Heavy shots landing early in RD 1
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August 1, 2021
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Chris
Gruetzemacher had the deeper gas tank.
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 22 quarterfinalist on Saturday
scratched and clawed his way to a unanimous decision over former
Combate Americas champion Rafa Garcia
in the featured UFC on 28 prelim at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All
three cageside judges scored it 29-28 for Gruetzemacher (15-4, 3-3
UFC), who rebounded from an Oct. 31 knockout loss to Alexander
Hernandez.
Garcia (11-2, 0-2 UFC) had the Arizona native reeling inside the
first minute, as he uncorked a clean left hook, powered into top
position and applied his ground-and-pound. Gruetzemacher stayed
cool under fire and slowly regained his wits. By the start of the
second round, Garcia was on fumes. Gruetzemacher utilized merciless
pressure and close-quarters punching combinations to the body and
head. Garcia executed two takedowns in Round 3 but failed to
consolidate them with damage or meaningful control, ultimately
giving away his gains in the standup exchanges.
Gruetzemacher, 35, has won twice in three outings.
Kamaka-Chavez Results in Stalemate
Xtreme Couture’s Kai Kamaka
III fought to a majority draw with MMA Masters export Danny
Chavez in a forgettable three-round featherweight tilt. Two of
the cageside judges scored it 28-28, while a third saw it 29-28 for
Kamaka.
A short-notice substitution for Doo Ho Choi,
Kamaka (8-4-1, 1-2-1 UFC) zeroed in on his adversary’s lower
extremities with repeated kicks, integrated knees from close range
and cut off his advances with tactical clinches. However, a
second-round point deduction—he was penalized for an eye poke and a
groin strike—proved costly for the Hawaiian. Chavez (11-4-1, 1-1-1
UFC) had his chances and let his hands fly in spurts but failed to
connect with anything meaningful.
Frey Handles Replacement Yoder
Former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder Jinh Yu
Frey recorded her second win in as many appearances, as she
laid claim to a unanimous decision over Ashley
Yoder in a three-round clash at 115 pounds. Frey (11-6, 2-2
UFC) swept the scorecards with matching 30-27 marks from the
judges.
A short-notice replacement for Istela
Nunes, Yoder (8-8, 3-7 UFC) failed to manage distance in the
standup exchanges and was never afforded the opportunity to flex
her grappling skills on the mat. Frey punctuate sharp two- and
three-punch combinations with surgical left hands, incorporated leg
kicks at opportune times and leaned on airtight takedown defense
across the 15-minute encounter. Yoder unleashed the occasional
overhand left and connected with a series of them in the second
round, but she could not alter the tone that had been set by her
Fortis-MMA-trained opponent.
The 33-year-old Yoder has lost four of her last five bouts.
Adashev Outpoints Reeling Benoit
Crippling leg kicks and crisp counterpunching carried Zarrukh
Adashev to a unanimous decision over Ryan Benoit
in a three-round flyweight battle. All three cageside judges scored
it for Adashev (4-3, 1-2 UFC): 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.
Winless since November 18, 2017, Benoit (10-8, 3-6 UFC) struggled
to get in gear against the Bellator MMA veteran. Adashev chipped
away at his base with a series of devastating low kicks and picked
his spots in their standup exchanges. Benoit sat down the
29-year-old with a right hand in the first round and wobbled him
with a sneaky left in the third, but he was otherwise ineffective
from an offensive standpoint. The damage to his lead leg proved too
great to overcome.
Backed by a two-rounds-to-none lead, Adashev spent the final five
minutes circling off the cage and away from danger. So ended his
two-fight losing streak.
Rowe Buries Unbeaten Cosce
Philip
Rowe put away fellow
Dana White’s Contender Series alum Orion Cosce
with punches in the second round of their welterweight pairing.
Rowe (8-3, 1-1 UFC) brought it to a close 4:21 into Round 2.
Cosce (7-1, 0-1 UFC) pursued a dogged clinch, executed a takedown
and chewed up time with suffocating top control in the first round.
Rowe remained composed under less-than-ideal circumstances, lured
the Californian deeper into the match and let his hands and knees
do the rest. A blistering right hand turned the tide early in Round
2 and forced Cosce onto his back foot in open space, his right eye
badly damaged. Rowe pressed forward with punches, delivered a
series of knee strikes from close range and sat down his previously unbeaten counterpart with
another right hand. With that, referee Chris Tognoni had seen
enough.
Rowe, 31, has won eight of his past nine bouts.
