UFC 245 live blog: Petr Yan vs. Urijah Faber

This is the UFC 245 live blog for Petr Yan vs. Urijah Faber, a bantamweight bout at Saturday’s UFC event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Yan, who is 5-0 in the UFC, faces Faber, a four-time UFC title challenger who defeated Ricky Simon by first-round TKO in his comeback fight this past July, on the main card.

Check out the UFC 245 live blog below.

Round 1: Keith Peterson will officiate the main card opener. Faber looking to keep Yan from advancing with front kicks, but Yan still advancing. Duck-in knee by Faber clips Yan’s chin. Yan just missing with a couple of lefts. He connects with a kick to Faber’s lead leg. Yan easily avoiding Faber’s high kicks. Faber scores with a teep. Yan gets inside and he lands a 1-2 combo. Faber slips off a kick, but Yan is keeping a steady rhythm. Hard kick to the body by Yan, Faber looks for a takedown, can’t get it. Faber slips out of the way of an uppercut. Yan staying in close and this time the uppercut doesn’t miss. He’s starting to find a home for his punches, Faber trying to throw him off with lots of lateral movement. Yan with some beautiful striking in the clinch. Jab by Faber. Yan throws a knee to the body and they clinch up as the round comes to a close.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Yan.

Round 2: Faber in and out, looking to land that overhand right. Inside leg kick by Faber, then a right over the top. He catches Yan with a left hook. Yan makes Faber miss and scores with a straight punch, he gets the better of a flurry before Faber ties him up. Yan shrugs him off and the return to the center of the Octagon. Faber throwing straight punches. Overhand right by Faber, Yan blocks the follow-up takedown attempt. Yan’s jab is backing Faber up. Single leg attempt by Faber, Yan maintains his balance and lands short punches. 1-2 right down the middle lands for Yan and Faber is sat down. Yan looking to finish on the ground, Faber turtling up, nothing heavy getting through. Faber gets back up and backs Yan up with a hard punch. They clinch and Yan lands a huge elbow off of the break, Faber is down. Yan takes his back and is throwing heavy leather, but Faber again makes his way back to his feet. Yan drags him down and starts to work from inside Faber’s guard. The referee calls for a break to check on a massive bruise developing around Faber’s left eye. A quick inspection by the ringside physician and this one is still going. Peterson resets them back into position, with Yan in Faber’s guard. Yan looks to stand up out of the situation. Faber coming right at Yan, throwing more freely, but Yan looks relaxed and he catches Faber off-balance again. Bodylock by Yan and he ends the round with a takedown.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-8, Yan. Overall, 20-17 Yan.

Round 3: Yan not slowing down in the third, just marching forward, he opens up with a body kick. Faber goes to clinch up and Yan scores big off the break again, this time with a head kick that has Faber flopping onto his back. Peterson makes the right call and steps in to stop the fight.

Official results: Petr Yan def. Urijah Faber via knockout (head kick) at 0:43 of round three