In an exciting UFC 144 prelim fight, England’s Vaughan Lee defeated Japan’s Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto by submission. Lee, who is known as a submission expert, was actually able to stand with Yamamoto for much of the fight. Lee earned his first UFC victory while Yamamoto lost his third straight UFC fight.
Here’s what we learned from the fight.
What we’ll remember about the fight:
This could very well be the last time we see Yamamoto in the Octagon. Yamamoto looked good on his feet, but he got caught with some hard punches by Lee. Although Yamamoto tried his best to fight off the submission attack from Lee, it proved to be too much.
What we learned about Norifumi Yamamoto:
Kid Yamamoto wanted this win badly. But despite coming into the fight highly motivated and fighting in front of the Japanese crowd, Yamamoto just could not put Lee away. Yamamoto is a legend in Japan and MMA as a whole and still may have some fight left in him.
But he is just not the same fighter he once was.
What we learned about Vaughan Lee:
Tonight Lee proved that he could be just as dangerous on his feet as he is on the ground. Lee took some hard shots from Yamamoto but showed good defense when Kid swarmed on him. Lee was able to dish out more punishment than he took, and he hurt Yamamoto badly before trapping him in an armbar.
What’s next for Yamamoto:
Yamamoto has now gone 1-5 in his last six fights. This includes three straight UFC losses. A pink slip out of the UFC may be next for the former MMA great.
What’s next for Lee:
With the win, Lee has earned his first UFC win. A fight against TUF competitor T.J. Dillashaw, who earned his first UFC win a week ago, could make for a fun fight.
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