This event was dominated by aggression whether it be a knock-out or being confident in your skill/talent, UFC 172 got some stress out tonight!
Prelims
I usually don’t touch on prelim fights but the Bantamweight bout between Patrick Williams and Chris Beal was absolutely brutal! They both came out with an intense force, to get that knock-out finish. After Beal was hit and slowly walked off an early low blow , we thought it could be over for him as we saw his tempo reduced slightly. The way Williams’s offence dominated him had us thinking it was a done deal until a BEAUTIFUL flying knee to the head took Williams out cold and he fell flat. It goes to show that even when your luck is decreasing you can still come back and Beal sure did!
Main Card
The night started with a Featherweight bout between 2 youngsters wanting to strengthen their reputation in the UFC. Andre Fili came out full of energy however Max Holloway played it cool countering the punches and kicks coming at him. After some take-down attempts and some classic jabs, Holloway came through with a barrage of big hits followed by a guillotine for the submission win.
Next up was Yancy Medieros and Jim Miller who both have experience on their side however were desperate to make to the win to get closer to a title shot. These 2 lightweight fighters mean business coming out with power. Medieros started off strong but later into the fight Miller showed his true colours and began to weigh in on the Hawaiian fighter. In the end Miller took the win by submission with a guillotine to a very proud Medeiros who chose to be choked out instead of tapping out of the fight.
Then it was the turn of the middleweights who didn’t waste any time giving a result. Tim Boetsch came out with a confidence of domination thinking he would submit Luke Rockford. As soon as the bell rang Boetsch ran for a take-down but got caught up in the Rockford’s web who slipped him into a kimura leg triangle and just when we thought he could escape Rockford sealed the submission win by going for an arm bar. Amazing diversity of submission techniques at one time.
Co-Main Event
This fight was probably one of the most wince worthy fights as we saw the potential damage before they entered the Octagon. Failing to make weight in the heavyweight class and having to leave the UFC, Anthony Johnson returned to the UFC with such power it was almost impossible for Phil Davis to find a win. Talented Phil Davis gave it his all throwing some hard hits and kicks all while avoiding Johnson’s right hand. Struggling to hold off those punches Phil David got caught many times by a wave of hard punches from the ‘heavy-light-heavy’ weight fighter and even though it went to decisions everyone respected to heart of Phil Davis who refused to give up. Johnson took a unanimous win from the judges.
Main Event
In all honesty I didn’t know what to expect from this fight, I am a Jon Jones fan and was intrigued to see the skills he had against this hard fisted Brazilian. After a long time away from the UFC due to visa problems Glover Teixeira came back to the UFC on full form ready to take on the light heavyweight champion. The rounds were full of adrenaline, Jones landing shots, knocking out mouth-guards and Teixeira gritting teeth due to various eye pokes and a shoulder injury. The fight was undeniably well matched as we saw both fighters go head to head. Jones made sure he secured the win by keeping his hits accurate and even though he didn’t get the take-downs the judges saw how he dominated the fight and gave him his 7 title defence success.
Overall a great event from the UFC, full of good old fighting and aggression. So many knock-outs to choose from, I wonder who will get the bonuses for ‘Knock-out’ and ‘Fight Of The Night’…… HARD CHOICE!!
IrieWrites 