UFC Vegas 15 results: Smith wins via triangle

Check out what went down at UFC Vegas 15: Smith vs. Clark.

It didn’t look like much on paper—especially after the main event of Derrick Lewis vs. Curtis Blaydes fell out on 24 hours notice—but UFC Vegas 15 delivered a fun night of fights with plenty of finishes. The event also showcased a couple of fighters who might be future contenders in their divisions.

The replacement main event between former title challenger Anthony Smith and Devin Clark was scheduled for five rounds, but it barely made it half-way through the first.

Clark came out for the first with the intention to finish Smith, due to a promise he made his late mother-in-law. He stormed out throwing punches, but Smith read his advance, lowered and got the takedown. After an awkward scramble, Smith got on Clark’s back and set-up the bottom half of a twister. Clark was able to explode out, though, and get on top of Smith. From his back, Smith slapped on a triangle choke with two and a half minutes left. ‘Lionheart’ squeezed and it was all over. Clark tapped to avoid going to sleep.

In the co-main event Miguel Baeza staked his undefeated record against Takashi Sato. Both of these welterweight finishers showed plenty of respect and restraint in the opening moments. But Baeza was the first to find his range and a will to engage. He landed a few nice shots on Sato, including a big knee to the face against the cage. Sato came out aggressive in the second, but Baeza was able to evade his early attacks and tag him with a body kick and a superman punch. Later in the round Baeza got a takedown against the fence, then quickly took Sato’s back. Baeza then landed some hard ground and pound before locking in a head-and-arm choke for the win. Baeza moved to 10-0 with his first ever submission win and showed he might make some noise in the crowded 170 lbs division.

The remaining heavyweight bout of the evening pit Josh Parisian versus Parker Porter. The big boys threw leather inside the smaller cage. In the first Porter seemed to get the better of the exchanges early on, but Parisian stormed back and wobbled him with a big overhand. But Porter responded and hurt Parisian with combos. Porter came out freshest in the second and used that energy to chop Parisian down with leg kicks. With Parisian’s gas tank empty, Porter was able to take him down, hold him down and deliver big punches and hammerfists for most of the round. With his opponent tired and desperate, Porter was able to spend the third walking Parisian down landing clean leg kicks and punches on route to a unanimous decision win.

‘The Alpha Ginger’ Spike Carlyle and ‘Senor Perfecto’ Bill Algeo put on a predictable nutty fight with plenty of unorthodox strikes, throws and sub attempts. It also featured Carlyle screaming in Algeo’s face. In the second round the long-limbed Algeo was able to take control of the fight on the ground, flattening Carlyle out and coming close on a couple of chokes. With Carlyle exhausted in the third, Algeo coasted slightly to secure the decision win.

In bantamweight action Norma Dumont collected the most impressive win of her young career, with an overwhelming decision victory over Octagon veteran Ashlee Evans-Smith. The Brazilian, who previously fought at featherweight (and missed weight for this one), was able to out-muscle Evans-Smith (who has fought at flyweight) and beat her to the punch throughout the contest. If Dumont can make 135 lbs (and keep making it), she could be one to watch at bantamweight.

To open up the main card Jonathan Pierce and Kai Kamaka III went back an forth on the feet before Pearce showed he had the better wrestling of the two. He put his weight on Kamaka on the ground, looking for submissions and landing big shots. Towards end of the second Pearce just peppered away with light strikes. Kamaka didn’t defend them or offer any response, so the ref had to call it off.

To finish off the prelim card Anderson dos Santos and Martin Day had a fun scrap that didn’t make it out of the first round. Dos Santos showcased incredible aggression both with his striking and grappling. Both fighters traded big slamming takedowns in the round, but when Day took dos Santos down, he landed in the Brazilian’s guillotine choke, which proved tight enough to finish the fight.

Gina Mazany impressed on the undercard. She bullied Rachael Ostovich with her wrestling and punished her with her striking, eventually getting the stoppage with a perfectly placed front kick to the body.

One of the most memorable moments of the prelims was Tibetan flyweight Sumudaerji overwhelming Malcolm Gordon in under a minute. Sumudaerji blasted the Canadian with a barrage of punches that left his opponent flat out on his face.

To start things off Luke Sanders and Nathan Maness met in a catchweight bout (140 lbs). The curtain-jerkers let rip in this one, with both men throwing haymakers from the get-go. In the second Maness scored a knockdown and then pounced to get the submission victory.

Main Card

Light heavyweight: Anthony Smith def. Devin Clark via submission (triangle), round 1 (2:34).

Welterweight: Miguel Baeza def. Takashi Sato via submission (arm triangle), round 2 (4:28).

Heavyweight: Parker Porter def. Josh Parisian via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-28).

Featherweight: Bill Algeo def. Spike Carlyle via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Bantamweight: Norma Dumont def. Ashlee Evans-Smith via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26).

Featherweight: Jonathan Pearce def. Kai Kamaka III via TKO (strikes), round 2 (4:28).

Preliminary Card

Bantamweight: Anderson dos Santos def. Martin Day via submission (guillotine), round 1 (4:35).

Flyweight: Gina Mazany def. Rachael Ostovich by TKO (body kick), round 3 (4:10).

Flyweight: Sumudaerji def. Malcolm Gordon by KO (punch), round 1 (0.44).

Catchweight (140 lbs): Nathan Maness def. Luke Sanders via submission (rear naked choke), round 2 (2:29).