UFC Fight Night 112 in Oklahoma City featured a strong prelim and main card, but all that will be forgotten after a controversial finish to tonight’s main event between Michael Chiesa and Kevin Lee.
Lee was able to come away with the victory after (kind of) submitting Chiesa.
You can’t take anything away from Lee’s performance, no matter how much you disagree with referee Mario Yamasaki stopping the fight.
Lee did well to avoid Chiesa’s armbar and transition to get Chiesa’s back. Once Lee got the body triangle in place, it only seemed like a matter of time until Lee would get under Chiesa’s chin for the rear-naked choke.
Eventually, Lee was able to get under the chin and put the squeeze on Chiesa, but the referee stepped in to separate the fighters before Chiesa tapped out.
It could be argued that Chiesa’s left arm went a little limp, but he appeared to still be awake and looking to put his elbow down on the mat to turn his body in an effort to stand up. Yamasaki tried to protect Chiesa, but he may have stopped the fight too soon.
Lee was on pace to win the fight, or at the very least the round, so a rematch could be on the books later this year, specifically in December as Lee and Chiesa said post-fight inside of the Octagon.
But let’s move on from tonight’s main event and take a look at the rest of the main card.
Main card results:
Kevin Lee def. Michael Chiesa via submission (RNC) (1st, 4:37)
Tim Boetsch def. Johny Hendricks via second-round TKO (0:46)
Felice Herrig def. Justine Kish via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-27)
Dominick Reyes def. Joachim Christensen via first-round TKO (0:29)
Tim Means def. Alex Garcia via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Dennis Siver def. BJ Penn via majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-27)
Siver seals Penn’s fate
Let’s get one thing straight about the future of BJ Penn in the UFC: There shouldn’t be one.
Penn wants to keep fighting because he can’t find a life outside of fighting, and that’s fine. But it shouldn’t happen in the UFC anymore.
There are other organizations, like Rizin in Japan, where he can go to fight and still be a star. Getting punished fight after fight by some of the world’s best strikers is bad for Penn’s health, fight fans and the legitimacy of the UFC.
In the first round, Penn didn’t get much off in terms of offense and seemed comfortable watching Siver throw leg kicks to the body while putting together a few combinations. However, Pen didn’t shoot for a single takedown not only in the first round but at any time in the fight.
Penn had an opportunity in the second round to take care of Siver after landing a beautiful uppercut that sent Siver to the canvas, but instead of trying to gain full mount and work for a submission, Penn just put his weight on Siver, waiting for the round to end.
The third round wasn’t much of a fight, and Penn looked like he didn’t want to be there.
Siver looked sharp and in shape after two years away from the Octagon, but he should’ve finished Penn in the third round. Penn couldn’t walk from the damage done to his lead leg and was breathing heavy, constantly walking away from Siver.
The win was big for Siver, who can now look forward to getting back into the top 15 of the featherweight division with a couple more victories under his belt, but the loss for Penn was his fifth in a row and he hasn’t won since 2010.
It’s time for the UFC and athletic commissions to protect Penn and stop him from fighting.
By any Means necessary
Alex Garcia can be a very frustrating fighter, and nothing changed Sunday against Tim Means. Garcia was waiting for an opening to counter Means, but that opening never came. Means used his size and kept distance between himself and Garcia’s power, which was a smart move since Garcia seemed to be loading up on every strike he attempted to land.
Call it methodical and perhaps a bit boring, but Means did what he had to do to earn the decision. Why should he have to go out of his way and allow Garcia to come closer in range to deliver a lethal blow if he can outsmart Garcia at arm’s length?
After an awkward couple of fights against Alex Oliveira, including a no contest and a submission loss, Means is back in the win column and, even at the age of 33, there is still a lot of room for him to grow in the welterweight division.
As for Garcia, he needs to go back to the drawing board.
At the end of the first round, Garcia looked as if he was just doing his best to conserve energy for the second and third rounds, but he didn’t look to pounce on Means and be the aggressor. Instead, he waited for the third round.
But Means was ready for anything Garcia was willing to throw at him and wasn’t going to let him get near to landing a haymaker to change the outcome of the bout. Garcia has the skill-set and power to be a force in the 170-pound division, but he needs to improve his endurance and become a more aggressive fighter if he ever wants to become more than an above average fighter in the UFC.
Reyes sets world on fire in debut
What’s the best way to introduce yourself to the light heavyweight division in your UFC debut? By knocking out your opponent in less than 30 seconds.
Dominick Reyes was a highly-touted prospect coming into his fight against Joachim Christensen, but he may have cemented himself as an immediate threat to the top 10 of the division after flat-lining Christensen with a vicious straight left.
The two punches he landed once Christensen hit the deck were unnecessary, but you fight until the referee stops you.
Reyes didn’t call out any top fighters after his first UFC win, but it will be interesting to see what the UFC decides to do with a fighter who has a lot of hype who knock people out with a single punch in a division that is desperate for top-flight contenders.
Now 7-0, Reyes has options, and that’s always good to have in the fight game. As for Christensen, the fight ended so quickly it’s hard for him to imagine what he could have done much differently besides covering up a little better. Look for Reyes to emerge as the next wave of 205-pound contenders in the next year.
Herrig picks up another win
Felice Herrig almost had the submission win over Justine Kish, but she’ll take the dominant victory and continue to wreak havoc on 115-pound division.
Herrig was Kish’s backpack for the majority of the fight as Kish couldn’t shake off Herrig for the entire fight, struggling to compete with Herrig’s jiu-jitsu. It got to the point where anytime Kish was able to stand herself up, she received a resounding applause for the effort. That’s how good Herrig was tonight.
The fight was almost stopped halfway through the third round as Herrig had a very tight rear-naked choke on Kish and it only seemed like a matter of time before Kish either tapped or went out cold.
Credit to the referee for not pulling apart the fighters despite how tight the choke looked as Kish was able to miraculously get Herrig’s forearm from under her chin, allowing her to survive all three rounds.
For Herrig, the win marks her third in a row as she looks to continue her rise to the top of the division. Currently ranked No. 13 in the strawweight division, it might be time for Herrig to get a top-10 fight the next time she steps inside the Octagon.
Perhaps a date with former champion Carla Esparza could be next, who also earned a win tonight.
Boetsch ruins Hendricks’ homecoming
Tim Boetsch came to Oklahoma City with a huge target on his back, fighting the hometown boy in Johny Hendricks. Fortunately for Boetsch, the fight didn’t last very long thanks in part to a perfectly placed right head kick that hit Hendricks above the ear, knocking him off balance and back against the cage.
Boetsch was able to set up the head kick by targeting Hendricks’ lead right leg, making Hendricks think twice about putting weight on his right foot to launch his dangerous left hook. Boetsch was able to pounce on Hendricks once he landed the head kick and didn’t let the hometown boy breathe.
With a flurry of uppercuts, Hendricks’ body slumped down against the cage and was saved by the referee who had seen enough. The victory was big for Boetsch, who needed a bit of a lift after getting submitted in his last fight by Jacare Souza. He should be looking for another top-15 fight next.
As for Hendricks, what more can you say? After a successful debut at middleweight, it looked as if Hendricks finally found a new home at 185 pounds until he came in overweight on Saturday. Does the UFC give him anymore leash to make weight again? Or has the organization become fed up with the lack of discipline Hendricks shows outside of fight camp?
Maybe 205 pounds is next for Hendricks if he can’t get his act together. But besides his weight, it’s clear that the former welterweight champion has lost a step. Or two, for that matter.
Losing to Boetsch was big for Hendricks, especially since he was fighting in front of a home crowd. Maybe he needs some time off to get his act (and weight) together before coming back to the Octagon. For his sake, he should take the rest of 2017 off.
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