Tatsuro
Taira once again served notice to the rest of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division.
The undefeated former Shooto
champion put away VFS Academy rep Carlos
Hernandez with punches in the second round of their featured
UFC Fight Night 233 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las
Vegas.
Hernandez (9-3, 2-2 UFC), who had never before been stopped by
strikes, succumbed to blows 55 seconds into Round
2.
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The 23-year-old Taira (15-0, 5-0 UFC) countered a takedown into top
position in the first round, and the rout was on. He progressed
from half guard to full mount, then advanced to the back while
consolidating his efforts with ground-and-pound. Early in the
second, Taira stepped into a beautifully timed right hook. The
impact froze Hernandez where he stood and left him defenseless to
follow-up attacks. Taira drove him to the mat with punches and
sealed the deal with ground-and-pound.
Taira was not the only unbeaten flyweight prospect to shine, as
“Road to UFC” tournament winner Hyun Sung
Park disposed of onetime Eternal MMA champion Shannon
Ross with punches in the second round of their clash at 125
pounds.
Ross (12-9, 0-3 UFC) met his end 3:59 into Round
2.
Park (9-0, 2-0 UFC) had the Aussie reeling throughout a lopsided
first round. He dazed Ross with a counter right hook, dropped him
with a jab and swooped into top position. From there, Park advanced
to the back and established his position with a body triangle.
Ground-and-pound and repeated choke attempts followed. Ross
survived but only prolonged the inevitable. Park continued to lean
into his punches in the middle stanza, delivered a brutal kick to
the liver and forced his opponent into a defensive crouch with a
pair of left hooks to the body. Ross failed to protect himself from
the punches that came next, resulting in the stoppage.
The 28-year-old Park has recorded eight consecutive finishes.
Meanwhile, City Kickboxing’s Kevin
Jousset outstruck and outworked Kenan Song
to a clear-cut unanimous decision in their three-round welterweight
affair. All three members of the cageside judiciary scored it the
same: 30-27 for Jousset (10-2, 2-0 UFC).
Song (20-8, 5-4 UFC) failed to keep pace in the standup exchanges.
Jousset assaulted him with repeated leg kicks, a punishing jab,
crisp counters and dirty-boxing uppercuts at close range.
Accumulative damage took a toll on Song’s face and his lower
extremities. Jousset never took his foot on the gas and continued
to pursue a stoppage with the verdict well in hand, throwing heat
until the final bell sounded.
Jousset will ride a five-fight winning streak into his next
assignment.
Further down the card, Jackson-Wink MMA standout Steve
Garcia buried Melquizael
Costa with a burst of elbows in the second round of their
lightweight confrontation.
Garcia (15-5, 4-2 UFC) brought it to a close and did so in emphatic
fashion 61 seconds into Round 2.
Costa (20-7, 1-2 UFC) dictated the terms of their engagement from
the rear waistlock position for much of the first five minutes.
Garcia stayed composed, shielded himself from damage and got down
to business in the second round. He sprang an immediate reversal
after being taken down, escaped to his feet, blasted Costa with a
knee and decked him with hooks from both hands. Garcia then swarmed
with ground-and-pound, split open the former Predador Fighting
Championship titleholder with an elbow and briefly flirted with a
rear-naked choke. After he bailed on the submission, the longtime
Greg Jackson protégé unleashed elbows until referee Chris Tognoni
had seen enough.
Garcia has rattled off three straight victories.
Elsewhere, Team Alpha Male’s Luana
Santos outgrappled fellow judo black belt Stephanie
Egger to a unanimous decision in a three-round women’s
bantamweight tilt. Santos (7-1, 2-0 UFC)—who missed weight for the
match by three pounds—swept the scorecards with 30-27, 29-28 and
29-28 marks from the judges.
Egger (8-5, 3-4 UFC) failed to properly manage distance and allowed
her Brazilian counterpart to plow into the clinch without much
resistance. Santos struck for takedowns in the second and third
rounds, highlighted her efforts in close quarters with foot stomps
and bled valuable time off the clock despite multiple restarts from
referee Herb Dean.
Santos, 23, has won four fights in a row.
Finally, Talita
Alencar remained undefeated in a successful Octagon debut, as
she eked out a contentious split decision over former Invicta
Fighting Championships titleholder Rayanne
Amanda dos Santos in a three-round women’s strawweight pairing.
All three cageside judges scored it 29-28: Sal D’Amato for dos
Santos, Adalaide Byrd and Ron McCarthy for Alencar.
Dos Santos (14-7, 0-1 UFC) employed bulletproof takedown defense
and clean counterstriking in the first round, only to see her
output and effectiveness wane from there. Alencar (5-0-1, 1-0 UFC)
executed a trip takedown in the middle stanza, operated in half
guard and applied her ground-and-pound while salting away valuable
time. Neither woman seemed willing or able to seize the reins when
it mattered most. Alencar controlled the center of the cage down
the stretch and did just enough to squeak by on split
scorecards.
The setback snapped a three-fight winning streak for dos Santos.