Bobby Green Smashes Grant Dawson for 33-Second Stoppage Atop UFC Fight Night 229

Bobby Green barely broke a sweat.

The former King of the Cage titleholder turned back the clock in the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division, as he cut down Grant Dawson with punches less than a minute into the first round of their UFC Fight Night 229 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Green (31-14-1, 12-9-1 UFC) closed it out 33 seconds into Round 1.

Dawson (20-2-1, 8-1-1 UFC) swung and missed at his biggest opportunity to date. Green stepped into a booming straight left and sent him crashing to the mat in a compromised state. Punches and hammerfists followed, as Dawson turned away from contact, turtled and forced referee Keith Peterson to intervene on his behalf.

Pyfer Choke Sleeps Alhassan

Onetime Ring of Combat champion Joseph Pyfer put Abdul Razak Alhassan to sleep with an arm-triangle choke in the second round of their middleweight co-main event. Alhassan (12-6, 6-6 UFC) lost his grip on reality 2:05 into Round 2, losing via submission for the first time in his 18-fight career.

Pyfer (12-2, 3-0 UFC) let his intentions be known right out of the gate, as he secured multiple takedowns, hammered the body with punches in kicks, fed the heavy-handed judoka a steady jab and unleashed fast combinations. Alhassan answered with a series of low kicks early in the second round, only to concede a high-amplitude takedown. Pyfer bit down on the arm-triangle, cleared the legs and cut off blood flow with a tight, fight-ending squeeze.

The 27-year-old Pyfer now finds himself on a five-fight winning streak.

Buckley Downs Overmatched Morono

Explosive punching bursts, surprising takedowns and bulletproof submission defense carried Joaquin Buckley to a unanimous decision over former Legacy Fighting Championship titleholder Alex Morono in a three-round welterweight attraction. Scores were 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26—all for Buckley (17-6, 7-4 UFC).

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Morono (23-9, 12-6 UFC) made passes at an armbar, a triangle choke and a guillotine late in the first round but had no answers for his opponent’s fast-twitch offense on the feet. Buckley zeroed in on the midsection with brutal hooks and stepped into a few concussive left hands to the head, bloodying the Texan’s mouth. Morono faded noticeably down the stretch. The Fortis MMA mainstay set his sights on a desperation leg lock attempt in the third round, only to settle in bottom position underneath a still-fresh Buckley. The St. Louis native put the finishing touches on his latest win with short punches and hammerfists.

It was Buckley’s fifth victory in seven appearances.

Focused Dober Shreds Glenn

Elevation Fight Team’s Drew Dober put away onetime World Series of Fighting titleholder Ricky Glenn with punches in the first round of their lightweight showcase. Glenn (22-8-2, 4-5-1 UFC) succumbed to blows 2:36 into Round 1, as he suffered his second consecutive defeat.

The 34-year-old Dober (27-12, 13-8 UFC) introduced himself to the Absolute MMA product with stinging leg kicks, then cut loose with clubbing punches from both hands. A straight left to the side of the head drove Glenn to his knees, as his opponent closed in and settled in top position. Dober soon returned to his feet, clipped the Iowa native with a clean one-two and caught him with another straight left upstairs. Glenn crashed to the canvas, where he was met with a hellacious burst of punches and hammerfists that necessitated the stoppage.

Dober has won four of his past five bouts.

Rangy Algeo Outduels Hernandez

Former Ring of Combat champion Bill Algeo exploited his height and reach advantages, maintained a steady pace and outstruck Alexander Hernandez to a unanimous decision in a three-round featherweight appetizer. All three cageside judges scored it the same: 30-27 for Algeo (18-7, 5-3 UFC), who won for the fourth time in five outings.

Hernandez (14-7, 6-6 UFC) had issues navigating the physical disparities between the two combatants. Algeo called upon clever stance switches, a persistent jab and occasional spinning back kicks to the body. He sat down an off-balance Hernandez and swarmed with follow-up punches, but the finish he sought did not materialize. Algeo kept the Factory X representative at bay across the final five minutes and countered his increased aggression with unshakable resolve.

The 31-year-old Hernandez has lost three of his last four fights.