Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC,
PFL, Dana White’s Contender Series and “The Ultimate Fighter” live
on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via
the ESPN app. After plenty of verbal blows from both parties in
the months leading up to their bout, Colby
Covington settled the score with Jorge
Masvidal where it mattered most. Covington relied on his relentless grappling to capture a unanimous
decision triumph over Masvidal in the
UFC 272 headliner at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on
Saturday night. Covington (17-3, 12-3 UFC) earned scorecards of
49-46, 50-44 and 50-45 from the cageside judges in the welterweight
clash to bring an emphatic close to the rivalry with his former
American Top Team training partner.
There was no secret to Covington’s game plan, as the former NCAA
All-American wrestler grounded Masvidal (35-16, 12-9 UFC) on
multiple occasions while threatening with chokes against the fence
and landing ground-and-pound from top position. Masvidal battled
diligently to return to his feet, and while he had a few fleeting
moments of success — including a right hand that buckled Covington
in Round 4 — he was unable to keep his opponent at bay for any
significant period of time.
Covington’s gas tank never failed him, as he blended striking and
grappling effectively and closed the show with a dominant fifth
round, eventually transitioning to mount in the waning moments.
There was no burying of the hatchet between the two men in the
aftermath, and Covington set his sights on another ATT standout
when he called for a matchup with Dustin
Poirier in his post-fight interview.
Masvidal has lost three straight for the first time in his
professional tenure.
Still chirping before the decision 🤬
#UFC272 pic.twitter.com/TcXdWuPaNG— UFC (@ufc)
March 6, 2022
Dos Anjos Methodically Brutalizes ‘Moicano’
It wasn’t the opponent Rafael dos
Anjos expected, but that didn’t stop the former lightweight
champion from putting on a dominant performance.
Dos Anjos (31-13, 20-11 UFC) methodically battered short-notice foe
Renato
Carneiro (16-5-1, 8-5 UFC), winning via unanimous decision in
their 160-pound catchweight, co-main event clash. Dos Anjos
received tallies of 49-45, 49-44 and 50-44 from the cageside judges
in his first fight since November 2020. “Moicano,” less than a
month removed from a win over Alexander
Hernandez at
UFC 271, agreed to step in as a replacement for Rafael
Fiziev on less than a week’s notice. The bout was scheduled for
five rounds because dos Anjos vs. Fiziev was originally slated to
headline
UFC Fight Night 201 a couple of weeks prior.
Dos Anjos weathered a strong push from Carneiro early in Round 1
and gradually imposed his will from there. The Brazilian veteran
relied primarily on punching combinations, takedowns and purposeful
ground-and-pound to do his work. The Nova Uniao product nearly
finished the fight in Round 3, when a head kick put his opponent on
wobbly legs. Carneiro would not succumb to the follow-up
ground-and-pound, however. The fourth frame also nearly brought a
stoppage when dos Anjos sliced Carneiro’s already swollen left eye
with vicious elbows from top position.
After a brief examination from the cageside doctor and referee
Marc
Goddard, Carneiro was allowed to come out for the final frame.
The former featherweight showed plenty of spirit in the last five
minutes, baiting dos Anjos into a slugfest down the stretch that
saw both men land their share of offense — including several solid
uppercuts by “Moicano.” Still, it wasn’t nearly enough to erase the
lead dos Anjos had already built on the scorecards.
Mitchell Drowns Barboza, Wins 15th Straight
Takedowns, positional control and ground-and-pound — along with a
surprising knockdown — carried Bryce
Mitchell to a lopsided unanimous decision triumph over Edson
Barboza in a featherweight affair. All three cageside judges
scored the fight for the 27-year-old Sherwood Ark., native: 30-25,
30-26 and 30-27.
“Thug Nasty” absorbed some heavy inside leg kicks in the early
moments of Round 1, but he turned the tide for good when he put
Barboza on his seat with a left hand. That allowed Mitchell (15-0,
6-0 UFC) to secure his first takedown of the fight, and he spent
much of the rest of the round landing punches and elbows from top
position before Barboza (22-11, 16-11) returned to his feet with
less than a minute to go.
That proved to be a recurring theme, as Mitchell grounded the
Brazilian within the first minute of the next two frames, where he
advanced from one dominant position to another and landed
significant ground-and-pound — including elbows that cut Barboza
near his left eye.
Barboza is now 2-3 since transitioning to 145 pounds from
lightweight.
Holland Batters Oliveira in Welterweight Debut
Kevin
Holland enjoyed a successful welterweight debut, as he rallied
for a technical knockout victory against Brazilian veteran Alex
Oliveira in a featured 170-pound pairing. Holland brought the
show to a close 38 seconds into the second frame, sending the
Brazilian “Cowboy” to his fourth consecutive defeat.
Oliveira (22-12-1, 11-10 UFC) put together a strong start in Round
1, when he landed several damaging leg kicks, secured multiple
takedowns and recovered to stun Holland (22-7, 9-4, 1 NC UFC) with
a right hand after being rocked during a spirited exchange.
Oliveira ended the round with a back take and a rear-naked choke
attempt, but Holland survived without issue.
Holland wasted little time shifting momentum in Round 2, as a short
right hand sent his opponent tumbling to the canvas near the fence.
“Trailblazer” attacked with a purpose on a reeling Oliveira,
unloading with punches and hammerfists from top position before
transitioning to elbows to bring the contest to a close.
Spivak Grounds, Pummels Hardy
Sergey
Spivak had no trouble against former NFL Pro Bowler Greg Hardy,
as he overwhelmed his foe en route to a relatively swift technical
knockout victory. The 27-year-old Moldovan ended Hardy’s night with
a hailstorm of ground-and-pound from mount 2:16 into Round 1.
Spivak (14-3, 5-3 UFC) has been victorious in four of his last five
outings, while Hardy has lost three straight for the first time in
his MMA career.
After absorbing a few substantial leg kicks from Hardy, Spivak
closed the distance and executed a hip toss to get his man to the
canvas. When Hardy (7-5, 4-5, 1 NC UFC) attempted to regain his
feet, “The Polar Bear” used a half nelson to power his way into
full mount. From there, it was academic, and Hardy could do nothing
but cover up against the finishing barrage, which appeared to
briefly render the American Top Team member unconscious.
Continue Reading »
UFC 272 Prelims: Turner Scores Fourth Straight Finish, Puts Away
Mullarkey 
