Sean Woodson may have punched his ticket to a top 15 matchup in the UFC’s featherweight division earlier tonight (Sat., Dec. 14, 2024) at UFC Tampa LIVE on ESPN2/ESPN+ from inside Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., stopping brawler Fernando Padilla with a vicious first-round knockout (punches).
Both featherweights are used to having a height advantage at 145-pounds, but against each other it was going to be a battle of skill. Padilla burst out of the gate early with a barrage of strikes and some knees inside that caught the attention of Woodson. Padilla was also able to threaten with an omoplata when the fight hit the canvas for a minute and change.
Woodson, who came into this “Prelims” scrap riding a six-fight unbeaten streak, eventually got back to his feet and started to take over. He was calm in the pocket and landed almost at will with his lead jab and rangy hooks. Padilla was tired from his early-round efforts and failed to defend much of anything. It allowed Woodson to find his window of opportunity for a finish.
Woodson closed the gap and ended up catching Padilla with a crisp four-punch combination. The final punch even connected as Padilla was falling to the canvas. Once he hit, Woodson jumped on top for a few follow-up shots that forced the referee’s hand seconds before the bell.
Check out the video highlights in the above player and let us know what you thought of Woodson’s finish!
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