Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. Ciryl Gane’s
approach was undeniably effective, but it lacked the wow factor for
which many had hoped. The impressive Frenchman kept his perfect professional record
intact and moved another step closer to a shot at the
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title with a tepid
unanimous decision over Jairzinho
Rozenstruik in the
UFC Fight Night 186 headliner on Saturday in Las Vegas. All
three cageside judges saw it the same: 50-45 for Gane (8-0, 5-0
UFC).
Rozenstruik (11-2, 5-2 UFC) struggled to pull the trigger for five
full rounds, one of his cornermen slapping the canvas in
frustration at one point in the middle of the fight. Perhaps the
most compelling exchange between the two heavyweight contenders
took place in the second round, where Gane tossed “Bigi Boi”
off-balance and briefly threatened with a standing rear-naked choke
before releasing his grip and retreating to the safety of open
space. Gane was otherwise content to play matador on the outside,
and he did so brilliantly. He switched stances throughout the
25-minute encounter, piled up points with jabs from both hands and
darted in and out of danger, avoiding Rozenstruik’s notoriously
heavy hands.
Burgeoning Ankalaev Stymies Krylov
Akhmat Fight Team star Magomed
Ankalaev extended his latest winning streak to six fights with
a unanimous decision over former Fight
Nights Global champion Nikita
Krylov in the three-round light heavyweight co-main event.
Ankalaev (15-1, 6-1 UFC) swept the scorecards with 29-28 marks from
all three judges.
Krylov (27-8, 8-6 UFC) enjoyed some initial success in the first
round, where he dragged his counterpart to the canvas and later
cracked him with punch-kick combinations. However, Ankalaev
remained resolute with his approach, pushed the Ukrainian backward
and grinded away in close quarters. The 28-year-old executed
takedowns in the second and third rounds, applied steady
ground-and-pound and employed a suffocating clinch whenever they
returned to their feet.
The setback was Krylov’s third in five outings.
De La Rosa, Silva Battle to Draw
“The Ultimate Fighter 26” quarterfinalist Montana
De La Rosa and
Chute Boxe’s Mayra
Bueno Silva fought to a majority draw in their three-round
women’s flyweight feature. Judge Eric Colon
scored it 28-27 for Silva, while Derek Clear and Sal D’Amato each
saw it 28-28.
Referee Jerin Valel
took a point from Silva (7-1-1, 2-1-1 UFC) for a blatant fence grab
in the first round, providing the difference on the scorecards.
De La Rosa (11-6-1, 4-2-1 UFC) could not match the Brazilian’s
firepower, but she answered with a dogged clinch game and a
relentless pursuit of takedowns. The
Elevation Fight Team rep did her best work late in Round 2,
where she grounded Silva, climbed to mount and threatened with an
arm-triangle choke. Those efforts fell short. Silva responded with
brutal close-range knee and elbow strikes that resulted in
significant damage to the American’s left eye and nose.
Munhoz Avenges Rivera Loss
American Top Team export Pedro
Munhoz put the brakes on a two-fight losing streak and avenged
a 2015 defeat to Jimmie
Rivera, as he took a unanimous decision from the former
Cage Fury Fighting Championships, King of
the Cage and Ring of
Combat titleholder in their long-awaited rematch at 135 pounds.
All three judges scored it for Munhoz (19-5, 9-5 UFC): 30-27, 30-27
and 29-28.
Calf kicks were the difference. Munhoz targeted the lower leg with
a fervent ferocity, compromising his opponent’s base inside the
first five minutes and forcing him to rethink his approach. Rivera
(23-5, 7-4 UFC) cut loose with power punching combinations to the
head and body but failed to move his lower extremities out of
harm’s way, paying a steep price with each kick he absorbed. He
switched stances late in the bout, but by then, the deficit was too
great to overcome.
Rivera, 31, has lost three times in his past four appearances.
Caceres Aces Croom Test
Precision punches, sublime takedown defense and superior
conditioning carried
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 quarterfinalist Alex
Caceres to a unanimous decision over Kevin Croom
in a three-round featherweight showcase. Scores were 30-26, 30-26
and 30-27, all for Caceres (18-12, 13-10 UFC).
Croom (21-13, 0-1 UFC) whiffed on one takedown after another and
bled his gas tank dry as a result. Caceres picked his shots on the
feet and flexed his skills on the ground, threatening with a tight
triangle choke in the second round. Croom survived but was visibly
exhausted by the time the third round began. Caceres scrambled into
top position, advanced to the back and secured his position with a
body triangle before alternating rear-naked choke attempts with
ground-and-pound.
Caceres has rattled off four straight victories, tying the longest
such streak of his 12-year career. Continue Reading
»
UFC Fight Night 186 Prelims: Davis Denies Prospect Mazo
