UFC Vegas 36 results and recap: Brunson chokes Till for submission win as Aspinall TKOs Spivac

The main event middleweight contenders match between No. 5 ranked Brunson versus No. 7 ranked Till proved styles make fights. Till opened strong with sharpshooter striking, so Brunson countered with powerful takedowns and grinding ground control.

In the third round, Till scored with a near knockdown, but Brunson’s wrestling made the difference – he recovered and ended the fight with a rear naked choke.

Following the win, Brunson said, “I’m tired of these guys not mentioning my name… I’ve been busting my butt for four years after my loss to get back to this point, so I’m ready to contend. I’m really good on the ground and wanted to showcase it.”

The co-main event between heavyweight finishers No. 13 ranked Aspinall and No. 14 ranked Spivac meant that someone’s win streak had to end.

Aspinall’s fast and powerful hands got the job done in just 2:30 of the first round. It started with a hard elbow that wobbled Spivac backwards, and he followed up with ground and pound for the TKO victory.

After the bout, Aspinall said, “I’m extremely happy. Every time I get in this place, I’m *** scared to death. I express myself through my fear… I use it to my advantage and I feel amazing. I’m trying to move up this thing slow. If I’m #13, then give me #12.”

Also on the main card, Alex Morono earned a decision win over David Zawada in a welterweight bout, while Khalil Rountree Jr. claimed a second round TKO win against Modestas Bukauskas in a light heavyweight bout.

In the main card opener, Paddy Pimblett earned a Performance of the Night Award for his TKO of Luigi Vendramini in the first round. It was a hard UFC debut for Pimblett as Vendramini rocked him and took him down, but the Liverpudlian weathered the adversity to find his momentum and finished the Brazilian with a barrage of punches.

In the preliminary card main event, South Korea’s Kim Ji-Yeon took on fellow UFC veteran Molly McCann of England in her 7th walk to the Octagon and made it a women’s flyweight battle for the ages.

The two went through all three rounds with gritty boxing and heartfelt determination and earned the Fight of the Night Award for their efforts. In a close one on the scorecards, McCann claimed the win.

Earlier in the prelims, Jack Shore and Marc-Andre Barriault earned decision wins in their respective bouts, while Julian Erosa claimed a third round submission win over Charles Jourdain in a catchweight bout.

UFC Vegas 36 Results

Main Card

1. Middleweight bout: Derek Brunson defeated Darren Till via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:13 of round three

2. Heavyweight bout: Tom Aspinall defeated Serghei Spivac via TKO (strikes) at 2:30 of round two

3. Welterweight bout: Alex Morono defeated David Zawada via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

4. Light Heavyweight bout: Khalil Rountree Jr. defeated Modestas Bukauskas via TKO (strikes) at 2:30 of round two

5. Lightweight bout: Paddy Pimblett defeated Luigi Vendramini via TKO (strikes) at 4:25 of round one

Preliminary Card

1. Women’s Flyweight bout: Molly McCann defeated Ji Yeon Kim via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

2. Bantamweight bout: Jack Shore defeated Liudvik Sholinian via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

3. Catchweight (150lbs) bout: Julian Erosa defeated Charles Jourdain via submission (D’Arce choke) at 2:56 of round three

4. Middleweight bout: Marc-Andre Barriault defeated Dalcha Lungiambula via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)