High kick city for @JamiePickettMMA
#UFCVegas46 pic.twitter.com/awvBz9pKcq— UFC (@ufc)
January 15, 2022
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Jamie
Pickett took another step toward steadying himself inside the
Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division, as he was
awarded a unanimous verdict over Joseph
Holmes in the featured
UFC on ESPN 32 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
All three members of the assembled judiciary saw it 29-28 for
Pickett (13-6, 2-2 UFC).
Holmes (7-2, 0-1 UFC), who entered his promotional debut on the
strength of seven straight stoppage victories, enjoyed some early
success behind a kick-heavy approach. However, he appeared to run
out of steam and competitive drive in the latter half of the match.
Pickett answered with basic punching combinations and a commitment
to the clinch, as he refused to allow the
Dana White’s Contender Series alum to operate much in open
space.
The setback was Holmes’ first since March 22, 2019.
McGee Dominates Favored Brahimaj
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 11 winner Court McGee
put together a vintage performance, as he took a unanimous verdict
from Ramiz
Brahimaj in a three-round welterweight tilt. All three cageside
judges scored it the same: 30-27 for McGee (21-11, 10-9 UFC), who
has recorded consecutive victories for the first time since
2013.
Brahimaj (9-4, 1-2 UFC) was ineffective in all phases. McGee
floored the Fortis MMA rep with an overhand right in the first
round, then proceeded to systematically dismantle him at close
range. He climbed to full mount in Round 3, threatened an
arm-triangle choke and later progressed to the back to punctuate a
near-flawless performance.
The 29-year-old Brahimaj has lost twice in his last three
starts.
Cagy Kelleher Handles Croom
Former Ring of Combat champion Brian
Kelleher won for the fifth time in seven appearances, as he
laid claim to a unanimous decision over Kevin Croom
in a three-round featherweight affair. Kelleher (24-12, 8-5 UFC)
swept the scorecards with 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 marks from the
judges.
A late replacement for Saidyokub
Kakhramonov, Croom (21-14, 0-2 UFC) remained competitive—he
hacked open a gnarly cut near his counterpart’s right eye with a
standing elbow in the second round—but could not get over the hump.
Kelleher sat him down with a right hook in the first round, then
turned up the heat with his wrestling. He executed multiple
takedowns across the final 10 minutes, bottled up Croom on the
canvas and mixed positional advances with the threat of the
submission, transitioning from one choke to the next in a bid to
finish.
Winless since August 2020, Croom has now suffered back-to-back
defeats.
Brown Outpoints Replacement Rosa
Takedowns, topside control and airtight submission defense carried
Glory MMA export T.J. Brown to
a unanimous decision over Charles
Rosa in a three-round lightweight pairing. All three cageside
judges struck 29-28 scorecards for Brown (16-8, 2-2 UFC), who has
rattled off five wins across his past seven outings.
A short-notice substitution for Gabriel
Benitez, Rosa (14-7, 5-7 UFC) struggled to get in gear. Brown
walked through a series of painful kicks to the lower leg, secured
takedowns in all three rounds, progressed to mount on multiple
occasions and even made a few passes at an arm-triangle choke. Rosa
withstood those efforts and seemed to find himself in the third
round, but it was not enough to dig him out of a deficit.
Rosa, 35, has lost three of his last four fights.
