In a battle for heavyweight contendership, it was No. 7 Alexander Volkov who took a big step forward with a third-round TKO win over No. 8 Stefan Struve at UFC Fight Night 115 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The first round set the tone for an action fight between the towering heavyweights. The 7’0″ Struve and the 6’7″ Volkov took to teeing off on one another in the striking game. Struve got the better end of some of the boxing exchanges; however, Volkov came on strong with a takedown and ground-and-pound at the end of the first frame.
Josh Gross of The Guardian summed up the action in the first stanza:
The second round saw the Russian see more success in the stand-up exchanges. Volkov opened up his game with more combinations, and it was enough for him to take the round. UFC Canada showcased some of the striking from the big man:
That round would be a harbinger of things to come. As Volkov continued to increase the pressure, Struve’s output slowed down. After continuous shots to the head, a strong left hook finally floored Struve. When he hit the mat, Drago was there to finish the job and get the TKO win.
After the win, Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting summed up where the win puts Volkov. Things are looking up for the 28-year-old:
For Struve, this was a disappointing loss as he saw his two-fight win streak he built in 2016 come to a halt. He said that he would need to take some time before deciding what to do next, via UFC Europe:
It was a fittingly entertaining main event for an entertaining card from Rotterdam. The crowd was treated to plenty of finishes and action fights as contenders attempted to rise up the ranks in their respective weight classes.
Here’s a look at the complete results from the card as well as a look at each of the main card fights.
UFC Fight Night 115 Quick Results
Main Card on UFC Fight Pass
- Alexander Volkov def. Stefan Struve, TKO (Round 3, 3:30)
- Siyar Bahadurzada def. Rob Wilkinson, TKO (Round 2, 3:10)
- Marion Reneau def. Talita Bernardo, TKO (Round 3, 4:54)
- Leon Edwards def. Bryan Barberena, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
- Darren Till def. Bojan Velickovic, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Mairbek Taisumov def. Felipe Silva, knockout (Round 1, 1:24)
- Michel Prazeres def. Mads Burnell, submission (Round 3, 1:26)
- Rustam Khabilov def. Desmond Green, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Aleksandar Rakic def. Francimar Barroso, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Zabit Magomedsharipov def. Mike Santiago, submission (Round 2, 4:22)
- Abdul Kerim-Edilov def. Bojan Mihajlovic, TKO (Round 2, 2:32)
- Thibault Gouti def. Andrew Holbrook, TKO (Round 1, 4:28)
Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Rob Wilkinson
Siyar Bahadurzada is back. After more than a year-and-a-half away from the cage, the 33-year-old made an emphatic return to the UFC with a second-round stoppage of Rob Wilkinson.
Moving up to middleweight for just his second fight in six years, the striker showed no signs of ring rust. He got the better of the striking exchanges early and often.
That pattern carried through into the second round where Wilkinson had no answer for Bahadurzada’s striking and power. Wilkinson took plenty of damage before the fight was finally called by the referee, a stoppage that was criticized for being too slow.
Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting was one of those who felt the ref could have saved Wilkinson earlier:
The UFC passed along the highlight of the win:
Bahadurzada came back in a big way, and he didn’t squander the opportunity to let those watching know this was just the beginning. The fearsome striker issued a warning for any future opponents after spending time away from the cage for injuries, via MMA Fighting:
Marion Reneau vs. Talita Bernardo
In a fight that was marked by several hard-fought scrambles on the ground, Marion Reneau showed the importance of experience in a third-round TKO win over Talita Bernardo in women’s bantamweight action.
Reneau was supposed to fight Germaine de Randamie in this event, but the former champion pulled out of the card and Bernardo was a late-notice replacement.
Bernadro should be applauded for the effort. She held her own in many of the grappling exchanges and arguably won the first round. She has a future in the organization.
Ultimately, No. 11 women’s bantamweight Reneau was just too good as the fight went on. With two definite rounds already in her pocket, she went for the finish in the third. With six seconds left, she forced the referee stoppage.
As Michael Carroll of Fight Metric noted, it was one of the later stoppages in a thee-round fight that there has been:
Unfortunately, this was a lose-lose situation for Reneau. Bernardo was a semi-dangerous opponent, but a win over her doesn’t necessarily boost her stock.
Leon Edwards vs. Bryan Barberena
Bryan Barberena is the kind of fighter who can put any up-and-comer to the test. He’s most famous for handing Sage Northcutt a brutal loss with his grinding style.
Try as he might to derail the hype train of British welterweight Leon Edwards, he couldn’t stop the 26-year-old from earning the nod in a close-fought unanimous decision.
Bam Bam put pressure on with volume early on, but Edwards responded well with the more powerful strikes. He added a takedown and back control to score the round for himself.
But Barberena didn’t go down without a fight. His volume finally paid off as he put Edwards on the ground with a left uppercut. UFC Canada provided the highlight:
Edwards proved his mettle in the third round, though. He went back to his wrestling in the third frame. The more athletic Edwards was able to secure a takedown and go for a choke.
Although he didn’t get it, it was enough to convince the judges he won two of the three rounds and be one of the big winners on this card.
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