Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!
That’s @TafonDaDon
with the dominant performance.
#UFCVegas27 pic.twitter.com/Jemkx7kSvw— UFC (@ufc)
September 18, 2021
The outcome was never in doubt, not even for a second. Team Lloyd Irvin
prospect Tafon
Nchukwi rebounded from his first professional defeat and made a
triumphant return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s light
heavyweight division, as he was awarded a one-sided unanimous
decision over Mike
Rodriguez in the featured UFC Fight Night 192 prelim on
Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Nchukwi (6-1, 2-1 UFC) swept
the scorecards with matching 30-27 marks across the board.
Rodriguez (11-7, 2-5 UFC) mostly just survived. Nchukwi backed him
to the fence repeatedly and uncorked powerful combinations, tipping
his spear with intermittent uppercuts, standing elbows and sweeping
hooks from both hands. He incorporated takedowns in the first and
third rounds, negating Rodriguez’s visible height and reach
advantages.
Pennington Slows, Outlasts Kianzad
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 18 semifinalist Raquel
Pennington leaned on a grimy clinch game and superior boxing,
as she captured a unanimous decision from former Cage Warriors
Fighting Championship titleholder Pannie
Kianzad in a three-round women’s bantamweight clash. All three
cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Pennington (12-8, 9-5
UFC).
Kianzad (15-6, 4-3 UFC) failed to build on a strong first round.
Pennington turned the tide in the second, where she beat up the
Iran-born Swede in the clinch, secured a takedown and advanced to
the back, at which point she locked down the position with hooks
and chipped away with punches. She lured Kianzad back into the
clinch in Round 3, landed with both hands and mixed in a few
close-quarters elbows for good measure.
The setback snapped Kianzad’s four-fight winning streak.
Promising Rong Dominates Jenkins
American Top Team prospect Zhu Rong
dispatched Professional Fighters League alum Brandon
Jenkins with punches in the third round of their lightweight
encounter. A short-notice replacement for Dakota
Bush, Jenkins (14-7, 0-1 UFC) bowed out 4:35 into Round 3.
Rong (18-4, 1-1 UFC) was effective on the counter, pestered the
Octagon newcomer with leg kicks and swamped him with pressure and
output on the ground. He achieved full mount in the first and
second rounds, then hit the accelerator in the third. There,
Rong executed a takedown, unloaded with punches to the head and
prompted referee Chris Tognoni to act.
The 21-year-old Rong has won 11 of his last 12 bouts.
Jackson Handles Replacement Buys
Pure Vida BJJ representative Montel
Jackson won for the fifth time in six outings, as he took a
unanimous decision from J.P. Buys in a
three-round bantamweight tilt. Jackson (11-2, 5-2 UFC) swept the
scorecards with 30-27 marks from all three judges.
A short-notice replacement for Danaa
Batgerel, Buys (9-4, 0-2 UFC) made passes at several
submissions in the first round but was otherwise unable to mount
sustained offense. Jackson knocked down Xtreme Couture-trained
South African with surgical left hands on more than one occasion,
assumed top position and either bled valuable time off the clock or
piled up points with punches and elbows.
Debuting Blanchfield Bludgeons Alpar
Onetime Eddie Bravo Invitational champion Erin
Blanchfield dazzled in her promotional debut, as she laid claim
to a clear-cut unanimous decision over Sarah Alpar
in a three-round women’s flyweight clash. All three judges sided
with Blanchfield (7-1, 1-0 UFC): 30-25, 30-25 and 30-26.
Alpar (9-6, 0-2 UFC) was outgunned in every phase. Blanchfield
overwhelmed the former Legacy Fighting Alliance titleholder with
pressure and output, struck for repeated takedowns and routed her
in the grappling exchanges. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
climbed to dominant positions with ease and alternated between
ferocious ground-and-pound and attempted submissions.
Blanchfield, 22, will carry a four-fight winning streak into her
next assignment.
Surging Harris Buries Kasanganay
Former Brave Combat Federation titleholder Carlston
Harris put away Impa
Kasanganay with punches in the first round of their
welterweight tilt. Kasanganay (9-2, 2-2 UFC) succumbed to blows
2:38 into Round 1, suffering his second loss in three outings.
Harris (17-4, 2-0 UFC) chipped away with chopping right hands,
basic combinations and body kicks, then flipped the switch. He
dazed Kasanganay with a right hook, floored him with a left and
pounced with punches and hammerfists. Referee Mark Smith
was on the scene soon after and
waved it off once it became clear Kasanganay had passed the point
of no return.
The 34-year-old Harris has rattled off five consecutive victories,
all of them finishes.
Lopez-Alateng Ends in Stalemate
Former Combate Americas champion Gustavo
Lopez fought to a unanimous draw with Heili
Alateng in a three-round bantamweight affair. All three
cageside judges saw it 28-28, a point deduction for a third-round
fence grab costing Alateng (14-8-2, 2-1-1 UFC) on the
scorecards.
Neither man did much to distinguish himself in the first two
rounds. Lopez made his move in the third, where he charged at the
One Championship veteran with hooks from both hands and swooped in
for an attempted takedown. Alateng ignored warnings from referee
Keith
Peterson and grabbed the cage on multiple occasions, the foul
resulting in his being docked a point. Lopez later threatened with
a rear-naked choke and a guillotine but failed to nail down the
finish.
Goldy Armbar Submits Whitmire
Fusion X-Cel export Hannah
Goldy disposed of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 26
quarterfinalist Emily
Whitmire with an armbar in the first round of their women’s
flyweight pairing. A short-notice substitution for Cory
McKenna, Goldy (6-2, 1-2 UFC) prompted the verbal submission
4:17 into Round 1.
Whitmire (4-5, 2-4 UFC) scored initially with jab-cross
combinations, executed two takedowns and applied her
ground-and-pound. However, she grew too comfortable operating in
guard.
Goldy locked up the armbar from the bottom, engaged her hips and
closed the deal.
The 30-year-old Whitmire has lost three fights in a row.