UFC 248 live blog: Neil Magny vs. Li Jingliang

This is the UFC 248 live blog for Neil Magny vs. Li Jingliang, a welterweight main card bout on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Magny returns 15 months after the first knockout loss of his career in a UFC Buenos Aires headliner against Santiago Ponzinibbio. Jingliang is on a three-fight winning streak with a TKO win this past August over Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos.

Check out the UFC 248 live blog below.

Round 1: Keith Peterson is the third man in the cage. Magny comes out and takes the center of the cage. The first minute sees both men throwing a lot but nothing meaningful has landed yet. Magny gets the Muay Thai plum but Li drives him into the cage and sneaks to the back. After a bit of doing, Li drags Magny to the ground but Magny gets right back up. Li lands a big right hand that stuns Magny on the break and now Magny is in retreat. Magny clinches again and now Magny gets a takedown. Li is back up but not before eating a few shots. Further clinch battling ensues but nothing major happens and the two separate briefly before Magny initiates another clinch and lands a good knee inside as Li starts struggling for a takedown. Li gets iit but Magny is pretty quick to push Li off and get back to his feet. Magny now has Li backing up, mixing in knees and right hands with a steady jab that has Li befuddled. Li may be tiring but the round ends before any more shots can land.

MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 Magny.

Round 2: Magny starts round two with a jab that backs up Li and then a flying knee attempt that just misses. Li clinches Magny against the cage and looks for a takedown. Magny reverses the position and nearly gets a bodylock takedown bu Li staves it off with the help of the cage. Now Magny is landing good shots from the clinch as Li grabs the fence to avoid a takedown. Magny is really starting to build momentum. Li goes for a double-leg and Magny nearly lifts Li up for a piledriver but can’t quite make it happen. Magny reverses and he’s wearing on Li against the fence. Bodylock takedown from Magny and Li is starting to wilt. Magny keeps chipping away against the fence. Li reverses and throws haymakers as they separate but the steam has come off them and none are close to landing. Magny forces a clinch again and Li drops for a double but Magny staves it off and lands some elbows. The second round has been grueling. Magny separates against the cage and starts pouring on a Matrix-style combination!!! Magny is styling on Li and scores a takedown into mount with just a few seconds left!!

MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 Magny (20-18).

Round 3: Li seemed exhausted in his corner but comes out for the third with a bit of pep in his step. Li charges forward, barely missing on a big right hand. Magny goes back to his jab and Li still doesn’t have a great answer for it. Magny gets a deep double-leg takedown but Li is still game and fights it off. Now Li has standing back control but the two separate. Li is now moving a little better and slipping more punches. Li is still throwing hammers but none are connecting and Magny is circling well at range and pot-shotting. Li lands a good right hand and Magny immediately clinches, landing a big knee from the plum before separating. Magny clinches again and now he’s got a takedown into top-half. Magny is tying Li up with the Khabib-style hand lock and he’s landing big shots. Magny is pouring on strikes but Li is staying game. Now from turtle position Magny lands some big nears to Li’s butt. Li is finally able to stand but the final horn sounds and this should be a simple one for the judges.

MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 Magny, 30-27 Magny overall.

Official decision: Neil Magny defeats Li Jiangling by unanimous decision (30,-27, 30-27, 30-27).