UFC on ESPN 56 ‘Lewis vs. Nascimento’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

 The Ultimate Fighting Championship makes its second visit to St. Louis for the upcoming UFC on ESPN 56 card, set to go down at 4 p.m. ET on May 11 at Enterprise Center.

The main event features a potential slugfest as explosive heavyweights Derrick Lewis and Rodrigo Nascimento take center stage to cap things off at the home of the NHL Blues. Sherdog.com brings exclusive live play-by-play coverage of every thrilling moment, ensuring you don't miss out on any of the Octagon excitement.

The next slate of UFC fights steps through the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, with a dozen fine matchups on the lineup. The first bout of the evening comes at the women’s 125-pound division, as roster staple Aldrich (13-6, 9-5 UFC) looks to put a three-fight win streak together at the expense of Hardy (8-4-1, 3-4 UFC)—who is also trying to do the same. Only one woman will get to three in a row, barring something unusual, and referee Josh Stewart will have the first say on who that is. The ladies do not touch ‘em up before getting after it, and instead Aldrich shifts right to the center of the cage, ready to engage. She pulls back before getting into boxing range, but she springs forward to test out a jab that is out of reach. Aldrich does the same reaching jab again that also misses, and a minute goes by without a strike landing—this draws boos from the crowd already. Hardy hears this and answers by lunging in to throw hands, and Aldrich takes one on the temple and gives one back to make Hardy backpedal. Aldrich doubles up on a jab, reddening the nose of her foe, and Hardy responds with two low kicks. Aldrich measures her jab and attempts a standing elbow that is feet away from her intended target. Aldrich plants a one-two on the beak and gets out of harm’s way before getting countered. When Hardy advances, Aldrich meets her in the middle and ties her up, where she pushes the Venezuelan to the fencing. Both women let fly short but effective elbows that force separation. Aldrich paws out with a left hand, and Hardy charges her and plants a kick to the ribs before getting too close and winding up in the clinch. Aldrich moves to take a body lock from behind, and she drills Hardy in the face with a heavy knee that opens up a tiny cut on the side of her left eye. Aldrich tries to drag her down, and Hardy gets away with a fence grab to keep her upright. Aldrich uses tight pressure to squeeze Hardy on the fencing, and Hardy allows this so that she can line up an elbow that smacks Aldrich in the nose and draws blood. Hardy scoots away, and she catches her opponent with a short combination. Aldrich nods at her, and Hardy lands a few more effective shots. Hardy bangs another elbow off her opponent’s cheek, and the round ends.

The flyweights meet right in the middle of the cage, and Hardy attacks with kicks from both legs that get blocked. Hardy leaps forward in pursuit of a long one-two, and Aldrich ties her up briefly until a knee pushes her away. Aldrich lets Hardy lunge again so that she can capitalize with a solid right hook, forcing Hardy to take a back step. Hardy switches stances to launch a pair of piercing jabs, and Aldrich’s guard is up in time. Aldrich scores a left, and Hardy does the same and follows it with a body kick. Aldrich backs off, and Hardy gives chase with two more. They crash together landing hooks, and Hardy’s right hook is the best of the bunch. Aldrich swarms forward swinging her fists, and Hardy flings blows back at her as they engage in a small melee with elbows and knees as well. Hardy circles away, and Aldrich motions to her to keep trading. Aldrich ducks a right hand to shoot in for a takedown, and she succeeds in pushing Hardy back to the wall but is nowhere near getting her down. Aldrich gets in a few knees, and Hardy answers with her own as she attempts to escape the clinch position. Aldrich hooks her own fingers in the fencing to keep Hardy trapped in a position, until Hardy bends over make Aldrich follow her. Hardy spins to the side and gets away, and chants for Hardy start to amass in the building. She pops out a single low kick, and pulls back when considering a second. Hardy jabs her way into a standing elbow, and she avoids the elbow counter. The horn sounds.

ROUND 3

Aldrich moves right to the middle of the Octagon to begin the final round, but it is Hardy whose offense gets going. Hardy strings a few punches together and a leg kick on the outer edge to evade what Aldrich tosses back at her. Hardy uses a jab-body kick combo, flustering Aldrich and not allowing herself to remain stationary and get hit back. Aldrich spins with a back kick that lands flush on the liver, changing Hardy’s complexion and giving her some pause. The confident Aldrich strides forward, and she rails Hardy with a one-two that sends the Venezuelan crashing down to her seat. Aldrich leaps on top, but Hardy turns around and snares Aldrich in an inverted triangle that lathers up the crowd. Aldrich slowly works her way out of the precarious position, and Hardy transitions to an omoplata shoulder lock solely with her legs. Aldrich does not show one iota of concern, as she slithers her limb free and shifts over to half guard. Hardy’s offensive guard does not slow, as she tosses her legs up to pursue a triangle choke. Aldrich shucks it aside and delivers a stern knee to the side. Aldrich drops down a number of left hands as Hardy scrambles madly, even pushing her feet off the wall in hopes of flipping them over. Aldrich is a 125-pound unyielding weight on top of her opponent, keeping Hardy stuck on her back and landing strikes any moment she finds an opening. Hardy kicks wildly to push Aldrich off of her, and when they climb back to their feet, they circle one another until time expires.

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