Anthony Smith Retires Alexander Gustafsson in UFC Fight Night 153 Main Event
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Anthony Smith is still a force to be reckoned with in the light heavyweight division.
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The first two rounds were closely contested as they were relatively light on action, but Gustafsson picked up the pace in Round 3 and appeared to hurt Smith with a body kick. In the fourth frame, "The Mauler" attempted to push the action further and try for a takedown, but he was reversed and Smith took his back. From there, Smith unleashed some heavy elbows and flattened out Gustafsson before attempting a rear-naked choke.
The tap came at 2:38 of the fourth stanza, instantly silencing the
Swedish crowd.
After the loss, Gustafsson thanked the fans, announcing "the show is over, guys," and left his gloves inside the Octagon.
Rakic Flattens Manuwa with Head Kick
Aleksandar Rakic (12-1, 4-0 UFC) officially put the rest of the UFC light heavyweight division on notice, leveling Jimi Manuwa (17-6, 6-6 UFC) with a devastating head kick to up his winning streak to 12.
Briefly testing each other on the feet in the opening minute, Rakic connected with a head kick that needed no follow-up. The fight officially came to a close at 42 seconds into Round 1. Manuwa has now dropped four fights in a row, with "Poster Boy" losing by 42-second knockout two different times in that span.
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Amirkhani Submits Fishgold with Anaconda Choke
Makwan Amirkhani (15-3, 5-1 UFC) tapped Chris Fishgold (18-3-1, 1-2 UFC) with an anaconda choke in the second round to record his first win in over a year.
Amirkhani blitzed his foe as soon as the bell sounded, and rarely let up as the fight ensued. Amirkhani scored a takedown in the opening round, and right before the round ended he rolled for a submission, where Fishgold was saved by the bell. In Round 2, Fishgold jumped for an ill-advised guillotine choke he could not secure, and Amirkhani immediately took advantage of the opening.
Taking top position, "Mr. Finland" snatched the anaconda choke and would not let go until referee Marc Goddard saw the tap and stopped the action at 4:25 of the second stanza. The win was Amirkhani's 10th by submission, and it marked the first time Fishgold had ever been submitted.
Giagos Decisions Hadzovic
Christos Giagos (17-7, 2-1 UFC) took a workmanlike decision over Damir Hadzovic (13-5, 3-3 UFC), using his technical boxing and mixing in takedowns effectively. Taking the first two rounds with his pressure and control, Hadzovic managed to come back in the third but did not do enough to sway the judges in his favor.
The pace slowed as the fight continued, with both men visibly tired. With two judges giving Giagos a 10-8 round, the official scores came in as 29-27, 29-27 and 29-28, all awarding the American a decision victory.
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Teymur Hands Jo His First Career Defeat
Daniel Teymur (7-3, 1-3 UFC) emerged victorious in his home country to earn his first win inside the UFC by taking a decision over the debuting Sung Bin Jo (9-1, 0-1 UFC).
Teymur maintained pressure for three rounds, keeping Jo on his back heels for most of the fight. "Kid Dynamite" did not let his opponent utilize his reach advantage properly, landing strikes and sprinkling in takedowns for good measure. Two judges scored the bout 30-27 with a third giving it 29-28, all in favor of the Swede. The loss was Jo's first, and it was also the first time he had ever reached the scorecards in his 10th career contest.
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