Mayra
Bueno Silva is officially a title contender in the women’s
bantamweight division.
The Brazilian earned the most significant victory of her career to
date, as she submitted former 135-pound champ Holly Holm
with a modified standing guillotine choke — also known as a ninja
choke — in the second round of the UFC on ESPN 49 headliner on
Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The end came 38 seconds into
the period, giving Silva her third straight victory via submission.
After the victory, the American Top Team member called for a
showdown with Julianna
Pena for the title that has been vacant since Amanda
Nunes retired in June.
Advertisement
“I do what said (I’d do). Now I want a belt,” Silva said. “Nobody
finishes like me. I am a new face. I finish my fights.”
Holm (15-7, 8-7 UFC) began with a familiar game plan, blending
combination punching and the occasional kick with plenty of control
time against the fence. While that may have banked the first round
for the Jackson-Wink MMA standout, Silva flashed dangerous power
when the combatants were at range.
Silva (11-2-1, 6-2-1 UFC) made Holm pay for her approach early in
Round 2. “The Preacher’s Daughter” entered the clinch but left her
neck exposed against the fence. When she did, Silva
seized the opportunity to secure the choke. Once it
was locked in, Holm struggled frantically to escape but had no
other recourse but to tap.
It was Holm’s first submission since she relinquished the title to
Miesha
Tate at UFC 196 on March 5, 2016.
Maddalena Holds Off Upset-Minded Hafez
Jack
Della Maddalena dodged a bullet.
The Australian prospect entered the UFC on ESPN 49 co-main event as
the biggest favorite on the card, but short-notice opponent
Bassil
Hafez gave him all he could handle in a competitive three-round
battle. Ultimately, Maddalena emerged with a split decision victory
— the first time he has been out of the first round in the Octagon.
Judges Junichiro Kamijo and Chris Lee scored it 29-28 for Della
Maddalena (15-2, 5-0 UFC), while while Sal D’Amato saw it 29-28 in
favor of Hafez (8-4-1, 0-1 UFC).
Hafez shot for takedowns early and often, and the Elevation Fight
Team product was clearly the more powerful fighter in grappling
exchanges. Della Maddalena didn’t help his cause by hunting for
ill-advised guillotines on multiple occasions, which allowed Hafez
to assume top position.
As the bout progressed, Della Maddalena was able to impose his will
on the feet with multi-punch volleys to the head and body. He
wobbled Hafez in the final stanza and teed off with a flurry of
punches before sprawling on a takedown and transitioning into back
mount. The finish never arrived, and Hafez showed resolve by
reversing into top position before the final horn. Though it was a
victory for Della Maddalena, Hafez undoubtedly raised his profile
in defeat.
Prado Batters Azaitar
Francisco
Prado made Ottman
Azaitar part of his personal highlight reel with a first-round
technical knockout victory in a lighweight bout. The 21-year-old
Argentina native ended the contest with a barrage of heavy
ground-and-pound at the 4:05 mark of the opening stanza. All 12 of
Prado’s professional triumphs have ended inside the distance.
Azaitar (13-2, 2-2 UFC) found success rifling uppercuts through his
opponent’s guard during early exchanges, but Prado (12-1, 1-1 UFC)
was simply waiting for the right opening. The Parana Vale Tudo
representative found it when he faked going low before launching a
spinning back elbow that landed flush to the side of Azaitar’s
head, allowing Prado to power his way into top position in one
smooth motion. From there, Prado
unloaded with hammerfists on his bloodied adversary until referee
Chris Tognoni stepped in the wave off the bout .
Azaitar protested the stoppage in the aftermath, but his fate had
already been sealed.
Park Wears Down, Submits Duraev
World Top Team export Jun Yong
Park continued his upward climb with a second-round submission
of Xtreme Couture-based Russian Albert
Duraev in a middleweight encounter. “The Iron Turtle” ended the
contest with a rear-naked choke at the 4:45 mark of Round 2. Park
(17-5, 8-2 UFC) has quietly won seven of his last eight UFC
appearances.
Duraev landed some heavy punches over his opponent’s jab, but he
was gradually worn down by Park’s unrelenting pressure and pace.
Momentum shifted at the end of Round 1, when Park caught a kick and
jumped guard to lock in a tight guillotine. Duraev (16-5, 2-2 UFC)
made it to horn, but his time was limited. The South Korean
continued to pour it on in the second stanza, as he backed his foe
up with a volley of punches and folded him with a left hook to the
chin. Park then battered Duraev with punches on the canvas, assumed
back mount and after some adjustments,
eventually found the ideal opening to put his man
away.
Dumont Shuts Down Chandler
After some bad blood at weigh-ins, Norma
Dumont scored a relatively drama-free unanimous decision
triumph against Chelsea
Chandler in a featherweight matchup. All three judges saw the
fight 30-27 for the Brazilian, who has won her last four outings
within the Las Vegas-based promotion.
It was an inauspicious beginning for Chandler (5-2, 1-1 UFC), to
say the least. After being rocked by a clean right hand from Dumont
(10-2, 6-2 UFC) during an exchange in the opening round, the
Stockon, Calif., native turned the other direction and ran clear
across the Octagon. While Chandler fought somewhat better from that
point forward, her forward first style often led to her eating more
counters and succumbing to trip takedowns in the clinch. While
Dumont set the tone with her striking early, she relied more on
takedowns, control and ground-and-pound to impose her will as the
fight progressed.
Sadykhov Chokes Out McKinney
Nazim
Sadykhov turned the tables on Terrance
McKinney with a second-round submission triumph in a
lightweight clash. The Serra-Longo Fight Team product
used a rear-naked choke to elicit a tapout from his
opponent 1:07 into Round 2. Sadykhov (9-1, 2-0 UFC) has now won
nine consecutive starts since dropping his professional debut in
November 2018.
McKinney (13-6, 3-3 UFC) took Sadykhov down early in the opening
stanza and spent the majority of the period attached to the back
with a body-triangle secured. “T. Wrecks” attempted to repeat that
success in Round 2, but Sadykhov defended the shot and scrambled
into top position. From there, he took McKinney’s back while
trapping his left arm behind him, which created an easy opportunity
to lock in the fight-ending maneuver.
Continue Reading »
UFC Vegas 77 Prelims: Melsik Baghdasaryan Fends Off Tucker Lutz