Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. Aleksandar
Rakic may be approaching primetime player status in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s light heavyweight
division. Crushing leg kicks and stifling positional control spurred the
promising Austrian to a unanimous decision over former
Cage Fury Fighting Championships and
Victory Fighting Championship titleholder Anthony
Smith in the
UFC Fight Night 175 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in
Las Vegas. Scores were 30-26, 30-27 and 30-27, all for Rakic (13-2,
5-1 UFC), who has rattled off 13 wins in his last 14 outings.
Outside of an overhand right he landed early in the second round,
Smith (33-16, 8-6 UFC) was ineffective. Rakic chopped at his lower
leg with repeated kicks, then punished him when he attempted to
alter the direction of the fight with clinches and takedowns. He
assumed top position in all three rounds and chipped away with
ground-and-pound to the head, body and legs, all while a sense of
resignation began to envelop Smith and his corner.
Magny Dominates Fading Lawler
Elevation Fight Team mainstay Neil Magny
extended his run of consecutive victories to three with a unanimous
decision over former UFC and EliteXC
champion Robbie
Lawler in the three-round welterweight co-main event. All three
judges scored it 30-27 for the resurgent Magny (24-7, 17-6
UFC).
A short-notice replacement for Geoff Neal,
Lawler (28-15, 13-9 UFC) spent the vast majority of his time
swimming against the current. Leaning on his four-inch height and
six-inch reach advantage, Magny frustrated the
Sanford MMA rep with a potent jab and kicks to the leg and
body. However, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 16 semifinalist did
his best work at close range—clinch knees and elbows were on the
menu—and on the mat. Magny dragged “Ruthless Robbie” to the canvas
in all three rounds, moved to the back on multiple occasions and
either hunted chokes or piled up points with his ground-and-pound.
It all took a toll on Lawler’s gas tank and left him unable to
pursue the finish he needed.
The 38-year-old Lawler now finds himself on a career-worst
four-fight losing streak.
New-Look Grasso Sinks Kim
Crisp combination punching carried
Lobo Gym export Alexa
Grasso to a unanimous verdict over former Deep Jewels
champion Ji Yeon Kim
in a three-round women’s flyweight feature. Grasso (12-3, 4-3 UFC)
swept the scorecards with matching 30-27 marks across the board, as
the ex-strawweight dazzled in her debut at 125 pounds.
Kim (9-3-2, 3-3 UFC) countered effectively in spurts but had no
answer for her opponent’s toxic blend of speed and skill. Grasso
blasted her with thudding right hands, incorporated leg kicks when
the situation called for it and even threw in a Superman punch in
the second round. She sealed Kim’s fate with a takedown late in
Round 3, consolidating it with heavy ground-and-pound from half
guard.
Grasso, 27, has won three of her last five fights.
Lamas Outlasts Game Algeo
MMA Masters standout Ricardo
Lamas withstood a serious challenge from an organizational
newcomer, as he laid claim to a unanimous decision over former
Ring of
Combat champion Bill Algeo in
a three-round featherweight showcase. All three cageside judges
scored it the same: 29-27 for Lamas (20-8, 11-6 UFC), who admitted
afterward that he was pondering retirement.
A short-notice substitution for Ryan Hall,
Algeo (13-5, 0-1 UFC) handled himself like a seasoned Octagon
veteran. He had Lamas reeling in the second round, where he
connected with a beautifully timed stepping knee to the chin and
bloodied his nose with a searing left hook in close quarters.
However, “The Bully” had a little more gas in the tank. Lamas
struck for multiple takedowns in the third round, advanced to
dominant positions—including full mount and back mount—and
unleashed a hellacious barrage of ground-and-pound to remove any
doubt regarding the outcome.
It marked the first time Lamas went the distance in victory in
nearly five years.
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UFC Fight Night 175 Prelims: Cummings Upends Reeling Di Chirico
