Ponzinibbio outstrikes Taleb, Markos upsets Esparza in UFC Halifax prelims

Welterweight Bout: Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Nordine Taleb via unanimous decision

He may not have gotten the finish, but Santiago Ponzinibbio did enough to leave Canada with the W.

"Gente Boa" rode his vaunted boxing to counter Nordine Taleb's improved Muay Thai and take a spirited scrap by a 29-28 tally on all three scorecards. The 30-year-old tirelessly worked his jab and consistently popped a game Taleb en route to his fourth straight win, improving his UFC record to 6-2.

Taleb kept Ponzinibbio from getting inside with some solid kicks from range to take the opening round, but the Argentine turned the tables in the middle stanza, bloodying the 35-year-old with his sneaky mitts before dropping the Frenchman with a 1-2. Gente Boa followed the knockdown with some ground-and-pound from top position to split the fight at a round apiece heading into the final five minutes.

Ponzinibbio continued to bloody Taleb with his jab in the early goings of Round 3, but the resilient Taleb gradually gained ground with his blistering kicks before the pair desperately traded leather to close the hotly contested striker's ball.

Taleb has now alternated wins and losses in his last four fights and sees his promotional record drop to 4-2 with the decision.

Strawweight Bout: Randa Markos def. Carla Esparza via split decision

A fresh start for Randa Markos resulted in the biggest win of her career.

"The Quiet Storm" recently overhauled her training regimen and it appeared to pay off as she won a split decision over former UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza on Sunday.

Esparza and Markos battled for three thrilling rounds, with both women having their moments on the feet and on the mat. The striking of Esparza was effective throughout most of the fight, but she instinctively went to her wrestling as soon as Markos started to do any damage.

That decision provided mixed results for Esparza as Markos was able to scramble out of a takedown in Round 1 and turn it into a crucifix from bottom position. Markos landed over a dozen hammer fists from that position to make the opening round a close one.

Esparza had more success with the grappling in Round 2, nearly finishing Markos with an arm-triangle near the end of the frame:

In Round 3, Esparza appeared to tire and Markos took advantage by continuing to pour on the pressure. By the end of the fight, she had done enough to earn the advantage in total strikes and convince two of the three judges to award her the victory.

With the win, Markos can now add the No. 3-ranked strawweight contender to her list of conquests. She has alternated wins and losses in her past nine bouts and likely saved her job by knocking off Esparza.

The upset loss drops Esparza to 2-2 inside the Octagon.

Bantamweight Bout: Aiemann Zahabi def. Reginaldo Vieira via unanimous decision

Aiemann Zahabi did his world-renowned sibling proud in his Octagon debut.

The 29-year-old - younger brother to vaunted Tristar head trainer Firas Zahabi - consistently pressured Reginaldo Vieira and mounted just enough offense to take all three scorecards and remain undefeated in seven pro bouts.

Zahabi's striking output may not have been particularly consistent, but he incessantly stalked Vieira and made his sporadic offense count, as he sent the Brazilian reeling toward the cage with a vicious flurry early in Round 1.

The victory didn't come easy, as Vieira scored a pair of takedowns in the opening frame and clipped the newcomer with his mitts on more than one occasion, but it was Zahabi who came closest to finishing the fight early. After stuffing the 34-year-old's attempts to take the fight to the ground for the bulk of Round 2, the Montreal product unleashed a late flurry that sent Vieira crashing to the canvas, but the Brazilian managed to make it to the third round.

The final frame didn't produce the fireworks its predecessor did, although Zahabi did flash some freaky body control to remain upright after Vieira whiffed on what would've been a monstrous slam. Vieira surprisingly outlanded Zahabi in Round 3, but the judges chose to acknowledge Zahabi's pressure instead of the Brazilian's sloppy - albeit effective - striking.

Vieira's second straight loss drops his promotional record to 1-2.

Middleweight Bout: Thiago Santos def. Jack Marshman via 2nd-round TKO

Thiago Santos' latest knockout may have been his best one yet.

After two-and-a-half rounds of back-and-forth action, the fearsome Brazilian striker ended his bout with Jack Marshman in emphatic fashion with a lightning-quick spinning heel kick that sent Marshman crashing to the mat. Santos followed with ground-and-pound to force the referee stoppage.

Watch: 'Marreta' cleans Marshman's clock with spinning heel kick

Santos gets back in the win column after being finished in his last two fights against Eric Spicely and Gegard Mousasi. His fifth knockout win in the UFC improves his Octagon record to 6-4.

It was Marshman who scored first blood, ending the opening round with an overhand right that visibly rocked "Marreta."

The middleweights continued to sling leather in Round 2 until Santos landed the fateful head kick that sent Marshman to his first UFC loss. Marshman sees a seven-fight win streak snapped and he fails to have his hand raised for the first time since March 2014.

Middleweight Bout: Gerald Meerschaert def. Ryan Janes via 1st-round submission (armbar)

In a battle of ground experts, Gerald Meerschaert needed just 1:34 to prove a superior submission artist over Ryan Janes.

After Janes promptly swarmed him with volume striking and put him on his back, "GM3" swiftly shot up his hips and snatched the Newfoundland native's right arm for his third straight first-round tapout.

Watch: Meerschaert catches Janes with surprising submission at UFC Halifax

The submission improved Meerschaert's UFC record to a perfect 2-0 and extended his win streak to seven, while Janes sees an eight-fight win streak snapped and his Canadian homecoming spoiled with his first stoppage loss. The 35-year-old Janes' promotional record now stands at an even 1-1.