THIS KO FROM DOLIDZE 🥶
#UFCVegas63 pic.twitter.com/Ywrw3eGVp6— ESPN MMA (@espnmma)
October 29, 2022
Phil
Hawes will likely be feeling the effects of his encounter with
Roman
Dolidze for months to come.
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Dolidze (11-1, 5-1 UFC) earned his third straight triumph in the
Octagon, knocking out Hawes in the
UFC Fight Night 213 featured prelim at the UFC Apex in Las
Vegas on Saturday night. The 34-year-old Georgian rendered Hawes
unconscious with a vicious punching combination near the fence 4:09
into Round 1 of their middleweight bout.
Hawes (12-4, 4-1 UFC) landed a takedown early in the opening frame,
but it was Dolidze who was the aggressor on the mat. He landed
multiple elbows from his back before transitioning to from an
armbar to a kneebar — and that’s where the tide turned for good.
Hawes right knee appeared to pop before Dolidze released the hold,
and he stumbled on his way back to his feet. While Hawes showed
heart by staying in the fight and attacking, his movement was
clearly compromised from that point onward. Dolidze eventually took
advantage, as he walked his wobbly foe down and sealed his victory
with a combination of heavy power punches.
De Lima Drops, Submits Arlovski
Marcos
Rogerio de Lima showed no regard for the Andre Arlovski
mystique, as he submitted the Belarusian veteran in their
heavyweight encounter. De Lima elicited a tap with a rear-naked
choke 1:50 into the opening frame, bringing an end to the
43-year-old Arlovski’s four-bout winning streak. De Lima (20-8-1,
9-6 UFC) has been victorious in three of his last four promotional
outings.
De Lima gave the former heavyweight champion no time to breathe,
forcing an exchange immediately and dropping his foe with a left
hook shortly thereafter. The 37-year-old Brazilian followed
Arlovski (34-21, 23-15, 1 NC) to the canvas, advanced to a dominant
position and unloaded with punches before finding an opening for
the rear-naked choke. It was just the third submission triumph of
de Lima’s professional tenure.
Park Chokes Out Holmes
South Korea’s Jun Young Park
wore down Glory MMA & Fitness product Joseph
Holmes for a submission victory in a middleweight clash. “The
Iron Turtle” forced his adversary to tap to a rear-naked choke at
the 3:04 mark of Round 2. It was Park’s first submission triumph
since July 22, 2017.
Holmes (8-3, 1-2 UFC) put his seven-inch reach advantage to work
early, as he tagged Park (15-5, 5-2 UFC) with long straight punches
and kicks to the legs and body. The tide turned, however, when Park
was able to close the distance and drag the fight to the mat. The
World Top Team representative was especially dominant in the second
stanza, when he alternated between back control and full mount
while punishing his foe with ground-and-pound. That assault
eventually created an opening for the fight-ending choke.
Garcia Mauls Hooper
Jackson-Wink MMA export Steve
Garcia overwhelmed Dana White’s Contender Series alum Chase
Hooper en route to a quick technical knockout victory in a
featherweight affair. Three knockdowns propelled “Mean Machine” to
a stoppage at the 1:32 mark of Round 1. Garcia (13-5, 2-2 UFC) has
finished 10 of his career triumphs by way of KO or TKO.
After losing two of his first three promotional appearances, Garcia
fought with an appropriate sense of urgency from the opening bell.
The New Mexican was dominant in exchanges, flooring Hooper (11-3-1,
3-3 UFC) repeatedly with his left hand. Hooper, who is primarily
known for his grappling, wore the damage on his face but still
continued to engage with his adversary. After “The Dream” was
floored for the third time, referee Herb Dean
stepped in to save the 23-year-old fighter before Garcia could do
further damage with follow-up strikes.
Durden Grounds Newcomer Mota
Takedowns, positional control and ground-and-pound carried American
Top Team Atlanta representative Cody Durden
to a clear-cut unanimous decision over former Legacy Fighting
Alliance title holder Carlos
Mota. All three cageside judges scored the bout for Durden:
30-27, 29-28, 29-28. Durden (14-4-1, 3-2-1 UFC) has been victorious
in three of his last four Octagon appearances.
Mota (8-2, 0-1 UFC) struggled to remain upright throughout the
contest. Durden set the tone in the opening frame, when he cracked
his opponent with a 1-2 combination and followed him down to the
canvas. From there, Durden repeatedly grounded Mota while staying
busy with punches and elbows from above. Mota threatened with
armbars and leg locks from his back on occasion, but he was unable
to return to his feet consistently.
Rodriguez Earns First Octagon Triumph
Christian
Rodriguez secured his first promotional triumph, as he
submitted fellow Dana White’s Contender Series alum Joshua
Weems in the opening round of their bantamweight clash. The
24-year-old Arizona resident forced Weems (11-3, 0-1 UFC) to tap to
an anaconda choke at the 4:07 mark of the period. Weems, who missed
weight by 3.5 pounds, sees a two-fight winning streak snapped in
defeat.
After a few early exchanges between the combatants, Weems shifted
gears and sucked Rodriguez (8-1, 1-1 UFC) into the clinch. “CeeRod”
held his own in close quarters before reversing a Weems takedown
into the finishing maneuver. Weems defended as long as he could
before asking out of the fight.