Adrian Yanez looked to be seconds away from scoring a TKO victory over Ricky Simon; however, the time ran out, and the UFC Seattle prelim bout was ultimately ruled a majority draw.
Yanez seemed to be in control for most of the fight, working with sharp boxing and landing the quicker, more effective shots on Simon. Simon would find his own success, however, especially with takedowns and power punches landed in round two.
Yanez had strong defensive work, and that helped him avoid more damage from Simon. And then, in a heavy-hitting round three, Yanez opened up a cut on Simon. Then, a series of right hands in the closing seconds could have helped Yanez score the finish.
Simon, however, managed to survive and even take a 29-28 total on one scorecard. The other two judges, however, ruled a 10-8 round for Yanez in round three, bringing their totals to 28-28 for a controversial draw.
Adrian Yanez Nearly Scores Finish, Ends Up With Controversial Draw Vs. Ricky Simon At UFC Seattle
Jesus christ. Are you fucking kidding me. Yanez won that first round
So R3 was clearly Yañez. R1 & R2 were close. Don't agree with a 10-8 R3. Had Yañez R1 and R3 myself. But you can go R1 and R2 for Ricky. Just weird in total. I think you could make a case for 29-28 either way depending who you score R1 for. Well….do it again I guess #UFCSeattle
Yanez 30-27 is legit better than Simon 29-28. Rounds 1 & 3 were not even close. Simon gets knocked out after arguably losing every round and gets a draw. New all time low in the UFC. They make the “if you box in England and win by KO you get a draw” real.
Simon entered this fight with four losses in his previous six fights. Prior to tonight, he had most recently fought at UFC Vegas 111 in November, losing to Raoni Barcelos.
Yanez was at one point on a nine-fight win streak; however, he entered this fight with three losses in his previous four. This marked Yanez’s first fight since dropping a split decision to Daniel Marcos at UFC Tampa in December 2024.
UFC Fight Night 271 lands at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle this Saturday, March 28, with a main event that could mark the end of an era or the start of a comeback. Former two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (24-5) takes on Joe Pyfer (15-3) in a five-round headliner that carries career-altering stakes for both men.
Main Event: Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer (Middleweight)
The numbers tell a brutal story for Adesanya. Losses to Sean Strickland, Dricus Du Plessis (submission), and Nassourdine Imavov (second-round TKO) have left the former champion at 0-3 since regaining the belt from Alex Pereira in April 2023. At 36 years old, the margin for error is gone. Another loss, especially to a fighter ranked 14th, would make any conversation about title contention impossible.
Pyfer is seven years younger, riding a three-fight win streak, and carries legitimate finishing power. Thirteen of his 15 career victories have come by stoppage. Since his only UFC loss to Jack Hermansson in February 2024, he knocked out Marc-Andre Barriault in the first round, decisioned Kelvin Gastelum with two knockdowns, and submitted Abusupiyan Magomedov in the second round. He’s ascending while Adesanya is sliding.
The physical matchup still favors the former champion. Adesanya holds a five-to-six-inch reach advantage at 80 inches and stands 6’4″ to Pyfer’s 6’2″. When Adesanya is moving well and using his jab, teep kicks, and distance management, shorter pressure fighters struggle to close the gap. The question is whether the Adesanya who made that style look effortless still exists.
Pyfer’s path to victory is straightforward: close distance, cut the cage, and force Adesanya into exchanges. His major weakness is cardio in championship rounds, which is how Hermansson beat him. But that vulnerability matters less if Pyfer can land the overhand right that Imavov used to drop Adesanya in their February fight. The betting line has been volatile. Adesanya opened as an underdog before settling as a slight -140 favorite, reflecting genuine uncertainty about where he is as a fighter.
Co-Main Event: Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber (Women’s Flyweight)
Grasso (16-5-1) won their first meeting clearly at UFC 258, outboxing Barber and controlling the striking. Since then, their careers have moved in opposite directions. Grasso won the flyweight title and lost it, going 0-2-1 in her last three with a draw against Shevchenko followed by losses to Shevchenko and Natalia Silva. Barber (15-2) has rattled off seven consecutive wins since that 2021 loss.
Barber enters as the -180 favorite, a reflection of momentum more than anything. Grasso’s losses came against elite competition, and her technical striking looked sharp even in defeat. Whether Barber has improved enough to reverse the result from five years ago is the central question. A win for either fighter likely positions them for a title shot at 125 pounds.
Main Card Fights to Watch
Michael Chiesa vs. Niko Price (Welterweight) — This is expected to be Chiesa’s retirement fight, and Seattle is home turf for the TUF: Live winner. Price stepped in after Carlston Harris withdrew due to visa issues. Chiesa has talked about this being a full-circle moment tied to his late grandfather, who inspired him to start fighting.
Julian Erosa vs. Lerryan Douglas (Featherweight) — Erosa is fighting in his home state at the tail end of his career against Douglas, a promotional newcomer with knockout power. Douglas is the heavy favorite, but Erosa has a history of pulling off the improbable.
Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Yousri Belgaroui (Middleweight) — The closest line on the card, essentially a pick’em. Abdul-Malik is 3-0-1 in the UFC with a 100% KO/TKO rate and elite wrestling credentials. Belgaroui is a world-class kickboxer who trains with Alex Pereira and Glover Teixeira, coming off a third-round TKO in his UFC debut.
Terrance McKinney vs. Kyle Nelson (Lightweight) — McKinney is the definition of first-round chaos. If you’re tuning in, don’t blink.
Preliminary Card
The prelims carry some solid matchups. Chase Hooper vs. Lance Gibson Jr. features a heavy favorite in Hooper (-280) against a UFC newcomer. Marcin Tybura vs. Tyrell Fortune is heavyweight action between a veteran gatekeeper and an ascending prospect. Ricky Simon vs. Adrian Yanez should produce fireworks, and Casey O’Neill vs. Gabriella Fernandes rounds out the women’s flyweight action. The card opens with Bruna Brasil vs. Alexia Thainara at strawweight.
Full Fight Card
Main Card (Paramount+, 8 PM ET)
Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer — Middleweight
Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber — Women’s Flyweight
Michael Chiesa vs. Niko Price — Welterweight
Julian Erosa vs. Lerryan Douglas — Featherweight
Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Yousri Belgaroui — Middleweight
Terrance McKinney vs. Kyle Nelson — Lightweight
Preliminary Card (Paramount+, 5 PM ET)
Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Tofiq Musayev — Lightweight
Chase Hooper vs. Lance Gibson Jr. — Lightweight
Marcin Tybura vs. Tyrell Fortune — Heavyweight
Casey O’Neill vs. Gabriella Fernandes — Women’s Flyweight
Navajo Stirling vs. Bruno Lopes — Light Heavyweight
Ricky Simon vs. Adrian Yanez — Bantamweight
Alexia Thainara vs. Bruna Brasil — Women’s Strawweight
How to Watch
Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026
Venue: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington
Prelims: 5:00 PM ET on Paramount+
Main Card: 8:00 PM ET on Paramount+
UK: Main card on TNT Sports; prelims on UFC Fight Pass
UFC fighter Adrian Yanez suffered a Twitter hacking earlier this week, resulting in many fans getting financially scammed in a fake giveaway.
It all started when a post from Yanez’s accounts allegedly posted a giveaway of a PlayStation 5 gaming console and a glove. This prompted many fans to message the account and provide the Yanez imposter with banking information to enter the giveaway.
After fans would provide their banking information, the imposter would block them from accessing and contacting Yanez’s account.
One Twitter user going by Rudy Sanchez called out the scam on social media, prompting many fans to question the validity of the giveaway and Yanez’s recent posts.
Please don’t fall for for the ps5 and glove! This is a scam, people are really out here getting scam left and right. Adrian yanez got hacked on here and Instagram. pic.twitter.com/76c7ogNxkr
“Please don’t fall for the PS5 and glove!” Sanchez said. “This is a scam, people are really out here getting [scammed] left and right. Adrian Yanez got hacked on [Twitter] and Instagram.”
My Twitter was hacked yesterday, I didn't get access til just a moment ago. If you've gotten scammed, please reach out to your bank immediately and dispute the transaction.
“My Twitter was hacked yesterday,” Yanez said. “I didn’t get access til just a moment ago. If you’ve gotten scammed, please reach out to your bank immediately and dispute the transaction.”
All of the giveaway posts from Yanez’s Twitter and Instagram accounts have been deleted and Yanez has recovered both pages.
Yanez has a 15-3 professional MMA record and has impressed many UFC fans since his time on Dana White’s Contender Series. After successfully earning a UFC contract, he would go on to win four fights in a row over the likes of Davey Grant and Randy Costa.
Yanez is arguably one of the most intriguing UFC bantamweight prospects entering 2022 and has been linked to a potential fight with Sean O’Malley. This goes back to when O’Malley called him out on social media last November.
Coincidentally, UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling was hacked as well this week, but it’s unclear if it was by the same culprit.
I’m sorry for anyone that was DM’d from me. I was hacked like a JV superstar. I got played and didn’t realize the fake email, being half asleep after training 🤦🏾♂️
I hope no one bought anything from that scammer! 🙏🏾 Let my tweets continue to attack Cheotr! 🥳😄
“I’m sorry for anyone that was DM’d from me,” Sterling said. “I was hacked like a JV superstar. I got played and didn’t realize the fake email, being half asleep after training. I hope no one bought anything from that scammer! Let my tweets continue to attack [Petr].”
Yanez and Sterling aren’t the only ones to have their social media accounts hacked. UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman was infamously hacked back in 2020, with the account sending various threats.
After questionable judging saw what appeared to be a comfortable victory over Davey Grant go down as a split decision, Adrian Yanez has called for repercussions for “terrible” scorecards.
Yanez has been rising up the bantamweight ladder rapidly and establishing his name as one of the most entertaining strikers in the division. Since breaking onto the scene with a memorable TKO win on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020, Yanez has entered the Octagon four times, recorded four wins, three by way of knockouts, and earned four $50,000 bonuses.
In his latest outing, Yanez boarded further passengers to his high-speed hype train by adding the well-established name of England’s Grant to his résumé. Against the tough Darlington native, who has never been finished on the feet, Yanez was taken to the scorecards for the first time in the UFC, where he took home a split-decision win.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXRMzonJkOn/
Yanez Frustrated By Split Decision “Asterisk”
Thanks to an impressive volume and damaging strikes, most had the 28-year-old clear on their cards. Per MMA Decisions, three media members scored the contest 30-27 Yanez, while the other nine had it 29-28 the same way. It was a similar lean in the fan scoring, with over 65% favoring the younger bantamweight.
Given the fact only 11% boasted 30-27 Grant scorecards, a result that is hard to take seriously, it’s miraculous that judge Tony Weeks fell on the side of Yanez’s opponent in every round. The scorecard was widely criticized at the time, and Yanez has now slammed Weeks for his interpretation of the contest.
During an interview with Sherdog, the surging 135-pound prospect described Weeks’ card as “terrible,” and questioned how he’d come to the conclusion Grant had taken all three frames.
“Ah, man, he (Tony Weeks) must have been texting, he must have been off in la-la land or whatever… Going back, I was trying to be super biased and re-watching the fight, but I still don’t see how all three rounds he gave to Davey Grant. I don’t see how he did that. I don’t know. And the fact that he’s a boxing judge as well, that made me really question a lot of things. I thought that was a terrible card.”
Despite ultimately walking away with another win on his record and one step closer to the rankings, Yanez admitted the scorecard has left a bad taste in his mouth and an “asterisk” on the result. In his mind, there should be consequences for judges who deliver clearly wrong scorecards.
“The fact that I still got the win is good, but also, it’s still kind of a little asterisk on that win because it’s a split decision, so it’s like, I don’t like that at all. It doesn’t sit well with me. I wish there’s something else that could happen, and be like, ‘Hey, there’s a penalty for that. That was a terrible scorecard.’ I think, 100%, there should be repercussions on that. I don’t like that scorecard at all.”
Bad scorecards aren’t uncommon in the promotion and have almost become part and parcel of the sport. Yanez, like virtually every fan and pundit, believes that needs to change.
Do you agree with Adrian Yanez? Should judges be held to account for their scorecards?
