It was definitely worth the anticipate Alex
Perez.
The Group Oyama standout posted his first win in 1,421 days and did
so with some pizzaz, as he steadied himself throughout the
Final Combating Championship flyweight division with a
sensational one-punch knockout of Matheus
Nicolau within the
UFC on ESPN 55 headliner on Saturday on the UFC Apex in Las
Vegas. A brief-notice substitution for Manel Kape,
Perez (25-8, 7-4 UFC) folded the Brazilian 2:16 into Spherical 2.
Nicolau (19-4-1, 7-3 UFC) was content material to circle on the skin and
unleashed an occasional lightning-quick counter. Perez preyed on
his lack of aggression, stayed busy, chipped away with leg kicks
and probed for openings with energetic arms.
He pressured Nicolau backward halfway by the second spherical and
walked him right into a crushing proper hook. The Nova Uniao product hit
the deck the place he stood, necessitating a direct
stoppage.
The victory closed the e-book on Perez’s three-fight shedding
streak.
In the meantime, Bogdan
Guskov put his devastating energy on show within the gentle
heavyweight co-main occasion, the place he incinerated onetime Legacy
Combating Alliance titleholder Ryan Spann
with second-round punches.
Guskov (16-3, 2-1 UFC) introduced it to shut 3:16 into Spherical
2.
Spann (21-10, 7-5 UFC) accomplished a takedown within the first spherical,
saved the Gor Azizyan protégé pinned to the canvas and ultimately
labored his solution to the again. He threatened with a neck crank, however
time ran out. Guskov seemed like a brand new man within the second. He
spoiled Spann’s takedown makes an attempt, staggered the Fortis MMA rep
with a proper hand and went headhunting. An uppercut set “Superman”
on skates and left him susceptible to Guskov’s subsequent onslaught.
He floored Spann with a proper hand, assumed a dominant place
above him and sealed the take care of standing-to-ground punches.
All 16 of Guskov’s victories have resulted in finishes.
Elsewhere, Karine
Silva took one other step ahead within the girls’s flyweight
division with a unanimous determination over former KSW champion
Ariane
Lipski of their three-round function at 125 kilos. Silva (18-4,
4-0 UFC) swept the scorecards with 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 marks
from the cageside judiciary.
Lipski (17-9, 6-6 UFC) carried out effectively whereas upright however merely
couldn’t keep on her toes. Silva closed the space with out concern,
then leaned into takedowns and high management. The 30-year-old Gile
Ribeiro disciple put Lipski on the canvas in all three rounds,
swamped her with stress and intermingled submission makes an attempt with
ground-and-pound. Silva gave the impression to be on auto pilot for a lot of the
third spherical however polished off her efficiency with a late takedown
earlier than progressing to the again and securing her place with a
physique triangle.
Silva has rattled off 9 straight wins.
To not be overshadowed, 2023 Dana White’s Contender Collection graduate
Jhonata
Diniz saved his good skilled file intact in a
profitable promotional debut, as he punched out ex-NFL defensive
finish Austen Lane
within the second spherical of their heavyweight function.
Lane (12-5, 0-2 UFC) checked out 2:12 into Spherical
2.
Diniz (7-0, 1-0 UFC) weathered an inauspicious begin. Lane executed
a takedown inside the primary minute, bottled up the Brazilian from
half guard for a majority of the primary spherical, climbed to full mount
and let fly with punches. Nevertheless, he emerged for the center stanza
visibly depleted. Diniz turned away the weary former Fury Combating
Championship titleholder’s bids for takedowns, trapped him on the
toes and staggered him with a clear proper hand. The adorned
kickboxer then backed Lane to the fence and adopted a proper cross
with a devastating left hook that flipped the change. No follow-up
photographs had been required.
The 32-year-old Diniz has completed all seven of his opponents by
knockout.
Additional down the primary card, Manufacturing facility X export David Onama
outstruck and outmaneuvered Jonathan
Pearce to a unanimous determination in a hotly contested three-round
featherweight pairing. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28
for Onama (12-2, 4-2 UFC), who missed weight for the match by 2.5
kilos.
The 15-minute battle was marked by scrambles, reversals and
place modifications. Pearce (14-6, 5-3 UFC) managed to floor the Marc
Montoya protégé in all three rounds however did not consolidate his
efforts with significant management or harm, regardless that he made
passes at cranks and chokes. His physique triangle proved woefully
ineffective. Onama was superior within the standup exchanges, as he reduce
angles, switched stances and lit up the Battle Prepared standout with
jabs, sharp straight left arms and the occasional well-timed
uppercut.
Onama will enter his subsequent task on the power of
back-to-back victories.
Lastly, Kings MMA rep Uros Medic
wrecked former King of the Cage champion Tim Means with
punches within the first spherical of their welterweight appetizer.
Medic (10-2, 4-2 UFC) slammed the door 2:09 into Spherical
1, as he rebounded from a Nov. 18 submission defeat to
Myktybek
Orolbai and gained for the third time in 4 appearances.
Means (33-16-1, 15-13 UFC) pursued takedowns and clinches however
loved solely minimal success at shut vary. Medic separated,
landed an elbow excessive and caught the Albuquerque, New
Mexico, native in a degree change. A wonderfully timed left uppercut
dropped Means the place he stood and rendered “The Soiled Fowl”
incapable of intelligently defending himself. Medic fired one
standing-to-ground shot for good measure, prompting the
stoppage.
The 40-year-old Means has misplaced 4 of his previous 5 bouts.
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UFC on ESPN 55 Prelims: Padilla Throttles Llontop
