For the better part of three minutes, Donald Cerrone appeared to be thoroughly outclassed by Edson Barboza in their UFC on FOX 11 lightweight matchup.
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But in the blink of an eye, Cerrone demonstrated for the casual fans watching on network television just how dynamic and electrifying the sport of mixed martial arts can be.
Cerrone dropped Barboza with a nasty straight left jab to the jaw. Cerrone hit the mat, spun to get his back, and manuevered into a rear-naked choke. Barboza tapped at the 3:15 mark of the opening round, giving “Cowboy” a spectacular victory in Orlando.
“I wanted to stand, I wanted the fight,” Cerrone (23-6, 1 NC) said. “As it occurred I thought, what are you doing?”
Up until the closing sequence, Barboza (13-2) peppered Cerrone with his patented mix of solid boxing and crisp leg kicks. But one lapse was all it took to end his three-fight win streak. Cerrone won for the fourth time in his past five fights and scored his 18th career finish.