With their light heavyweight fight heading into the final minute and the result hanging the balance, Gian Villante decided against leaving things to chance Saturday night.
The New Yorker blasted Ultimate Fighter winner Corey Anderson with a monstrous shot to the temple, then landed a couple more, giving Villante a memorable TKO win at 4:18 of the third round at UFC on FOX 15 at Newark’s Prudential Center.
“My corner was yelling ‘throw it, throw it,” so I finally let go of that right hand,” Villante said (13-5).
Villante set the tone for the fight by peppering Anderson (5-1) with unchecked leg kicks throughout the opening round.
“I tried to punish those legs, punishing him any way I can,” Villante said.
Anderson tightened up his defense in the second round, which was a close five minutes. Likewise, the third round was a back-and-forth standup affair before Villante removed the matter from the judges’ hands with his ferocious finishing flurry.
The victory was Villante’s second in a row.