Prelim Results | UFC 299: O'Malley vs Vera 2

Joanne Wood and Maryna Moroz kicked off the action at UFC 299 in a rematch of their April 2015 battle in Krakow, Poland, cracking on each other for the final 10 minutes in a spirited back-and-forth affair.

Moroz dominated the first after putting Wood on the deck, but over the second and third, the fight was contested on the feet and the action was too competitive to definitively say who got the better of the exchanges. Late in the third, Wood connected with a spinning back fist that put Moroz on Dream Street, leading to a dominant final stretch for the Scottish veteran.

The judges were tasked with determining the victor, and when the scores were tallied, it was Wood that came out ahead, earning a measure of revenge and a victory in what is her final UFC appearance. The TUF 20 alum goes out with a 9-8 mark inside the Octagon and a career record of 17-8 overall

The sophomore from Kazakhstan controlled every moment of his clash with CJ Vergara on Saturday, showcasing his excellent grappling skills and a taste of his striking abilities without ever really being in danger at any point. Each time Vergara had even a single positive moment, Almabayev was right there to respond by either tying him up or taking him down.

All three judges saw it the same way, awarding the streaking 30-year-old the unanimous decision victory. There are a number of emerging names ascending the ranks at flyweight right now, and Almabayev is one to keep a close eye on going forward.

The Cuban heavyweight sat down Josh Parisian with a right hand while backing up, following up with a huge uppercut that put the veteran on the canvas and brought the referee in to stop the action.

Quite the debut for Despaigne, who moves to 5-0 with five first-round finishes as a mixed martial artist. Keep your eyes peeled for “The Big Boy” because his power is for real.

“Demolidor” hurt the Polish middleweight with a punch to the body, backing him up, before unloading a knee to the midsection that folded him over. From there, the Brazilian latched onto a rear-naked choke to secure the finish.

This was a blistering effort from the surprisingly under the radar middleweight, who has now earned back-to-back rapid stoppages at 185 pounds and seven straight wins overall

The Brazilian veteran chewed up the lead leg of Ion Cutelaba early in their light heavyweight clash on Saturday’s prelims, compromising his movement and ability to plant while throwing his punches. Although he slowed over the course of the fight, Lins was able to clinch and grapple well and avoid the sporadic offensive rushes that came from “The Hulk” throughout the fight.

After dropping his first two UFC appearances at heavyweight, Lins has rattled off four consecutive victories since transitioning to the 205-pound ranks. It was a workmanlike effort, and now Lins finds himself on the doorstep of the Top 15

The 28-year-old MMA Lab representative put together dynamic combinations that stung Munhoz in the opening frame, looking incredibly fluid and sharp against the durable Brazilian veteran. Though his pace and output slowed as the fight progressed, Phillips still connected with combos in spurts and never allowed Munhoz to build any meaningful momentum.

Phillips has now won three straight and six of seven in the UFC, reminding everyone that he’s another of the skilled, emerging names working forward in the 135-pound ranks at the moment. A return to the rankings and a date with another surging climber in the second half of the year would make a lot of sense

Dos Anjos hurt the Polish contender in the early stages of the first round, timing strong shots that put Gamrot in defensive mode. But in the second half of the round and over the remainder of the fight, “Gamer” was able to press the action and lean on his grappling to stifle the Brazilian veteran’s advances and collect the win.

That’s now three straight and victories in six of his last seven for Gamrot, who remains a fixture in the Top 10 and a tough out each and every time he steps into the Octagon

Barber seemed to get the better of things in the first round, crowding the former title challenger and forcing her to fight in tight quarters. Cerminara had more success early in the second when working from range, but Barber was again able to close the distance and make it grimy, replicating the same approach for a good portion of the third.

When the totals were added up, Barber emerged victorious, collecting her sixth straight victory and the biggest win of her career. She’s continuing to improve every time out and is now 9-2 in the UFC, with a spot in the Top 5 at flyweight likely coming when the rankings update next week

After getting wrestled to the canvas for the majority of the first round, Blaydes unloaded hammerfists as Almeida reached for a single leg to start the second, and he didn’t let up until referee Mike Beltran stepped in to stop the fight.

This was an outstanding comeback win for Blaydes, who has been a fixture in the Top 5 at heavyweight for several years and now holds wins over the top emerging talent in the division and the interim champion