No judges needed!
@LastSamuraiUFC
makes it straight wins with a finish.
#UFCVegas16 pic.twitter.com/jNC999zgy9— UFC (@ufc)
December 6, 2020
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. Early adversity did nothing to divert Louis
Smolka from his objective.
The Team Oyama export overcame an inauspicious start and continued
to establish himself as a viable player in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s bantamweight division, as he
put away “The Ultimate Fighter Latin America” finalist Jose
Alberto Quinonez with punches in the second round of their
featured
UFC on ESPN 19 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Smolka (17-7, 8-7 UFC) drew the curtain 2:15 into Round 2.
Quinonez (8-5, 5-4 UFC) pestered the Hawaiian with low leg kicks
for much of the first round, mixed in a few overhand rights and
benefitted from an inadvertent clash of heads that cut the former
Pacific Xtreme Combat champion near his right eye. Smolka pressed
the issue at the start of Round 2, executed a head-and-arm throw
and climbed immediately to full mount. A sustained barrage of
punches prompted Quinonez to surrender his back, at which point more unanswered blows fell and
brought the match to a close.
Smolka, 29, has rattled off six wins across his past eight
outings.
Undefeated Topuria Folds Jackson
Ilia
Topuria kept his perfect professional record intact and did so
in overwhelming fashion, as the onetime
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder buried Fortis
MMA mainstay Damon
Jackson with punches in the first round of their featherweight
pairing. Jackson (18-4-1, 1-2-1 UFC) melted 2:38 into Round 1.
Topuria (10-0, 2-0 UFC) ravaged the Texan’s body with punches from
both hands and never allowed him to change course. Jackson
retreated to the fence under heavy fire midway through the first
round, at which point he was met with a right uppercut that touched
off the fight-ending volley. A savage left hook to the body came
next followed by a chopping right hand behind the ear that folded
Jackson at the base of the cage and necessitated the stoppage.
The loss was Jackson’s first since May 23, 2019.
Collier Outduels Reeling Villante
Former
Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion Jake
Collier rebounded from a 45-second knockout defeat to Tom
Aspinall with a unanimous decision over Gian
Villante in a three-round heavyweight tilt. All three cageside
judges scored it 30-27 for Collier (12-5, 4-4 UFC), who has
alternated wins and losses in each of his last eight
appearances.
Villante (17-13, 7-10 UFC) piled up considerable damage on his
counterpart’s face with overhand rights and effective counters, but
his approach lacked urgency. Collier was far busier, kept a steady
pace and maintained his aggression throughout the 15-minute affair.
He attacked the legs and body with powerful kicks, stepped into his
jabs and staggered Villante more than once with sweeping left hooks
upstairs.
Once one of the sport’s brightest prospects, Villante finds himself
on a three-fight losing streak for the first time in his career.
