Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 259 live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. Maybe now Jan
Blachowicz will get the respect he deserves. The Polish powerhouse tightened his grip on the
Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title, as he
took a unanimous decision from reigning middleweight champion
Israel
Adesanya in the
UFC 259 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All
three judges scored it for Blachowicz (28-8, 11-5 UFC): 49-46,
49-45 and 49-45. There will be no two-division reign for Adesanya,
at least not yet.
After three closely contested rounds that saw the two champions
trade leg kicks, jabs and occasional power punches, Blachowicz
tapped into the
City Kickboxing star’s most glaring weakness. He struck for
takedowns in Rounds 4 and 5, controlled Adesanya (20-1, 9-1 UFC)
from half guard and salted away arguably the most significant
victory of his 36-fight career. Blachowicz did his best work at the
end of the fifth round, where he fought through visible fatigue,
dropped heavy ground-and-pound on “The Last Stylebender” and
ultimately climbed to full mount in an ultimate show of
strength.
Nunes Triangle Armbar Dismisses Anderson
Amanda
Nunes retained the undisputed featherweight crown in what
amounted to a squash match, as she submitted Megan
Anderson with a triangle armbar in the first round of their
co-main event. Anderson (11-5, 3-3 UFC) conceded defeat 2:03 into
Round 1. She was never a threat.
Nunes (21-4, 14-1 UFC) cracked the Aussie with two overhand rights
and set her on skates. From there, Anderson misfired on an
ill-advised takedown attempt and wound up pinned underneath the
Brazilian. Nunes dropped punches and hammerfists, then trapped the
former
Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder in a triangle before
snatching the arm to elicit the tapout.
The 32-year-old Nunes has rattled off 12 straight wins, eight of
them finishes.
Illegal Knee Disqualifies Yan
Aljamain
Sterling captured the bantamweight championship in a most
unexpected manner, as Petr Yan was
disqualified after landing what was deemed to be an intentional
illegal knee strike in the fourth round of their co-feature.
Referee Mark Smith called for the stoppage 4:29 into Round 4, with
Sterling (20-3, 12-3 UFC) unable to continue.
Yan (15-2, 7-1 UFC) appeared to have all the advantages once the
fight reached the championship rounds. Sterling pushed a frantic
pace for the first 15 minutes. He threw every strike in his arsenal
at the unshakable Russian—to the point that has typically smooth
movements became visibly labored. Yan’s airtight defense only
heightened the sense of urgency in the Serra-Longo Fight team
corner. Sterling whiffed on another takedown late in the fourth
round, as the champion sprawled. With one of the challenger’s knees
still clearly on the mat, Yan fired the fight-ending strike to the
side of the head. The impact was devastating, and it left Sterling
in a compromised state and in no position to move forward.
The loss was Yan’s first in nearly five years.
Makhachev Choke Submits Dober
American Kickboxing Academy export Islam
Makhachev submitted Drew Dober
with an arm-triangle choke in the third round of their lightweight
feature. Dober (23-10, 9-6 UFC) bowed out 1:37 into Round 3, his
run of three consecutive victories at an end.
Makhachev (19-1, 8-1 UFC) was flawless. He took down Dober in the
first, second and third rounds, sliced through his guard and
floated from one dominant position to the next, mixing in
ground-and-pound when the opportunity presented itself. Makhachev
executed his final takedown inside the first 30 seconds of Round 3,
freed himself from an attempted kimura and cinched the choke while
he was still stuck in half guard on the opposite side. Even so, the
squeeze was strong enough to force the exhausted Dober to
capitulate.
The 29-year-old Makhachev now finds himself on a seven-fight
winning streak.
Rakic Outduels Cautious Santos
Repeated leg kicks, a stout jab and a robust clinch game spurred
Aleksandar
Rakic to a unanimous decision over Thiago
Santos in a three-round light heavyweight showcase. All three
cageside judges scored it for Rakic (14-2, 6-1 UFC): 29-28, 29-28
and 30-27.
Neither man seemed eager to engage—a reality that led to a
disappointingly tepid affair. Rakic used his length to his
advantage, doing just enough to keep the
American Top Team-trained Brazilian at bay. Santos did himself
no favors, especially in the first two rounds, where he failed to
capitalize on his opponent’s lack of aggression. He turned up the
heat some in the third, as he connected with heavy kicks to the
body and leg, stuffed an attempted takedown and rattled Rakic’s
midsection with close-range knees. However, it proved to be a case
of too little too late.
Rakic, 29, has won 14 of his last 15 bouts.
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