[ad_1]
Two of the most explosive knockout performers in the UFC’s light heavyweight division will face off this weekend.
Thiago Santos and Johnny Walker meet in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas on Saturday – and it would be shocking if the fight between the two Brazilian natives is decided. This main event has major significance in the 205-pound division.
ESPN places Santos 10th in the light heavyweight world and Walker tries to climb the ranks. Both men were born in Rio de Janeiro, but train elsewhere – Santos of Team Florida and Walker at SBG Ireland, Conor McGregor’s home gym.
Santos (21-9) is tied for the second most KO / TKO count in UFC history with 11. “Marreta” has lost three straight wins after four straight wins, but one of those losses came against then-champion Jon Jones in a light UFC 2019 heavyweight title fight in which Santos blew both his knees. Santos, 37, is still chasing his first win since the operation. He just lost a unanimous decision to Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 259 in March.
Walker (18-5) just won a huge first round knockout against Ryan Spann in September 2020. He has only had two decisions in his professional career, but has won all four of his UFC fights via the finish. Walker, 29, was considered a bright prospect ahead of back-to-back losses to Corey Anderson and Nikita Krylov in 2019 and 2020.
In the main co-event, Kevin Holland will meet Kyle Daukaus in a promising middleweight clash. Holland (21-7), a 28-year-old Texas resident, tries to bounce back from two straight losses, which followed a fantastic five-game winning streak in 2020. Daukaus (10-2), a Philadelphia alumnus, lost two of three in the UFC after holding the Cage Fury FC middleweight title.
Also on the card, exciting welterweights Alex Oliveira and Niko Price go head to head, former title challenger Bethe Correia take on fellow Brazilian Karol Rosa and Antonina Shevchenko, sister of champion Valentina Shevchenko, meet top prospect Casey O ‘Neill in a women’s flyweight bout.
Follow the action live with recaps and analysis from Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim or watch the fights on ESPN +.
Current fight:
Lightweight: Jamie Mullarkey (13-4, 1-2 CFU; +125) vs. Devonte Smith (11-2, 3-1 UFC; -150)
Men’s featherweight: Douglas Silva de Andrade (27-4, 5-4 UFC) def. Gaetano Pirrello (15-7-1, 0-2 UFC) by KO in the first round (punches) | Watch this fight on ESPN +
Silva de Andrade got her first finish since 2016, and what a finish it was. The 36-year-old Brazilian countered a kick with a sharp left hook that sent Pirrello crashing to the mat for a 2:04 knockout in the fight.
Silva de Andrade has won two of his last three games, while Pirrello, 29, from Belgium, has lost both of his UFC fights.
Female bantamweight: Stephanie Egger (6-2, 1-1 UFC) def. Shanna Young (8-5, 0-2 UFC) by TKO in the second round (strikes) | Watch this fight on ESPN +
Egger used takedowns in both rounds to control the fight, delivering a rushing and pounding beat in Round 2 to secure his first UFC win.
The 33-year-old Swiss, who abandoned her Octagon debut a year ago, had to push back an attempt to submit Young in the first round. But in the second, Egger’s offense was too much for Young, and soon after Egger dropped a big elbow in Young’s face, referee Mark Smith jumped in at 2:22 to end it. .
Young, who is 30 and fights in Knoxville, Tennessee, lost both of his fights in the UFC.
Men’s bantamweight: Alejandro Perez (23-8-1, 8-3-1 UFC) def. Johnny eduardo (28-13, 3-5 CFU) by submission in the second round (arm bar) | Watch this fight on ESPN +
Perez hadn’t fought since July 2019, so it took a while to get started. But after being knocked out early in Round 2 and having to get back on his feet, he quickly turned things around. Perez took Eduardo to the canvas and locked him in a right arm to finish at 4:13.
Perez, 32, from Mexico who fights in San Jose, Calif., Ended a two-game losing streak.
Eduardo, a 43-year-old Brazilian who had not competed since June 2018, lost his third in a row.
Wow a cuff finish with the legs in the crucifix position. Very impressive. ?? # UFCVegas38
-Tatiana Suarez (@tatianaufc) October 2, 2021
Still to come:
Lightweight: Thiago Santos (21-9, 13-8 UFC, -155) vs. Johnny Walker (18-5, 4-2 UFC, +130)
Middleweight: Kevin Holland (21-7, 8-4 UFC -165) vs. Kyle Daukaus (10-2, 1-2 UFC, +140)
Welterweight: Alex Oliveira (22-10-1 1 NC, 11-8 1 NC UFC, +160) vs. Niko Price (14-5 2 NC, 6-5 2 NC UFC, -190)
Middleweight: Misha Cirkunov (15-6, 6-4 UFC, +125) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (22-5, 9-5 UFC, -150)
Lightweight: Alexander Hernandez (12-4, 4-3 UFC, -550) vs. Mike Breeden (10-3, 0-0 UFC, +400)
Lightweight: Joe Solecki (11-2, 3-0 UFC, -135) vs. Jared Gordon (17-4, 5-3 UFC, +115)
Flyweight Women: Antonina Shevchenko (9-3, 3-3 UFC, +180) vs. Casey O’Neill (7-0, 2-0 UFC, -220)
Women’s bantamweight: Bethe Correia (11-5-1, 5-5-1 UFC, +400) vs. Karol Rosa (14-3, 3-0 UFC, -550)
[ad_2]
Source link