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. It may be remembered as memorably
unmemorable. American Top Team’s Thiago
Santos closed the book on a career-worst three-fight losing
streak and recorded his first win since Feb. 23, 2019, as he
captured a unanimous decision over Johnny
Walker in a shockingly uneventful
UFC Fight Night 193 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in
Las Vegas. All three cageside judges scored it 48-47 for Santos
(22-9, 14-8 UFC).
Santos lands clean, but Walker
[
#UFCVegas38 | LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/ycK0sBggRc— UFC (@ufc)
October 3, 2021
Walker (18-6, 4-3 UFC) zeroed in on the legs with kicks but lacked
the throw-caution-to-the-wind aggression for which he has become
known. Santos remained content to throw punches and kicks at a
leisurely pace, as neither man did much to separate himself from
the other. “Marreta” connected with the more impactful blows—they
included a few thunderous body kicks and a late overhand
left—throughout the 25-minute affair, and those efforts seemed to
offset the deficit he faced in terms of overall activity.
Daukaus-Holland Results in No Contest
An inadvertent clash of heads between Kyle
Daukaus and Kevin
Holland led to a no contest 3:43 into the first round of their
middleweight co-main event.
The accidental foul—neither man was deemed to be at fault—appeared
to briefly knock Holland (21-7, 8-4 UFC)
unconscious in the center of the cage. The “Trailblazer”
regained some of his faculties after he hit the canvas and
attempted to defend himself from Daukaus’ follow-up onslaught of
punches and hammerfists. The former Cage Fury Fighting
Championships titleholder trapped Holland in a brabo choke and
released the maneuver before the two men returned to a standing
position. Daukuas (10-2, 1-2 UFC) then attached himself to the
still-woozy Travis
Lutter protégé’s back, cinched a rear-naked choke and forced
the tapout.
Referee Dan Miragliotta reviewed footage of the clash of heads,
alongside UFC officials and representatives from the Nevada
Athletic Commission, and changed the result to a no contest.
Price Outlasts Reeling Oliveira
Niko
Price did just enough to get by Alex
Oliveira in a three-round welterweight showcase, as he laid
claim to a unanimous decision over the Brazilian at 170 pounds.
Price (15-5, 7-5 UFC) swept the scorecards with matching 29-28
marks from all three cageside judges.
Oliveira (22-11-1, 11-9 UFC)—who entered the cage on the heels of
consecutive defeats—was effective in spurts and especially so in
the second round, where he took top control on the Floridian and
attempted to alter the complexion of the fight. Price appeared to
be cruising to a loss for much of Round 3, but he managed to find
another gear in the closing minute. He delivered a takedown,
settled into a dominant position and cut loose with short elbows,
punches and hammerfists on a fading Oliveira.
The victory was Price’s first in nearly two years.
Resilient Jotko Edges Cirkunov
Krzysztof
Jotko rebounded from a May 1 loss to Sean
Strickland and moved into the double-digit win club inside the
Octagon, as he eked out a split decision over Misha
Cirkunov in a three-round middleweight attraction. All three
judges scored it 29-28: Dave Hagen
for Cirkunov, Sal D’Amato and Chris Lee for Jotko.
The two grapplers fought to a virtual stalemate in the clinch.
Jotko (23-5, 10-5 UFC) pecked away at the Xtreme Couture
representative with two- and three-punch combinations, made life
difficult for him at close range and weaponized his pace. Cirkunov
(15-7, 6-5 UFC) answered with a handful of takedowns but failed to
consolidate them with meaningful control or damage, likely
minimizing their impact on the scorecards.
Cirkunov has suffered back-to-back defeats for the second time in
his 22-fight career.
Hernandez Waxes Newcomer Breeden
Factory X standout Alexander
Hernandez knocked out promotional newcomer Mike
Breeden in the first round of their brief but eventful
lightweight feature. A short-notice substitution for Leonardo
Santos, Breeden (10-4, 0-1 UFC) met his end 80 seconds into
Round 1, his modest two-fight winning streak having run its
course.
Hernandez (13-4, 5-3 UFC) picked his shots and made them count. He
dazed Breeden with a clean one-two, swarmed him with power punches
along the fence and put away the Glory MMA export with a crushing
overhand right. No follow-up shots were necessary.
The 29-year-old Hernandez has won 11 of his last 14 bouts.
Continue Reading »
UFC Fight Night 193 Prelims: Underdog Gordon Stymies Solecki in Las
Vegas 
