Charles
Oliveira certainly didn’t fight like a man who had no chance of
winning a belt.
Oliviera (33-8, 21-8 UFC) won his 11th consecutive bout in the
UFC
274 headliner, submitting Justin
Gaethje (23-4, 6-4 UFC) with a rear-naked choke 3:22 into the
first round of their lightweight clash at the Footprint Arena in
Phoenix, Ariz., on Saturday night. Because Oliveira missed weight
by 0.5 pounds, the
Ultimate Fighting Championship 155-pound title will remain
vacant. However, “Do Bronx” is assured a spot in the next
championship bout by virtue of his victory.
Advertisement
Oliveira, who now ranks fifth in promotion history with 21 career
victories, was defiant in the aftermath of his latest effort.
“This is a message to the entire division,” he said. “I’m a problem
for the entire division …. I’m the champion. This is my title. It
should be here.”
The best LW in the world 🌎
[ @CharlesDoBronxs|
#UFC274 ] pic.twitter.com/dwEB7NaZ0E— UFC (@ufc)
May 8, 2022
Oliveira had to absorb some serious damage from one of the UFC’s
most noted violence artists to make it to the finish line. In
addition to a steady diet of whipping low kicks, Gaethje rocked his
Brazilian foe with an uppercut and a right hook, both of which
prompted Oliveira to fall to his back and invite the former World
Series of Fighting titlist into his guard. Gaethje didn’t take the
bait, but he eventually wilted under Oliveira’s unyielding
pressure.
While Gaethje began loading up on virtually all of his attacks, a
bloodied Oliveira walked forward and unloaded with offense before
dropping him with a right hand. From there, “Do Bronx” pounced and
threatened with an armbar and a triangle before transitioning to
the fight-ending manuever.
Esparza Regains 115-Pound Belt in Forgettable Rematch
Rose
Namajunas authored one of the most perplexing performances by a
reigning champion in UFC history, and Carla
Esparza ended up being the beneficiary.
In a fight that featured so little action that it was difficult to
definitively score a single round in favor of either combatant,
Esparza’s aggression was just enough for her to edge Namajunas via
split decision and claim strawweight gold in the UFC 274 co-main
event. Brad Frank
scored it 48-47 and Rick Winter had it 49-46 — both for Esparza —
while Eric Colon
saw the bout 48-47 in favor of Namajunas.
“You never know what’s gonna happen with the judges but I
definitely thought that I was the aggressor in the fight,” said
Esparza. “I was going after it, going after it — so I agree with
the decision.”
Esparza (19-6, 10-4 UFC) submitted Namajunas (11-5, 9-4 UFC) in the
third round of their clash at “The Ultimate Fighter 20” finale to
claim the promotion’s inaugural 115-pound belt in December 2014,
but the rematch offered very few notable moments. Neither fighter
was willing to engage much at all over the first 10 minutes, and
the action only increased incrementally going forward. Namajunas
outlanded Esparza by a 37-to-30 count in significant strikes over
the five-round encounter, according to UFCStats.com, but Esparza
forced the issue more often, attempting 11 takedowns and landing
two.
“You never want to be part of a fight like that,” Esparza admitted.
“You want to excite the crowd…But hey, I got the W but that’s what
counts.”
Esparza has won six straight fights, while Namajunas sees a
three-bout winning streak snapped in defeat.
Chandler Front Kick Faceplants Ferguson
Michael
Chandler just submitted his entry for 2022 “Knockout of the
Year” at the expense of Tony
Ferguson.
The former Bellator MMA champion shocked those in attendance by
knocking Ferguson out cold with a vicious front kick to the chin in
their featured lightweight encounter. “El Cucuy” collapsed
face-first to the canvas once the decisive blow landed, instantly
ending the bout 17 seconds into Round 2. The former interim
lightweight king has now lost four consecutive bouts.
For a round, it looked as though Ferguson (25-7, 15-5 UFC) would
put together a bounceback performance. He dropped Chandler (23-7,
2-2 UFC) with a left hand early and picked his foe apart with
punches to the head and kicks to the body. Halfway through Round 1,
Chandler leaned on his Division I wrestling background and exploded
for a takedown. Even while on his back, Ferguson was active from
his guard while creating openings for elbows. When the horn
sounded, Ferguson seemed rejuvenated as he returned to his
corner.
That changed in a matter of moments, as Chandler rendered his
opponent unconscious as soon as they met in the center of the cage
for Round 2. Ferguson remained out for some time before eventually
regaining his senses. Meanwhile, Chandler authored spirited
callouts of Conor
McGregor, Charles
Oliveira and Justin
Gaethje in his post-fight interview.
St. Preux Improves to 2-0 vs. ‘Shogun’
It took quite a bit longer the second time around, but Ovince St.
Preux did just enough to win his rematch with Mauricio
Rua.
The former University of Tennessee football player captured a split
decision over “Shogun” in a forgettable light heavyweight encounter
that drew boos from those in attendance at various times during the
contest. Eric Colon
saw it 29-28 and Rick Winter had it 30-27 — both in favor of St.
Preux — while Junichiro Kamijo submitted a 29-28 tally in favor of
Rua. “OSP” dispatched the former Pride Fighting Championships star
via knockout in just 34 seconds when they initially squared off at
UFC Fight Night 56 on Nov. 8, 2014.
Though neither fighter was especially eager to lead the dance, St.
Preux (26-16, 14-11 UFC) laid the foundation for his victory by
repeatedly attacking his foe’s body with kicks. His midsection
reddened from the damage, Rua (27-13-1, 11-11-1 UFC) answered with
sporadic punching combinations and leg kicks. St. Preux was more
aggressive in the final stanza, backing up the Brazilian with
straight lefts to open up a cut near Rua’s right eye while
continuing his body work.
Rua has lost two straight bouts for the third time in his UFC
tenure.
Brown Confounds Williams
It was a case of variety trumping power for Randy
Brown, who edged Kalinn
Williams via split decision in a featured welterweight bout.
Judges Chris Lee and
Junichiro Kamijo saw it 29-28 for “Rude Boy,” while Rick Winter
submitted a 29-28 scorecard for Williams. Brown has won three
straight and five of his last six in UFC competition overall.
Holding his hands low, Brown (15-4, 9-4 UFC) kept Williams (13-3,
4-2 UFC) off balance with unorthodox movement, stance switches and
a versatile striking arsenal. The New York native repeatedly
doubled up on his jab and was especially effective when he followed
with a searing right hand. Additionally, Brown rattled his foe with
a front kick to the face, a wicked standing elbow and knees in the
clinch at various moments in the bout.
Still, Williams’ trademark power flashed on two occasions, as he
clipped Brown with a short right hook to the chin in Round 1 and
sent him to the canvas with another powerful right hand in the
third period. Ultimately, Brown was able to recover on both
occasions and turn the tide in his favor.
Continue Reading »
UFC 274 Prelims: Trinaldo Defies Age, Outduels Roberts