After a razor-thin first round that saw both Francis Carmont and Magnus Cedenblad showcase some serious ground skills, Carmont came out with a purpose in round two and turned a quick takedown into a an eventual submission win.
The win brings Carmont to 2-0 inside the Octagon, and he will likely be looking at a step up in competition for his next bout.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight:
Francis Carmont knows how to survive.
After getting his back taken by Cedenblad early in the first round, Carmont fought off a ton of rear naked choke attempts and survived a dicey first round.
The second was all Carmont, as he quickly established his dominance by gaining the mount and putting a beating on the Swede, eventually forcing the submission.
What We Learned About Francis Carmont:
This dude is for real.
There is a lot of hype involved with a fighter whenever they are cornered and train with Georges St-Pierre, but Carmont has been able to live up to that hype thus far in his UFC career.
His heart in surviving the first round showed us a lot, and his subsequent submission win has made him a contender to watch at 185.
What We Learned About Magnus Cedenblad
All in all, it wasn’t a terrible UFC debut for Cedenblad.
Although he took the loss, Cedenblad showed he has a good grappling game and a ton of heart, as he took a ton of punishment in that second round.
It’s not time to call him a top prospect yet, but if he can continue to improve with each fight he’ll climb the middleweight ladder quickly.
What’s Next For Francis Carmont
The loser of tonight’s co-main event between Brian Stann and Alessio Sakara would test Carmont’s stand up skills and provide a nice step up in competition.
What’s Next For Magnus Cedenblad
Clifford Starks, who most recently lost to Ed Herman at UFC 143, would be a nice test for Cedenblad’s ground game, as Starks is a smothering wrestler who can tell us if Cedenblad has the takedown defense to survive in the UFC.
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