Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC,
PFL and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer,
phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Jared
Cannonier at the very least kept his name in the
conversation. The
MMA Lab standout maintained his position in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s middleweight pecking order
with a unanimous decision over Kelvin
Gastelum in the
UFC on ESPN 29 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las
Vegas. All three judges scored it the same: 48-47 for Cannonier
(14-5, 7-5 UFC), who rebounded from his Oct. 24 loss to Robert
Whittaker.
Both men fought well in spurts. A short-notice substitution for
Paulo
Costa, Gastelum (16-8, 11-8 UFC) kept a brisk pace and tried to
push his opponent’s buttons with leg kicks, lunging left hands and
sneaky one-twos. Cannonier was masterful from a defensive
standpoint and for the most part managed to steer clear of danger.
He floored Gastelum with a clean right hook in the third round but
a finish failed to materialize, as “The
Ultimate Fighter 17” called upon his considerable recuperative
powers yet again. Cannonier shut down the Kings MMA rep’s bids for
takedowns, landed effective combinations throughout the match and
withstood a late surge from the Rafael
Cordeiro protégé.
Gastelum has lost five of his last six bouts.
Unbeaten Madsen Edges Guida
Fight Ready’s Mark O.
Madsen kept his perfect professional record intact, as he eked
out a split decision over former Strikeforce
champion Clay Guida in
their three-round lightweight co-main event. Judges Michael Bell
and Eric Colon scored it 29-28 and 30-27 for Madsen, while Sal
D’Amato struck a 29-28 scorecard for Guida.
A 2016 Olympic silver medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling, Madsen
(11-0, 3-0 UFC) controlled the center of the cage, fed “The
Carpenter” a steady diet of stiff jabs and capitalized on his
advantages in the clinch, where he attacked the body and legs with
knees. Guida (36-21, 16-15 UFC) did his best work in the middle
stanza, as he used feints and lateral movement to keep the Dane
off-balance, fired off leg kicks and connected with power punches
upstairs. Momentum did not follow him into Round 3. Madsen was the
fresher fighter down the stretch, continued to pester the
Team Alpha Male export with jabs and connected with far greater
consequence when it mattered most.
Guida, who turns 40 in December, has lost three times in four
outings.
Relentless Porter Outduels Sherman
Parker
Porter leaned on high-output offense and unshakable resolve, as
he laid claim to a unanimous decision over Chase
Sherman in a three-round heavyweight slugfest. All three judges
sided with Porter (11-6, 2-1 UFC): 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.
Sherman (15-8, 3-7 UFC) seemed to be out of sorts at times and on
auto pilot at others. Nevertheless, he managed to put some damage
on Porter’s lower lead leg with repeated kicks. It was not enough.
Porter marched forward behind power punching combinations, pushed a
cruel pace and eventually wore down “The Vanilla Gorilla.”
Porter, 36, has won four of his past five bouts.
Kakhramonov Guillotine Silences Jones
Former
Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder Saidyokub
Kakhramonov choked Trevin
Jones unconscious with a guillotine in the third round of their
bantamweight attraction. Jones (13-7, 1-1 UFC) collapsed in an
unresponsive heap 4:39 into Round 3, as he lost for the first time
since June 16, 2018.
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC,
PFL and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer,
phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.
Kakhramonov (9-2, 1-0 UFC) was the superior
fighter in the moments of consequence. Jones tried to drown him in
a series of clinches and takedown attempts but had issues with the
Team Oyama standout in open space. Kakhramonov buckled him with
punches on multiple occasions in the second round, then made his
move late in the third. There he slipped out of an extended clinch,
caught the guillotine on the transition, pinned Jones to the fence
and let his squeeze finish the job.
The 25-year-old Kakhramonov has rattled off three consecutive
victories, all of them finishes.
Surging Pichel Sinks Hubbard
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 15 semifinalist Vinc Pichel
outstruck and outhustled Austin
Hubbard to a unanimous decision in a three-round lightweight
feature. Now operating out of the Marc Montoya-led Factory
X outfit, Pichel (14-2, 7-2 UFC) swept the scorecards with
30-27 marks across the board.
Hubbard (13-6, 3-4 UFC) enjoyed some success with kicks to the body
and legs, but his defensive shortcomings came home to roost. Pichel
launched multi-punch salvos to the head, incorporated powerful leg
kicks and stayed one step ahead of the
Elevation Fight Team representative. The two men traded
takedowns in back-and-forth third round. Pichel kept his nose in
front with a late push, as he unleashed clubbing hooks from both
hands and kept his counterpart at bay.
Pichel, 38, will ride a three-fight winning streak into his next
assignment.
Pantoja Choke Submits Royval
American Top Team’s Alexandre
Pantoja submitted onetime
Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Brandon
Royval with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their
flyweight showcase. Royval (12-6, 2-2 UFC) conceded defeat 1:46
into Round 2, suffering his second setback in as many outings.
Pantoja (24-5, 8-3 UFC) executed a takedown inside the first 30
seconds, withstood subsequent attacks on his legs and managed to
stick with his notoriously frenetic adversary through a series of
hair-on-fire scrambles. They eventually returned to their feet and
exchanged with reckless abandon, neither man gaining a discernible
advantage. Pantoja dragged the Factory
X representative to the floor in the middle stanza, secured his
position with a body triangle and went to work on the choke. Royval
struggled to free himself, only to sink deeper into the Brazilian’s
clutches before he was forced to tap.
The 31-year-old Pantoja has won six of his last eight fights,
including two straight.
Continue Reading »
UFC on ESPN 29 Prelims: Spectacular Bahamondes Kick KOs Roberts
