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Kattar navigated a minefield for five rounds to at least
maintain his position in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s featherweight pecking
order. The New England Cartel rep utilized a robust jab, clean punching
combinations and airtight takedown defense, as he laid claim to a
unanimous decision over Dan Ige in the
UFC on ESPN 13 headliner on Wednesday at the Flash Forum in Abu
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. All three judges struck scorecards in
Kattar’s favor: 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. He has posted 14 wins
across his past 16 outings.
Ige (14-3, 6-2 UFC) acquitted himself well in his first main event
assignment. He appeared to break Kattar’s nose with a left hook in
the second round and countered effectively in spurts. However,
fatigue became an issue in the second half of the fight. Kattar
(22-4, 6-2 UFC) stalked the Hawaiian with his jab, pressured him
backward and capitalized on being the heavier hitter. He connected
with a stepping elbow in the fifth round that had Ige’s right eye
on the verge of swelling shut and closed with a flourish, as he
denied a takedown, took top position and let fly with some
ground-and-pound in the waning seconds.
The defeat halted Ige’s six-fight winning streak.
Resilient Elliott Edges Benoit
“The Ultimate Fighter 24” winner Tim Elliott
made the most of his co-main event spotlight, as he took a
unanimous decision from Ryan Benoit
in an entertaining three-round battle at 125 pounds. Scores were
29-28, 29-28 and 29-28, all for Elliott (16-11-1, 5-9 UFC). It was
his first win since December 2017.
Benoit (10-7, 3-5 UFC) was game in defeat. The Janjira Muay Thai
product got Elliott’s attention with a head kick in the first round
and nearly finished him in the second, where he answered a mounted
guillotine choke with a tight kneebar that had the former
Titan Fighting Championships titleholder in visible distress.
However, the sustained offense Benoit needed was often
short-circuited by his counterpart’s output and squirrelly
movements. Elliott overcame a hand injury in the third round, as he
pestered his opponent with a consistent jab and scored with elbows
and knees in tight spaces.
The 30-year-old Benoit has lost six of his past 10 bouts.
Rivera Outpoints Stamann, Halts Skid
Former
Cage Fury Fighting Championships, King of
the Cage and Ring of
Combat titleholder Jimmie
Rivera threw the brakes on a two-fight losing streak with a
unanimous decision over Cody
Stamann in a featured featherweight confrontation. All three
judges sided with Rivera (23-4, 7-3 UFC): 30-27, 30-27 and
29-28.
Stamann (19-3-1, 5-2-1 UFC) was a step behind for much of the
fight. Rivera leaned on crisp counters—his left hook was his money
punch—and a steady diet of leg kicks, along with excellent takedown
defense. He turned on the jets in the third round, where he
repeatedly beat Stamann to the punch with hooks to the head and
body, pressed forward with leg kicks and denied two takedown
attempts.
The loss was Stamann’s first in nearly two years.
Refocused Santos Overwhelms McCann
Sharp muay Thai skills, timely takedowns and stellar topside
grappling spurred Astra Fight Team export Taila
Santos to a unanimous decision over Molly
McCann in a three-round women’s flyweight feature. Santos
(16-1, 1-1 UFC) swept the scorecards with 30-27 marks from all
three judges, as she rebounded from a disappointing Octagon debut
opposite Mara
Romero Borella.
McCann (10-3, 3-2 UFC) enjoyed some early success with chopping
right hands—she opened a small cut near the Brazilian’s left
eye—and darting punches. However, Santos closed the distance and
hammered her with knees to the body and head from the Thai clinch,
causing visible damage and altering the direction of the fight. The
second and third rounds were blowouts, as Santos struck for
takedowns, climbed to full mount on multiple occasions and
threatened with submissions, including a brabo choke in the middle
stanza. Once the Dana White’s Contender Series alum hit her stride,
McCann was practically powerless. The loss snapped McCann’s
three-fight winning streak.
Lazzez Upends Returning Alhassan
Organizational newcomer Mounir
Lazzez handled his business like a seasoned pro, as he laid
claim to a unanimous decision over the heavily favored Abdul
Razak Alhassan in a three-round welterweight showcase. All
three cageside judges scored it for Lazzez (10-1, 1-0 UFC): 30-27,
30-27 and 29-28.
In his first appearance in nearly two years, Alhassan (10-2, 4-2
UFC) stormed out of the gate with one of his patented
power-punching blitzes, only to be met with a shrug and a smile
from the granite-chinned Tunisian. Lazzez turned the tide midway
through the first round, targeting the Fortis
MMA standout with crushing knees to the body, stinging leg
kicks and stepping vertical elbows. He also incorporated takedowns
in all three rounds, kept the dangerous Alhassan off-balance and
proved to be the superior martial artist in all phases.
Lazzez, 32, will carry a three-fight winning streak into his next
assignment.
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