MVP ‘Rousey vs. Carano’ play-by-play, results & round scoring

ASFN Admin · May 16, 2026

Ronda Rousey (142) vs. Gina Carano (141.4)Nate Diaz (168.6) vs. Mike Perry (169.6)Francis Ngannou (257) vs. Philipe Lins (220.6)Salahdine Parnasse (154.8) vs. Kenneth Cross (155.4)Junior dos Santos (245.4) vs. Robelis Despaigne (258.8)Live NOW! Namo Fazil (170.8) vs. Jake Babian (171)Adriano Moraes (129) vs. Phumi Nkuta (130)Jason Jackson (170.8) vs. Jefferson Creighton (168.2)David Mgoyan (145.2) vs. Albert Morales (143.8)Aline Pereira (128) vs. Jade Masson-Wong (129.2)Chris Avila (164) vs. Brandon Jenkins (164.2) Sherdog's live Most Valuable Promotions' MVP “Rousey vs. Carano” coverage will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.

Chris Avila (164) vs. Brandon Jenkins (164.2)

Round 1

Hello ladies and gentlemen. You’re about to see something that you have never seen before. The ultimate fighting challenge of Most Valuable Promotions’ Mixed Martial Arts is about to commence. May we all be better for it, and that it does not grant us another YAMMA Pit Fighting—on second thought…

The opening match on this card is one given specifically for a friend of the Diaz brother competing later, despite that a) he can barely maintain a .500 record and 2) he cannot seem to find a home in any weight class. For the former, they gave him ultra-aggressive Jenkins (17-12). For the latter, they made this match intentionally at 165 pounds, without it being a short-notice encounter. They will go at it to open up the card while referee Frank Trigg looks on from the sidelines. It’s on with the show after a quick fist bump from the athletes.

Jenkins moves right to the center of the cage, pressuring the Californian as he bounces in and out of range. Jenkins offers a high kick that bounces off the raised guard, and he takes a calf kick in response. Jenkins slaps Avila in the face with the instep of his foot, and he swipes it low as Avila reaches for it. Jenkins brings up a knee when Avila advances, and his calf kick is doing work and drawing reactions each time he lobs it. Avila bounces off the fence to come out swinging behind his jab, and Jenkins marches through anything he offers to throw body kicks. Jenkins hands out in the pocket too long, and he gets popped with an overhand right. This results in a level change attempt from Jenkins, who lowers his head down and bangs it into Avila’s. They are no worse for wear, and Avila gets back behind his jab.

Jenkins just misses with a wheel kick, and he pushes off of Avila when Avila reaches out low to the knee. Jenkins replies with a spinning back kick to the ribs, prompting Avila to bull-rush him behind a stream of uppercuts. Jenkins answers him with a knee up the middle, but he continues to walk into Avila’s punches. Jenkins goes high with a wheel kick that brushes the hairline, and he chops at the front leg after along with a clubbing right hand. Jenkins connects with a spinning back kick, and Avila nods at him in appreciation. Avila backs off and flashes his jab, following it with two right hands that stagger Jenkins. Avila’s boxing is giving Jenkins issues, forcing the otherwise forward-heavy fighter to come off his back foot. Jenkins delivers another spin kick to the ribs and an elbow up top, raising his arms in the air before lashing out with one final elbow at the bell.

Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jenkins
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Jenkins
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Avila

Round 2

Jenkins leads off behind his kicks, offering them to all targets especially the midsection. Avila tosses low kicks to the ankle, and Jenkins says two can play that game and loads up with one that near sweeps Avila off his feet. Another calf kick from Jenkins further gives Avila pause, and Jenkins leads into a clinch rather than working away at that damaged limb. Avila escapes, and Jenkins lets fly another strong low kick. Avila fakes for an ankle pick, and he gets his jaw jacked by Jenkins with a crisp uppercut. Jenkins goes back to working the front leg, and he dings Avila advancing with a subsequent flying knee and an elbow when he hits the mat. Avila changes levels, but Jenkins tosses him aside and keeps doing work.

Jenkins beats on the front leg until Avila changes stances to take some sting out of it. He switches back and is kicked there immediately. Jenkins jabs his way in behind a front kick, using it to set up a spinning elbow that bangs square into Avila’s dome. Jenkins nails the front leg with a kick that spins Avila all the way around, and he stands firm in front of his opponent’s telegraphed swings back. Avila trades a right hand to the face for absorbing a low kick. A second mighty kick is so hard from Jenkins that he himself trips after connecting with it. Jenkins swarms his way behind punches, delivering a kick to the ribs. Avila pecks out with jabs, but he cannot keep Jenkins from stalking him down and spinning with something or other. Jenkins lands one more spin, and the two hear the bell.

Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jenkins
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Jenkins
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Jenkins

Round 3

It is heat, beat and repeat for Jenkins as he proceeds to walk Avila down fearlessly without any concern for reprisal. The low kicks from Jenkins have taken most of the oomph out of Avila’s strikes, and he can barely stand on it as he weighs his options. Jenkins scores at will, whether he wants to kick the body and close in with a spinning elbow, or standing back to pitch a wheel kick while Avila’s hands are down. Jenkins tees off, but they are largely single strikes.

Avila absorbs a flush body shot and smiles, but it is not one of joy. Jenkins’ aggression leads to a clinch, and after a few lands on the inside, Avila pushes off behind an elbow. Jenkins walks face-first into a right hand that shakes him up, and he lumbers his way forward into three more. Jenkins’ face is swelling up from the jabs and fists aimed at it, and a bit of blood has crept out of Jenkins’ mouth. He pays it no mind as he continues to empty the tank with every strange, diverse or awkward strike as Avila does not know what to do. Jenkins fakes to go high and nails the front leg with his shin, drawing out a serious limp. Avila is more on a survival pattern than actually winning, and he goads Jenkins on to hit him more after Jenkins boots him upside the head. Jenkins proceeds to walk the Diaz brother training partner, lighting him up with spins and flying stuff until time expires.

Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jenkins (30-27 Jenkins)
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Jenkins (30-27 Jenkins)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Jenkins (29-28 Jenkins)

The Official Result

Brandon Jenkins def. Chris Avila via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Aline Pereira (128) vs. Jade Masson-Wong (129.2)

Round 1

It’s all name recognition in this preliminary tilt at a rescheduled 130 pounds. Pereira (2-2), sister of the renowned Alex Pereira, has not caught fire like her brother has thus far. At 35 years of age already, her back is against the wall just five fights into her pro tenure. She faces a battle-tested foe in Masson-Wong (3-2) who has jumped around as of late to boxing and its bare-knuckle variation. The ladies will be governed by referee Mike Beltran, who will be on top of things for as long as they last. They opt to touch ‘em up before proceeding.

The taller Pereira uses her long legs to work her way in, and she does not escape the pocket quickly enough and is clipped a few times by the Canadian. Masson-Wong skips in behind a few punches and darts away before getting countered. Pereira pitches out a half-hearted body kick, and she stumbles to her back when Masson-Wong catches it. Masson-Wong climbs into top position and starts doing work. She controls from above while doing little else, and Beltran is starting to get antsy. Masson-Wong does not pick up her work rate from above, resulting in Beltran standing them up.

Pereira thanks him for the standup by kicking Masson-Wong several times to the lead leg and body. Masson-Wong gathers a full head of steam and blitzes forward to nail the taller woman with a flurry of fists. Pereira comes up short on a long one-two, landing on a second effort. Masson-Wong whiffs on her comeback, bouncing in and out of action while Pereira sits on a counter or two. Pereira digs a kick to the side, and she chains a few punches after it. The bell rings.

Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pereira

Round 2

Pereira walks out of her corner confident as can be, and she whips a reintroductory head kick at her opponent. Masson-Wong runs at her to strike, zipping forward behind a jab to hurl a right hand behind it. Pereira dings her foe with a long right hand. As Pereira tries to find her way in with Masson-Wong largely out of range, it results in a bit of a shadowboxing effort with the two throwing hands at one another but not close enough to make much of an impact. Pereira fades back behind a right hand and a left, and Masson-Wong just grins.

Masson-Wong scurries in to close the distance and rip a left hand, and Pereira belts her in the ribs with her shin. Pereira digs deep and connects with a clean left hand, and Masson-Wong does not like this and rushes at her to take her off her feet and somehow get her back. Masson-Wong wraps up a rear-naked choke before bailing on it to climb over to full mount, raining down elbows. Pereira fights her way back upright and tries for a takedown, but Masson-Wong is able to stave it off and reach the bell.

Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pereira

Round 3

The Brazilian strikes first in the final round, wrapping a kick around each leg. They trade jabs, with Pereira putting a high kick behind hers. Masson-Wong paws out with a left, and she ducks in behind a right but is out of range. Pereira chops at the front leg and dips away from the anticipated counter. Masson-Wong charges behind a left hook, ducking in and lobbing it, but Pereira is too slick to fall for that. Pereira goes up top with a right hand, and pins her fist three more times on the Canadian’s face. Pereira walks Masson-Wong down and snaps her head back with a short left hook, staggering Masson-Wong and forcing her to retreat.

While Masson-Wong backs off, Pereira pecks at her with body and low kicks. Pereira splits the guard with a long right hand, and Masson-Wong charges into action by blasting the Brazilian in the face with four fierce overhand rights. Pereira keeps her chin down and stays in her stalking predator mode, staring down her nose while looking to knock Masson-Wong’s head into the first row. Pereira sits down on her left hand a few times, and Masson-Wong sees it coming and leans back to avoid it when it is aimed at her. Masson-Wong initiates a clinch, and Pereira grapples her and knees her in the guts a few times until Masson-Wong decides she needs to find a better approach than that one. Pereira snaps the head back with a left hand, and she lets her hands go but is swinging so hard that she slips and falls off-balance. Masson-Wong tries to take advantage of this slip by wrapping her up, and Pereira knees her in the belly until time expires.

Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pereira (30-27 Pereira)
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Pereira (30-27 Pereira)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pereira (30-27 Pereira)

The Official Result

Aline Pereira def. Jade Masson-Wong via Split Decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)

David Mgoyan (145.2) vs. Albert Morales (143.8)

Round 1

At the matches continue, we come upon a featherweight affair pitting a Russian who could not excel in the Contender Series in Mgoyan (8-1) against a six-fight UFC vet in Morales (19-10-1). The former is 21 years old, or 13 younger than his California-based opponent, so he should have plenty of time left on the clock. The two will tangle with oversight provided by referee Jason Herzog, and they do not touch gloves to make things official.

They do not touch much of anything for the first 30 seconds, until Mgoyan ends the silence with a low kick. He follows with two right hands, shaking up the UFC veteran early. Mgoyan lashes out with another low kick, and he is met with a calf kick and an oblique kick to his knee. Mgoyan circles to the right away from Morales’ power, sticking him with a jab or two. Mgoyan connects at the end of a right hand, finding that he has to deal with a plethora of kicks fired at his direction.

Mgoyan rushes out to hit a double-leg takedown, completing it and putting Morales on his back. Mgoyan sits up and elbows down, and Morales pushes off with butterfly hooks and briefly thinks about a high guard to set up a triangle. Mgoyan will not tolerate any of it, sitting up to prevent anything from coming together so he can blast Morales in the face with a clubbing right. Morales keeps his legs high for a triangle, and Mgoyan shucks to the side and bashes him once. Morales recovers back to full guard, and he wants the high guard again all while trading punches and elbows from his back. Mgoyan drops down a pair of stern elbows, and he is pushed off thanks to Morales’ upkicks. The round ends with Mgoyan pushed back to his feet.

Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mgoyan
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Mgoyan
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Mgoyan

Round 2

It only takes about 10 seconds for the athletes to engage in the second stanza, courtesy of a Mgoyan head kick. Morales shakes it off and gives one back but is way out of range. Mgoyan sticks him with a long right hand, and he reaches out with a left but is nailed with an overhand right. Morales shut down a takedown shot barreling towards him and forces the Russian to reset. Mgoyan dives after a single-leg takedown, and Morales does everything he can not to grab the cage to keep to his feet. Mgoyan gets him down, and he successively completes a mat return when Morales stands up. Morales is the more active of the two when horizontal, letting off punches and elbows from up close to fluster Mgoyan.

Mgoyan stands up to find another way in, and Morales throws his legs up for a solid triangle choke effort. Mgoyan steps over it to position himself in half guard, and he ignores a guillotine choke to deliver a stern elbow from above. He lands a second, prompting Morales to offer back his own elbows from below. Mgoyan keeps trying to advance, landing strikes all the while. Morales puts his toes in the cage to set up a choke, and Herzog sees it and tells him to knock it off. Mgoyan stands up, and Morales drills him in the side with an upkick. The bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mgoyan
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Mgoyan
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Mgoyan

Round 3

The two think about touching gloves to start off the final frame, but instead decide they should throw hands. Mgoyan takes a few punches in a flurry, and he bullies Morales all the way from one side of the cage to the other to complete a picture-perfect double. Morales wall-walks to get upright, and Mgoyan hits a sweet mat return. Morales rolls through the scramble to briefly trap Mgoyan from below, as if to threaten a sneaky kneebar or leglock from an odd angle. Mgoyan explodes out of it and controls Morales, seemingly more focused on keeping Morales down than inflicting any damage. Morales gives his back up as he keeps rolling, and Mgoyan tries to take it but Morales is too slippery to lock down. The UFC vet stands, and he gets wrenched back down on his face.

Morales once more stands, and Mgoyan hangs on from behind and kicks him in the face before tripping his legs out for another mat return. It has become a bit of a takedown clinic, with Mgoyan wrestling for all he is worth. Try as he might, Morales is at least offering some offense. Mgoyan gets a bit of space and drops down a few big fists, and Morales ties him back up again and fights off a guard pass in hopes of sweeping. Mgoyan briefly secures mount, and a frantic Morales bucks him off to get out of the danger. Morales turns over once more to his knees, and Mgoyan follows him every step of the way and gets the hooks around both sides of the body. Morales leaps to the ground to spike Mgoyan on the head, and this opens him up to real submission danger. Mgoyan wraps up a rear-naked choke, and when Morales twists his head, Mgoyan gladly grips it as a crank. Morales toughs it out and sits up, so Mgoyan blasts him in the ribs with soccer kicks until the final horn blares.

Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mgoyan (30-27 Mgoyan)
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Mgoyan (30-27 Mgoyan)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Mgoyan (30-27 Mgoyan)

The Official Result

David Mgoyan def. Albert Morales via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-27)

Jason Jackson (170.8) vs. Jefferson Creighton (168.2)

Round 1

Originally linked to what would have been a banger against Lorenz Larkin, former Bellator welterweight champ Jackson (19-6) will settle for “Jazzy Jeff” instead in the form of Creighton (12-2-1). We may not be able to say that about many other fights on the billing here—we’re looking at you, Ngannou—but there is a spot in the rankings on the line here at 170 pounds. They go after it under the auspices of referee John McCarthy, who checks them in as they bump fists.

Creighton starts off fast behind multiple low kicks. Both throw hands, ready for something violent to ensue. “Jazzy Jeff” changes stances to throw leg kick, and Jackson meets him with one much heavier. Fists fly again, with Jackson winding up a massive left hand, and Creighton does the same. Oh boy. Like Carlos Condit against Dan Hardy, Jackson’s is just that slightest bit faster. The huge overhand left of “The Ass-Kicking Machine” smashes square into the temple of the late replacement, who goes down in a heap. Jackson finishes the job with two concussive hammerfists as McCarthy races in to stop the fight. The victor leaps over the cage to go embrace Jake Paul, while declaring that he wants to be part of the organization and fight again soon.

The Official Result

Jason Jackson def. Jefferson Creighton R1 0:22 via KO (Punch)

Adriano Moraes (129) vs. Phumi Nkuta (130)

Round 1

It was to be a thriller between One Championship expat Moraes (21-6) and Muhammad Mokaev, but the latter could not get his paperwork settled in time. He will be replaced by unbeaten South African prospect Nkuta (11-0), who has been on plenty of radars to this point in his career. He will get a big shot here at 130 pounds, with the match not at flyweight because it came together fairly recently. Still glad to be fighting tonight, the competitors touch gloves, and referee Herb Dean stands by ready for what’s next.

Both fighters engage early with their kicks, looking to keep their foes on the outer edge of their attacks. Moraes especially prefers this tactic as the taller man, and he eyes Nkuta who has his right hand chambered for release. Moraes stalks down Nkuta and misses with a low kick, but his jumping front kick does get through. Moraes prods with his jab as Nkuta kicks his front leg, and he backs Nkuta off after Nkuta scores a few blows. Moraes punches his way into a takedown approach, and the shorter man stonewalls him and scores a right hand on the break. Nkuta slugs Moraes, and Moraes with his hands low brawls right back.

Moraes just misses with a jump knee, and Nkuta sits down on a right hand to bust him in the chops when landing. Moraes tries this again and evades the right hand by a matter of inches. He uses the close proximity to change levels, and the former LFA fighter turns him around and holds him against the fence for a few seconds. Nkuta plods before from behind his jab, and he has opened a cut on the forehead of the Brazilian. Nkuta swings with a huge right hand, and Moraes hits the deck, possibly damaged but also off-balance. Nkuta drops down to his knees to secure a guillotine choke, and Moraes climbs out of it without concern. Nkuta zips a high kick up that buzzes the tower and shakes Moraes up badly. Moraes stumbles around and shoots for a desperate takedown, and Nkuta bowls him over and lowers his shoulder down to perform an arm-triangle choke. When the choke is not there, Nkuta drops hammers until the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nkuta
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Nkuta
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Nkuta

Round 2

Moraes rushes out of his corner with a sweeping low kick attack. Nkuta throws a body kick back, but this exposes him to a standing back take “Mikinho.” Moraes jumps on the back to lean on him with his weight dragging him down, left leg laced around Nkuta’s. Moraes completes the back take by getting both hooks in and hopping onboard, where he starts fishing for the neck. Nkuta leans himself against the cage to take some of the pressure off and remove some of the leverage Moraes has on him in this position. Moraes hand-fights when not smacking Nkuta around with short but effectively scoring shots. Moraes goes full blast cranking on the neck, but lets it go when it is clear the Nkuta is not about to budge. In the blink of an eye, Nkuta turns things around by spinning in position to push Moraes to the wall and scrape him off. Nkuta holds on until Moraes breaks free.

Moraes flashes a naked body kick, and Nkuta catches him cleanly with a check left hook. Moraes circles on the outside, winding up with sheer power. Nkuta chips at the front leg when otherwise chasing after the former One titleholder. Moraes strafes from side to side, and Nkuta ignores it all and winds up a right hand to catch the Brazilian flush on the jaw. Moraes keeps moving, staying too far away to get kicked in the face, but not far enough away to make a takedown shot impossible. Moraes tries to take the fight down, and Nkuta stands him up. Nkuta’s jab has bloodied up Moraes’ nose, who stands around when not bouncing from side to side. Nkuta clubs him with a right hand and floats his way into a few more swings. Moraes stays on his bike and times a knee on the chin when the round wraps.

Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Moraes
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Moraes
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Moraes

Round 3

Nkuta starts off the round chasing the former One Championship fighter around. After Nkuta lands a few kicks, Moraes fires back with long punches. Moraes lights up Nkuta with a one-two and a low kick, and he sways back to avoid all but the end of a long right hand. Moraes punches his way into a level change, and the shorter Nkuta stops it in its tracks and circles off. Moraes follows him to land a single body kick. Nkuta offers up a chopping kick below the knee, and Moraes rifles off a number of jabs. Moraes starts chasing after the unbeaten fighter, planting one-twos on the chin.

Nkuta hurls a huge right hand and a left behind it, and Moraes blinks them out and checks a low kick. Nkuta sneaks in a left hook while moving, and he stings the ever-advancing Moraes with a sharp one-two. Moraes is not the slightest bit concerned about what comes back his direction, even when Nkuta snaps his head back with a left hook. Moraes stares at him and takes a few more on the chin, but he keeps plodding forward. The Brazilian considers a level change, and Nkuta shuts it down and turns him about in the clinch. Moraes separates, and Nkuta busts him in the face with an overhand right. Moraes drills Nkuta with a responsive combination. The two hurt one another as they throw everything into their swings. Both men throw bombs, with Nkuta finding major success until he gets send flying with a jump knee. Moraes pounces after him to lock down a rear-naked choke with seconds to go. Moraes locks it down with Nkuta belly-down in big trouble. Nkuta rides out the round and goes out cold, and time runs out. Moraes dismounts his unconscious adversary but signals to Dean that Nkuta went out, which would be a technical submission at the very end of the round, akin to Merab Dvalishvili vs. Ricky Simon in 2018. The officials have to take time to replay the finish, ultimately determining whether the stoppage came while time was still going. They decide that Moraes completed the submission with the clock still active, and therefore, it is a literal last-second rear-naked choke to take away Nkuta’s undefeated record.