UFC Live 6 Prelims: Edwards Rebounds, Takes Out ‘Tractor’
Yves
Edwards had no issues bouncing back from his vicious knockout
defeat to Canadian Sam Stout four
months ago.
The well-traveled Edwards (41-17-1, 9-5 UFC) weathered some early flurries, picked his spots and stopped AMA Fight Club representative Rafaello Oliveira on second-round strikes at UFC Live 6 on Saturday at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The Bahamian-born American Top Team veteran polished off Oliveira 2:44 into round two, as he posted his seventh win in his past nine appearances.
“I know Rafaello is a really tough guy. I just had to get my timing
down,” Edwards said. “I took a page from my last fight, from my
opponent, and switched it up. Ultimately, I’m just a guy fighting
in front of a crowd asking them to love him.”
Edwards countered effectively throughout the match, firing kicks to the head, legs and body. He floored Oliveira (14-5, 1-4 UFC) with a stout left hand in the second round and later with a head kick. From there, he moved to half guard, dropped blows and transitioned to the back, where he finished it with more punches.
British submission ace Paul Sass remained undefeated as a professional, as he coaxed a tapout from “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 finalist Michael Johnson with a first-round heel hook in a preliminary lightweight duel. Johnson (9-6, 1-2 UFC) raised the white flag 3:00 into round one.
Sass (12-0, 2-0 UFC) tried twice to pull guard before finally luring Johnson to the ground. Following a frantic scramble, the 23-year-old Englishman found the heel hook, secured it and scored the finish. Known for his devastating triangle choke, Sass has delivered 11 of his first 12 victories by submission.
Easton Victorious in UFC Debut
In his first appearance in more than two years, Alliance MMA representative Mike Easton put away Byron Bloodworth with a pair of devastating knees to the body in the second round of their undercard duel at 135 pounds. The end came 4:52 into round two.
After a slow start, Easton (11-1, 1-0 UFC) attacked with effective counterpunching and kicks to the legs. Bloodworth had no answer. Perhaps out of desperation, he instigated an ill-advised clinch late in the second round, at which point Easton cracked him with two knees to the body. Bloodworth (6-2, 0-1 UFC) folded and could not defend the follow-up punches when the former Ultimate Warrior Challenge champion pounced.
Easton, a teammate of UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, has rattled off six consecutive wins.
Grant Armbar Submits Roller
Grant transitioned beautifully.
Canadian T.J. Grant
controlled the first two rounds against
WEC import Shane
Roller and then submitted the three-time NCAA All-American
wrestler with a third-round armbar in a preliminary lightweight
matchup. The bout came to a close 2:12 into round three but not
without controversy.
Grant (17-5, 4-3 UFC) deftly switched from a guillotine choke to an armbar in the third round, at which point referee Fernando Yamasaki moved in and called the finish despite the fact that Roller never visibly tapped out. The 32-year-old Oklahoman protested vehemently, to no avail, as boos showered the cage.
The result overshadowed an impressive performance from Grant, who took down Roller (10-5, 1-2 UFC) repeatedly and dominated him on the ground. He swept into side control, avoided two attempted guillotine chokes and dropped elbows and punches from the crucifix position in the first round. Then, in the second, he nearly finished it, as he locked in a rear-naked choke in the waning moments. Only the
horn saved Roller.
Neer Elbows Slice, Dice Wisniewski
Josh Neer met Keith Wisniewski’s clinch attempts with a steady diet of standing elbows and ultimately stopped the Duneland Vale Tudo representative on cuts in their preliminary welterweight matchup. A cageside physician, having viewed the lacerations above both of Wisniewski’s eyes, called a halt to the bout in between rounds two and three.
Neer (31-10-2, 5-6 UFC) has won five consecutive fights.
His offense limited to the occasional knee strike and a brutal left hook to the body at the end of round one, Wisniewski (28-13-1, 0-2 UFC) never got in gear. Neer stymied him with low kicks, effective work in close quarters and the short, standing elbows that finished the fight.
Watson Stops Fellow Newcomer Sandoval
Walel Watson posted his ninth win in 10 outings, as he stopped previously unbeaten Shark Fights bantamweight champion Joseph Sandoval on first-round punches in a preliminary matchup between UFC newcomers. The end came just 77 seconds into round one.
Watson (9-2, 1-0 UFC) briefly floored his foe with a head kick, swarmed on Sandoval (6-1, 0-1 UFC) as he stood and sent him back to his posterior with a flurry of punches. Soon after, Mario Yamasaki stepped in on Sandoval’s behalf, even as he popped back to his feet with a disappointed reaction.
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The well-traveled Edwards (41-17-1, 9-5 UFC) weathered some early flurries, picked his spots and stopped AMA Fight Club representative Rafaello Oliveira on second-round strikes at UFC Live 6 on Saturday at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The Bahamian-born American Top Team veteran polished off Oliveira 2:44 into round two, as he posted his seventh win in his past nine appearances.
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Edwards countered effectively throughout the match, firing kicks to the head, legs and body. He floored Oliveira (14-5, 1-4 UFC) with a stout left hand in the second round and later with a head kick. From there, he moved to half guard, dropped blows and transitioned to the back, where he finished it with more punches.
Sass Heel Hook Taps Johnson
British submission ace Paul Sass remained undefeated as a professional, as he coaxed a tapout from “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 finalist Michael Johnson with a first-round heel hook in a preliminary lightweight duel. Johnson (9-6, 1-2 UFC) raised the white flag 3:00 into round one.
Sass (12-0, 2-0 UFC) tried twice to pull guard before finally luring Johnson to the ground. Following a frantic scramble, the 23-year-old Englishman found the heel hook, secured it and scored the finish. Known for his devastating triangle choke, Sass has delivered 11 of his first 12 victories by submission.
Easton Victorious in UFC Debut
In his first appearance in more than two years, Alliance MMA representative Mike Easton put away Byron Bloodworth with a pair of devastating knees to the body in the second round of their undercard duel at 135 pounds. The end came 4:52 into round two.
After a slow start, Easton (11-1, 1-0 UFC) attacked with effective counterpunching and kicks to the legs. Bloodworth had no answer. Perhaps out of desperation, he instigated an ill-advised clinch late in the second round, at which point Easton cracked him with two knees to the body. Bloodworth (6-2, 0-1 UFC) folded and could not defend the follow-up punches when the former Ultimate Warrior Challenge champion pounced.
Easton, a teammate of UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, has rattled off six consecutive wins.
Grant Armbar Submits Roller
T.J.
Grant File Photo
Grant transitioned beautifully.
Grant (17-5, 4-3 UFC) deftly switched from a guillotine choke to an armbar in the third round, at which point referee Fernando Yamasaki moved in and called the finish despite the fact that Roller never visibly tapped out. The 32-year-old Oklahoman protested vehemently, to no avail, as boos showered the cage.
The result overshadowed an impressive performance from Grant, who took down Roller (10-5, 1-2 UFC) repeatedly and dominated him on the ground. He swept into side control, avoided two attempted guillotine chokes and dropped elbows and punches from the crucifix position in the first round. Then, in the second, he nearly finished it, as he locked in a rear-naked choke in the waning moments. Only the
horn saved Roller.
Neer Elbows Slice, Dice Wisniewski
Josh Neer met Keith Wisniewski’s clinch attempts with a steady diet of standing elbows and ultimately stopped the Duneland Vale Tudo representative on cuts in their preliminary welterweight matchup. A cageside physician, having viewed the lacerations above both of Wisniewski’s eyes, called a halt to the bout in between rounds two and three.
Neer (31-10-2, 5-6 UFC) has won five consecutive fights.
His offense limited to the occasional knee strike and a brutal left hook to the body at the end of round one, Wisniewski (28-13-1, 0-2 UFC) never got in gear. Neer stymied him with low kicks, effective work in close quarters and the short, standing elbows that finished the fight.
Watson Stops Fellow Newcomer Sandoval
Walel Watson posted his ninth win in 10 outings, as he stopped previously unbeaten Shark Fights bantamweight champion Joseph Sandoval on first-round punches in a preliminary matchup between UFC newcomers. The end came just 77 seconds into round one.
Watson (9-2, 1-0 UFC) briefly floored his foe with a head kick, swarmed on Sandoval (6-1, 0-1 UFC) as he stood and sent him back to his posterior with a flurry of punches. Soon after, Mario Yamasaki stepped in on Sandoval’s behalf, even as he popped back to his feet with a disappointed reaction.
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