UFC Fight Night 120 results: Matt Brown survives near finish, devastates Diego Sanchez

It didn’t go as long as some might have hoped, but it delivered everything one might expect, as Matt Brown (21-16 MMA, 14-10 UFC) was almost finished but came back to score a first-round knockout of Diego Sanchez (27-11 MMA, 16-11 UFC).

The welterweight bout was the co-main event of today’s UFC Fight Night 120 event at Ted Constant Convocation Center on the Old Dominion University campus in Norfolk, Va. It aired on FS1 following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Sanchez sprinted forward at the start and immediately shot inside for a takedown. Brown sprawled well at the fence and looked to drop in a few elbows but wisely focused on position, instead, keeping himself upright. Sanchez eventually had to back away, and the two looked to strike. Sanchez again changed levels, but Brown was able to push him away with no issue. Another takedown attempt came up short shortly after, and Brown seemed in complete control of the positioning.

A firefight followed, and Sanchez landed a beautiful left kick to the liver that saw Brown wince noticeably, but there was no follow-up attack. It was a terrible mistake, as Brown would catch another kick shortly after and back his opponent to the fence. “The Immortal” then threw a pinpoint right elbow over the top that landed flush to the head and sent Sanchez crashing to the floor. There would be no need for a follow-up blow after the highlight-reel walk-off.

Brown, who openly discussed retirement prior to the fight, remained non-committal in his post-fight speech.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 120 results include:

• Matt Brown def. Diego Sanchez via knockout (elbow) – Round 1, 3:44
• Andrei Arlovski def. Junior Albini via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 and 30-27)
• Cezar Ferreira def. Nate Marquardt via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
• Raphael Assuncao def. Matthew Lopez via knockout (punch) – Round 3, 1:50
• Clay Guida def. Joe Lauzon via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:07
• Marlon Moraes def. John Dodson by split decision (30-27, 27-30, 30-27)
• Tatiana Suarez def. Viviane Pereira via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
• Sage Northcutt def. Michel Quinones via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Nina Ansaroff def. Angela Hill via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Sean Strickland def. Court McGee via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Jake Collier def. Marcel Fortuna via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 120, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s Matt Erickson contributed to this report on site in Norfolk.)