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phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Sean
Strickland’s bite was every bit as bad as his bark. The Syndicate MMA rep set up shop as a serious contender in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division, as he
laid claim to a clear-cut unanimous decision over “The Ultimate
Fighter 17” finalist Uriah Hall in
the
UFC on ESPN 28 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las
Vegas. All three judges sided with Strickland (24-3, 11-3 UFC):
50-44, 50-45 and 49-46.
Hall (17-10, 9-9 UFC) was never much of a factor. Strickland
wrecked the former Ring of Combat champion with a consistent and
damaging jab across all five rounds. He mixed in clean one-twos and
occasional kicks, overwhelming the typically flashy Hall with basic
but effective offensive techniques. Strickland was at peak strength
in the third round, where he followed an overhand right into a
takedown, applied his ground-and-pound and eventually advanced to
the back to fish for a potential choke. Hall kept his head above
water but retreated to his corner in a visibly dejected state,
looking very much like a beaten man. Strickland steered clear of
any potential danger over the final two rounds and reached the
finish line in his most important performance to date.
Buys Buries de Paula in 60 Seconds
Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Cheyanne
Buys disposed of Gloria de
Paula with a head kick and follow-up punches in the first round
of their women’s strawweight co-main event. De Paula (5-4, 0-2 UFC)
met her end 60 seconds into Round 1.
Buys (6-2, 1-1 UFC) stormed out of the gate with multi-punch
volleys and completed a takedown before the two women even broke a
sweat. She spent little time in guard, returned to a standing
position and delivered a perfectly timed kick to the face when
the Brazilian attempted to follow suit. De Paula fell backward,
stood and collapsed again, allowing “The Warrior Princess” to climb
to full mount and cut loose with punches until referee Mark Smith
had seen enough.
The 26-year-old Buys has won five of her past six bouts.
Replacement Gooden Zaps Stolze
X3 Sports product Jared
Gooden made the most of his opportunity as a short-notice
substation for Mounir
Lazzez, as he took care of Niklas
Stolze with punches in the first round of their featured
welterweight pairing. Stolze (12-5, 0-2 UFC) bit the dust 68
seconds into Round 1.
Gooden (18-6, 1-2 UFC) got the German’s attention with a left hook,
struck for a takedown and reset himself on the feet. A counter right hand sent Stolze crashing to the
canvas in a compromised state and in no condition to intelligently
defend himself. Gooden nevertheless jumped in with follow-up
punches to make sure the job was done.
The win was Gooden’s first inside the Octagon and closed the book
on his two-fight losing streak.
Baghdasaryan Kick Fells Anglin
Melsik
Baghdasaryan cut down fellow Dana White’s Contender Series alum
Collin
Anglin with a head kick and follow-up punches in the second
round of their featherweight showcase. Anglin (8-2, 0-1 UFC)
succumbed to blows 1:50 into Round 2, his seven-fight winning
streak having run its course.
Baghdasaryan (6-1, 1-0 UFC) set the tone from the start with
laser-guided left hands and unbridled aggression. He pinned Anglin
to the fence with punches late in the first round and uncorked a
series of standing hammerfists, and while he failed to prompt a
stoppage, it felt like it was only a matter of time. Early in the
second, Baghdasaryan slammed his shin into the Scorpion
Fighting System rep’s skull, trailed him to the mat and sealed the
deal with subsequent punches.
The 29-year-old Baghdasaryan has rattled off six straight
victories, five of them finishes.
Witt Upsets Barberena in Barnburner
Glory MMA export Jason Witt
recorded his sixth win in eight appearances, as he took a majority
decision from Bryan
Barberena in a three-round welterweight feature. Two of the
three cageside judges struck 29-27 and 29-27 scorecards for Witt,
while a third scored it a 28-28 draw.
Witt (19-7, 2-2 UFC) spent the first two rounds building what
appeared to be a commanding lead, as he interrupted his
counterpart’s advances with timely takedowns, knocked him down with
a counter right hand and threatened him with a guillotine choke.
Barberena (15-8, 6-6 UFC) threw caution to the wind in the third
round, his kamikaze-style offense nearly resulting in a remarkable
comeback. He had Witt teetering on the brink more than once with
power punches, fought through takedowns and made one final push in
the waning seconds. There, Barberena sent the 34-year-old Kansas
City native’s mouthpiece flying and followed up with punches when
he bent down in a fog to retrieve it. Ultimately, his efforts fell
short.
Barberena has lost three of his last four fights.
Continue Reading »
UFC on ESPN 28 Prelims: Chris Gruetzemacher Outlasts Rafa Garcia in
Lightweight Slugfest
