That final takedown may have been the deciding factor on two of the
judges’ scorecards, as the Astro Boy (10-1) made his presence known
in a talented flyweight division with the unanimous decision win
(29-28, 29-28, 30-27).

Belbita Outshines Oliveira

Diana
Belbita (15-7) kicked off the prelims in front of her adopted
hometown fans with a back and forth unanimous decision win over the
scrappy Maria
Oliveira (13-7).

“Spider Girl” opened in a squared stance and effortlessly landed
punches and knees from both sides, but ate consistent counters from
Belbita in the process. After trading in the center of the Octagon,
the fight went to the ground as the two traded submission
attempts.

Belbita’s shaper, more technical approach shined in the second
round. The “Warrior Princess” pinned Oliveira against the fence
with vicious knees before closing the frame with another takedown.
Oliveira looked gassed heading back to her corner, but came out
energized for the final round.

Despite Oliveira’s boost, Belbita’s jab and consistent pressure
kept the Brazilian on her back foot. Oliveria looked to pull out a
late finish and threw multiple flying knees to try to sway the
judges away from the hometown favorite. Both fighters lifted their
hands in celebration after the final buzzer, but Belbita’s crisp,
consistent pressure shined in the eyes of the judges (30-27, 30-27
29-28).