WSOF 26 Results: Alexandre Almeida upsets Lance Palmer, seizes featherweight gold

The tough times keep rolling for Team Alpha Male inside The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan.

During the UFC's three-day stretch of UFC Fight Night 80, The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale and UFC 194, Team Alpha Male Fighters Paige VanZant and Chad Mendes suffered devastating losses inside the venue, and Lance Palmer (10-2) couldn't buck the trend.

The WSOF featherweight champion Palmer shockingly lost a unanimous decision to the 27-year-old Alexandre Almeida (18-5).

While many expected Palmer to take the fight with ease, Almeida showcased a polished and diverse striking game, staunch takedown defense and a slippery, threatening guard, all of which posed problems for Palmer throughout the bout.

The four-time Division I All-American wrestler couldn't impose his will against Almeida as he had against past opponents, and it was Almeida's constant activity and varied striking attack that ultimately won him the judges' nod. While Palmer did come on strong in rounds four and five, it was too little, too late, and the three 48-47 scorecards did not tip in his favor.

Before Palmer and Almeida took the spotlight, Ozzy Dugulubgov (8-2) defeated Nic Herron-Webb (18-7) with 15 minutes of takedowns and top control. While he came into the matchup riding a two-fight knockout streak, Dugulubgov showed off his powerful grappling against Herron-Webb, dominating the fight with powerful wrestling and a smothering top game.

Now the winner of three straight under the WSOF banner, Dugulubgov may be next up for a title shot in the promotion's lightweight division.

If it wasn't for Sheymon Moraes (8-1) and his ferocious left hand, every single bout on the WSOF 26 card would have ended via decision. Thankfully for the fans in attendance and at home, Moraes broke a six-fight string of decisions with a brutal knockout of former UFC featherweight Robbie Peralta (18-7, one no-contest). After eight minutes of relative inactivity, the two opened up along the cage, and Moraes blasted Perlta with a left hook, sending the fighter tumbling to the canvas. After a swarm of punches to the downed Peralta, Kim Winslow intervened, halting the bout and securing the TKO victory for Moraes.

Josh Hill (13-1) ended his three-round scrap against Bekbulat Magomedov (16-1) in full back mount, threatening with a rear-naked choke, and this moment of success may very well have won him the fight. After three pick-em rounds, Hill was awarded the split-decision victory. The win is Hill's third straight since losing to WSOF bantamweight champ Marlon Moraes at WSOF 18 in February.

Opening up the main card, Jake Heun (9-4) and Clinton Williams (7-3, one no-contest) fought three lackluster rounds. Despite a big slam from the 31-year-old Williams in the final minute of the fight, "The Honey Bear" controlled the action throughout, landing the more accurate strikes and mauling Williams with heavy ground-and-pound to end Round 2. The performance was enough for him to take home the split-decision victory.