A fire fight from the first minute!
@RagingPandaMMA
& @SarjnCharge
are throwing from the start.
#UFCVegas10 pic.twitter.com/JMMvBls4sd— UFC (@ufc)
September 12, 2020
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ESPN app. Sijara
Eubanks was simply too much for Julia Avila
on the ground.
“The Ultimate Fighter 26” veteran took control down the stretch of
their bantamweight bout at
UFC Fight Night 177, earning a unanimous decision triumph at
the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. All three judges
submitted 29-27 scorecards in favor of Eubanks (6-4, 4-2 UFC(, who
has won back-to-back Octagon appearances.
Each period began with a wild exchange, as both bantamweights
traded willingly in the pocket. While Avila (8-2, 2-1 UFC) seemed
to get the better of those momets, Eubanks asserted herself on the
canvas. Her grappling edge was especially evident in Round 2, when
she moved to full mount and threatened with a pair of arm-triangle
chokes and a rear-naked choke. It was more positional control for
Eubanks in Round 3, and she punctuated her victory with heavy
ground-and-pound in the waning seconds of the fight as her opponent
clung to a kneebar.
“I’ve been doing jiu-jitsu for 15 years so I’m always confident on
the ground no matter how the fight’s going,” Eubanks said.
Debuting Croom Shocks Roberts
Kevin
Croom made the most of his first UFC appearance.
The 34-fight veteran pulled off the biggest upset on the card, as
he submitted Roosevelt
Roberts (10-3, 4-3 UFC) with a guillotine choke in the opening
stanza of their lightweight clash. The end came 31 seconds into
Round 1, making it the fastest finish by a newcomer in the history
of the 155-pound division.
“I’ve waited 13 years to be here,” Croom said. “I’m elated.”
Croom (22-12, 1-0 UFC) set the stage for the finish when he floored
Roberts with a left hook to the chin. He was able to snatch the
neck as Roberts attempted to return to his feet, locking in a
modified guillotine.
Croom tightened the squeeze and shortly thereafter, a stunned
Roberts was forced to tap out.
Romanov Continues Finishing Streak
Alexander
Romanov completely dominated
Rizin Fighting Federation veteran Roque
Martinez in a battle of heavyweight newcomers, winning via
arm-triangle choke 4:22 into the second stanza. The 29-year-old
Moldovan has ended all 12 of his professional victories inside the
distance.
Romanov (12-0, 1-0 UFC) had his way with Martinez for the duration
of the bout. The 29-year-old known as “King Kong” landed takedowns
at will and transitioned from side control to full mount with ease.
Martinez survived a barrage of hammerfists in Round 1, but he found
himself grounded once again early in the second stanza. From there,
Romanov was able to secure the arm-triangle choke and pass to side
control. It was only a matter of time before Martinez (15-6-2,
0-1 UFC) was forced to call it a night.
Turner Overwhelms Weaver
Jalin
Turner dominated fellow
Dana White’s Contender Series alum Brok Weaver
en route to a second-round submission victory in a 165-pound
catchweight matchup. “The Tarantula” used a rear-naked choke to
elicit a tapout from Weaver at the 4:20 mark of Round 2. All 10 of
Turner’s (10-5, 3-2) professional triumphs have come inside the
distance.
Turner was in control from the outset, as he wobbled his opponent
with a left hand during an initial exchange. He later dropped
Weaver (15-6, 1-2 UFC) with a two-punch combination late in the
frame, but was unable to secure the finish before the horn. A
massive right hook in Round 2 dropped Weaver, but Turner didn’t
immediately look to put his foe away during a bizarre sequence,
instead walking away from his dazed adversary.
“I thought he was out. So I was like, ‘No need to punish him.’ It
is what it is,” Turner said.
It ultimately didn’t matter.
Turner allowed Weaver back up, then dragged him to the canvas, took
his back and secured a rear-naked choke in short order.
Barberena Returns, Thwarts Ivy
Bryan
Barberena returned to active competition for the first time in
more than a year to garner a unanimous verdict against Anthony Ivy
at welterweight. Two cageside judges submitted 30-27 scorecards,
while a third saw it 29-28 — all in favor of the
MMA Lab representative, who was fighting for the first time
since undergoing back surgery last year.
Ivy’s primary objective was to get the fight to the canvas, but
Barberena (15-7, 6-5 UFC) was able to stuff the vast majority of
his foe’s takedown attempts. When the combatants were standing,
Barberena landed the more impactful punches and elbows, with Ivy
(8-4, 0-2 UFC) often shelling up to defend against his opponent’s
onslaught.
Mazo Head Kicks, Chokes Out Kish
Former
Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Sabina Mazo
earned her third consecutive triumph, submitting Justin Kish in a
flyweight encounter. The 23-year-old “Colombian Queen” locked in a
rear-naked choke to bring a halt to the bout at the 3:57 mark of
Round 3.
Kish (7-3, 3-3 UFC) landed with greater volume over the first two
rounds, as she attacked with a varied arsenal that included leg
kicks, spinning back fists and knees. Mazo’s best moment was a head
kick in Round 1, which opened a small cut near the outside of
Kish’s left eye. That move foreshadowed the finishing sequence,
because Mazo (9-1, 3-1 UFC)
dropped her opponent with a more powerful high kick late in the
final frame before jumping on Mazo’s back and securing the
fight-ending maneuver. 
