WHAT. A. FIGHT.
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#UFCVegas41 live on
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October 23, 2021
Gregory
Rodrigues strengthened his foothold in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division, as he
struck down Jun Young Park in
the second round of their featured
UFC Fight Night 196 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las
Vegas. Park (13-5, 3-2 UFC) bowed out 3:13 into Round 2.
Rodrigues (11-3, 2-0 UFC) dictated the terms of their ground
exchanges—he advanced to the back with body triangles on multiple
occasions—but flirted with disaster on the feet. Park pinned the
former
Legacy Fighting Alliance champion to the fence in the second
round and let punches fly from both hands. Rodrigues seemed to be
wilting but answered with a series of precise right hands, pushed
the Korean Top Team standout across the Octagon, flurried along the
fence and connected with an uppercut that had him out on his feet.
It was enough to prompt referee Jason Herzog to act.
The 29-year-old Rodrigues will ride a four-fight winning streak
into his next assignment.
Jones Sinks Prospect Onama
Former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Mason Jones
leaned on takedowns, ground-and-pound and a sturdy chin, as he laid
claim to a unanimous decision over a game David Onama
in a three-round lightweight affair. Jones (11-1, 1-1 UFC) earned
29-28 nods from all three judges.
A short-notice substitution for Alan
Patrick, Onama (8-1, 0-1 UFC) made life for his favored
adversary far more difficult than most anticipated. The Glory MMA
prospect tore into Jones with clubbing power punches to the head
and forced him to reconsider his approach at various points in
their 15-minute match. The Welshman responded with takedowns and
positional control, slowly draining Onama’s gas tank during the
second half of the bout. Even on the ground, he struggled to corral
the promising James
Krause protégé.
The win was Jones’ first in more than a year.
Once-Beaten Ricci Dominates Oliveira
Repeated takedowns and heavy ground-and-pound spurred Tabatha
Ricci to a unanimous decision over Parana Vale Tudo export
Maria
Oliveira in a three-round women’s strawweight scrap. All three
cageside judges scored it 30-27 for Ricci (6-1, 1-1 UFC), who
bounced back from her June 5 decision defeat to Manon
Fiorot.
Oliveira (12-5, 0-1 UFC) enjoyed some success at range but failed
to manage distance. Ricci struck for takedowns in all three rounds,
often transitioned to dominant positions and assaulted the Rizin
Fighting Federation alum with punches and elbows. She did her best
work in Round 2, where she climbed to full mount, applied her
ground-and-pound and hunted for potential armbars. Though Ricci’s
efforts failed to produce a finish, the tone was set.
The setback ended Oliveira’s run of consecutive victories at
three.
Pickett Downs One-Dimensional Staropoli
Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Jamie
Pickett outstruck and outmaneuvered Laureano
Staropoli to a unanimous decision in a three-round middleweight
battle. Pickett (12-6, 1-2 UFC) curried favor on all three
scorecards: 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.
Staropoli (9-5, 2-4 UFC) pursued the clinch with admirable
persistence but did not get much done at close range. Pickett kept
his head above water with knees to the body and excelled in open
space, where his 8.5-inch reach advantage was more of a factor. He
executed a trip takedown early in the third round, pressed forward
with punches when the two men returned to their feet and uncorked a
late flurry to punctuate his efforts.
The 28-year-old Staropoli has lost four fights in a row.
Herbert Volley Waylays Worthy
Former Cage Warriors Fighting Championships titleholder Jai Herbert
cut down Khama
Worthy with punches in the first round of their lightweight
confrontation. Worthy (16-9, 2-3 UFC) succumbed to blows 2:47 into
Round 1, as the Syndicate MMA rep suffered his third straight
setback.
Herbert (11-3, 1-2 UFC) tested the waters with a few leg and body
kicks, then went to work. A partially blocked head kick triggered a
violent burst of punches that staggered Worthy and forced him
backward. Herbert let punches fly with both hands, snapped back his
opponent’s head with a right uppercut and floored him with winging
hooks. The Team Renegade product swooped into top position, offered
Worthy no refuge and unleashed a series of unanswered right hands
to prompt the stoppage.
The victory halted Herbert’s two-fight losing streak.
Molina Dismisses Newcomer Lacerda
Glory MMA prospect Jeff Molina
put away organizational newcomer Daniel
Lacerda with punches in the second round of their flyweight
encounter. The promising 24-year-old Molina (10-2, 2-0 UFC) brought
it to a decisive close 46 seconds into Round 2.
Lacerda (11-2, 0-1 UFC) threw everything at Molina inside the
hectic first five minutes, from a rear-naked choke and a triangle
choke to an omoplata and a pair of armbars. Nothing stuck. Early in
the middle stanza, Molina answered a kick with a devastating
counter right hand. The impact sat down Lacerda and left him
vulnerable to follow-up attacks. Molina pounced with punches,
climbed to full mount, forced the Brazilian to surrender his back
and cut loose with unanswered blows until the job was done.
Molina has rattled off nine consecutive victories.
Markos Outhustles Reeling Souza
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 20 semifinalist Randa
Markos closed the book on a four-fight losing streak with a
unanimous decision over Livinha
Souza in a three-round women’s strawweight clash. Markos
(11-11-1, 7-10-1) swept the scorecards with 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28
marks from the cageside judges.
Souza (14-4, 3-3 UFC) had her chance and missed it, as she nearly
submitted the Michigan Top Team rep with a rear-naked choke in the
first round. The former Invicta Fighting Championships
titleholder’s situation rapidly deteriorated from there. Markos
tuned up the Brazilian with power punches on the feet, hammered her
in the clinch and piled up points with positional control and
ground-and-pound whenever the action spilled onto the canvas.
The win was Markos’ first since Oct. 26, 2019.
Martinez Handles Undefeated Lazishvili
Factory X standout Jonathan
Martinez rebounded from his March 13 knockout loss to Davey Grant
with a unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Zviad
Lazishvili in a three-round bantamweight pairing. All three
cageside judges scored it for Martinez (14-4, 5-3 UFC): 30-27,
29-28 and 29-28.
A short-notice replacement for Aaron
Phillips, Lazishvili (8-1, 0-1 UFC) tried and fail to get his
takedown game in gear. Martinez flexed his superiority in the
standup exchanges, as he pelted the former Legacy Fighting Alliance
champion with crisp jabs, leg kicks, standing elbows, front kicks
to the body and accurate combinations.
Martinez, 27, has won three of his last four bouts.