Serving as UFC 174‘s main card spark, Ryan Jimmo vs. Ovince Saint Preux offered some insight into the 205-pound heap.
As two of the more promising fighters outside of the light heavyweight division’s Top 10, Jimmo and Saint Preux came into Saturday’s pay-per-view showdown in search of a significant win.
Following the advice of his corner entering Round 2, it was Saint Preux who prevailed in front of an anxious Canadian crowd, forcing Jimmo to verbally tap mid-kimura after previously breaking his arm.
The victory was not decisive since we don’t yet know how and when Jimmo broke his arm, but it was an impressive performance for OSP nonetheless.
Here are the underlining facts to take away from the fight and what we learned from Jimmo vs. Saint Preux as a whole.
Saint Preux knows how to finish
By finishing Jimmo in the second round at UFC 174, OSP extended his perfect Octagon win streak to four.
More impressively, the hulking light heavyweight secured his third promotional finish, which suggests that he’s one of those fighters who can get it done wherever a bout may go.
His striking is not quite at the level you would want it to be, but he is improving immensely every time we see him inside the Octagon.
As one of the best natural athletes in the division, his physical capabilities and raw strength help create opportunities to finish that would otherwise be nonexistent.
Jimmo is not as good as we thought
When Jimmo initially made his promotional debut back at UFC 149, knocking out Anthony Perosh in just seven seconds, everybody thought he’d be the next top contender to test the divisional ranks.
But outside of his always fascinating karate style, the 32-year-old Canadian hasn’t done much to impress over his last five fights, producing a rather stagnant 2-3 record.
His struggles have emanated from not only an inability to fight off his back but a tendency to sit back and let his opponents get comfortable.
Saint Preux wasn’t picking him apart on his feet at UFC 174, but Jimmo did little to push the pace and make the former college football standout feel the pressure.
Next time we see him, it may be do-or-die for the post-fight robotic dancer.
For more UFC 174 news and coverage, Follow @DHiergesell
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