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. This was the one outcome for which no one was
prepared. An inadvertent second-round eye poke from Leon
Edwards led to a no contest in the
UFC Fight Night 187 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in
Las Vegas, leaving both he and Belal
Muhammad in a state of limbo within the
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s welterweight division. When a
visibly and audibly distraught Muhammad (18-3, 9-3 UFC) indicated
he could not see out of his damaged right eye, referee Herb Dean waved
it off 18 seconds into Round 2.
Edwards (18-3, 10-2 UFC) controlled a majority of the exchanges up
until the foul. He staggered Muhammad with a head kick in the first
round and swarmed for a potential finish before resetting and
relying on sharp one-twos. Not long after Round 2 began, the
situation went awry for everyone involved.
Spann Shreds Cirkunov in 71 Seconds
Former
Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Ryan Spann
brought down Misha
Cirkunov with punches in the first round of their light
heavyweight co-main event. Cirkunov (15-6, 6-4 UFC) bowed out 1:11
into Round 2, as he lost for the fourth time in six
appearances.
Spann (19-6, 5-1 UFC) recovered from an accidental low blow,
dropped the Canada-based Latvian with a straight right hand and
pounced with follow-up punches. He then allowed Cirkunov to stand,
clipped him with a left hook and trailed him to the canvas a second
time, unleashing a hellish barrage of rapid-fire
hammerfists to prompt the stoppage.
Operating out of the Sayif
Saud-fronted Fortis
MMA camp in Dallas, Spann has posted nine wins across his past
10 outings.
Ige One-Punch KOs Tucker
Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Dan Ige wiped
out former Extreme
Cage Combat champion Gavin
Tucker less than a minute into their featherweight showcase.
Tucker (13-2, 4-2 UFC) met his end just 22 seconds into Round 1,
suffering his first setback since Sept. 9, 2017.
Ige (15-3, 7-2 UFC) walked the Canadian into a right hand and allowed
gravity to do the rest. Tucker collapsed to the mat in a
semi-conscious state, the concussive blow leaving him to stare into
the abyss while his victorious opponent enjoyed a short night’s
work.
The 29-year-old Ige has won seven of his last eight bouts.
Resurgent Grant Flattens Martinez
“The Ultimate Fighter 18” finalist Davey Grant
cut down Jonathan
Martinez with punches in the second round of their featured
bantamweight pairing. Grant (13-4, 4-3 UFC) drew the curtain 3:03
into Round 2, extending his winning streak to three fights.
Martinez (13-4, 4-3 UFC) beat up the Brit’s lower leg with kicks
and knocked him down with a left hook in the first round. Grant did
not go away. As Martinez’s output dwindled in the middle stanza,
his adversary hit the gas. Grant cut loose with winging power
punches, snuck in a few front kicks to the body and waited for his
opportunity. The 35-year-old fired a right hook to the body and
followed it with a wicked left hook to the head that caught
Martinez clean. The Factory
X representative hit the deck and was in no condition to defend
himself from the punches that followed.
It was the first time in 17 career bouts that Martinez had been
finished.
Returning Nicolau Edges Kape
“The Ultimate Fighter Brazil” Season 4 semifinalist Matheus
Nicolau returned to the Octagon for the first time in nearly
three years and eked out a split decision over former
Rizin Fighting Federation champion Manel Kape
in a three-round flyweight feature. All three judges scored it
29-28: Chris Lee and
Bryan Miner for Nicolau (16-2-1, 4-1 UFC), Dave Hagen
for Kape.
Nicolau made his intentions known with two first-round takedowns
and some effective ground-and-pound. However, Kape (15-6, 0-2 UFC)
bounced back in the second. There, the
American Kickboxing Academy rep stung Nicolau with a right
uppercut, stayed upright and pieced together two- and three-punch
combinations with his lightning-quick hands. Both men had their
moments in Round 3. Nicolau directed crisp punches to the body and
head, connected with a spinning back elbow and seized the reins
early. Kape, meanwhile, found another gear in the second half of
the round, used an effective sprawl to cut off takedowns and scored
with two beautiful knee strikes, one to the head, the other to the
body.
The 28-year-old Nicolau has rattled off three straight
victories.
Anders Knee Prompts No-Contest
An inadvertent illegal knee from Eryk Anders
resulted in a no-contest with Darren
Stewart in the first round of their middleweight showcase.
Having examined a still-shaken Stewart (12-6, 5-5 UFC), the
cageside physician advised referee Herb Dean to
call for the stoppage 4:37 into Round 1.
It was fun while it lasted. Stewart kept the former University of
Alabama linebacker at bay with leg kicks, jabs and basic takedown
defense. However, Anders (13-5, 5-5 UFC) appeared to turn the tide
with a pair of thudding left hands, then engaged the Brit in the
clinch. Later, he knocked down Stewart with a straight left,
pursued him with punches and seemed to be on the verge of a finish
when he delivered a knee to the side of the
kneeling
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship veteran’s head.
Continue Reading »
UFC Fight Night 187 Prelims: Yahya Choke Submits Rodriguez
