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Giga Chikadze Thumps Edson Barboza, Nets Stoppage in UFC on ESPN 30 Headliner


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Giga Chikadze sent a clear message to the rest of the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight division: Time to pay attention.

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The Kings MMA export disposed of former Ring of Combat champion Edson Barboza with punches in the third round of their UFC on ESPN 30 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Barboza (22-10, 16-10 UFC) bowed out 1:44 into Round 3, his modest two-fight winning streak at an end.

Chikadze (14-2, 7-0 UFC) was quicker on the draw. He routinely beat Barboza to the punch, withstood the Brazilian’s sustained attack on his body and hit the accelerator as soon as the situation called for it. He followed a knee to Barboza’s chest with a clubbing right hand to the head and gave chase early in the third round. Chikadze staggered the American Top Team ace with a straight right, dove into top position and transitioned between anaconda and brabo chokes. Barboza escaped, but as he stood, the Georgian unleashed his devastating hands once more, sent him careening into the fence and elicited the stoppage.

The 33-year-old Chikadze has pieced together nine straight victories, emerging as a major player at 145 pounds.

Battle Throttles Urbina, Wins Middleweight Tournament


Bryan Battle submitted Combate Americas veteran Gilbert Urbina with a rear-naked choke in the second round of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 29 middleweight final. Anchored at a Hayastan MMA affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina, Battle (6-1, 1-0 UFC) drew the curtain 2:15 into Round 2.

A short-notice replacement for the injured Tresean Gore, Urbina (6-2, 0-1 UFC) did his best work in the first round. There, he punctuated a multi-punch volley with an overhand right, dumped Battle to the mat and briefly achieved full mount. Then it all went downhill for Urbina. Visibly fatigued as the battle spilled into a second round, he opened a significant cut next to Battle’s right eye with a series of elbow strikes from the clinch but left himself exposed and surrendered a takedown. Battle transitioned to the back, cinched the choke and prompted the tapout.

Battle has rattled off five consecutive wins, all of them finishes inside two rounds.

Related » UFC on ESPN 30 Round-by-Round Scoring


Turcios Outlasts Hiestand in Bantamweight Final


Former Fury Fighting Championship titleholder Ricky Turcios outstruck and outscrambled Sikjitsu rep Brady Hiestand to a split decision in “The Ultimate Fighter 29” bantamweight final. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28: Derek Cleary for Hiestand, Michael Bell and Tony Weeks for Turcios.

Hiestand (5-2, 0-1 UFC) completed six takedowns and piled up more than five minutes of control time, but those efforts were not enough to propel him to the finish line. Turcios (11-2, 1-0 UFC) answered with relentless pace and high output, throwing punches voraciously with both hands while integrating the occasional knee or elbow strike in close quarters. He sat down Hiestand with a two-punch combination in the third round and made a late push with a burst of punches in the waning seconds.

Turcios, 28, has won three of his last four fights.

Replacement Rodriguez Upends Lee


Syndicate MMA’s Daniel Rodriguez leaned on an effective sprawl and superior standup, as he laid claim to a unanimous decision over Kevin Lee in a three-round welterweight showcase. A short-notice replacement for Sean Brady, Rodriguez (16-2, 6-1 UFC) carried all three scorecards by 29-28 margins.

Lee (18-7, 11-7 UFC) held his own on the feet in the first round and secured a takedown with roughly two minutes left in the period, consolidating his efforts with top control and ground-and-pound. However, he ran into more and more resistance as the bout progressed. Rodriguez either negated his takedowns or cut them off completely, all while piling up points with jabs, leg kicks and right hooks. An overhand left connected and set Lee on rubbery legs late in Round 2, and the shift in momentum proved permanent. Rodriguez neutralized the Tristar Gym rep’s wrestling in the third and continued to pepper him with jabs, low kicks and the occasional power shot upstairs.

Rodriguez, 34, will ride a three-fight winning streak into his next assignment.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Favored Petroski Swamps Gillmore


“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 29 semifinalist Andre Petroski put away Micheal Gillmore with punches and elbows in the third round of their middleweight feature. Gillmore (5-4, 0-1 UFC) bowed out 3:12 into Round 3, his three-fight winning streak having run its course.

Petroski (6-1, 1-0 UFC) set the tone with a dominant first round, where he thumped his counterpart with a right hand and executed a slam takedown inside 90 seconds. He remained in top position for the majority of the period, applied his ground-and-pound and ultimately transitioned to the back before threatening with a neck crank. After some give and take in Round 2, Petroski returned to the path of least resistance. He struck for a takedown early in the third round, climbed to full mount and giftwrapped Gillmore’s arm. From there, Petroski dropped unanswered punches and elbows until the job was done.

A onetime Legacy Fighting Alliance headliner, Petroski has secured all six of his professional victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

Related » UFC on ESPN 30 Prelims: Alhassan Kick Folds Di Chirico in 17 Seconds


Meerschaert Choke Submits Muradov


Former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion Gerald Meerschaert submitted the heavily favored Makhmud Muradov with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their middleweight attraction. Muradov (25-7, 3-1 UFC), who entered the cage on a 14-fight winning streak, conceded defeat 1:49 into Round 2. It was his first setback since Dec. 18, 2016.

Meerschaert (33-14, 8-6 UFC) trudged through considerable difficulty early in the first round, where the Uzbekistani striker appeared to have him reeling with accurate punches on more than one occasion. Slowly but surely the tide turned in the Roufusport mainstay’s favor. He backed up Muradov with a series of left hands in the middle stanza, dragged him to the floor and moved to the back. Soon after, Meerschaert threaded his arms in place for the choke and let his squeeze do the rest.

The 33-year-old Meerschaert has delivered back-to-back submission victories since his 17-second knockout loss to Khamzat Chimaev in September.

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