Outside Source
Renato “Moicano” Carneiro showed no mercy on his American Top Team training partner.
The Brazilian veteran authored a near flawless performance in the UFC Vegas 115 main event, as he submitted Chris Duncan with a face crank 3:14 into the second round of their lightweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. “Moicano” returns to the win column after suffering back-to-back losses against Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev in his previous two Octagon appearances.
Carneiro (21-7-1, 13-7 UFC) began methodically, tagging his Scottish foe with jabs while occasionally closing the distance for clinches and takedown attempts. “Moicano” picked up the pace in Round 2, sitting Duncan (15-3, 6-2 UFC) down with a left hook before quickly taking his adversary’s back. It was a miserable time for Duncan from there, as Carneiro peppered him with punches in hopes of creating an opening for a choke. A bloodied Duncan defended for as long as he could, but an ill-advised backward elbow gave Carneiro all the opportunity he needed. In a split-second the Brazilian had the submission secured, and Duncan surrendered in short order.
Jandiroba Holds Off Ricci
Virna Jandiroba relied on her bread and butter to outgrapple Tabatha Ricci en route to a unanimous decision triumph in the UFC Vegas 115 co-main event. All three judges scored the bout in favor of the former Invicta FC title holder: 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. With the win, “Carcara” rebounds from a championship loss to Mackenzie Dern at UFC 321 last October.
There was no secret to Jandiroba’s game plan. The 37-year-old Brazilian grounded Ricci (12-4, 7-4 UFC) in each frame, finishing with a total of six takedowns. On the feet, Jandiroba held her own, perhaps aided by the impending threat of her wrestling and grappling. Ricci turned up the heat in the final stanza, showcasing more aggressive striking and better defensive wrestling, but her push was halted by one final Jandiroba takedown late in the period. From there, Jandiroba took her opponent’s back and hunted for a choke before Ricci reversed into top position just before the end of the round.
Yakhyaev Remains Undefeated
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev continues to roll downhill, as he dispatched Brendson Ribeiro with a rear-naked choke in their light heavyweight bout. The 25-year-old Turkish prospect forced Ribeiro (17-10, 1 NC, 2-5 UFC) to ask out of the fight 2:52 into the opening stanza. Yakhyaev (9-0, 2-0 UFC) has finished his last five fights inside of a round.
Ribeiro tagged his opponent with a few solid strikes early, but his momentum came crashing to a halt when Yakhyaev absorbed a head kick and took the Brazilian to the canvas. From there, “Hunter” worked his way to the back, landing ground-and-pound until he found the ideal opening to lock in the choke. Once the squeeze was applied, Ribeiro tapped in a matter of seconds.
Ewing Cruises Past Estevam
On the heels of a eye-opening upset win over Malcolm Wellmaker at UFC 322, Ethyn Ewing proved he is no fluke in his sophomore promotional outing. “The Professor Finessor” put on a clinic, removing Rafael Estevam (14-1, 3-1 UFC) from the ranks of the unbeaten with a technical knockout victory in their featured bantamweight encounter. A slick shot to the liver and a follow-up hammerfist ended the contest 1:44 into the third round.
Ewing (10-2, 2-0 UFC) got better as the fight progressed. Utilizing superior movement and crafty combinations, the 28-year-old CSW Training Center product had Estevam on the defensive for the majority of the bout. After nearly securing a finish at the end of Round 1, Ewing turned up the heat, tagging his foe with right hands almost at will while mixing in elbows and knees when the opportunity arose. Ewing dominated the second stanza, then kept the momentum going in the final frame, right up until he landed the pivotal body punch that essentially ended the fight. It was a delayed reaction from Estevam, who shuffled backward a couple steps before collapsing to the canvas. Ewing has won his last 10 professional fights.
McMillen Swarms Zecchini
Sean O’Malley training partner Tommy McMillen made a strong first impression in the Octagon, finishing Manolo Zecchini inside of a round in a featherweight showdown. The 28-year-old Dana White’s Contender Series alum brought the show to a close 3:57 into Round 1, keeping his undefeated record intact. Zecchini (11-4, 0-2) has been finished in both of his UFC appearances.
Both featherweights set a frentic pace from the beginning of the fight. While Zecchini fought with heart and aggression, the rangy McMillen (10-0, 1-0 UFC) was able to gradually impose his will in exchanges behind long punching combinations and knees in close quarters. Late in opening period, McMillen secured a front headlock, pushed the Italian against the fence and unloaded with a barrage of offense. Two knees to the body sent Zecchini to a turtled position, and a few more follow-up punches sealed the victory for the Montana native.
Delano Outduels Ruchala
Former Legacy Fighting Alliance standout Jose Mauro Delano (17-3, 1-0 UFC) was victorious in his promotional debut, taking a unanimous verdict over KSW vet Robert Ruchala (11-3, 0-2 UFC) in a featherweight scrap. All three judges submitted scorecards in favor of the Brazilian Top Team representative: 30-26, 29-27, 29-27.
Delano took a round to find his bearings, but once he did, he was able to tag Ruchala with punching combinations to the head as well as variety of kicks — bloodying his foe’s mug in the process. Ruchala, who had success stringing together combinations behind a creative toolbox of kicks, made a critical mistake in Round 3, when he defended a takedown attempt by grabbing the fence with both hands. That led to an immediate point deduction, essentially ending the Pole’s chances at victory.
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This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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