WSOF 34 results: Gaethje retains after doctor stoppage in late 'Fight of the Year' candidate

In one of the wildest fights of the year – and yet somehow just typical Justin Gaethje (17-0) – the WSOF lightweight champ retained his belt with a doctor’s stoppage of an incredibly game Luiz Firmino (19-8).

The bout served as the main event of today’s WSOF 34, which took place at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The main card aired on NBC following prelims on NBCSN and MMAjunkie.

It was Firmino who rushed out at the opening bell and tried a quick attack, sending both men to the floor. But the position was a stalemate, and referee Dan Miragliotta brought them back to the feet. The madness ensued from there, as Firmino proved willing to go blow-for-blow with the hard-hitting Gaethje. The pair eventually ended up in the clinch, and Firmino slipped to the rear and jumped to back control, but a patient Gaethje kept himself safe until the final few seconds, when he broke free and finished the round with a rolling thunder attack.

Firmino came out quick in the second, as well, landing punches and dislodging Gaethje’s mouthpiece, but Gaethje battled right back and scored big shots of his own. As the two somewhat settled into a more manageable rhythm, Firmino started to tee off with crisp jabs, straights and uppercuts. Gaethje answered back with chopping low kicks and powerful jabs, as well, but Firmino was the one landing flush more often. Gaethje showed an incredible chin, but only because he was absorbing blow after blow.

The battle continued in the third, with Gaethje initially showing some head movement but then just standing in the pocket and having a punch-trading contest with Firmino. Both men’s faces were swollen, their breaths heavy and their movements labored. And yet both continued to stand in each other’s and swing with their all.

Prior to the start of the fourth, the doctor was brought in to examine Firmino’s badly swollen right eye and determined he was unfit to continue. Both men seemed frustrated with the result, though Gaethje retained his belt with the call. Firmino, who stepped in on three weeks’ notice to replace Joao Zeferino, immediately requested a rematch, and Gaethje seemed receptive to the idea.

Fitch outworks Shields, suggests he may call it quits

In a welterweight matchup between two of the most accomplished 170-pounders in MMA history, WSOF champ Jon Fitch (29-7-1) retained his title with a convincing decision win over Jake Shields (31-9-1).

The two expert grapplers opened up striking, but Fitch quickly worked Shields to the floor and set up in top position. From there, Fitch turned to his trademark grinding approach, punching away at his opponent’s body. Shields looked for options from his back, briefly controlling the neck and looking to attack with his legs, as well, but Fitch controlled until the referee brought them back to the feet with a little less than 90 seconds.

It was Shields who worked the fight to the floor in the second, failing on his first attempt but getting all the way to mount as he persisted with his effort. Fitch turned to try and work to his feet, but he had to be cautious not to allow Shields to gain complete back control. Fitch was careful to control his opponent’s wrist as he looked to work free, but Shields stayed planted on the back until the end of the round.

Shields looked for the takedown early in the third, but Fitch was prepared to keep the action on the feet. Shields was relentless with his efforts to move into the clinch and seek the canvas, but the best he could do was get Fitch to a knee. Fitch was confident in his positioning and countered Shields’ every move. Fitch also worked in punches when he could, keeping the dominant position until the bell.

Fitch looked like he was hoping to strike in the fourth, but Shields was committed to taking the fight to the floor, even settling on to his own back when failing on a takedown attempt. Shields briefly had control of his opponent’s leg and looked for a submission, but Fitch spun through it and crawled back to his feet, where the round ended.

Fitch continued to stuff Shields’s takedown attempts in the final round, as his opponent seemed to slow. It remained a grueling grappling affair, as expected, until the bitter end. Shields did get an earnest attempt at a leglock but simply couldn’t convert, and Fitch pulled free to seal the decision win, which he was awarded with scores of 49-46 on all three judges’ cards.

Afterward, Fitch said he still needed to speak with both doctors and his family but that the contest may very well have been the last of his 14-plus year professional career.

Champ Moraes sharp before injury stops Silva

In the night’s first main card contest, WSOF bantamweight champion Marlon Moraes (18-4-1) retained his title with a first-round stoppage win over Josenaldo Silva (25-5).

The two fighters studied each other on the feet to open, but it was Moraes who scored first, leaping in with a lightning-quick overhand right and scoring a high kick right behind. Silva didn’t shy away from a battle, but Moraes’ striking quality was on full display, and his angles and speed overwhelmed his opponent.

An onslaught of quality punches sent Silva to the floor, and to his credit, he refused to give up, somehow battling his way back to his feet and trying to mount a return. However, as he leapt forward with an attack, his right knee gave out, and Silva grimaced as he revealed his injury, earning Moraes a quick TKO win.

Moraes, ranked No. 5 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA bantamweight rankings, has now won 13 consecutive fights. Silva sees a 17-fight winning streak snapped.

Full WSOF 34 results include:

MAIN CARD (NBC)

• Paul Bradley vs. Yushin Okami
• Champ Justin Gaethje def. Luiz Firmino via TKO (doctor stoppage) – Round 3, 5:00 – to retain lightweight title
• Champ Jon Fitch def. Jake Shields via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) – to retain welterweight title
• Champ Marlon Moraes def. Josenaldo Silva via verbal submission (injury) – Round 1, 2:30 to retain bantamweight title

PRELIMINARY CARD (NBCSN)

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMAjunkie)

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