The UFC Does it Again
Photo credit: UFC / Zuffa LLC
In the past few weeks, the UFC has managed to put on some of the most spectacular fights that we have seen in quite some time.
UFC 247: Derrick Lewis def. Marcos Rogerio de Lima
In almost 30 seconds, Derrick Lewis shocked the world. Both fighters entered the octagon and went to their corners. The referee brought them to the center of the octagon and asked the heavyweights, “Are you ready? Are you ready?” And with that, the fight was on.
Derrick Lewis came out of his corner with speed, with what could be a tribute to Jorge Masvidal, a flying knee right out of the gate. Lima was brought down with ease as Derrick Lewis, like a shark that smells blood in the water, pounced on him, landing combination after combination. A few seconds later, the referee called a stop to the contest, declaring Derrick Lewis the winner.
UFC 291: Alex Pereira vs. Jan Blachowicz
After his last fight with Israel Adesanya, Alex Pereira went up in weight and was set to take on his first opponent in the Light Heavyweight division, Jan Blachowicz.
Pereira began round one with attempts to land a calf kick, but Blachowicz caught him, attempting a takedown and pushing him into the cage. Pereira defended the takedown, holding Blachowicz back, but Blachowicz got the takedown and took the back of Pereira as he attempted to cinch in a rear-naked choke.
Pereira fought the choke on one knee as you could hear the boos from the crowd. Jan’s back was on the cage, still attempting the rear-naked choke, but Pereira continued to defend. The horn sounded, ending round one.
Round two begins with both fighters exchanging calf kicks and hooks to the jaw. Jan pressures, landing some combinations and a takedown. With Jan in top mount, Pereira attempts to escape the ground, pushing against the cage and being able to get to his feet. Jan holds Pereira against the cage, attempting another takedown, but Pereira defends and escapes the cage.
Blachowicz attempts another takedown and misses, with Pereira now having control against the cage, throwing body shots as Jan is seen covering up, and the crowd is going crazy. The horn sounds, and round two ends.
Round three begins with kicks landed from Pereira. Jan pressures back, throwing some combinations as he pushes Pereira back. More combinations land for Blachowicz, attempting to close the distance.
Pereira is patient as he picks his shots, going after the body of Blachowicz, but Jan fights back going after the head of Pereira. Blachowicz attempts another takedown, but Pereira defends, holding Jan back. Jan lands a takedown and takes top mount. The horn sounds, and the fight is over.
With this fight, they go to the judges’ scorecards for a decision. The judges scored the bout 29-28, 28-29, and 29-28 to the winner by split decision: the new light heavyweight fighter Alex Pereira.
UFC 269: Justin Gaethje vs. Dustin Poirier (BMF Championship)
In this fight, Gaethje and Poirier have a lot to fight for as both fighters are fighting to prove themselves as contenders for the lightweight title.
Poirier is coming off a victory over Michael Chandler as well as a loss to former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. Gaethje also defeated Michael Chandler and lost to Charles Oliveira. Both fighters have also won their last fight. The pressure is on.
The first round begins with a calf kick from Poirier, with Gaethje responding with some kicks of his own. Gaethje pressures, landing a right hook. A head kick lands from Poirier. Poirier lands some combinations, pressuring Gaethje, but Gaethje responds, dodging the combinations and landing a combination, a left hook, right uppercut. Poirier pressures Gaethje into the cage as both fighters land some jabs.
Gaethje fights back out of the cage, landing a left hook. Poirier lands a right jab to Gaethje, which stuns him. Poirier lands a right hook with over a minute left in the first round. Gaethje is now cut over his left eye. Gaethje goes high with a head kick, and Poirier defends. The round ends with Gaethje attacking Poirier with some combinations, leaving him stunned as the horn sounds.
Round two begins with the opponents circling each other, attempting to pick their spots. Gaethje goes after the body of Poirier as they pick their spots again. In less than a minute into round number two, Justin Gaethje throws a right jab, right head kick combination that Poirier didn’t see coming as Poirier crashes to the floor.
Referee Herb Dean calls a stop to this contest at 59 seconds into round number two, declaring the winner by knockout and new BMF Champion Justin Gaethje. Former BMF Champion Jorge Masvidal drapes the title over the shoulder of Justin Gaethje.
UFC 292: TUF 31 Lightweight Finale: Austin Hubbard vs. Kurt Holobaugh
Round one begins with Hubbard on the attack, pressuring Holobaugh. Hubbard lands a takedown as well as an elbow to Holobaugh. Hubbard has the neck of Holobaugh in a standing guillotine, but Holobaugh escapes. Hubbard keeps him against the ropes, but Holobaugh escapes, landing combinations.
Holobaugh pressures Hubbard into the cage, landing combination after combination. Hubbard lands a single-leg takedown, gaining the top mount on Holobaugh. Hubbard is attempting to cinch in the guillotine choke again, but Holobaugh escapes, landing a kick to the body as the horn sounds.
Round two begins with Holobaugh landing combinations, defending Hubbard’s jabs. Holobaugh lands a right hook to the jaw, defends a takedown from Hubbard and takes his back, attempting to cinch in a rear-naked choke, and Hubbard defends. Holobaugh transitions to an armbar; Hubbard again breaks free.
Holobaugh tries one more submission, a triangle choke, and it’s cinched in tight as Austin Hubbard taps out.
With 2:22 left in the second round, Kurt Holobaugh wins by submission due to a triangle choke and is The Lightweight Ultimate Fighter.
UFC 292: TUF 31 Bantamweight Finale: Brad Katona vs Cody Gibson
The fight begins with a few calf kicks from each opponent, bouncing on their toes, feeling each other out. Brad Katona and Cody Gibson lock up in the center of the octagon. With Gibson pushing Katona towards the cage, Katona escapes, throwing a few jabs.
Katona lands a high kick, along with a jab. The chants of “USA” are echoing throughout the TD Garden. Arena. Both fighters are picking their shots, as Katona stick and moves, and Gibson lands a clean right-hand. Katona lands another left-hand, as Gibson comes forward.
Both fighters know each other really well, as they continue to pick their shots. As quick as this fight is, both fighters are trying to be smart with the shots they land, being patient with throwing hands. Both land significant strikes, as the horn sounds.
Round two begins much like how round one began, both fighters bouncing on their toes, being patiently, and looking for their shots. Katona lands a right-hand to the jaw, and Gibson lands one of his own. Gibson tries a combination, and Katona pulls him into the cage.
Katona tries for a takedown, and Gibson defends. Gibson throws combinations as Katona looks tired and slow with his hands. Katona lands a smooth combination, right-hand followed by a left-hand that connects. Both fighters are beginning to look tired, with Katona continuing to land shots and push forward.
Katona stuns Gibson with a right hook with 45 seconds left in the round. He chases after him, grappling in the center of the octagon and landing bombs as round number two ends.
The final round begins with a combination from Brad Katona, with a right-hand followed by a clean left. Katona follows with a combination to the body. Katona looks to have a lot more gas in the tank, landing jabs and combinations. Gibson lands a right hand to the body.
Gibson is definitely fatigued as he starts to stumble when throwing punches. Gibson lands a right hand, but Katona keeps coming, pressuring Gibson. Katona lands an uppercut; Gibson’s hurt. Katona pressures, landing combination after combination, but Gibson boxes out. Katona continues to land bombs, not showing any quit in the fight.
Gibson goes for a takedown, and Katona defends. Gibson is leaning on Katona, as Katona maintains control of the fight, and possibly the win, as the horn sounds.
Bruce Buffer comes out for the announcement. “Ladies and gentlemen, after three rounds, we go to the judge’s scorecards for a decision. The judges score the contest, 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27, for the winner, by unanimous decision, and now, The Ultimate Fighter season 31 bantamweight winner, Brad “Superman” Katona,” he screams.
Brad Katona is now the only fighter in the history of The Ultimate Fighter to win it twice. Not only has he done that, but he has helped Conor McGregor from a crippling defeat by helping Team McGregor win The Ultimate Fighter.
UFC 292: Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley, UFC Bantamweight Championship
Referee Marc Goddard brings both fighters to the center of the octagon, and the fight begins. Aljamain Sterling comes out fighting, throwing kicks to Sean O’Malley. Sterling pushes forward, pressuring O’Malley, and O’Malley lands a right jab.
Sterling circles around O’Malley, looking for an opening. Sterling lands a kick to the inside of O’Malley’s left leg. O’Malley changes things up, switching from an orthodox stance to southpaw. Sterling continues to pressure O’Malley with kicks up high, with none landing.
The round ends with Sterling attempting a takedown, but O’Malley defends against the cage.
Round two begins with O’Malley throwing a kick up high as he slips and falls. Getting back up, Sterling goes for another takedown, pushing O’Malley into the cage, but O’Malley defends and is able to escape.
With 4:26 left in round two, Sean O’Malley lands a right hook to the jaw as Aljamain Sterling crashes to the canvas. O’Malley rains hooks and hammerfists on Sterling as Marc Goddard steps in and stops the fight.
The crowd erupts as a new bantamweight champion is crowned.
UFC Fight Night: Max Holloway vs. Chan Sung Jung “The Korean Zombie”
Max Holloway and Chan Sung Jung touch gloves as Marc Goddard starts the fight. Both fighters are feeling each other out, each looking for an opening. Jung lands a right-hand jab as well as a calf-kick. Jung lands combinations as he wobbles Holloway into the cage. Jung lands another jab.
Holloway feints low and comes back up with a left-hook. Holloway feints to the body and lands a hook up top. Jung lands another jab to Holloway followed by a right-hook. Holloway responds with a left-hook followed by a kick to the body. Jung lands combination after combination as the horn sounds.
Round two starts with Holloway pressuring with a kick. Jung feints low and lands a left jab similar to Max Holloway. Holloway lands a right-hand that drops Jung and cinches in a choke, but Holloway loses his grip as Jung escapes and fights back, pushing Holloway into the cage.
Jung lands a left-hook. Holloway lands some combinations to the body, pressuring Jung into the cage. Jung comes out of the cage landing a left hook on Holloway. With less than a minute left, both men trade shots. Holloway lands a spinning leg kick to the body of Jung, and Jung counters with a right-hook as the round ends.
The third round begins how it began: both fighters touch gloves, then Jung unleashes a massive amount of combinations on Holloway. But Holloway pushes off the cage and fights back, landing combinations of his own. With 4:39 left in the round, Holloway lands a right-hook to the temple of Chan Sung Jung, and The Korean Zombie goes down as referee Marc Goddard puts a stop to this fight.
Both fighters show respect to each other after the knockout, hugging each other, with Holloway shaking hands with Jung’s corner.
After speaking with Max Holloway, Chan Sung Jung is seen taking off his gloves as he announces his retirement. He lays his gloves on the canvas and is on his knees crying, getting up and showing love to the crowd and his corner. “Zombie” by The Cranberries is playing as he hugs his corner with the crowd singing along. What a career for The Korean Zombie.