Arnold Allen Puts Away Injured Calvin Kattar in UFC Fight Night 213 Headliner

It may not have ended the way he wanted it to, but rising featherweight contender Arnold Allen nonetheless passed his first main event test in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Allen (19-1, 10-0 UFC) earned his 10th straight promotional triumph, as he defeated Calvin Kattar (23-7, 7-5 UFC) via technical knockout eight seconds into Round 2 of the UFC Fight Night 213 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Kattar injured his right knee when he landed awkardly after missing a leaping attack late in Round 1, and the bout ended quickly in the second frame when he realized he couldn’t plant on his back leg after absorbing an Allen calf kick in the opening moments.

Both combatants were measured in the early going, but Allen seemed to be finding a rhythm as the first round progressed. The Englishman landed several solid straight lefts in exchanges before backing Kattar up with a rapid-fire punching combination late in the stanza. Kattar’s unfortunate injury occurred shortly thereafter, but the “Boston Finisher” was able to defend a brabo choke on the canvas before the horn. Kattar looked relatively stable at the start of the second period, but Allen wasted little time testing his opponent’s stability to bring an end to the contest.

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Griffin Outduels Means

Former West Coast Fighting Championship title holder Max Griffin blended power with wrestling to earn a hard-fought split-decision triumph against FIT-NHB stalwart Tim Means in the welterweight co-main event. Judges Ben Cartlidge saw it 29-28 and Derek Cleary had it 30-27 — both for Griffin— while Eric Colon submitted a 29-28 scorecard in favor of Means. Griffin (19-9, 7-7 UFC) has won four of his last five UFC appearances.

Griffin flashed his heavy hands over the course of the first 10 minutes. He dropped Means (32-14-1, 14-11, 1 NC UFC) with a left hook-right hand combination in Round 1 and buckled his adversary with a right late in the second stanza. He punctuated his victory with multiple takedowns and plenty of control time in the third period. Means hung tough throughout, as he landed with superior volume before being hurt in Round 2 and finished with multiple takedowns in the waning moments of the fight, but it was ultimately not quite enough to get the nod.

Cortes-Acosta Edges Struggling Vanderaa

Former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Waldo Cortes-Acosta enjoyed a successful promotional debut, taking a closely-contested unanimous verdict againat Jared Vanderaa at heavyweight. All three judges saw the fight for "Salsa Boy:" 30-27, 29-28, 29-28. Vanderaa (12-10, 1-6 UFC) has lost five consecutive bouts.

Cortes-Acosta (8-0, 1-0 UFC) had a decided edge in hand speed, but outside of a few sporadic bursts of aggression, he rarely was able to string anything together. Still, he worked behind a skilled jab, which landed consistently and bloodied the mug of his opponent over the course of the contest. Vanderaa had his moments, most notably hindering Cortes-Acosta’s movement with a steady diet of leg kicks, but those alone were not enough to sway the scorecards in his favor.

Gore Puts Squeeze on Fremd

“The Ultimate Fighter 29” cast member Tresean Gore ended a two-bout losing streak, as he submitted Legacy Fighting Alliance veteran Josh Fremd in a middleweight showcase. Gore (4-2, 1-2 UFC) rendered his adversary unconscious with a guillotine choke 49 seconds into the second stanza.

Gore landed a pair of takedowns — including an impactful slam — early in Round 1, but he appeared to be fading toward the end of the period. Fremd (9-4, 0-2 UFC) began landing his right hand and knees in close, and it appeared that Gore’s stamina was dwindling. However, Gore turned things around when Fremd shot for a single-leg takedown early in the second frame. The American Top Team Atlanta product ensared his adversary in a guillotine and maintained the squeeze even while Fremd attempted to go to his back while pushing off the fence with his feet. That method of defense only served to turn his neck to an awkward angle, and Fremd went to sleep moments later.

Rountree Ends Jacoby’s Unbeaten Streak

Khalil Rountree went toe-to-toe with former Glory Kickboxing competitor Dustin Jacoby to earn a competitive split-decision triumph in a light heavyweight bout. Judges Ben Cartlidge and Chris Flores saw the fight 29-28 in favor of Rountree, while Ron McCarthy submitted a 29-28 tally for Jacoby, who sees a nine-fight unbeaten streak come to an end.

Jacoby (18-6-1, 6-3-1 UFC) worked behind a volume-based approach, as he switched stances consistently and enjoyed success landing multi-punch combinations. Meanwhile, Rountree (11-5-1, 7-5 1 NC UFC) was clearly loading up on his punches from the start, but his gas tank held up and he got stronger as the bout progressed. The Tiger Muay Thai product landed the more significant offense down the stretch, opening a cut near Jacoby’s eye while connecting with powerful left hands, low kicks and clinch knees.

Rountree has won three straight within the Las Vegas-based promotion.



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