LONDON, ENGLAND – UFC on FUEL TV 7’s main card at Wembley Arena wrapped with a stunning fourth-round submission victory for UFC interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao against Michael McDonald, setting the Brazilian up for a unification bout against divisional champion Dominick Cruz upon the champion’s return from a series of injuries. In the co-main event, Cub Swanson moved another step closer to featherweight title contention with a close unanimous decision win over Dustin Poirier.
RENAN BARAO VS. MICHAEL MCDONALD
Interim UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao scored an impressive fourth-round submission victory over challenger Michael McDonald. After 3:57 minutes of the fourth frame, the American had to tap out to an arm triangle, giving the champion his fifth win in a row in the UFC and his seventh under the Zuffa banner.
The first round saw the challenger go neck-and-neck with the champion. For every punch that Barao threw, McDonald threw one of his own. Barao quickly got the first takedown of the fight but couldn’t stay in side control for more than a few seconds. McDonald showed good wrist control in full guard and prevented the champion from doing damage. Back to a vertical base, McDonald missed with a number of punches before Barao hit a counter left and followed it up with a leg kick. After stuffing another takedown, McDonald went on the offensive and threw a wild series of rights and lefts, one of which buckled Barao’s knee.
The champion immediately went for a takedown to regain his composure and got McDonald’s back standing. He hit two knees to the chin and managed to get a takedown into side control. McDonald hip-escaped into his guard and tied Barao up through the end of the round.
Barao missed a spinning heel kick to the head at the beginning of the second round, then shot in and swung McDonald to the ground. When they got back to their feet, McDonald complained about having been poked in the eye during an exchange. After the restart, the challenger landed a hard right which sent Barao into backpedalling mode. After regaining his composure, the champion landed an incredibly loud leg kick and a kick to the head that would have made middleweight champion Anderson Silva proud. When going to the well for a second time, Barao missed his kick and ate a counter right by McDonald. Barao missed another wheel kick as the round ended.
The champion opened round three with two lefts that connected and led to a slugfest between Barao and McDonald. As he seemed to be coming up with the short end of the stick, Barao pressed his challenger against the cage and tried to take him down. As he attempted to pass guard into full mount, McDonald threw him off and stood back up. McDonald and Barao then traded hard rights, which led to a spinning kick by the champion to McDonald’s solar plexus, which seemed to knock the win out of him for a split second.
McDonald stuffed another takedown, but Barao hit a running knee and went headhunting with his fists. The American retaliated with a combination and saw Barao’s saving takedown coming from a mile away. After struggling for a while, the champion got the takedown, threw a hook in and turned McDonald over to his back and into an arm triangle. He fought valiantly, but as the hold was tight, he had no other choice but to tap after about 25 seconds in the hold.
Renan Barao’s record climbs to 32-1 with one no contest, while Michael McDonald dropped to 15-2.
Watch Barao’s post-fight interview here
CUB SWANSON VS. DUSTIN POIRIER
In the co-main event of the evening, Cub Swanson was victorious over a man with almost unlimited potential, Dustin Poirier. After three rounds of quality striking and grappling exchanges, Swanson was awarded the unanimous decision with 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 scores.
The early portion of round one was a battle of leg kicks, with both men scoring equally. Poirier blocked a hard shot by Swanson and tried a takedown. Swanson defended well and peppered his opponent with punches in retaliation. Swanson and Poirier exchanged more leg kicks, leading to Swanson throwing a head kick that missed and following up with a haymaker under which Poirier ducked before trying for a takedown. After some grappling against the cage, Swanson landed a punch to the midsection and a right that momentarily staggered Poirier. He threw a mistimed kick which Poirier caught and used to take Swanson down. Poirier repeatedly punched his opponent’s side but ultimately stood back up, still holding Swanson’s leg. As soon as they were back in a standing position, Swanson jumped and hit a flying knee while Poirier was still holding on.
Swanson opened the second frame with an uppercut, which Poirier answered with a hook combination, a body kick and another hard right. Swanson went back to his flying knee but it didn’t land properly. They kept trading kicks until Poirier ducked under and got a takedown. However, in landing, it was Swanson who ended up in an advantageous position – an omoplata shoulder lock. Poirier struggled free, after which they exchanged body kicks. Poirier tried another takedown which Swanson had no trouble preventing. He hit Poirier with several elbows during the struggle. After separating, Poirier hit a combination to end the round.
A missed head kick could have spelled doom for Swanson in the third round, however, he got back up right away. A quick grappling sequence against the cage was followed by both fighters swinging wildly, going for broke. Poirier landed a knee to Swanson’s chin and a right. Swanson countered with an uppercut. Poirier tried another knee and got taken down for his efforts. A few elbows on the ground later, Swanson took Poirier’s back. Despite having had both hooks in for a period of time and even advancing to full mount, Swanson was unable to capitalize on the situation, and Poirier got back up. He took Poirier back down and went to the back mount again, unable to score one more time. Poirier stood back up, Swanson threw an up kick and the final moment of the fight was Poirier jumping into Poirier’s guard with a superman punch.
The win advances Cub Swanson’s record to 19-5, while Dustin Poirier’s falls to 13-3.
Hear from Cub Swanson after the win here
JIMI MANUWA VS CYRILLE DIABATE
Jimi Manuwa opened up the first frame with leg kicks, which caused the French veteran, Cyrille Diabate, to clinch up against the cage. After the first of the Snake’s knees from the clinch landed, Manuwa figured out his timing, caught a knee and slammed the Frenchman to the ground. Diabate brought Manuwa into half guard quickly. Manuwa scored with an elbow on the ground and a knee to Diabate’s chin while getting back into a vertical base. Manuwa controlled the rest of the round with elbows and knees from the clinch, leg kicks and hooks. In the final moments of the round, Manuwa caught one more Diabate knee and took him down again, apparently landing on the Snake’s leg and tearing his calf muscle.
Diabate was no longer able to properly put weight on the affected leg and forfeited the fight between rounds as a consequence.
The TKO win brings Jimi Manuwa’s pro MMA record up to 13-0, while the Snake falls to 20-9-3.
Watch highlights from the fight here
GUNNAR NELSON VS. JORGE SANTIAGO
The pride of Iceland, Gunnar Nelson, remained undefeated in MMA competition with a unanimous decision win over Brazilian veteran Jorge Santiago. After three hard-fought rounds, the judges awarded the win to Nelson with a 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 edge.
In the first round, Santiago kept swinging for the fences, throwing wild haymakers, hoping they would connect, while Nelson went for quality over quantity, landing a few kicks and jabs. He ducked underneath one of Santiago’s power blows and took down the heavy-handed Brazilian. Santiago got right back up and threw a haymaker that missed. It was obvious both fighters respected their opponent’s striking, as the remainder of the round was dominated by defensive footwork and grappling against the cage.
The beginning of round two saw more grappling against the cage, with the fighters jockeying for position. Nelson hit a knee, then a right-left-right combination. He pulled his legs out from under Santiago, thus securing a takedown. From half guard, Nelson postured up and scored with ground and pound. Santiago stayed active throughout, though, and hit Nelson with punches of his own and an up kick as Nelson had gone back to his feet. The Iceland native threw Santiago’s legs to the side, landed a diving punch and ended up in side control, then full mount. The wily Brazilian veteran locked his hands to prevent further damage. Nelson broke the grip and worked over his opponent with elbows and punches until the buzzer sounded.
The final frame saw Nelson open up with a side push kick, which Santiago answered with several wild hooks, the final of which landed flush on Nelson’s jaw. He responded with leg kicks and a head kick that Santiago was able to deflect. Nelson landed a right hand which momentarily got the Brazilian to back up. They clinched against the cage, opening up an opportunity for Santiago to score with knees from the clinch to Nelson’s ribs. Santiago disengaged and went back to swinging wildly. Nelson connected with a left but walked into a hard right hand just seconds later. Santiago followed up with a series of wild haymakers, of which most didn’t find their target. Nelson connected with a good right hand during the Brazilian’s flurry, grabbed him around the neck and landed a knee and an uppercut. After blocking a Nelson takedown attempt, the fighters exchanged lefts. Iceland’s own got the better of that exchange and unleashed a right-left combo of his own. Jorge Santiago went for broke with ten seconds remaining on the clock and managed to hit Nelson one more time flush on the jaw at the buzzer.
The win pushes Nelson’s fight record to 11-0-1, while Santiago’s defeat drags his record down a notch to 25-11.
Watch highlights from the bout here
JAMES TE HUNA VS RYAN JIMMO
The light heavyweight bout between Australian James Te Huna and Canadian Ryan Jimmo turned into a true rollercoaster affair. After three hard-fought rounds, Te Huna walked away with a 29-28, 29-28 and 29-27 decision.
Te Huna bulled Jimmo into the cage at the beginning of the first round. Upon a separation by referee Leon Roberts, Jimmo nailed his opponent with a picture perfect head kick which sent Te Huna to the mat. Sensing the end, Jimmo unleashed fury on the downed Australian, hitting him with elbows, punches and hammerfists from the top position. Te Huna never stopped trying to improve his position, though, tied up Jimmo and eventually got back up to his feet. Te Huna pulled a guillotine right away, although his opponent had no trouble escaping the potentially dangerous position. When Te Huna went for an armbar, the Canadian pulled his limb out of harm’s way right away. Jimmo ended up in side mount, from where he hit Te Huna with several elbows and punches from the top. The Australian stayed in the game, however, and responded with some elbows of his own to the head.
After Jimmo opened the second frame with a left straight and a kick to the body, Te Huna went back to his strategy of taking him down. While Jimmo initially succeeded in blocking the takedown, Te Huna scored big with a slam mere moments later. The Australian moved into side mount and hit Jimmo with elbows, then improved momentarily to full mount. Jimmo hip-escaped to get back into safer waters but had no answer for Te Huna’s elbows and punches until the round ended.
Jimmo shut down Te Huna’s offense for the first portion of round number three by grappling with him against the cage. Te Huna landed a big right, then took Jimmo down from a body lock. The Australian showed he was very comfortable attacking with elbows and punches from half guard for the final minutes of the fight.
The win improves James Te Huna’s MMA record to 18-5, while Jimmo’s falls to 17-2.
Watch Te Huna’s post-fight interview here
CHE MILLS VS. MATTHEW RIDDLE
When the dust settled between British up-and-comer Che Mills and former TUF cast member Matthew Riddle, it was the brash American who got away with a split decision victory. The judges scored the fight 30-27 Riddle, 29-28 Riddle and 29-28 Mills.
It was clear immediately that Riddle had no intentions of standing with Mills. As soon as he was able to, he grabbed Mills’ right leg and attempted to take him down. Mills responded with a jumping knee to Riddle’s face but soon found himself on the ground. The Brit got back up, hit a left, got taken down again, struggled back to his feet and traded punches with Riddle. Riddle clasped his hands around Mills’ body and took him back down to the mat, where he scored with an elbow from the top as the round ended.
Riddle stayed true to his strategy in round number two, using a left and a kick to the body to set up a shot for Mills’ leg. The Brit had other plans, though, and landed a perfect enzuigiri kick to Riddle’s head as both warriors went crashing to the mat. Riddle ended up on top and moved to north-south position, then into side control. He hit several knees to Mills’ ribcage but initially failed to pass guard. As the seconds ticked away, Riddle finally advanced into full mount. Mills rolled to improve his position and ended up with Riddle pressed against the cage, in back mount with a figure-four body scissor around Mills’ body. When this position proved not to be advantageous, Riddle moved to full mount and attempted an arm triangle which Mills defended until the end of the round.
Both fighters came out swinging in the third round. After Mills landed a kick to one of Riddle’s legs, the American grabbed Mills’ left leg and pushed him into the cage again. Riddle attempted a takedown which the Brit stuffed. Mills attempted a judo hip toss but Riddle held on and they landed on the mat in a neutral position. Riddle lifted Mills up and turned him on his back, ending up in full guard. Mills stayed busy with elbows from the ground and Riddle responded in kind. Riddle passed into half guard and isolated Mills’ left arm, planting the first seed for an arm triangle. Mills realized what was happening, locked his hands and reversed Riddle onto the ground. The Brit stood up and hit Riddle several times from top position. After a referee stand-up, Riddle went straight back to Mills’ leg, attempting a final takedown as the round and fight ended.
Riddle’s win improves his record to 7-3 with one no contest, while Mills drops to 15-6 with one no contest.
Watch Riddle’s post-fight interview here
LONDON, ENGLAND – UFC on FUEL TV 7’s main card at Wembley Arena wrapped with a stunning fourth-round submission victory for UFC interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao against Michael McDonald, setting the Brazilian up for a unification bout against divisional champion Dominick Cruz upon the champion’s return from a series of injuries. In the co-main event, Cub Swanson moved another step closer to featherweight title contention with a close unanimous decision win over Dustin Poirier.
RENAN BARAO VS. MICHAEL MCDONALD
Interim UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao scored an impressive fourth-round submission victory over challenger Michael McDonald. After 3:57 minutes of the fourth frame, the American had to tap out to an arm triangle, giving the champion his fifth win in a row in the UFC and his seventh under the Zuffa banner.
The first round saw the challenger go neck-and-neck with the champion. For every punch that Barao threw, McDonald threw one of his own. Barao quickly got the first takedown of the fight but couldn’t stay in side control for more than a few seconds. McDonald showed good wrist control in full guard and prevented the champion from doing damage. Back to a vertical base, McDonald missed with a number of punches before Barao hit a counter left and followed it up with a leg kick. After stuffing another takedown, McDonald went on the offensive and threw a wild series of rights and lefts, one of which buckled Barao’s knee.
The champion immediately went for a takedown to regain his composure and got McDonald’s back standing. He hit two knees to the chin and managed to get a takedown into side control. McDonald hip-escaped into his guard and tied Barao up through the end of the round.
Barao missed a spinning heel kick to the head at the beginning of the second round, then shot in and swung McDonald to the ground. When they got back to their feet, McDonald complained about having been poked in the eye during an exchange. After the restart, the challenger landed a hard right which sent Barao into backpedalling mode. After regaining his composure, the champion landed an incredibly loud leg kick and a kick to the head that would have made middleweight champion Anderson Silva proud. When going to the well for a second time, Barao missed his kick and ate a counter right by McDonald. Barao missed another wheel kick as the round ended.
The champion opened round three with two lefts that connected and led to a slugfest between Barao and McDonald. As he seemed to be coming up with the short end of the stick, Barao pressed his challenger against the cage and tried to take him down. As he attempted to pass guard into full mount, McDonald threw him off and stood back up. McDonald and Barao then traded hard rights, which led to a spinning kick by the champion to McDonald’s solar plexus, which seemed to knock the win out of him for a split second.
McDonald stuffed another takedown, but Barao hit a running knee and went headhunting with his fists. The American retaliated with a combination and saw Barao’s saving takedown coming from a mile away. After struggling for a while, the champion got the takedown, threw a hook in and turned McDonald over to his back and into an arm triangle. He fought valiantly, but as the hold was tight, he had no other choice but to tap after about 25 seconds in the hold.
Renan Barao’s record climbs to 32-1 with one no contest, while Michael McDonald dropped to 15-2.
Watch Barao’s post-fight interview here
CUB SWANSON VS. DUSTIN POIRIER
In the co-main event of the evening, Cub Swanson was victorious over a man with almost unlimited potential, Dustin Poirier. After three rounds of quality striking and grappling exchanges, Swanson was awarded the unanimous decision with 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 scores.
The early portion of round one was a battle of leg kicks, with both men scoring equally. Poirier blocked a hard shot by Swanson and tried a takedown. Swanson defended well and peppered his opponent with punches in retaliation. Swanson and Poirier exchanged more leg kicks, leading to Swanson throwing a head kick that missed and following up with a haymaker under which Poirier ducked before trying for a takedown. After some grappling against the cage, Swanson landed a punch to the midsection and a right that momentarily staggered Poirier. He threw a mistimed kick which Poirier caught and used to take Swanson down. Poirier repeatedly punched his opponent’s side but ultimately stood back up, still holding Swanson’s leg. As soon as they were back in a standing position, Swanson jumped and hit a flying knee while Poirier was still holding on.
Swanson opened the second frame with an uppercut, which Poirier answered with a hook combination, a body kick and another hard right. Swanson went back to his flying knee but it didn’t land properly. They kept trading kicks until Poirier ducked under and got a takedown. However, in landing, it was Swanson who ended up in an advantageous position – an omoplata shoulder lock. Poirier struggled free, after which they exchanged body kicks. Poirier tried another takedown which Swanson had no trouble preventing. He hit Poirier with several elbows during the struggle. After separating, Poirier hit a combination to end the round.
A missed head kick could have spelled doom for Swanson in the third round, however, he got back up right away. A quick grappling sequence against the cage was followed by both fighters swinging wildly, going for broke. Poirier landed a knee to Swanson’s chin and a right. Swanson countered with an uppercut. Poirier tried another knee and got taken down for his efforts. A few elbows on the ground later, Swanson took Poirier’s back. Despite having had both hooks in for a period of time and even advancing to full mount, Swanson was unable to capitalize on the situation, and Poirier got back up. He took Poirier back down and went to the back mount again, unable to score one more time. Poirier stood back up, Swanson threw an up kick and the final moment of the fight was Poirier jumping into Poirier’s guard with a superman punch.
The win advances Cub Swanson’s record to 19-5, while Dustin Poirier’s falls to 13-3.
Hear from Cub Swanson after the win here
JIMI MANUWA VS CYRILLE DIABATE
Jimi Manuwa opened up the first frame with leg kicks, which caused the French veteran, Cyrille Diabate, to clinch up against the cage. After the first of the Snake’s knees from the clinch landed, Manuwa figured out his timing, caught a knee and slammed the Frenchman to the ground. Diabate brought Manuwa into half guard quickly. Manuwa scored with an elbow on the ground and a knee to Diabate’s chin while getting back into a vertical base. Manuwa controlled the rest of the round with elbows and knees from the clinch, leg kicks and hooks. In the final moments of the round, Manuwa caught one more Diabate knee and took him down again, apparently landing on the Snake’s leg and tearing his calf muscle.
Diabate was no longer able to properly put weight on the affected leg and forfeited the fight between rounds as a consequence.
The TKO win brings Jimi Manuwa’s pro MMA record up to 13-0, while the Snake falls to 20-9-3.
Watch highlights from the fight here
GUNNAR NELSON VS. JORGE SANTIAGO
The pride of Iceland, Gunnar Nelson, remained undefeated in MMA competition with a unanimous decision win over Brazilian veteran Jorge Santiago. After three hard-fought rounds, the judges awarded the win to Nelson with a 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 edge.
In the first round, Santiago kept swinging for the fences, throwing wild haymakers, hoping they would connect, while Nelson went for quality over quantity, landing a few kicks and jabs. He ducked underneath one of Santiago’s power blows and took down the heavy-handed Brazilian. Santiago got right back up and threw a haymaker that missed. It was obvious both fighters respected their opponent’s striking, as the remainder of the round was dominated by defensive footwork and grappling against the cage.
The beginning of round two saw more grappling against the cage, with the fighters jockeying for position. Nelson hit a knee, then a right-left-right combination. He pulled his legs out from under Santiago, thus securing a takedown. From half guard, Nelson postured up and scored with ground and pound. Santiago stayed active throughout, though, and hit Nelson with punches of his own and an up kick as Nelson had gone back to his feet. The Iceland native threw Santiago’s legs to the side, landed a diving punch and ended up in side control, then full mount. The wily Brazilian veteran locked his hands to prevent further damage. Nelson broke the grip and worked over his opponent with elbows and punches until the buzzer sounded.
The final frame saw Nelson open up with a side push kick, which Santiago answered with several wild hooks, the final of which landed flush on Nelson’s jaw. He responded with leg kicks and a head kick that Santiago was able to deflect. Nelson landed a right hand which momentarily got the Brazilian to back up. They clinched against the cage, opening up an opportunity for Santiago to score with knees from the clinch to Nelson’s ribs. Santiago disengaged and went back to swinging wildly. Nelson connected with a left but walked into a hard right hand just seconds later. Santiago followed up with a series of wild haymakers, of which most didn’t find their target. Nelson connected with a good right hand during the Brazilian’s flurry, grabbed him around the neck and landed a knee and an uppercut. After blocking a Nelson takedown attempt, the fighters exchanged lefts. Iceland’s own got the better of that exchange and unleashed a right-left combo of his own. Jorge Santiago went for broke with ten seconds remaining on the clock and managed to hit Nelson one more time flush on the jaw at the buzzer.
The win pushes Nelson’s fight record to 11-0-1, while Santiago’s defeat drags his record down a notch to 25-11.
Watch highlights from the bout here
JAMES TE HUNA VS RYAN JIMMO
The light heavyweight bout between Australian James Te Huna and Canadian Ryan Jimmo turned into a true rollercoaster affair. After three hard-fought rounds, Te Huna walked away with a 29-28, 29-28 and 29-27 decision.
Te Huna bulled Jimmo into the cage at the beginning of the first round. Upon a separation by referee Leon Roberts, Jimmo nailed his opponent with a picture perfect head kick which sent Te Huna to the mat. Sensing the end, Jimmo unleashed fury on the downed Australian, hitting him with elbows, punches and hammerfists from the top position. Te Huna never stopped trying to improve his position, though, tied up Jimmo and eventually got back up to his feet. Te Huna pulled a guillotine right away, although his opponent had no trouble escaping the potentially dangerous position. When Te Huna went for an armbar, the Canadian pulled his limb out of harm’s way right away. Jimmo ended up in side mount, from where he hit Te Huna with several elbows and punches from the top. The Australian stayed in the game, however, and responded with some elbows of his own to the head.
After Jimmo opened the second frame with a left straight and a kick to the body, Te Huna went back to his strategy of taking him down. While Jimmo initially succeeded in blocking the takedown, Te Huna scored big with a slam mere moments later. The Australian moved into side mount and hit Jimmo with elbows, then improved momentarily to full mount. Jimmo hip-escaped to get back into safer waters but had no answer for Te Huna’s elbows and punches until the round ended.
Jimmo shut down Te Huna’s offense for the first portion of round number three by grappling with him against the cage. Te Huna landed a big right, then took Jimmo down from a body lock. The Australian showed he was very comfortable attacking with elbows and punches from half guard for the final minutes of the fight.
The win improves James Te Huna’s MMA record to 18-5, while Jimmo’s falls to 17-2.
Watch Te Huna’s post-fight interview here
CHE MILLS VS. MATTHEW RIDDLE
When the dust settled between British up-and-comer Che Mills and former TUF cast member Matthew Riddle, it was the brash American who got away with a split decision victory. The judges scored the fight 30-27 Riddle, 29-28 Riddle and 29-28 Mills.
It was clear immediately that Riddle had no intentions of standing with Mills. As soon as he was able to, he grabbed Mills’ right leg and attempted to take him down. Mills responded with a jumping knee to Riddle’s face but soon found himself on the ground. The Brit got back up, hit a left, got taken down again, struggled back to his feet and traded punches with Riddle. Riddle clasped his hands around Mills’ body and took him back down to the mat, where he scored with an elbow from the top as the round ended.
Riddle stayed true to his strategy in round number two, using a left and a kick to the body to set up a shot for Mills’ leg. The Brit had other plans, though, and landed a perfect enzuigiri kick to Riddle’s head as both warriors went crashing to the mat. Riddle ended up on top and moved to north-south position, then into side control. He hit several knees to Mills’ ribcage but initially failed to pass guard. As the seconds ticked away, Riddle finally advanced into full mount. Mills rolled to improve his position and ended up with Riddle pressed against the cage, in back mount with a figure-four body scissor around Mills’ body. When this position proved not to be advantageous, Riddle moved to full mount and attempted an arm triangle which Mills defended until the end of the round.
Both fighters came out swinging in the third round. After Mills landed a kick to one of Riddle’s legs, the American grabbed Mills’ left leg and pushed him into the cage again. Riddle attempted a takedown which the Brit stuffed. Mills attempted a judo hip toss but Riddle held on and they landed on the mat in a neutral position. Riddle lifted Mills up and turned him on his back, ending up in full guard. Mills stayed busy with elbows from the ground and Riddle responded in kind. Riddle passed into half guard and isolated Mills’ left arm, planting the first seed for an arm triangle. Mills realized what was happening, locked his hands and reversed Riddle onto the ground. The Brit stood up and hit Riddle several times from top position. After a referee stand-up, Riddle went straight back to Mills’ leg, attempting a final takedown as the round and fight ended.
Riddle’s win improves his record to 7-3 with one no contest, while Mills drops to 15-6 with one no contest.
Watch Riddle’s post-fight interview here
LONDON, ENGLAND – While British fan favorite Tom “Kong” Watson turned in one of his best performances ever in his second-round stoppage of the always dangerous Stanislav Nedkov on the undercard of UFC on FUEL TV 7 in London’s Wembley Arena, and Andy Ogle, Vaughan Lee and Phil Harris also walked away with significant wins, some of his countrymen didn’t fare as well on Saturday
TERRY ETIM VS. RENEE FORTE
In the featured contest of the undercard, Brazilian Renee Forte bested local favorite Terry Etim by decision after three hard-fought rounds, with two judges scoring the fight 29-28 for the Team Nogueira member, while the third had Forte winning all three rounds.
Etim scored points early in the first round with precision leg kicks and hooks. Forte responded in kind with a flying knee which may not have hit the Liverpool native but it created an opportunity for the Brazilian to back Etim up against the cage. Etim circled away, failed in hitting a head kick and found a leg kick of his own being caught by his opponent. Forte later landed an elbow to the head, and Etim went for a spinning heel kick which Forte dove into. While still being hit with the kick, Forte scored a takedown shortly before the end of the round.
The British fan favorite landed a few knees from the plum clinch in the early part of round two. Forte answered with a lethal combination, and a left finally put Etim down. Forte scored with several hammerfists from the top position, but his opponent managed to tie him up in a full guard to regain his senses and momentarily stop the damage. It was all for naught, though, as Forte advanced position to full mount and hit a game Etim with shots from above as the round ended.
The Brazilian seemed in a much better position going into the third, and he fought a perfect round, grappling with Etim against the cage and controlling him there. Etim did land knees to the head during the round, but found himself back on the bottom thanks to a Forte leg trip.
With the unanimous decision win, Forte’s first win in the UFC, his MMA record improves to 8-2, while Terry Etim’s drops to 15-5.
Watch fight highlights here
PAUL SASS VS. DANNY CASTILLO
Team Alpha Male’s Danny Castillo bested Liverpool’s Paul Sass by unanimous decision in an exciting lightweight battle. The scorecards read 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for the American.
Liverpool’s Sass was determined to make it a quick night for Castillo in London. Right away, he jumped onto Castillo’s shoulders and tried to pull him to the ground for his patented triangle choke. Castillo slammed him down hard, with his head bouncing off the mat. Sass immediately went for Castillo’s leg and ate several shots to the head for his troubles. Castillo worked towards an arm triangle from half guard without getting it. Sass valiantly threw his legs up for another triangle attempt but was also unsuccessful in his bid. Multiple further attempts to secure a leg lock failed in succession, and Castillo had no problems escaping the position and landing punches, elbows and hammerfists from top position.
A scramble early in round number two ended with Castillo on top with Sass throwing elbows from the bottom. Sass locked in full guard, while Castillo replied with elbows of his own from the top. Sass attempted an armbar but – once again – ended up being slammed to the mat. At the halfway point of the round, referee Neil Hall brought the combatants back to their feet. Castillo ducked under a left from Sass and scored another takedown and vicious ground and pound to end the round.
Sass switched things up and took to striking to begin the third round, landing a right hook, a spinning kick to the chest and leg kicks on his opponent. Castillo eventually timed Sass’ strikes, ducked under and took the Brit down to the mat. The American landed several elbows from top position, with Sass doing what he could to tie up his opponent. Castillo moved into north-south position, then side mount, and struggled for an arm triangle when the round and the fight ended.
The decision win improves Danny Castillo’s MMA record to 15-5, while Paul Sass drops to 13-2 with the loss.
Watch highlights from the fight here
ANDY OGLE VS. JOSH GRISPI
At featherweight, Andy Ogle continued Britain’s early winning streak with a unanimous decision victory over a game Josh Grispi. The judges scored the bout 30-28, 29-28 and 29-28.
Grispi took the fight to the ground right away in the first round, locking Ogle in a crucifix position. When Grispi realized he had little chance of working towards a finish with Ogle on top and his own back against the cage, he changed to an arm-in triangle. Ogle tried to break free by lifting up Grispi and slamming him to the ground, but ended up being unsuccessful in his attempt. Ogle tried to punch to get out of the hold, yet Grispi held on to his favorable position until Ogle escaped to Grispi’s full guard with one minute remaining in the round. Neither fighter was able to impose his will until the round ended.
Ogle briefly found himself on his back again in the beginning of round number two but ended up in top position during the struggle and started working for a rear-naked choke. Grispi got back to his feet with Ogle still on his back and then dropped back down to the mat, trying to shake the Brit. Ogle secured hooks soon after and punched to Grispi’s head and ribs. After another struggle on the ground, Grispi stood back up with Ogle hanging off of his back through the end the round.
The Brit opened round three with a right that connected, followed by a kick to the ribs and then a takedown. Grispi attempted to use a guillotine choke to reverse positions, but Ogle slipped out and got back on top in closed guard. After elbowing Grispi’s ribs, Ogle postured up to get leverage for a series of punches to the head. Ogle moved to the side and begun landing crushing knees to Grispi’s rib cage before being locked back in Grispi’s guard through the end of the round.
With the win, Andy Ogle’s record is now 9-2, while Grispi’s drops to 14-5.
See highlights from the fight here
TOM “KONG” WATSON VS. STANISLAV NEDKOV
Southampton’s own Tom “Kong” Watson brought the fans at Wembley Arena to their feet with one of the most inspired performances of his career against a very dangerous opponent in Bulgaria’s Stanislav Nedkov who went down and out at 4:22 minutes of the second round of the evening’s first middleweight fight.
Watson’s strategy was readily apparent from the very beginning of round one, as he constantly sought to put Nedkov’s back against the cage, grab him around the neck in a Muay Thai plum and hit one knee to the head after the other. The tough Bulgarian blocked more knees than actually landed and created space at several points during the round to throw and land hooks with bad intentions. One left hook/right hook combination set him up for a takedown on Watson, and once the Brit hit the ground, Nedkov unleashed a barrage of punches from above. “Kong” fought valiantly to survive and improve his position but wasn’t able to shake Nedkov until the round ended.
After Watson opened the second round with a leg kick, Nedkov landed a left-right-left combination which led to another takedown and more ground and pound. With 3:20 minutes left in the round, Kong got back to his feet. Sensing that his opponent was running out of steam, the Brit went back to his knee-based attack while mixing in punches against the cage. Nedkov connected with a haymaker which gave him the opportunity to score another takedown. Watson got back to his feet almost immediately and went into attack mode, hitting a barrage of knees and punches to the head and uppercuts to the body. With only 20 seconds left in the round, it seemed as if the cage had been the only thing holding up the Bulgarian. Watson saw his big opportunity, landed a big left, Nedkov went down, and the referee halted the bout before the Brit was in a position to inflict even more damage from top position.
Watson’s TKO victory lifts his professional MMA record to 15-6, while the previously undefeated Nedkov suffered his first defeat and drops to 12-1 with one no contest.
See Watson’s post-fight interview here
VAUGHAN LEE VS. MOTONOBU TEZUKA
In a bantamweight contest, Birmingham’s Vaughan Lee scored a unanimous decision over Japanese fighter Motonobu Tezuka, with all three judges scoring the bout 30-27 for the Brit.
Lee and his Japanese opponent traded leg kicks to begin the first round, and while the Brit would have preferred this to keep going, Tezuka quickly moved in for a takedown, pressing Lee against the fence. The two fighters kept struggling hard, with Tezuka fighting for the takedown and Lee striving to break free from the grappler’s grip while peppering him with shots to the head and side. Despite referee Leon Roberts separating the combatants at 2:20 minutes of the round, Tezuka went straight back to a single-leg takedown attempt on the Birmingham native and wrestled with him against the cage until the round ended.
The second round presented more of the same, with Tezuka valiantly attempting take the fight to the ground. After Lee landed a kick to the midsection and a leg kick at the beginning of the round, the Japanese grappler immediately grabbed Lee’s leg and dragged him to the mat, attempting various leglocks to no avail. Lee eventually moved to Tezuka’s back but couldn’t capitalize on the situation. With 1:20 minutes left, Lee landed a punch to the abdomen and barely missed with a headkick. Tezuka immediately went back into grappling mode and got his opponent back down to the mat briefly with 11 seconds left in the round. As the fighters got back to their feet, Lee nailed Tezuka with a knee to the jaw.
The third and final round consisted of more grappling against the cage on Tezuka’s part and Lee defending against the Japanese up-and-comer’s takedowns while landing punches and elbows of his own.
With the win, Vaughan Lee’s record improves to 13-8-1, while Tezuka’s falls to 19-6-4.
Watch highlights from the bout here
PHIL HARRIS vs. ULYSSES GOMEZ
Portsmouth veteran Phil “Billy” Harris earned his first UFC victory, taking a close, but unanimous decision over Ulysses Gomez in the flyweight opener.
Scores were 30-27 twice, and 29-28 for Harris, who improves to 22-10 with 1 NC. Gomez falls to 9-4.
Gomez came out firing kicks to the legs of Harris, keeping the Brit from getting too comfortable. One strayed low, bringing a brief stop to the action and garnering Gomez a warning from referee Neil Hall. When the action resumed, Harris was able to catch a kick and put Gomez on his back, but he let his foe get to his feet almost immediately, which may have been a mistake given the continuing leg attack that Gomez implemented throughout the round.
The two groundfighters kept their battle going on the feet in round two, and while Gomez stuck to his strategy of peppering Harris with leg kicks, Harris began to find his range with his own attacks, as he tagged his opponent with solid punches to the head and body.
The third round was another tough one to call, with the scoring depending largely on whether you favored Harris’ aggression and punching or Gomez’ endless supply of leg kicks, and according to the judges, it was Harris doing enough to get the nod.
See highlights from the fight here
LONDON, ENGLAND – While British fan favorite Tom “Kong” Watson turned in one of his best performances ever in his second-round stoppage of the always dangerous Stanislav Nedkov on the undercard of UFC on FUEL TV 7 in London’s Wembley Arena, and Andy Ogle, Vaughan Lee and Phil Harris also walked away with significant wins, some of his countrymen didn’t fare as well on Saturday
TERRY ETIM VS. RENEE FORTE
In the featured contest of the undercard, Brazilian Renee Forte bested local favorite Terry Etim by decision after three hard-fought rounds, with two judges scoring the fight 29-28 for the Team Nogueira member, while the third had Forte winning all three rounds.
Etim scored points early in the first round with precision leg kicks and hooks. Forte responded in kind with a flying knee which may not have hit the Liverpool native but it created an opportunity for the Brazilian to back Etim up against the cage. Etim circled away, failed in hitting a head kick and found a leg kick of his own being caught by his opponent. Forte later landed an elbow to the head, and Etim went for a spinning heel kick which Forte dove into. While still being hit with the kick, Forte scored a takedown shortly before the end of the round.
The British fan favorite landed a few knees from the plum clinch in the early part of round two. Forte answered with a lethal combination, and a left finally put Etim down. Forte scored with several hammerfists from the top position, but his opponent managed to tie him up in a full guard to regain his senses and momentarily stop the damage. It was all for naught, though, as Forte advanced position to full mount and hit a game Etim with shots from above as the round ended.
The Brazilian seemed in a much better position going into the third, and he fought a perfect round, grappling with Etim against the cage and controlling him there. Etim did land knees to the head during the round, but found himself back on the bottom thanks to a Forte leg trip.
With the unanimous decision win, Forte’s first win in the UFC, his MMA record improves to 8-2, while Terry Etim’s drops to 15-5.
Watch fight highlights here
PAUL SASS VS. DANNY CASTILLO
Team Alpha Male’s Danny Castillo bested Liverpool’s Paul Sass by unanimous decision in an exciting lightweight battle. The scorecards read 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for the American.
Liverpool’s Sass was determined to make it a quick night for Castillo in London. Right away, he jumped onto Castillo’s shoulders and tried to pull him to the ground for his patented triangle choke. Castillo slammed him down hard, with his head bouncing off the mat. Sass immediately went for Castillo’s leg and ate several shots to the head for his troubles. Castillo worked towards an arm triangle from half guard without getting it. Sass valiantly threw his legs up for another triangle attempt but was also unsuccessful in his bid. Multiple further attempts to secure a leg lock failed in succession, and Castillo had no problems escaping the position and landing punches, elbows and hammerfists from top position.
A scramble early in round number two ended with Castillo on top with Sass throwing elbows from the bottom. Sass locked in full guard, while Castillo replied with elbows of his own from the top. Sass attempted an armbar but – once again – ended up being slammed to the mat. At the halfway point of the round, referee Neil Hall brought the combatants back to their feet. Castillo ducked under a left from Sass and scored another takedown and vicious ground and pound to end the round.
Sass switched things up and took to striking to begin the third round, landing a right hook, a spinning kick to the chest and leg kicks on his opponent. Castillo eventually timed Sass’ strikes, ducked under and took the Brit down to the mat. The American landed several elbows from top position, with Sass doing what he could to tie up his opponent. Castillo moved into north-south position, then side mount, and struggled for an arm triangle when the round and the fight ended.
The decision win improves Danny Castillo’s MMA record to 15-5, while Paul Sass drops to 13-2 with the loss.
Watch highlights from the fight here
ANDY OGLE VS. JOSH GRISPI
At featherweight, Andy Ogle continued Britain’s early winning streak with a unanimous decision victory over a game Josh Grispi. The judges scored the bout 30-28, 29-28 and 29-28.
Grispi took the fight to the ground right away in the first round, locking Ogle in a crucifix position. When Grispi realized he had little chance of working towards a finish with Ogle on top and his own back against the cage, he changed to an arm-in triangle. Ogle tried to break free by lifting up Grispi and slamming him to the ground, but ended up being unsuccessful in his attempt. Ogle tried to punch to get out of the hold, yet Grispi held on to his favorable position until Ogle escaped to Grispi’s full guard with one minute remaining in the round. Neither fighter was able to impose his will until the round ended.
Ogle briefly found himself on his back again in the beginning of round number two but ended up in top position during the struggle and started working for a rear-naked choke. Grispi got back to his feet with Ogle still on his back and then dropped back down to the mat, trying to shake the Brit. Ogle secured hooks soon after and punched to Grispi’s head and ribs. After another struggle on the ground, Grispi stood back up with Ogle hanging off of his back through the end the round.
The Brit opened round three with a right that connected, followed by a kick to the ribs and then a takedown. Grispi attempted to use a guillotine choke to reverse positions, but Ogle slipped out and got back on top in closed guard. After elbowing Grispi’s ribs, Ogle postured up to get leverage for a series of punches to the head. Ogle moved to the side and begun landing crushing knees to Grispi’s rib cage before being locked back in Grispi’s guard through the end of the round.
With the win, Andy Ogle’s record is now 9-2, while Grispi’s drops to 14-5.
See highlights from the fight here
TOM “KONG” WATSON VS. STANISLAV NEDKOV
Southampton’s own Tom “Kong” Watson brought the fans at Wembley Arena to their feet with one of the most inspired performances of his career against a very dangerous opponent in Bulgaria’s Stanislav Nedkov who went down and out at 4:22 minutes of the second round of the evening’s first middleweight fight.
Watson’s strategy was readily apparent from the very beginning of round one, as he constantly sought to put Nedkov’s back against the cage, grab him around the neck in a Muay Thai plum and hit one knee to the head after the other. The tough Bulgarian blocked more knees than actually landed and created space at several points during the round to throw and land hooks with bad intentions. One left hook/right hook combination set him up for a takedown on Watson, and once the Brit hit the ground, Nedkov unleashed a barrage of punches from above. “Kong” fought valiantly to survive and improve his position but wasn’t able to shake Nedkov until the round ended.
After Watson opened the second round with a leg kick, Nedkov landed a left-right-left combination which led to another takedown and more ground and pound. With 3:20 minutes left in the round, Kong got back to his feet. Sensing that his opponent was running out of steam, the Brit went back to his knee-based attack while mixing in punches against the cage. Nedkov connected with a haymaker which gave him the opportunity to score another takedown. Watson got back to his feet almost immediately and went into attack mode, hitting a barrage of knees and punches to the head and uppercuts to the body. With only 20 seconds left in the round, it seemed as if the cage had been the only thing holding up the Bulgarian. Watson saw his big opportunity, landed a big left, Nedkov went down, and the referee halted the bout before the Brit was in a position to inflict even more damage from top position.
Watson’s TKO victory lifts his professional MMA record to 15-6, while the previously undefeated Nedkov suffered his first defeat and drops to 12-1 with one no contest.
See Watson’s post-fight interview here
VAUGHAN LEE VS. MOTONOBU TEZUKA
In a bantamweight contest, Birmingham’s Vaughan Lee scored a unanimous decision over Japanese fighter Motonobu Tezuka, with all three judges scoring the bout 30-27 for the Brit.
Lee and his Japanese opponent traded leg kicks to begin the first round, and while the Brit would have preferred this to keep going, Tezuka quickly moved in for a takedown, pressing Lee against the fence. The two fighters kept struggling hard, with Tezuka fighting for the takedown and Lee striving to break free from the grappler’s grip while peppering him with shots to the head and side. Despite referee Leon Roberts separating the combatants at 2:20 minutes of the round, Tezuka went straight back to a single-leg takedown attempt on the Birmingham native and wrestled with him against the cage until the round ended.
The second round presented more of the same, with Tezuka valiantly attempting take the fight to the ground. After Lee landed a kick to the midsection and a leg kick at the beginning of the round, the Japanese grappler immediately grabbed Lee’s leg and dragged him to the mat, attempting various leglocks to no avail. Lee eventually moved to Tezuka’s back but couldn’t capitalize on the situation. With 1:20 minutes left, Lee landed a punch to the abdomen and barely missed with a headkick. Tezuka immediately went back into grappling mode and got his opponent back down to the mat briefly with 11 seconds left in the round. As the fighters got back to their feet, Lee nailed Tezuka with a knee to the jaw.
The third and final round consisted of more grappling against the cage on Tezuka’s part and Lee defending against the Japanese up-and-comer’s takedowns while landing punches and elbows of his own.
With the win, Vaughan Lee’s record improves to 13-8-1, while Tezuka’s falls to 19-6-4.
Watch highlights from the bout here
PHIL HARRIS vs. ULYSSES GOMEZ
Portsmouth veteran Phil “Billy” Harris earned his first UFC victory, taking a close, but unanimous decision over Ulysses Gomez in the flyweight opener.
Scores were 30-27 twice, and 29-28 for Harris, who improves to 22-10 with 1 NC. Gomez falls to 9-4.
Gomez came out firing kicks to the legs of Harris, keeping the Brit from getting too comfortable. One strayed low, bringing a brief stop to the action and garnering Gomez a warning from referee Neil Hall. When the action resumed, Harris was able to catch a kick and put Gomez on his back, but he let his foe get to his feet almost immediately, which may have been a mistake given the continuing leg attack that Gomez implemented throughout the round.
The two groundfighters kept their battle going on the feet in round two, and while Gomez stuck to his strategy of peppering Harris with leg kicks, Harris began to find his range with his own attacks, as he tagged his opponent with solid punches to the head and body.
The third round was another tough one to call, with the scoring depending largely on whether you favored Harris’ aggression and punching or Gomez’ endless supply of leg kicks, and according to the judges, it was Harris doing enough to get the nod.
See highlights from the fight here
SAITAMA, February 26 – In a grueling fight between two hard-hitting light heavyweights, Ultimate Fighter season eight winner Ryan “Darth” Bader won a unanimous decision over former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in t…
SAITAMA, February 26 – In a grueling fight between two hard-hitting light heavyweights, Ultimate Fighter season eight winner Ryan “Darth” Bader won a unanimous decision over former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in the UFC 144 co-main event at Saitama Super Arena.
Bader used leg kicks to keep Jackson at bay during the first round and managed to disturb the former PRIDE star’s rhythm to the point he couldn’t land a single hard attack the entire round. A high slam by Rampage after catching Bader’s leg on a kick led to an awkward landing for the man fighting out of Tempe, Arizona in round two, but he couldn’t swing the overall momentum of the bout. Shortly after this highlight, Bader got a takedown and worked from Jackson’s guard. After getting back to his feet, the former champion soon found himself on the receiving end of another takedown.
The final round was also all Bader. It was clear at this point that both men had expended a lot of energy. Towards the end of the round, Bader worked for a kimura on the ground but failed to lock it in.
All three judges scored the fight with 30-27 in favor of Bader, who now moves to 15-2 with the win, while Jackson, who failed to make weight for the bout reportedly because of a training camp injury, sees his record drop to 32-10. Watch Bader’s post-fight interview
MARK HUNT VS. CHEICK KONGO
UFC 144’s sole heavyweight battle between 2001 K-1 Grand Prix winner and former PRIDE star Mark Hunt and French kickboxing ace Cheick Kongo promised to be exciting on paper and delivered on all its promise.
Only one year removed from having his back against the wall and desperately needing a win against Chris Tuchscherer in Sydney to save his career, Mark Hunt seems to now be on an upward trajectory in the UFC with three wins in a row, the most recent one being today’s first round TKO win over Kongo.
Hunt hurt his foe with a left about 1:30 minutes into the fight, and hit the mark again with a right about thirty seconds later, which made the Frenchman back up against the cage. Smelling blood, Hunt kept chasing after him, hitting him with one right after the other until Kongo collapsed on the floor and the bout was stopped at 2:11 of the first round.
“You’ve got to be ready for anything. I caught him through the gloves and I knew it dazed him before I went in for the finish. I’m built to last and ready to fight on next week’s card in Australia. Dana White, what’s up with Sydney?” asked Hunt.
With the upset win, Mark Hunt’s MMA record improves to 8-7, while Kongo’s record drops to 27-7-2 with the loss. Watch “The Super Samoan’s” post-fight interview
YOSHIHIRO AKIYAMA VS. JAKE SHIELDS
Dropping down to his natural weight class of welterweight, Yoshihiro Akiyama returned to Japan to do battle with former UFC title contender and Strikeforce champion Jake Shields in what many expected to be a great battle of technical prowess and true Japanese samurai spirit.
Shields and Akiyama didn’t disappoint. The American spent the first two rounds trying for takedowns and not getting them while Akiyama managed to sweep him several times. Shields did, however, press the action with striking while Akiyama didn’t engage as much, particularly during the first round, where he seemed very stiff.
Shields finally got his takedown in the final round. Akiyama grabbed the cage twice in order to improve his position on the ground and was lucky no penalty point was called. Shields ended the round and the fight in back mount, working for a rear-naked choke with both hooks in.
“It was a tougher fight than I wanted at first and I have great respect for Akiyama,” admitted Shields. “He has pretty heavy punches, so fortunately only about two landed.
You never know what’s going to happen. I’d like to fight Carlos Condit next, as he has a controversial win against my teammate. I can’t believe how loud and enthusiastic the Japanese fans were; it was great.”
All three judges scored the fight 30-27 for Jake Shields, whose record improves to 27-6-1 with the win, while Akiyama’s drops to 13-5 with two no-contests. Hear what Shields had to say in his post-fight interview
YUSHIN OKAMI VS. TIM BOETSCH
Yushin Okami went from being an outsider challenging UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in Brazil in his last fight to coming home to Japan and battling tough middleweight contender Tim Boetsch. To say he received a hero’s welcome in Saitama would be understating things.
Okami dominated Boetsch standing over the course of the first round, using his crisper striking and kicks to give the American a sizable mouse under his left eye. Aside from an arm-in guillotine choke by Boetsch off a double-leg takedown by his Japanese opponent, round two was all Okami as well. The former title challenger worked for an arm triangle but couldn’t get out of half-guard. Then he used a kimura attempt to gain full mount. Okami rained down punches but Boetsch managed to buck him off into his guard to end the round.
Boetsch rushed Okami to start the third round and kept hitting him with lefts and rights. Okami seemed rocked, ate a head kick and several uppercuts, the last one of which dropped him, causing referee Leon Roberts to step in and stop the contest at 54 seconds of the third round in a major upset.
“It still hasn’t settled in yet”, an emotional Boetsch emphasized. “The first two rounds weren’t good, but I won the third round and that’s what counts. Yushin hit me harder than I expected, but I was standing at the end of his range so it was kind of my fault. I knew I had to move forward, but the uppercuts were a spur of the moment thing. Awesome night overall. The next fight I’d like is Dan Henderson because he is a hero of mine and part of being great is beating your heroes.”
With the win, Boetsch’s record improves to 15-4 while Okami’s record drops to 27-7. Watch Boetsch’s post-fight interview now
HATSU HIOKI VS. BART PALASZEWSKI
Highly regarded former Shooto and Sengoku featherweight fighter Hatsu Hioki was likely the toughest opponent Bart Palaszewski had faced since debuting in World Extreme Cagefighting more than three years ago. Yet, the 28-year old was more than up for the challenge, coming off his quick knockout win over Tyson Griffin last October.
While there was no question who controlled the action in round one, where Hioki quickly dropped Palaszewski and proceeded to dominate from top position for the rest of the round, his opponent found the perfect defense for every situation the Japanese grappler put him in. Among the holds Palaszewski got out of in one fluid succession of motions were a straight armbar, a triangle choke and an omoplata shoulder lock.
The second frame was considerably more evenly contested, mostly standing. Palaszewski kept kicking Hioki’s left leg, which reddened considerably over the course of the round. Shortly before the five minutes were up, Hioki faked a punch and finally got the takedown he was looking for, but Palaszewski had little trouble getting back to his feet.
Hioki managed to get his opponent back to the ground quickly in the third and final round with a beautiful leg trip from the clinch. He transitioned into side control and landed strikes from that position, but was unable to step over into full mount. Palaszewski gave up his back, Hioki sunk both hooks in and went for a rear-naked choke. The Poland native defended the position properly and ended up not getting in trouble at any point until the round and the fight ended.
All three judges gave the victory to Hioki via scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.
“I am very happy to have won the fight”, said Hioki through an interpreter. “I was able to show my unique fighting style, although it wasn’t perfect. I was expecting a standup fight from Bart, so there was nothing that really surprised me. I would like to get back to fighting as soon as my body has time to heal.”
With the win, Hioki improved to 26-4-2 while Palaszewski dropped to 35-15. Watch Hioki’s post-fight interview
ANTHONY PETTIS VS. JOE LAUZON
Few fighters have gained as much notoriety as quickly as Milwaukee-based Anthony “Showtime” Pettis. The former WEC lightweight champion and master of spectacular kicks faced a man today in Saitama who entered the UFC with a bang by knocking out former champion Jens Pulver more than five years ago and has continually improved ever since.
While Joe Lauzon has acted as a spoiler a number of times in his UFC career, he was no match tonight for Pettis, who knocked him out cold with a left high kick to the head only 1:17 after the start of the first round. After Pettis followed Lauzon to the ground, referee Marc Goddard called a stop to the bout at 1:21 minutes of round one.
“Winning that fight is an amazing feeling. I was on a bit of a down streak in 2011, but 2012 is my year and I’m getting a title shot. I’m back, focused and ready to go, I didn’t get touched. I think I confused him with my southpaw (stance), had him biting on the jab, and then I threw the high kick and it landed. I wanted to put on a good show for the fans because without them, I wouldn’t be Anthony Pettis.”
Through possibly the most dominant showing of his career against a very dangerous opponent, the 25-year old is now in a very favorable position to resume his quest for a title shot. With the win, Pettis improved his professional MMA record to 13-2, while Lauzon fell to 20-7. Hear what “Showtime” had to say after the fight
Check out the Preliminary Card results for UFC 144
SAITAMA, February 26 – In one of the most exciting fights in UFC history, Ben Henderson defeated Frankie Edgar by unanimous decision to win the UFC lightweight championship in the main event of UFC 144 at the Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo, Japan.At …
SAITAMA, February 26 – In one of the most exciting fights in UFC history, Ben Henderson defeated Frankie Edgar by unanimous decision to win the UFC lightweight championship in the main event of UFC 144 at the Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo, Japan.
At two separate points, Henderson had Edgar on the brink of defeat, once sending blood flying from the champion’s nose with a brutal upkick in the second round and later locking him in a guillotine choke from the mount mere seconds before the end of the fifth round.
One recurring theme was Edgar catching his opponent’s kicks but not being able to capitalize on the situation. Another was Edgar taking Henderson down over and over and the challenger getting right back up within seconds.
The fighters set a frenetic pace right from the onset of the bout, exchanging hard punches, leg kicks and knees. In the second round, Edgar landed the fight’s first combination when catching Henderson’s leg after a kick, only to be hit himself with a hard counterpunch by the challenger.
The pivotal moment of the second frame came after Edgar had taken down his adversary and postured up in order to deliver a hard shot. Henderson landed an upkick to Edgar’s face that sent the champion spinning mere seconds before the end of the round, and it could have ended the fight had there been a few more seconds in the round.
How Edgar recovered enough to start strong in the third round will likely forever remain a mystery, but he managed to engage his challenger with good striking combinations before failing to secure a takedown. Henderson managed to take down the champion but was unable to capitalize. Edgar got back to his feet and hit his opponent with a hard right followed by a combination that found its mark.
In the fourth round it seemed like Henderson had hurt the champion – first with a kick to the ribs near the beginning of the round and again later when delivering a hard kick to Edgar’s sternum. Henderson also managed to secure a guillotine choke on a takedown attempt during the round.
Edgar and Henderson kept going at an extremely fast pace in the final frame. They kept trading kicks, striking combinations and takedown attempts. The difference maker in the round was Henderson landing a hard knee and then securing a guillotine choke in full mount before transitioning to elbow strikes from the mount as the time limit expired.
As the fans at Saitama Super Arena gave both men a standing ovation, Bruce Buffer announced Henderson as new UFC lightweight champion by scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 49-46, making Henderson only the second person to ever defeat Edgar.
With the win, Henderson’s record improves to 16-2, while Edgar’s record drops to 14-2-1.