Dominating her way to the decision!
đź‘Ź@ViviAraujoMMA
started with some adversity before getting the dub!
#UFCVegas54 pic.twitter.com/iJ7wJvve7f— UFC (@ufc)
May 15, 2022
Viviane
Araujo took a major step toward contention in the flyweight
division at UFC on ESPN 36, garnering a unanimous decision triumph
over Andrea Lee
at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Araujo received
scorecards of 29-28, 29-27 and 29-27 to win for the third time in
her last four promotional outings.
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Lee (13-6, 5-4 UFC) threatened to finish the bout early, as she
dropped Araujo (11-3, 5-2 UFC) with a counter left hook and then
rocked the Brazilian with a head kick when she returned to her
feet. Araujo regained her senses in relatively short order,
however, and gradually imposed her will the rest of the way.
Working behind a stiff jab, Araujo bloodied her opponent’s nose and
successfully transitioned to land multiple takedowns as the fight
progressed.
Araujo was at her best in Round 2, when she sprawled on a takedown
from Lee, transitioned to back control and spent the majority of
the period landing ground-and-pound from a dominant position. As a
result of her inability to remain upright for any significant
period of time, Lee was unable to replicate her success from Round
1.
Johnson Starches Patrick
“The Ultimate Fighter 12” finalist Michael
Johnson earned his first victory in more than three years,
knocking out Chute Boxe Diego Lima
representative Alan
Patrick in a lightweight clash. Johnson, who turns 36 in June,
brought the show to a close 3:22 into Round 1 to snap a four-bout
skid. Patrick is winless in his last four Octagon appearances.
Johnson (20-17, 12-13 UFC) flashed his power when he made Patrick
stumble with a left in the opening frame, but the Brazilian
answered by wobbling “The Menace” with a left hook shortly
thereafter. Johnson’s advantage in hand speed became more and more
evident in Round 2, however, as he repeatedly countered an
onrushing Patrick (15-4, 5-4, 1 NC UFC) with multi-punch
combinations. The last of those sealed the deal, when Johnson
punctuated a four-piece offering with a left hook to the chin that
floored Patrick. The Sanford MMA product then punctuated his
triumph with a pair of follow-up hammerfists that bounced his
opponent’s head off the mat and removed him from
consciousness.
Jandiroba Grappling Stymies Hill
Takedowns and an active submission game carried Virna
Jandiroba to a three-round verdict over Angela Hill
in a clash of former Invicta FC title holders. “Carcara” secured a
trio of 30-27 scorecards from the cageside judges to send Hill to
her fifth loss in six outings.
Moments of success were fleeting for Hill, and any time she seemed
to find a rhythm with her striking, Jandiroba (18-3, 4-3 UFC)
brought it to a screeching halt with a takedown. The Brazilian
grounded her adversary in each stanza and threatened with a
multitude of submissions, including a kneebar that drew a grimace
from Hill (13-12, 8-12 UFC) in Round 1. Hill’s defense on the
canvas held up, but that alone wasn’t enough to score the necessary
points need for victory.
Prospect Taira Remains Undefeated
Japanese prospect Tatsuro
Taira rolled to a clear-cut unanimous decision triumph over
two-time Dana White’s Contender Series competitor Carlos
Candelario in a matchup of flyweight newcomers. All three
cageside judges saw the fight in favor of the former Shooto
champion: 30-26, 30-27 and 30-27.
Taira (11-0, 1-0 UFC) really began to take control in Round 2, when
he put Candelario (8-2, 0-1 UFC) on his seat with a sharp straight
right and then jumped on his opponent’s back with a body triangle
in place. Taira put an emphatic stamp on the fight in the final
frame, as he took Candelario’s back in a scramble, moved to mount
and unloaded a barrage of punches and elbows in the waning seconds.
Candelario hung tough throughout, landing a couple of takedowns of
his own and briefly threatening with a guillotine choke early in
Round 3, but he was on the defensive for the majority of the
bout.
Petroski Chokes Maximov Unconscious
Andre
Petroski remained unbeaten in the Octagon, as he submitted
Nick
Diaz Academy representative Nick
Maximov with an anaconda choke in a middleweight contest. The
Glendora, N.J., native rendered his foe unconscious 76 seconds into
Round 1.
After a brief feeling-out period on the feet, Maximov (8-1, 2-1
UFC) dove for a single leg, but Petroski secured a front headlock
during an ensuing scramble. From there, he
adjusted his grip to the fight-ending maneuver and rolled, and
Maximov was out in a matter of seconds. Petroski (8-1, 3-0 UFC)
has finished all eight of his professional triumphs inside the
distance.