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Main Event: Strickland dominates Imavov
Welterweight rankers stepped into the light heavyweight division when No. 7 ranked Sean Strickland stepped in on short notice against No. 12 ranked Nassourdine Imavov.
Strickland, known for his incredible defense, broke from his style and a fun striker's battle ensued. Imavov was also able to adapt to Strickland's clinch game, and took the fight to the distance of all 5 rounds.
On the judge's scorecards, Strickland won the unanimous decision and said, "It was a close fight, but I won. I beat the second and third ranked guys.
"I'm only here (this rank) because of bad judging. The only reason he could hit me is because I wanted to finish him. I didn't finish him, so I'm sorry you guys."
Co-main Event: Ige stops Jackson
In a do-or-die match for two featherweights, fan favorite No. 13 ranked Dan Ige had the bead on Damon Jackson, and finally returned to the win column with a spectacular second round KO.
Ige had the perfect game plan against the rangy style of Jackson, and he stayed true to it until he landed the perfect short hook that spelled lights out.
After the bout, an emotional Ige said, "It feels really good. It's been almost two years without a win. I give my whole life to this sport, and my identity lies in winning.
"Without winning, I went through depression and anxiety to do anything to get a win for my family, for my son. I just want to be a good role model. You've just got to keep getting up over and over again."
Other Main Card Action
In a critical matchup of two exciting middleweight prospects, Roman Kopylov came out the better with damaging body kicks that TKO-ed Punahele Soriano in the second round.
The top-ranked women's bantamweight contenders Raquel Pennington and Ketlen Vieira got after it on Saturday, battling tooth-and-nail for 15 minutes in an intense, competitive affair. In the end, Pennington took a split decision in her favour.
In the main card opener, rising star Umar Nurmagomedov proved his stiffest test yet by dispatching veteran Raoni Barcelos near the end of the first round by knockout, bringing his UFC record to 4-0.
Preliminary Card Action
Javid Basharat believed experience and Fight IQ would be major factors in his fight with Mateus Mendonca and the unbeaten bantamweight was correct as he took the fight to the distance to claim a decision win.
Dana White Contender Series signee Mateusz Rębecki maintained his winning ways with a unanimous decision victory in his promotional debut against Nick Fiore in a lightweight bout.
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 29 aluminee Dan Argueta collected his first UFC victory on Saturday (January 14), securing a dominant win over short-notice replacement Nick Aguirre in a featherweight bout.
While three fights went the distance, the prelims also saw three stoppages, starting with the event opener and the first fight of 2023 in the UFC as Charles Johnson turned in the most impressive outing of his UFC career to dispatch Jimmy Flick in the first round of a flyweight bout.
Also, Allan Nascimento put Carlos Hernandez to sleep via submission in the first round of a flyweight bout before Abdul Razak Alhassan maintained his perfect finishing percentage with a second-round stoppage win over newcomer Claudio Ribeiro in a middleweight bout.
UFC Vegas 67 Final Results
UFC Vegas Main Card Results
1. Light Heavyweight Bout: Sean Strickland defeated Nassourdine Imavov by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)
2. Featherweight Bout: Dan Ige defeated Damon Jackson by KO (left hook) at 4:13 of Round 2
3. Middleweight Bout: Roman Kopylov defeated Punahele Soriano by TKO (strikes) at 3:19 of Round 2
4. Women's Bantamweight Bout: Raquel Pennington defeated Ketlen Vieira by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
5. Bantamweight Bout: Umar Nurmagomedov defeated Raoni Barcelos by KO (left hand) at 4:40 of Round 1
UFC Vegas 67 Preliminary Card Results
1. Bantamweight Bout: Javid Basharat defeated Mateus Mendonca by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
2. Middleweight Bout: Abdul Razak Alhassan defeated Claudio Ribeiro by KO (punches) at 0:28 of Round 2
3. Lightweight Bout: Mateusz Rebecki defeated Nick Fiore by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
4. Flyweight Bout: Allan Nascimento defeated Carlos Hernandez by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:16 of Round 1
5. Featherweight Bout: Daniel Argueta defeated Nick Aguirre by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
6. Flyweight Bout: Charles Johnson defeated Jimmy Flick by TKO (strikes) at 4:33 of Round 1
