Taylor
Lapilus was not going to let anyone ruin his fairytale return
to the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.
A crisp jab, clean combinations and stout takedown defense carried
the respected French bantamweight to a unanimous decision over the
previously undefeated Caolan
Loughran in the featured
UFC Fight Night 226 prelim on Saturday at a raucous Accor Arena
in Paris. In his first Octagon appearance since 2016, Lapilus
(19-3, 4-1 UFC) carried all three cards with 29-28 scores.
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Loughran (8-1, 0-1 UFC) had considerable difficulty navigating a
five-inch reach deficit. The former
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder secured
takedowns in the first and second rounds, only to see avenues to
create offense dry up in a hurry. Lapilus stayed upright enough to
handle business, firing away with jabs and surgical left hands to
cruise to the checkered flag.
Meanwhile, Kill Cliff Fight Club rep Ange Loosa
banked two rounds and held on for a unanimous decision over former
British Association of Mixed Martial Arts champion Rhys McKee
in a three-round welterweight confrontation. Scores were 30-27,
29-28 and 29-28—all for Loosa (10-3, 2-1 UFC).
McKee (13-5-1, 0-3 UFC) struggled to deal with the pace the Dana
White’s Contender Series alum brought to bear. Loosa overwhelmed
the Irishman with high-volume striking and repeated takedowns. He
did his best work in Round 2, where he climbed to full mount,
applied his ground-and-pound and made McKee pay once he returned to
his feet, unleashing a devastating burst of punches that resulted
in significant facial damage. Loosa struck for two takedowns in the
third period, but his pace slowed noticeably. The resilient McKee
refused to go away. He had Loosa reeling with punches at one point
late in the bout, hacked open a cut beneath Congo native’s left eye
with a wicked a standing elbow and even connected with a flying
knee. None of it was enough to slam the door on Loosa.
The loss snapped a three-fight winning streak for McKee.
Elsewhere, Free Fight Academy product Nora
Cornolle leaned on a punishing clinch, superior standup and
opportunistic scrambles, as she took a unanimous decision from
onetime King of the Cage titleholder Joselyne
Edwards in a three-round women’s bantamweight tilt. All three
judges sided with Cornolle (7-1, 1-0 UFC): 30-27, 30-27 and
29-28.
Edwards (13-5, 4-3 UFC) completed multiple takedowns, a majority of
them via head-and-arm throws, and compiled some control time but
failed to offer anything of substance by which to remember her.
Cornolle lured her into the clinch repeatedly, battering the
Panamanian with elbows and knees at close range. Edwards progressed
to the back in the third round, anchored herself with hooks and
threatened with a rear-naked choke, but her inability to finish
proved costly once the dust had settled.
Cornolle, 33, has rattled off seven consecutive victories.
Further down the undercard, Xtreme Couture’s Farid
Basharat put away former Jungle Fight champion Kleydson
Rodrigues with an arm-triangle choke in the first round of
their bantamweight encounter.
The undefeated Basharat (11-0, 2-0 UFC) brought it to a close 4:15
into Round 1.
Rodrigues (8-3, 1-2 UFC) connected with a slapping head kick inside
the first 90 seconds but proved ineffective otherwise. Basharat
executed a takedown midway through the first round, climbed to half
guard and cut loose with elbow-laced ground-and-pound. He then
framed the choke methodically, cleared his legs and let his squeeze
do the rest.
It was the third first-round finish of Basharat’s career.
Finally, Reborn Fight Team prospect Jacqueline
Cavalcanti (6-1, 1-0 UFC) outstruck and outmaneuvered Zarah Fairn
(6-6, 0-4 UFC) to a unanimous decision in their three-round clash
at a 140-pound catchweight, drawing 30-27 marks from all three
judges.