Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC,
PFL, Dana White’s Contender Series and “The Ultimate Fighter” live
on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via
the ESPN app. Bobby Green
never stood a chance—a testament to just how dominant Islam
Makhachev has become. In perhaps his final step toward a title shot in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division, Makhachev
put away Green with punches in the first round of their
UFC Fight Night 202 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in
Las Vegas. Filling in for the injured Beneil
Dariush, Green (29-13-1, 10-8-1 UFC) succumbed to blows 3:23
into Round 1.
10. In. A. Row 😤
[ @MakhachevMMA
|
#UFCVegas49 ] pic.twitter.com/l6hlEkKTuL— UFC (@ufc)
February 27, 2022
Makhachev (22-1, 11-1 UFC) engaged the former King of the Cage
champion on the feet, then crowded him in the clinch and secured a
double-leg takedown. From there, the outcome was a formality.
Makhachev progressed to half guard, climbed to full mount and
ultimately moved to the back. The American Kickboxing Academy star
and Khabib
Nurmagomedov disciple flattened out the defenseless Green with
crushing hip pressure before cutting loose with punches and
hammerfists to prompt the stoppage.
The 30-year-old Makhachev has strung together 10 consecutive wins,
the last four via finish.
Turman Armbar Stuns Cirkunov
Wellington
Turman submitted Xtreme Couture’s Misha
Cirkunov with an armbar in the second round of their
middleweight co-main event. A short-notice replacement for Makhmud
Muradov, Turman (18-5, 3-3 UFC) drew the curtain 1:29 into
Round 2. It was his first submission win in nearly three years.
The 34-year-old Cirkunov (15-8, 6-6 UFC) navigated some choppy seas
in the first round, where he defended a rear-naked choke after the
Brazilian took his back while standing. The Canada-based Latvian
freed himself, assumed top position and dropped standing-to-ground
punches before he made passes as brabo and north-south chokes.
Momentum proved elusive. Cirkunov tripped the Glover
Teixeira protégé to the floor early in the second round but
failed to pay his dangerous guard the respect it was due. Turman
locked in the armbar in an instant, forcing his surprised
counterpart to raise the white flag.
Cirkunov now finds himself on a three-fight losing streak.
Cachoeira Topples Reeling Kim
Figueiredo Team representative Priscila
Cachoeira rebounded from her Dec. 11 submission loss to
Gillian
Robertson with a unanimous decision over former Jewels champion
Ji Yeon
Kim in a three-round women’s flyweight feature. Cachoeira
(11-4, 3-4 UFC) swept the scorecards with 29-28 marks from all
three judges.
Kim (9-5-2, 3-5 UFC) outstruck the Brazilian for much of their
encounter, but the fact that she spent most of her time moving
backward proved costly. Cachoeira paid no mind to defense with her
chin-high, hands-low approach and made it work. With the outcome
apparently still in doubt, she hit the accelerator late in the
third round, where she unleashed a volley of standing elbows,
hacked open a vertical cut near Kim’s right eye and proceeded to
swing for the fences. It may not have been pretty, but it was
certainly effective.
The 32-year-old Kim has suffered three straight defeats.
Tsarukyan Batters Alvarez Bloody
Arman
Tsarukyan put away former Ansgar Fighting League champion
Joel
Alvarez in the second round of their lightweight attraction.
With blood gushing from a gash across the bridge of his nose,
Alvarez (19-3, 4-2 UFC) checked out 1:57 into Round 2.
Tsarukyan (18-2, 5-1 UFC) struck for a takedown inside the first
minute, stifled the Spaniard’s venomous guard, stayed patient and
waited for his opportunity. A slashing elbow across the nose turned
the bout into the bloodbath, as Alvarez’s DNA spilled all over the
canvas and both competitors. He weathered the initial onslaught and
an examination by the cageside physician at the intermission.
Still, the prognosis was undeniably grim. Tsarukyan delivered
another takedown to start the middle stanza,
got busy with his ground-and-pound and transitioned to a dominant
position before closing the deal with unanswered punches.
The 25-year-old Tsarukyan has rattled off five consecutive
victories.
Debuting Petrosyan Outpoints Rodrigues
Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Armen
Petrosyan made a successful promotional debut, as he took a
contentious split decision from former Legacy Fighting Alliance
champion Gregory
Rodrigues in a three-round middleweight showcase. Judge Douglas
Crosby scored it 29-28 for Rodrigues, while Michael Bell and Tony
Weeks struck 29-28 and 30-27 scorecards for Petrosyan.
Petrosyan (8-1, 2-0 UFC) answered the Brazilian’s relentless
pressure with stiff jabs, stinging leg kicks and well-conceived
punching combinations. Rodrigues (11-5, 2-2 UFC) moved forward with
no regard for his own well-being and landed the most significant
blow of the fight in the third round, where he caught the ducking
Academy MMA rep with a kick to the face. Petrosyan wobbled and then
steadied himself but suffered significant damage to his nose. He
responded later in the period, fought fire with fire and did enough
to eke out a controversial decision.
The loss closed the book on Rodrigues’ four-fight winning
streak.
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UFC Fight Night 202 Prelims: Nunes Handles Newcomer Pascual
