UFC on ESPN 71 Full Card Results - August 02, 2025: Knockouts, Submissions & Grit in Vegas, Taira’s Precision, Ribovics’ Pressure

Las Vegas brought the heat at UFC on ESPN 71, as rising stars and seasoned vets put on a clinic of violence, grit, and heart. From Tatsuro Taira’s picture-perfect submission to Neil Magny’s relentless ground-and-pound, the card delivered non-stop action. Here’s your full rundown of the chaos that unfolded. 

Date: August 2, 2025
 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Attendance: 12,543 

Kevin Vallejos def. Danny Silva via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Featherweight Bout | Referee: Chris Tognoni

Kevin Vallejos remained composed under pressure and let his volume speak for itself. Round one saw him land heavy leg kicks and tight combos, controlling the pace early. Silva countered with a takedown late but couldn’t steal the round. Vallejos’ accuracy carried over into round two as he stuffed Silva’s shots and blasted him with hooks. Silva’s chin impressed, but the damage was adding up. The third saw Silva pressing more, but Vallejos maintained composure and landed big uppercuts and combinations, closing strong.

📝 Backstage Take: Silva’s toughness is the story—but Vallejos is quietly building a case as one of the most technically poised fighters in the featherweight division.

Judges: McCarthy (29‑28), Bell (30‑27), Weeks (30‑27) 

Neil Magny def. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos via TKO (Punches) – Round 2, 4:39

Welterweight Bout | Referee: Mark Smith

The veteran Neil Magny flipped the script in round two after weathering Zaleski’s early pressure. Round one featured heavy leg kicks and clinch control from Zaleski, including a last-second takedown. But round two turned into a war of attrition. After an early takedown and heel hook threat from Zaleski, Magny scrambled up, landed a big knee, and reversed control. He secured a dominant position and rained down strikes, forcing the stoppage late in the round.

📝 Backstage Take: Just when you think Magny’s back is against the wall, he pulls off something gritty and vicious. Don’t count him out just yet.

Judges: N/A (TKO) 

Karol Rosa def. Nora Cornolle via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-27, 29-27)

Women’s Strawweight Bout | Referee: Kerry Hatley

Karol Rosa delivered a wrestling-heavy clinic against the gritty Nora Cornolle. After winning round one with clinch control and damage, Rosa turned up the pressure with dominant top control in round two, nearly finishing with an arm-triangle and rear-naked choke. Round three was much of the same: Rosa suffocating Cornolle’s movement and landing steady ground shots.

📝 Backstage Take: Rosa may not be flashy, but her control and submission chains are elite. She’s one step closer to contender status.

Judges: Lee & McCarthy (29‑27), Bell (30‑26) 

Esteban Ribovics def. Elves Brener via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Lightweight Bout | Referee: Chris Tognoni

Esteban Ribovics and Elves Brener put on a wild, three-round war. Ribovics brought the pressure from the start, dropping Brener in the first with a vicious left and following with ground-and-pound. Brener survived but wore the damage. In round two, Ribovics kept up the insane volume while Brener landed in spurts but couldn’t shift momentum. Round three saw both men continue to bang in the pocket, but Ribovics remained in control with cleaner shots and pressure.

📝 Backstage Take: Ribovics showed he’s not just a finisher—he’s a machine. And Brener? That chin is made of steel.

Judges: Cleary (29‑28), D’Amato & Winter (30‑27) 

Chris Duncan def. Mateusz Rebecki via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Lightweight Bout | Referee: Kerry Hatley

A bloody brawl from start to finish. Round one saw both men wobble each other early. Rebecki chopped Duncan’s leg and pressed the action, but Duncan responded late with stiff jabs and a head kick. Round two flipped the script, as Duncan found his rhythm, landing sharp counters and big knees. The final round was brutal—both men bleeding, swinging, and giving it everything. Duncan edged ahead with the cleaner shots and pressure.

📝 Backstage Take: This was a dogfight. Duncan fought like a man who refuses to break—and tonight, Rebecki just couldn’t crack him.

Judges: unanimous 

Tatsuro Taira def. HyunSung Park via Submission (Face Crank) – Round 2, 1:06

Flyweight Bout | Referee: Mark Smith

Taira came in with a mission and executed it to perfection. After dropping Park in the first with a sharp right, he secured back control late. In round two, he wasted no time—quick takedown, back take, and a lightning-fast face crank forced the tap.

📝 Backstage Take: Taira is ice cold. That submission was surgical. The flyweight division has a serious future title contender in the making.

Judges: N/A (submission) 

Preliminary Results

🥊 Piera Rodriguez vs. Ketlen Souza

Result: Rodriguez def. Souza via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Division: Women’s Flyweight | Referee: Chris Tognoni

Round-by-Round Recap:
Rodriguez came out strong, using leg kicks and a tight clinch game to batter Souza with knees to the body in Round 1. Souza returned fire with heavy combos but struggled to stay upright as Rodriguez secured multiple takedowns.

In Round 2, Rodriguez landed a head kick and a barrage of strikes, finding her rhythm and controlling large stretches of the round with clinch work and takedowns. Souza stayed game, threatening with a flying knee and scrambles.

The third round saw Souza pressing the action but Rodriguez maintained composure, scoring a crucial takedown and dominating with top control and positional awareness. A close one, but the judges leaned in favor of Rodriguez.

🧠 MainEvent.News | Backstage Take: Rodriguez’s clinch control and smart grappling were the difference-makers here. Souza had power moments, but Rodriguez’s IQ and consistency edged her ahead in a tight contest.

 🧑‍⚖️ Judges: Bell, D’Amato (29-28), Cleary (28-29)

⚔️ Rafael Estevam vs. Felipe Bunes

Result: Estevam def. Bunes via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Division: Flyweight | Referee: Kerry Hatley

Fight Recap:
After a wild scramble in Round 1 where Bunes nearly pulled off a rare buggy choke from bottom, Estevam dug deep, using powerful takedowns and relentless ground control to wear Bunes down in the second.

Bunes came out swinging in Round 3, but Estevam’s grappling edge and ground pressure continued to drain the gas tank. A full display of grit and ground warfare from the undefeated Estevam.

🧠 Backstage Take: Estevam remains perfect, showing off durability and grinding pressure. Bunes had his moments, but couldn’t keep it off the mat when it mattered most.

 🧑‍⚖️ Judges: D’Amato, Lee, McCarthy (all 29-28)

🐍 Austin Bashi vs. John Yannis

Result: Bashi def. Yannis via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:39
Division: Featherweight | Referee: Mark Smith

Fight Recap:
Bashi came out aggressive, securing a takedown early and immediately transitioning to back control. His pressure was relentless as he rained down punches and eventually locked in a rear-naked choke for the tap.

🧠 Backstage Take: A bounce-back win for Bashi, who looked dialed in from the opening bell. Textbook execution.

💥 Andrey Pulyaev vs. Nick Klein

Result: Pulyaev def. Klein via TKO (body kick) – Round 2, 1:31
Division: Middleweight | Referee: Chris Tognoni

Fight Recap:
Klein dominated Round 1 with takedowns and heavy top control, but Round 2 flipped the script. Pulyaev landed a crushing body kick that folded Klein, earning his first UFC win in highlight-reel fashion.

🧠 Backstage Take: Pulyaev turned the tide with one of the most brutal liver shots of the year. A comeback KO that will be replayed all week.

🧠 Rodolfo Vieira vs. Tresean Gore

Result: Vieira def. Gore via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Division: Middleweight | Referee: Mark Smith

Fight Recap:
In a bout where takedowns were sparse, Vieira surprised with clean striking and consistent pressure. Gore defended well early but faded under Vieira’s calculated jabs, body work, and clinch control.

🧠 Backstage Take: Known for his grappling, Vieira’s striking stole the show here. He picked apart Gore round by round and showed significant evolution in his stand-up game.

 🧑‍⚖️ Judges: Lee (29-28), McCarthy & Winter (30-27)

🚀 Rinya Nakamura vs. Nathan Fletcher

Result: Nakamura def. Fletcher via TKO (body kick) – Round 1, 1:02
Division: Bantamweight | Referee: Kerry Hatley

Fight Recap:
It only took 62 seconds. Rinya Nakamura uncorked a vicious body kick that folded Fletcher in half. One strike, one finish, and another brutal reminder of Nakamura’s killer instinct.

🧠 Backstage Take: Nakamura continues to shine as one of Asia’s brightest bantamweight prospects. Don’t blink when he’s in the cage.

🧠 MainEvent.News | Backstage Take

UFC on ESPN 71 delivered a gritty mix of dominance, comebacks, and breakout performances in front of a fired-up Vegas crowd. Tatsuro Taira proved he’s more than hype, putting on a clinical showcase that has the Flyweight division on notice. Esteban Ribovics and Chris Duncan slugged their way through bloody wars, reminding fans why the Lightweight division is MMA’s deepest battleground. Neil Magny’s veteran poise turned a rocky start into a statement finish, while Karol Rosa’s ground control was nothing short of suffocating. And in the opener, Kevin Vallejos may have earned himself a ticket to the rankings conversation with a measured but decisive win. Top to bottom, this card was a fight fan’s buffet — and it proved Vegas still brings the heat even on a non-PPV night.

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