Lightweight fighters John Makdessi and Jesus Pinedo squared off tonight (Saturday, March 23, 2019) from inside the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, only on ESPN+. If you don’t have ESPN+, you can sign up here for a seven-day free trial! Coming off a victorious UFC debut, Pinedo tried to make it 2-0 against UFC staple John Makdessi, himself riding a two-fight winning streak.
The fight started out with a lot of circling, Makdessi looking to line up his kicks and Pinedo whiffing on a couple kicks of his own. Makdessi stepped forward into a lead leg side kick. The crowd began booing and the men exchanged, each guy landing a couple shots. Pinedo threw a high kick that was blocked and broke free from his next kick being caught. Makdessi, perhaps hearing the crwod booing, spun into a side kick attempt to the body. Makdessi stepped into a body kick. Pinedo slipped, and Makdessi landed a short right hand as he stood. The crowd began booing a very slow round again. Makdessi kicked Pinedo’s leg, then did it again. He blocked a high kick, then countered a leg kick with a right hand.
Makdessi caught a leg kick early in the second but just used it to get another free leg kick before Pinedo stood. Pinedo stepped in with a heavy hook-cross combination. Makdessi kept up his steady diet of outside low kicks. Pinedo threw an inside high then an inside low kick. Pinedo tried a couple stomp kicks to Makdessi’s lead leg, then threw up another high kick. Pinedo landed that hook-cross combination a little. The crowd continued booing, and rightly so. Another outside low kick from Makdessi, then a counter right hand. A check left hook landed for Pinedo. Pinedo got aggressive and landed a couple hooks, then a wild high kick! Best strike of the fight so far. Makdessi tried to counter a flying knee with a hook. The ending to the round was the most action so far in this fight, and it definitely favored Pinedo.
PInedo ate a few more low kicks in the beginning of the third. Makdesi threw up a high kick, then an inside low kick. Pinedo threw a high kick back at him, blocked. Makdessi threw more low kicks. Pinedo threw a high kick, then a straight left. He landed a glancing hook-cross combination. Makdessi ate another winging hook, landed another low kick. The crowd was back to booing. Pinedo countered one of those low kicks with a one-two. Makdessi landed a rear straight of his own. Pinedo cartwheeled out of a caught kick. Pinedo landed a big body kick and then ate a right hand. He was waving Makdessi on now, pointing to the center of the cage. Makdessi landed a check hook, then a jab as Pinedo tried to dial up the aggression again. Pinedo landed another left straight as they exchanged at the end. Pinedo had been starting to turn it up, but the crowd was still booing restlessly at the end of the fight. Makdessi got the nod from all three judges.
Official result: John Makdessi def. Jesus PInedo via unanimous decision
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