Stephen
Thompson and Kevin
Holland put on a show in the
UFC on ESPN 42 headliner.
The welterweight combatants were rewarded for their efforts, as
they received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece on
Saturday night at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. In a bout that
was contested almost entirely on the feet, “Wonderboy” pulled away
thanks to a versatile striking arsenal, ultimately forcing
Holland’s corner to stop the fight after four entertaining
rounds.
Elsewhere, surging heavyweight contender Sergei
Pavlovich pocketed a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award
thanks to a quick finish of Tai Tuivasa
in a featured bout. Pavlovich overwhelmed his Australian adversary
with powerful punches to secure his fifth consecutive KO/TKO
victory just 54 seconds into Round 1.
Finally, a creative finish earned Roman
Dolidze the evening’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night”
check. The 34-year-old Georgian used a calf slicer to immobilize
opponent Jack
Hermansson, and he then forced a stoppage with punches from
back mount at the 4:06 mark of Round 2 in their preliminary
middleweight clash.