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Macy
Chiasson appears to be well on her way to Top 10 status in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight
division.
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 28 winner on Saturday leaned on crisp
standup and a robust clinch, as she laid claim to a unanimous
decision over Marion
Reneau in the featured
UFC on ESPN 21 prelim at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Chiasson
(7-1, 5-1 UFC) drew 29-28 nods from all three judges and continued
to distance herself from a September 2019 loss to Lina
Lansberg.
Renau (9-7-1, 5-6-1 UFC) used efficient punching combinations and
evasive lateral movement in putting together a successful first
round. However, Chiasson turned the tide in the second, where she
bloodied the Californian’s nose with a crushing left hand and later
forced her to retreat on the end of a wicked kick to the body. The
two women spent much of the final five minutes jockeying for
position, but Chiasson likely sealed the deal with a trip takedown
with roughly 60 seconds left on the clock.
The 43-year-old Reneau has lost four fights in a row.
Dawson Hammerfists Obliterate Santos
Glory MMA prospect Grant
Dawson took care of “The Ultimate Fighter Brazil” Season 2
winner Leonardo
Santos with punches in the third round of their undercard
pairing at 155 pounds. Santos (18-4-1, 7-1-1 UFC) met his end 4:59
into Round 3, as he suffered his first defeat since May 2,
2009.
The first 10 minutes saw give and take from both men, leading the
decisive third round. There, a fatiguing Santos conceded a takedown
and accepted bottom position. Dawson (17-1, 5-0 UFC) progressed to
half guard and applied some sustained but relatively ineffective
ground-and-pound into the waning moments. As Santos zeroed in on an
ill-advised heel hook, his counterpart stood above him and dropped one
hammerfist after another until he was unconscious. So concluded
the
Nova Uniao export’s 13-fight unbeaten streak.
Dawson, 27, has rattled off eight straight victories.
Giles Sinks Undefeated Dolidze
Trevin
Giles pushed his run of consecutive victories to three with a
unanimous decision over previously undefeated
Xtreme Couture standout Roman
Dolidze in a three-round middleweight affair. All three
cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Giles (14-2, 5-2
UFC).
Dolidze (8-1, 2-1 UFC) fought well in spurts, piled up with points
with early leg kicks and mixed in a well-timed takedown during the
first five minutes. However, he wandered off the beaten path in the
second round, where repeated bids for low-percentage leg locks
resulted in his taking damage from ground-and-pound and pushing his
cardio to the limit. Giles staggered him with a surgical straight
right in Round 3, the impact drawing a significant amount of blood
from the Georgian’s nose. Dolidze had his chances down the stretch
and benefitted from some questionable choices by his opponent, but
by then, he was running on fumes and lacked the gas necessary to
carry him across the finish line.
Giles now owns a perfect 3-0 record in fights that go the
distance.
Jackson Dismisses Newcomer Strader
Pure Vida MMA rep Montel
Jackson disposed of promotional newcomer Jesse
Strader with punches in the first round of their bantamweight
clash. Strader (5-2, 0-1 UFC)—who missed weight for the
match—succumbed to blows 1:58 into Round 1, his modest two-fight
winning streak at an end.
Jackson (10-2, 4-2 UFC) leveled the Combate
Americas veteran with a counter right hook, pumped the brakes
when he was met with return fire and later floored him a second
time with hooks from each hand. Strader turtled at the base of the fence and
absorbed a volley of standing-to-ground punches before referee
Keith
Peterson arrived on the scene.
The 28-year-old Jackson has won four of his last five fights.
Silva Upends Debuting Buys
Fight Ready export Bruno Silva
put away former
Extreme Fighting Championship titleholder J.P. Buys with
punches in the second round of their flyweight tilt. Silva (11-5-2,
1-2 UFC) brought it to a close 2:56 into Round 2, closing the book
on a two-fight losing streak with his first win in more than three
years.
Buys (9-3, 0-1 UFC) struggled to get in gear. Silva executed a pair
of takedowns, attacked the lower lead leg with kicks on tied a bow
on a strong first round when he dropped the South African to a knee
with a spinning backfist in the closing seconds. Buys upped his
aggression in Round 2 and pressed the issue, only to walk into a
searing overhand right from the Brazilian. He tried to somersault
out of danger, regained his footing and withstood being sat down a
second time with a right uppercut. Buys survived the onslaught
initially and returned to an upright position, but Silva decked him with another right hand over the
top and forced referee Mark Smith
to intervene.
The loss snapped a five-fight winning streak for Buys. 
