THE 100% FINISH RATE REMAINS đź’Ż
[ @JalinTurner
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#UFC272 ] pic.twitter.com/tp1VeerWLb— UFC (@ufc)
March 6, 2022
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 272
live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device
via the ESPN app. Jalin
Turner showed why he was given a featured position on the
evening’s preliminary card at
UFC 272.
“The Tarantula” secured his fourth consecutive finish in the
Octagon, as he defeated Australia’s Jamie
Mullarkey via technical knockout in a lightweight clash at the
T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
A flurry of unanswered left hands on the canvas from the Dana
White’s Contender Series alum brought a halt to the bout 46 seconds
into Round 2.
The matchup delivered on its all-action promise in Round 1, when
both lightweights were rocked at different points during exchanges.
However, Turner (12-5, 5-2 UFC) was more effective overall,
bloodying Mullarkey’s nose and mouth with a multifaceted arsenal
that included punching combinations, kicks and knees. Turner picked
up where he left off in Round 2, backing his foe up with a pair of
knees to the body before flooring Mullarkey (14-5, 2-3 UFC) with a
short right hook near the fence. As Mullarkey covered up on the
floor, Turner unloaded with punches until referee Herb Dean had
seen enough and waved off the fight.
Rodriguez Ekes Past Yan, Calls for Title Shot
Marina
Rodriguez used a strong third round to carry her to a
closely-contested split decision victory over Xiaonan Yan
in a clash of strawweight contenders. Judges Ron McCarthy and
Michael Bell saw the fight 29-28 in favor of the Brazilian muay
Thai specialist, while Derek Cleary submitted a 29-28 tally for
Yan. Rodriguez (16-1-2, 6-1-2) has won her last four in
Ultimate Fighting Championship competition and called for a
title shot in her post-fight interview.
Yan (15-3, 6-2 UFC) established momentum early thanks to superior
hand speed and movement, as she consistently beat her opponent to
the punch while mixing in the occasional takedown. Rodriguez turned
the tide late in Round 2 when she punished her adversary with knees
and elbows in the clinch before connecting on a solid combination
before the horn.
That carried over into the final stanza when Rodriguez walked Yan
down while landing a blend of punching combinations, knees and
elbows. While Yan had some success in those exchanges, she slowed
considerably from her impressive opening round.
Negumereanu Shakes Off Eye Poke, Takes Split Verdict Against
Nzechukwu
Even with his nose bloodied and his vision potentially compromised,
Nicolae
Negumereanu still had enough in the tank to take a split
verdict against Fortis MMA product Kennedy
Nzechukwu in a light heavyweight encounter. Two judges saw the
fight 29-27 for the Romanian fighter, while another had it 29-27 in
favor of Nzechukwu.
The 6-foot-5 Nzechukwu (9-3, 3-3 UFC) was able to pick his spots
offensively, tagging Negumereanu (12-1, 3-1 UFC) with right jabs,
straight lefts and front kicks to the gut, but his output often
left something to be desired. Meanwhile, a bloodied Negumereanu did
his best to force a brawl, wading forward and winging right hands
in an aggressive effort. A key moment occurred late in the bout
when Nzechukwu had a point taken in Round 3 for an eye poke after
being warned for another foul of the same nature in the opening
stanza. Ultimately, Nzechukwu didn’t force the issue enough to sway
the scorecards in his favor down the stretch.
Moroz Dominates Ex-Training Partner Agapova
Maryna
Moroz made a statement against Mariya
Agapova, winning via submission in a battle of former American
Top Team stablemates at flyweight. The only Ukrainian female on the
UFC roster forced Agapova to ask out of the contest with an
arm-triangle choke at the 3:27 mark of Round 2. “The Iron Lady” has
won her last three promotional appearances.
Moroz’s strength advantage was evident from the outset. She powered
her way into the clinch, muscled Agapova (10-3, 2-2 UFC) to the
canvas and threatened with a rear-naked choke and an armbar in the
opening stanza. It was more of the same in Round 2, as Moroz (11-3,
6-3 UFC) dragged her adversary down and punished Agapova with heavy
punches and elbows from dominant positions
before eventually transitioning to the fight-ending
maneuver.
Nurmagomedov Remains Unbeaten, Chokes Out Kelleher
Umar
Nurmagomedov will soon be known for more than just his family
ties if he keeps up his current run of success.
The former Professional Fighters League competitor made short work
of Brian
Kelleher, winning via submission in a featherweight affair.
Nurmagomedov
forced his veteran foe to tap out to a rear-naked choke 3:15
into Round 1, the third consecutive submission triumph for the
cousin of Khabib
Nurmagomedov. While the bout was contested at 145 pounds,
Nurmagomedov (14-0, 2-0 UFC) says he plans to compete at
bantamweight going forward.
Nurmagomedov began the bout by attacking with a toolbox of kicks
and then landed effective knees when Kelleher (24-13, 8-6 UFC)
attempted to tie him up. Shortly thereafter, the 26-year-old
Dagestani shot for a takedown, laced his opponent’s left leg in his
own and climbed onto Kelleher’s back near the fence. From there, he
quickly slid his arm under the chin to bring the fight to a
close.
Elliott Holds Off Ulanbekov
Former flyweight title challenger Tim Elliott
held off a late charge from ex-Gorilla Fighting titleholder
Tagir
Ulanbekov to earn a unanimous decision triumph in a 125-pound
battle. All three cageside judges submitted 29-28 scorecards for
Elliott (18-12, 7-10 UFC), who has won three of his last four
Octagon appearances. Ulanbekov (14-2, 2-1 UFC) sees a five-bout
winning streak snapped in defeat.
Elliott seemed to confound Ulanbekov with his unorthodox style
early, which allowed him to connect with multiple takedowns e and
then follow up with perfectly-timed knees when his opponent
returned to his feet. The Glory MMA and Fitness representative
floored Ulanbekov with an overhand left late to cement the opening
frame in his favor.
In the second stanza, Elliott showcased solid takedown defense and
scrambling ability while using a glove grab — unseen by referee
Chris Tognoni — to rock Ulanbekov with a punch in close quarters.
Ulanbekov rallied for a dominant third round when he took Elliott’s
back, threatened with a rear-naked choke and hammered away with
punches until the horn. Ultimately, that late push wasn’t enough to
curry favor with the judges.
Klein Edges Smith on Short Notice
Ludovit
Klein captured a hard-fought split-decision triumph over Dana
White’s Contender Series alum Devonte
Smith in a featherweight clash. Douglas Crosby saw it 29-28 and
Sal D’Amato scored it 30-27 — both for Klein — while Tony Weeks
submitted a 29-28 tally in favor of Smith. Klein (18-4, 2-2 UFC)
snaps a two-bout skid in victory.
Klein, who was a short-notice replacement for Erick
Gonzalez, authored two of the fight’s most significant moments.
The Spartakus Fight Gym product rocked Smith (11-3, 3-3 UFC) with a
straight left hand in Round 1, drawing blood from his opponent’s
mouth. He also put “King Kage” in retreat mode in the final stanza,
when he connected with a front kick to the midsection early in the
period. While Smith had occasional success throwing power kicks to
the head and body and straight punches at range, Klein’s ability to
control large periods of the contest in the clinch negated his
opponent’s opportunities.
Jacoby Outpoints Oleksiejczuk, Extends Unbeaten Streak to
8
Former Glory Kickboxing competitor Dustin
Jacoby shook off a slow start to take a unanimous decision
triumph against Poland native Michal
Oleksiejczuk in a light heavyweight contest. All three cageside
judges submitted 29-28 scorecards in favor of Jacoby, who is
unbeaten in his last eight professional outings — including six in
UFC competition.
Oleksiejczuk (16-5, 4-3, 1 NC UFC) set the terms of engagement
early, pressuring Jacoby (17-5-1, 5-2-1 UFC) while sticking a solid
straight left hand through his opponent’s guard on multiple
occasions. Jacoby picked up the pace in Round 2 when he rocked
Oleksiejczuk during an initial exchange and swarmed with punches,
elbows and knees in hopes of a finish. While Olejsiejczuk survived
the onslaught, he couldn’t duplicate his success from the opening
round, as Jacoby gradually took control through combination
punching and clinch work.
With his toolbox of kicks noticeably absent, Jacoby revealed after
the bout that leg injuries suffered during camp relegated him to a
boxing-heavy approach during the bout.
