Rising heavyweight slugger Derick Lewis was looking for his biggest-ever win when he squared off with Top 10 veteran Travis Browne in the main event of last night’s (Feb. 19, 2017) UFC Fight Night 105 from the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “The Black Beast” got it, but it wasn’t without some initial adversity.
Rising heavyweight slugger Derick Lewis was looking for his biggest-ever win when he squared off with Top 10 veteran Travis Browne in the main event of last night’s (Feb. 19, 2017) UFC Fight Night 105 from the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
“The Black Beast” got it, but it wasn’t without some initial adversity. Browne rocked him on multiple occasions with vicious body kicks, and Lewis was no doubt in trouble. But he weathered the storm to turn the tables in the second round, nailing Browne with huge punches to floor him and unleash a torrent that unfortunately resulted in an extremely late stoppage.
It will rate as his biggest win without question, but one has to wonder if the heavyweight opponents Lewis will potentially face in the near future have taken note of what appeared to be a weakness in the form of Browne’s body work in Halifax.
In the meantime, watch the video highlights of Lewis’ latest knockout victory here:
Former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks has had a rough run of late, losing three straight dating back to just over a year ago, and missing weight in his last two fights. However, Sunday night in Halifax, NS, Hendricks got back on track, scoring a unanimous decision win over former Bellator champion Hector Lombard. For […]
Former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks has had a rough run of late, losing three straight dating back to just over a year ago, and missing weight in his last two fights. However, Sunday night in Halifax, NS, Hendricks got back on track, scoring a unanimous decision win over former Bellator champion Hector Lombard. For […]
Derrick Lewis went ahead and turned UFC Fight Night 105 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, into his personal stage to announce he’s a serious heavyweight contender against Travis Browne with a second-round technical knockout victory in the main event Sunday nig…
Derrick Lewis went ahead and turned UFC Fight Night 105 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, into his personal stage to announce he’s a serious heavyweight contender against Travis Browne with a second-round technical knockout victory in the main event Sunday night.
MMAjunkie provided the official result:
The battle of the heavies delivered with the action early on. The taller Browne came out attacking with aggressive leg and body kicks—and one nearly doubled Lewis over—but Hapa was unable to take advantage of the momentum shift.
Bloody Elbow noted the obvious reaction from Lewis:
Still, even in a losing effort Lewis is dangerous, and he was able to do some damage despite losing the round. Connor Ruebusch of Bloody Elbow noted the early blows from Lewis:
Browne would realize his inability to take advantage of the early pain for Lewis was a mistake in the second frame. The Black Beast landed a massive left hand that shelled Browne early in the round, and the UFC posted the ensuing swarm:
Browne would find a way to survive that onslaught, but not many who are touched up by Lewis are able to ultimately weather the storm. The 32-year-old just kept coming and scored a knockdown. From there, Lewis rained down ground-and-pound until he drew the finish and made an emphatic statement about his status as a contender in the heavyweight division.
Fox Sports 1 posted the finish to the bout:
Brett Okamoto of ESPN summed up the win for The Black Beast quite nicely:
The heavyweight tilt wasn’t the only notable action that took place in Halifax on Sunday night, though. A former UFC champion found a new weight class, a potential Canadian star got off to a great UFC start and a women’s contender did her best to make a case for a title shot.
Here’s a look at the quick results from UFC Fight Night 105 and a closer look at each of the main card bouts.
UFC Fight Night 105 Quick Results
Main Card
Derrick Lewis def. Travis Browne, knockout (Round 2, 3:12)
Thiago Santos def. Jack Marshman, TKO (Round 2, 2:21)
Hector Lombard vs. Johny Hendricks
The reincarnation of Johny Hendricks as a middleweight was one of the most intriguing storylines heading into UFC Halifax, and it didn’t disappoint.
Bigg Rigg’s foray into a heavier weight class after continued struggles to make the 170-pound limit in his old weight class resulted in a different-looking fighter. The welterweight version of Hendrick’s continually looked to land the one big shot that could end the fight.
Hendricks still threw some heavy leather, but he looked much more like a true kickboxer at the heavier weight, utilizing movement to score against an equally powerful Lombard.
His Cuban opponent certainly made a run at it. This was a close fight that could have gone either way. The UFC passed along a highlight of Lombard landing a heavy left against Hendricks, and it certainly wasn’t hard to find highlights for the loser of the fight:
Bleacher Report’s Patrick Wyman gave Hendricks credit for looking savvy in his new weight class:
After the fight, Hendricks’ expressed how good he felt not having to cut to 170. “I have energy! I couldn’t do that in my last weight class,” he said, per MMA Fighting.
Just how far this middleweight version of Hendricks can go will be interesting. The former welterweight champion had lost three straight heading into this fight.
Gavin Tucker vs. Sam Sicilia
Debuting in the UFC with an undefeated record in a fighter’s hometown might be the most pressure-packed way to start off a career in the organization, but you couldn‘t tell from watching Gavin Tucker outpoint Sam Sicilia to a decision victory.
The 30-year-old advanced his career record to 10-0, but the 10th win was a lot different from his previous nine. The Newfoundland native had only fought in Canada’s regional scene. That created a big jump in competition taking on a guy in Sicilia with 11 UFC fights to his name before Sunday night.
Ultimately, Tucker’s quickness, athleticism and striking forgave any lack of experience for Tucker. His quickness allowed him to outhustleSicilia from the outside and stick his opponent on the end of his kicks and punches:
Tucker glided through the three rounds without necessarily putting Sicilia in danger but making it known he was clearly the better fighter. Tucker said in his post-fight interview that he was cautious not to get too crazy against someone like Sicilia:
Tucker’s movement and striking earned him comparisons to some pretty elite company:
Tucker has a long way to go before he’s heralded as a star, but this performance certainly won’t do anything to prevent a hype train from leaving the station. He’s definitely a name to keep an eye on. Especially on any cards set to go on in Canada.
Elias Theodorou vs. CezarFerreira
Elias Theodorou vs. CezarFerreira was one of the most even-matched fights on the card, and that bared out when the two middleweights squared off.
The fight got off to an inauspicious start with both fighters feeling each other out, yet the Canadian led the dance in those phases, which could have ultimately helped swing the fight.
The second frame saw Theodorou open up a bit more in the standup game but found himself grappling with Ferreira where he gave up his back a few times. Ferreira continued to get some of the better parts of the grappling exchanges, but overall it was a round the judges saw for the hometown fighter.
The third frame appeared to be close once again. Ferreira scored a takedown late in the round that appeared would tip the scales in favor of the Brazilian:
A little bit of home-field advantage might have been at play, though, as the Theodorou even won all three rounds on one of the scorecards.
That’s back-to-back wins for the fan favorite Theodorou. Given Ferreira‘s three-fight win streak heading into this bout, it’s safe to say Spartan might be in line for an even bigger step up in competition after this win.
Sara McMann vs. Gina Mazany
Sara McMann was the biggest favorite on the card at 2-11 odds, per OddsShark.
It didn’t take long to figure out why.
The former Olympic wrestler punched her way into the clinch, took down her overwhelmed opponent and went right to work on an arm-triangle choke that ended the fight. The whole process took 1:14 of the first round for McMann to make good on her favored status.
After the bout, McMann used her platform to call for a title shot.
This is hardly the bout that should set her up for a title shot, though. McMann has three wins in a row, but this was a late-notice replacement fight for Mazany. According to TSN, Liz Carmouche—who was scheduled to fight McMann—had to pull out due to an injury.
McMann is certainly one of the best grapplers in women’s MMA, but first-round losses to Ronda Rousey and current champion Amanda Nunes mean she probably has to do a little more than beat Mazany to earn another crack at the championship.
Alessandro Ricci vs. Paul Felder
When Paul Felder fights, it tends to be a spectacular knockout from the Irish Dragon or bust.
At UFC Halifax, it was the spectacular knockout variety of performance. The lightweight put together crisp combinations against the 34-year-old Alessandro Ricci, who was making his second appearance in the UFC Octagon.
However, it was a beautiful step-in elbow that put the fight to rest late in the first round. It was one of those moments when Felder put forth the full potential of his masterful striking.
Connor Ruebusch of Bloody Elbow noted the excellent timing of Felder on the elbow:
Felder also provided one of the more emotional moments of the evening, revealing he left his father, who is battling cancer, to train for this bout and gave him a shoutout in his post-fight interview:
It was a perfect way to start a card that had its fair share of good moments for those who tuned in.
It looked like fight fans were headed for a guaranteed KO when heavyweight power hitters Derrick Lewis and Travis Browne met in the main event of tonight’s (Feb. 19, 2017) UFC Fight Night 105 from the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The two ultra-dangerous heavyweights were at completely different places in their respective careers, however,
It looked like fight fans were headed for a guaranteed KO when heavyweight power hitters Derrick Lewis and Travis Browne met in the main event of tonight’s (Feb. 19, 2017) UFC Fight Night 105 from the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The two ultra-dangerous heavyweights were at completely different places in their respective careers, however, as “The Black Beast’” was enjoying the momentum and confidence of a five-fight win streak containing four T/KOs.
Browne, on the other hand, needed a victory arguably more than he ever had in his MMA career, as the once-feared knockout artist had dropped four out of his previous six bouts following his decision to leave Albuquerque’s Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA to train with Edmond Tarverdyan in Glendale, California. Tarverdyan did not corner “Hapa” for this fight.
But it didn’t matter, as fans got just what they expected in the main event.
Round One:
Lewis came out swinging. Browne snapped a leg kick and a front kick that nearly landed, keeping his distance from “The Black Beast.” Browne missed with a left hand and cut angles, appearing to hurt Lewis with a sharp body kick or even a hand injury. Lewis threw an ill-advised spin kick that missed, following with a jumping switch kick.
Lewis then landed a huge right hand counter off of a kick from Browne, following with a few more punches. Browne fought back with another body shot that rocked Lewis, but he recovered for the time being. A low kick landed from Browne, and he pressed the action with another followed by a straight left.
The two men traded low kicks as Lewis threw yet another spinning wheel kick but Browne remained patient. Lewis landed a combo of hard punches to close the first round.
Round Two:
“Hapa” came out fast in the second, walking Lewis down against the cage and throwing more body and low kicks. Lewis missed some shots and Browne missed a Superman punch. Brown went for a high kick, but Lewis countered with a flurry of huge shots, hurting Browne and having him in big trouble.
Uppercuts came from “The Black Beast” and a flurry unloaded, but somehow Browne survived to clinch. He went for a takedown but Lewis anded right on top of him, bludgeoning and ragdollling Browne to the mat. Punches came down but Browne got back up. Lewis floored him with a big left hook and a right to the skull and started unloading nonstop power strikes on Browne, and it was a surprise that referee Mario Yamasaki allowed the brutal beating to continue as long as it did as Browne laid unconscious on the ground.
Official Result: Derrick Lewis def. Travis Browne via R2 TKO (punches, 3:12)
Former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks and former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard met for extremely high stakes in the co-main event of this evening’s (Feb. 19, 2017) UFC Fight Night 105 from the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The two fighters had lost a combined five straight contests, with Hendricks having dropped three
Former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks and former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard met for extremely high stakes in the co-main event of this evening’s (Feb. 19, 2017) UFC Fight Night 105 from the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The two fighters had lost a combined five straight contests, with Hendricks having dropped three straight to Stephen Thompson, Kelvin Gastelum, and Neil Magny while Lombard had been finished by Dan Henderson and Magny in fights he was clearly winning in the early moments.
Both needed a win to secure their UFC contracts, and for “Bigg Rigg,” it was the latest fight he said he would retire after if he lost, but his first at middleweight after a long and sordid history of missing the welterweight limit.
Round One:
Lombard started the fight off circling Hendricks, with both fighters cautious to engage. “Bigg Rigg” got the action moving with a low kick, and followed with a knee in the clinch. Lombard stung a counter and appeared to be stalking for a huge shot, landing a grazing power left.
Hendricks was lighter on the feet, but Lombard caught one of his low kicks to throw some big punches leading to a brief clinch. Lombard ate a low kick to clinch again, and Hendricks scored another knee. The former welterweight boss missed badly on a takedown and the fighters traded shots in the center of the octagon. Lombard then dropped him off another low kick, but “Bigg Rigg” quickly rose up.
A clinch saw the action to slow down, and the referee gave Lombard a warning to keep his fingers out of the fence. A quick flurry of punches came from both before the first round came to a close.
Round Two:
The second round began with Hendricks getting tagged with a counter as he rushed in close. He landed a slapping low kick but Lombard was there to score a combo. Hendricks countered with one of his own before a clinch lead to Lombard kneeing Hendricks below the belt not once but twice, prompting the referee to step in and give “Bigg Rigg” a five-minute break.
On the restart, Lombard wobbled Hendricks with a right hand and followed up with another. Hooks landed, but Hendricks threw back a few shots. Hendricks scored a knee up the middle and some punches, and again Lombard looked to clinch. Lombard landed a hard left over the top, and they traded shots in the pocket. “Lightning” was appearing to tire as he absorbed a knee and clinched again, leading to another warning to Lombard for grabbing the fence.
Hendricks landed a knee and a right hand after the fight started again, whiffing on a huge left before landing a final knee to close a better round for the former welterweight champ.
Round Three:
The last round began with Lombard stalking Hendricks to land a huge right and a low kick. Hendricks was active but throwing just out of reach, and both men missed on big looping shots simultaneously. Lombard scored with a punch and a body kick, and Hendricks lead with another big knee. A left followed from the more mobile Hendricks, who threw yet another knee only to get hit with an uppercut.
Lombard snapped a jab and Hendricks an overhand over the strike, landing a left hand and low kick right after. Lombard threw a right hook and missed a takedown attempt off of a knee, and Hendricks began landed combos and strong shots. But a jumping knee lead to a sweep takedown from Lombard, from which Hendricks got back up rapidly. Lombard stalked Hendricks lazily along the cage wall, landing body kicks and an overhand, but Hendricks fired back a low kick. The fight ended with Lombard chasing “Bigg Rigg” to throw a shot.
Official Result: Johny Hendricks def. Hector Lombard by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
At UFC Fight Night 105 on Sunday night, Thiago Santos returned to the “Win” column with a vengeance. The UFC Middleweight contender picked up an impressive wheel kick technical knockout victory over Jack Marshman in the second bout of the evening at the UFC Fight Night event in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Seen above courtesy […]
At UFC Fight Night 105 on Sunday night, Thiago Santos returned to the “Win” column with a vengeance. The UFC Middleweight contender picked up an impressive wheel kick technical knockout victory over Jack Marshman in the second bout of the evening at the UFC Fight Night event in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Seen above courtesy […]
