Magomed
Ankalaev shifted ever closer to another shot at the
Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title and
perhaps boosted the rhinoplasty market in the process.
The stoic 31-year-old Russian turned away Johnny
Walker with punches in the second round of their
UFC Fight Night 234 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in
Las Vegas, likely closing the book on their brief but eventful
head-to-head series. Referee Marc Goddard
rescued Walker (21-8, 7-5 UFC) from further damage 2:42 into Round
2.
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A little less than three months after their initial encounter
resulted in a controversial no contest, neither man made much
headway in the first round of their rematch. Ankalaev (18-1-1,
10-1-1 UFC) was content to stay at a safe distance while his
volatile counterpart unleashed flashy, inefficient attacks. Midway
through Round 2, the Gorets Fight Team product dropped Walker to a
seated position against the fence with a brutal right hook. The
right uppercut that followed changed the coordinates of the
Brazilian’s nose and forced Goddard to intervene.
Ageless Miller Subdues Benitez
Former Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder Jim Miller
dispatched “The Ultimate Fighter Latin America” semifinalist
Gabriel
Benitez with a face crank in the third round of their
lightweight co-main event. In his first appearance since Aug. 13,
2022, Benitez (23-11, 7-7 UFC) raised the white flag of surrender
3:25 into Round 3.
Miller (37-17, 26-16 UFC) conducted much of his business on the
feet, with multi-punch volleys and heavy leg kicks. Benitez
responded initially but had no recourse once the 40-year-old New
Jersey native switched gears. Miller turned to takedowns across the
second and third round. He scrambled to the back in Round 3,
secured his position and snaked his arms in place. Conditioned by
54 professional fights and untold hours in the gym, Miller’s
squeeze did the rest.
The 40-year-old Miller has won five of his past six bouts.
Surging Bautista Downs Simon
Volume punching and stellar takedown defense spurred ascending MMA
Lab export Mario
Bautista to a unanimous decision over Ricky Simon
in a riveting three-round bantamweight showcase. All three cageside
judges scored it for Bautista (14-2, 8-2 UFC): 30-27, 30-27 and
29-28.
Simon (20-5, 8-4 UFC) had his moments, as he bloodied the John
Crouch protégé’s nose with punishing jabs throughout the 15-minute
battle and executed a high-amplitude takedown in the third round.
Bautista answered with crisp counters, multi-punch combinations and
an absolute refusal to stay down when grounded. He boxed
beautifully down the stretch, pieced together accurate shots to the
head and kept Simon in an almost perpetual backpedal.
Bautista will ride a six-fight winning streak into his next
assignment and figures to break into the Top 15 at 135 pounds for
the first time.
Ferreira ‘Hulk’ Smashes Hawes
Brazilian TKO rep Bruno
Ferreira rebounded from his 77-second knockout loss to Nursulton
Ruziboev in July and did so in resounding fashion, as he buried
Phil
Hawes with punches in the first round of their middleweight
attraction.
Hawes (12-6, 4-4 UFC) checked out 4:55 into Round 1, suffering his
third straight defeat.
Ferreira (11-1, 2-1 UFC) set the table for the stoppage with a
perfectly timed flying knee, a thudding right hook and a partially
blocked spinning backfist. He sent a dazed Hawes crashing to the
canvas with a straight left to the temple, then pounded him
unconscious with follow-up punches and hammerfists, leaving referee
Chris Tognoni to rope off the crime scene.
It was the ninth first-round finish of Ferreira’s career.
Once-Beaten Cortes-Acosta Outflanks Arlovski
Former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Waldo
Cortes-Acosta outstruck Andrei
Arlovski to a unanimous decision in their three-round
heavyweight appetizer. All three cageside judges scored it the
same: 29-28 for Cortes-Acosta (11-1, 4-1 UFC), whose performance
figures to be remembered more for its histrionics than any
overriding skill.
Arlovski (34-23, 23-17 UFC), who turns 45 in a matter of weeks,
could not match his counterpart’s speed and power. Cortes-Acosta
relied on quick-twitch punching bursts and occasional body kicks
but spent much of his time visibly and verbally taunting the
Belarusian. Arlovski was unamused and even attempted to sweep the
Dominican’s mouthpiece out of the cage at one point. Still,
Cortes-Acosta landed virtually all the strikes of consequence and
coasted across the finish line.
Winless since April 2022, Arlovski has lost three fights in a
row.
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