UFC Fight Night 145: Blachowicz vs. Santos | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Conor McBragger
- May 21
- 8 min read
Table of Contents
Introduction
First UFC in Czech Republic — 16,583 Fans at O2 Arena Prague
The O2 Arena in Prague holds approximately 18,000 for mixed events. The 16,583 attendance was exceptional for a non-PPV Fight Night event — one of the highest UFC Fight Night attendances of the ESPN era. The Czech Republic’s combat sports following and its position as Central Europe’s most commercially significant Czech-language MMA market produced the turnout. The $1,606,176 gate was among the year’s strongest Fight Night gate figures.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, February 23, 2019 (FIRST UFC IN CZECH REPUBLIC — 23rd country; ESPN+ 3)
📍 Venue: O2 Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
👥 Attendance: 16,583
💰 Gate: $1,606,176
📺 Broadcast: ESPN+ 3 (ESPN+ streaming; ESPN2 prelims)
Main Event: Santos’ R3 TKO Ends Blachowicz’s Win Streak
Struve’s Farewell PoN, Yan’s 3rd Win, Ankalaev Rolls On & The Card
Stefan Struve’s arm-triangle choke of Marcos Rogerio de Lima at 2:21 of round two earned Performance of the Night and produced the Prague card’s most emotionally resonant individual result: Struve appeared to announce his retirement in the cage after the fight. The 31-year-old Dutch HW had gone 7-2 in a 10-year UFC career, with his competitive arc defined by his seven-foot height, chronic heart arrhythmia surgeries, and submission-finishing quality. His post-fight in-cage interview — which media reported as a potential retirement statement — was one of the Prague card’s most discussed individual moments.
Petr Yan’s unanimous decision over John Dodson was his third consecutive UFC win — following his Singapore debut and his Moscow PoN. Dodson was a former UFC FLW title challenger who had gone to BW. Yan’s 30-27 across all three judges was a comprehensive decision over a legitimate division veteran. Magomed Ankalaev’s unanimous decision over Klidson Abreu was his second consecutive UFC LHW win after his Moscow debut PoN. Michał Oleksiejczuk’s TKO of Gian Villante in round one — a body punch combination that caused Villante to crumble — was his bounce-back result after his tainted-supplement USADA case.
Full Results
Main Card (ESPN+)
Stefan Struve def. Marcos Rogerio de Lima — Submission (arm-triangle choke) — R2, 2:21 — HW (PoN $50k; STRUVE’S POSSIBLE UFC FAREWELL — appeared to announce retirement in cage; 10-year UFC career; de Lima dropped him in R1 before Struve’s arm-triangle in R2)
Michał Oleksiejczuk def. Gian Villante — TKO (body punches) — R1, 1:34 — LHW (PoN $50k; OLEKSIEJCZUK REDEMPTION after USADA tainted-supplement suspension from debut; body punch combination)
Liz Carmouche def. Lucie Pudilova — Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28x2) — Women’s FLW (Pudilova Czech fighter before home crowd)
Petr Yan def. John Dodson — Unanimous Decision (30-27x3) — BW (Yan’s 3RD CONSECUTIVE UFC WIN; comprehensive 30-27 across all judges; Dodson former FLW title challenger)
Magomed Ankalaev def. Klidson Abreu — Unanimous Decision (30-27x2, 29-28) — LHW (Ankalaev 2nd consecutive UFC LHW win; future LHW champion continuing unbeaten UFC run)
Preliminary Card (ESPN2 / ESPN+)
Dwight Grant def. Carlo Pedersoli Jr. — TKO (punches) — R1, 4:59 — WW (PoN $50k; last-second R1 finish; Pedersoli had been competitive before Grant’s R1 TKO)
Chris Fishgold def. Daniel Teymur — Submission (RNC) — R1, 1:10 — FW
Gillian Robertson def. Veronica Macedo — Submission (RNC) — R2, 3:27 — Women’s FLW
Damir Hadzovic def. Marco Polo Reyes — TKO — R2, 2:03 — LW
Michel Prazeres vs. Ismail Naurdiev — WW (Czech fighter Naurdiev before home crowd)
Rustam Khabilov def. Carlos Diego Ferreira — LW
Damir Ismagulov def. Joel Alvarez — LW
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Fight of the Night: NOT AWARDED
🥇 Performance of the Night: Thiago Santos + Stefan Struve + Michał Oleksiejczuk + Dwight Grant — $50,000 each
Records & Milestones
• First UFC event in the Czech Republic (23rd country) — 16,583 attendance, one of the highest Fight Night figures of the ESPN era.
• Petr Yan’s 3rd consecutive UFC win — Singapore (debut), Moscow, Prague.
Legacy & Impact
Petr Yan’s Prague win over Dodson was his third step toward the UFC BW Championship at UFC 251 in July 2020 — his Singapore debut, Moscow PoN, and Prague decision over Dodson produced three of the six consecutive UFC wins that preceded the championship fight against Jose Aldo. Ankalaev’s Prague win was his second in a UFC LHW career that went 9-1-1 before the championship at UFC 282 in December 2022. Oleksiejczuk’s Prague redemption PoN launched a LHW career that produced additional wins before eventual setbacks.
FAQ
What was Struve’s in-cage announcement?
After submitting Marcos Rogerio de Lima with an arm-triangle choke in round two, Struve appeared to announce his retirement in the cage during his post-fight interview. The Dutch HW had been the UFC’s tallest active fighter at seven feet and had competed for 10 years through chronic heart arrhythmia surgeries that had threatened his career multiple times. His 10-year UFC career included wins over notable HW opponents and a sub-record at HW. His Prague submission PoN was a fitting final performance — winning despite being dropped in round one, which had been the pattern of his entire career.
What was Santos’s leg kick strategy?
What was Oleksiejczuk’s situation?
Oleksiejczuk was a 23-year-old Rzeszów, Poland LHW who had debuted at UFC Fight Night 108 in Hamburg in February 2018. His debut KO had been impressive, but he subsequently failed a USADA test for a tainted supplement — a contaminated product containing a banned substance without his knowledge. After his USADA case was resolved with a reduced suspension, his Prague TKO of Villante was his UFC return fight. The body punch combination that caused Villante to crumble in round one was a technically precise individual finish.
What was Ankalaev’s Prague position?
Ankalaev was 2-0 in the UFC after Prague, following his Moscow debut PoN and now his Prague decision. Both wins had been comprehensive: the Moscow debut finish and the Prague 30-27-range decision. His Prague win over Abreu — a Brazilian LHW with UFC experience — confirmed his competitive quality against legitimate UFC division opponents. His subsequent UFC LHW career went 7-0-1 before the championship fight at UFC 282 against Jiri Prochazka, which ended in a majority draw.
What was Yan’s Dodson result?
Dodson was a 33-year-old Albuquerque, New Mexico BW who had been the UFC FLW division’s most athletic competitor before moving to BW. His career had included two UFC FLW title fight losses to Demetrious Johnson. Yan’s 30-27 across all three judges was a comprehensive decision that demonstrated his striking volume and technical quality across three rounds against a credentialed, experienced opponent. The result was Yan’s most significant individual competitive win to that point in his UFC career.
What was Lucie Pudilova’s significance?
Pudilova was a 27-year-old Ostrava, Czech Republic FLW making her main card appearance before her home country crowd. Her 29-28 and 30-27 loss to Carmouche — a former UFC Women’s BW title challenger with significant experience advantage — before a Czech crowd gave the Prague card its most locally resonant individual competitive story outside the main event. Pudilova’s subsequent UFC career produced additional fights as one of the Czech Republic’s most prominent active UFC competitors.
References
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