It wouldn’t be a MMA event if something unusual didn’t happen. In the second bout of the main card at UFC Fight Night 38 in Natal, Brazil, Michel Prazeres defeated Mairbek Taisumov, but did so as the Tiger Muay Thai team member earned not one, but two point deductions from referee Mario Yamasaki.
Prazeres began the bout by getting the takedown and moving to mount, but Taisumov was able to push the Brazilian into side control. Prazerus went for the north-south choke as he moved around, but couldn’t get it. Another body lock clinch from Prazerus body lock takedown along the fence despite fence grabbing and moves to mount again. Prazeres sat to s-mount , but couldn’t get the armbar and ends up in Taisumov’s full guard. Taisumov was able to create space, but was docked a point for grabbing the cage for kicking Prazeres while he was down. That’d be the first, but not only time Taisumov would fine himself having issues.
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In the second round, Taismuov landed a left high kick, but ate a right hand that sent him to his rear. He recovered as a charging Prazerus over committed and was reversed. Taisumov stood and tried to land ground and pound on top of a Prazeres working from guard, but couldn’t get much going and referee Mario Yamasaki separated them. Taisumov is given another point deduction, this time for grabbing the cage despite repeated warnings as the Brazilian tried to drag him to the floor. Taisumov was able to score a decent front kick as they restarted, but otherwise spent the round on the defensive from repeated, leaping hooks from the Brazilian.
By the final frame, Prazeres used the early part of the round to press Taisumov against the fence, hunting takedowns. Referee Yamasaki warns Taisumov agsain that any further cage grabbings will result in a disqualification, despite previously telling him that and taking a point. Taisumov was able to score with uppercuts from distance, but Prazeres kept scoring with counter hooks, although the Brazilian noticeably slowed. Still, with 90 seconds left in the bout, Prazeres scored another body lock trip and moved again into the mount. Taisumov was able to recover guard. The two eventually stood, but Taisumov never did much beyond that despite desperately being down on the cards.
All three judges scored the bout 30-25, giving Prazeres the unanimous decision win in what is his first bout at lightweight. Prazeres moves to 18-1 while Taisumov drops to 21-5.
“I only have one thing to say: my team deserves a lot of praise. The result speaks for itself, they did an amazing job,” Prazeres said.