A barrage of strikes@SexiMexi135
gets it done with only 15 seconds to go in RD 1!
#UFCVegas19 pic.twitter.com/1lNeEc3l7P— UFC (@ufc)
February 21, 2021
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John
Castaneda made his footprint in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s bantamweight division.
The
Minnesota Martial Arts Academy rep took care of former
World Extreme Cagefighting champion Eddie
Wineland with punches in the first round of their
UFC Fight Night 185 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las
Vegas. Castaneda (18-5, 1-1 UFC) sealed the deal 4:44 into Round
1.
Wineland (24-15-1, 6-9 UFC) countered effectively with right hands,
answered a head kick with a takedown and pressured his adversary
onto his back foot. Castaneda turned the tide with a right cross
and followed with an accurate multi-punch volley that drove the
Duneland Vale Tudo mainstay to the mat. He continued to fire punches into Wineland’s
face until referee Jason Herzog had seen enough.
The 36-year-old Wineland has suffered four losses across his last
five outings.
Gordon Smothers Streaking Chavez
Well-timed takedowns, suffocating positional control and effective
ground-and-pound carried former
Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder Jared
Gordon to a unanimous decision over Danny
Chavez in a three-round featherweight battle. All three
cageside judges scored it for Gordon (17-4, 5-3 UFC): 30-27, 30-27
and 29-28.
Chavez (11-4, 1-1 UFC) never shifted out of first gear. Gordon
attacked his base with kicks to the lower leg and held his own in
their punching exchanges. The Sanford
MMA standout made his move in the second round, where he
executed a takedown applied his ground-and-pound and drew valuable
energy out of his opponent. The scene repeated itself in the third,
and while Chavez escaped to his feet, he failed to keep Gordon at
bay in the clinch.
The defeat closed the book on Chavez’s four-fight winning
streak.
Resurgent Erosa Waylays Landwehr
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 22 semifinalist Julian
Erosa cut down Nate
Landwehr with a flying knee in the first round of their
featherweight tilt. Erosa (25-8, 3-4 UFC) brought it to a close 56
seconds into Round 1, extending his current winning streak to three
fights.
The 32-year-old Landwehr (14-4, 1-2 UFC) dropped his counterpart to
a knee with an overhand right from close range but failed to
capitalize on the brief opening. Erosa immediately rose to his
feet, swarmed with punches and backed the former M-1 Global
champion to the fence before unleashing a perfectly timed flying knee.
Landwehr hit the deck, as referee Mark Smith arrived on the scene
to prevent further damage.
Landwehr has lost two of his past three bouts.
Unbeaten O’Neill Buries Dobson
Undefeated
Tiger Muay Thai prospect Casey
O’Neill disposed of Shana
Dobson with ground-and-pound in the second round of their
women’s flyweight clash. Dobson (4-5, 2-4 UFC) succumbed to blows
3:41 into Round 2, as she lost for the fourth time in five
appearances.
O’Neill (6-0, 1-0 UFC) secured multiple takedowns in the first
round, moved to advantageous positions and applied her
ground-and-pound before fishing for a heel hook in the closing
seconds. Dobson offered little in terms of meaningful resistance in
the middle stanza. O’Neill struck for another takedown, floated
from the back to full mount and piled on the punishment. After
one final barrage of punches and elbows,
referee Chris Tognoni decided it was time to intervene.
The 23-year-old O’Neill has finished two straight opponents.
Returning Zahabi KOs Rodriguez
Tristar Gym export Aiemann
Zahabi knocked out
Dana White’s Contender Series alum Drako
Rodriguez in the first round of their bantamweight affair. In
his first appearance in nearly two years, Zahabi (8-2, 2-2 UFC)
drew the curtain 3:05 into Round 1.
Rodriguez (7-2, 0-1 UFC) dictated the initial exchanges. He cracked
Zahabi with a few overhand rights, shrugged off an attempted clinch
and slipped in multiple kicks to the lower leg. However, his good
work was erased in an instant. Zahabi countered an uppercut
with a searing overhand right that sent the
King of
the Cage veteran crashing to the canvas in a defenseless
state.
The win was Zahabi’s first since Feb. 19, 2017.
Dominant Spivak Batters Vanderaa
Former
World Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Sergey
Spivak put away Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Jared
Vanderaa with punches in the second round of their heavyweight
pairing. Vanderaa (11-5, 0-1 UFC) bowed out 4:32 into Round 2.
Spivak (12-2, 3-2 UFC) maximized his advantages. He executed a trip
takedown in the first round, settled in half guard and chipped away
with his ground-and-pound. Spivak ducked a head kick to start the
middle stanza, delivered another takedown and again moved to half
guard. From there, short punches and elbows had blood spurting from
Vanderaa’s face, as the
Team Quest product began to wilt. Spivak eventually progressed
to the back and uncorked an unending burst of hammerfists to prompt
the stoppage.
The loss snapped a two-fight winning streak for Vanderaa.
