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Max Holloway Outlasts Yair Rodriguez in Five-Round Classic Atop UFC Fight Night 197


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Max Holloway was all smiles after he passed one of the most difficult tests of his career.

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The former undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight titleholder grinded through five amazing rounds with “The Ultimate Fighter Latin America” winner Yair Rodriguez and exited the Octagon with a unanimous decision in the UFC Fight Night 197 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three judges sided with Holloway (23-6, 19-6 UFC): 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47.


Rodriguez (13-3, 8-2 UFC) made his intentions known after a two-year absence, as he targeted the Hawaiian’s base with repeated kicks to the lower leg. Holloway managed to walk through considerable damage, though his leg appeared to swell to twice its normal size. The Gracie Technics product marched forward with the multi-punch bursts for which he has become known and gained more and more ground as the fight progressed. He even mixed in takedowns and threw in a few submission attempts, including a standing guillotine that nearly produced a finish. Rodriguez never stopped throwing and emptied the tank against one of the all-time greats, firing everything from backfists and cartwheel kicks to upward elbows in his direction. Clearly behind on the scorecards, he made every attempt to put away Holloway down the stretch but failed to dial up the combination he needed.

The setback was Rodriguez’s first since May 13, 2017.

Related » UFC Fight Night 197 Round-by-Round Scoring


Heavy-Handed Rogerio de Lima Fells Rothwell


American Top Team’s Marcos Rogerio de Lima brought down Ben Rothwell with punches less than a minute into the first round of their heavyweight co-main event. Rothwell (39-14, 9-8 UFC) met his end just 32 seconds into Round 1, suffering the quickest stoppage loss of his 53-fight career.

Rogerio de Lima (19-7-1, 8-5 UFC) followed a powerful leg kick with a right hand that stunned the Wisconsin native and sent him careening backward. The Brazilian pursued the compromised Rothwell across the Octagon, pinned him to the fence and uncorked a barrage of power punches with both hands. Rogerio de Lima buckled his counterpart’s knees no fewer than three times, prompting referee Herb Dean to intervene with the woozy Rothwell clinging to a desperate double-leg takedown attempt.

The 36-year-old Rogerio de Lima has recorded three wins across his past four outings.

Spencer Mauls Returning Letson


Former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder Felicia Spencer disposed of Leah Letson with elbows and punches in the third round of their women’s featherweight showcase. In her first appearance since Nov. 20, 2018, Letson (5-2, 1-1 UFC) succumbed to blows 4:25 into Round 3.

Spencer (9-3, 3-3 UFC) overwhelmed the Daniel Wanderley protégé with a soul-stealing clinch, as she battered her with punches, elbows and knees from close range. She mixed in takedowns in the second and third rounds, flexed her superiority on the mat and slowly but surely sapped Letson’s competitive spirit. Spencer executed her final takedown with roughly 90 seconds remaining the match, climbed to full mount and hammered away with elbows and punches until the job was done.

The defeat snapped Letson’s run of consecutive victories at five.

Related » UFC Fight Night 197 Prelims: Lee Shreds Replacement Calvillo


Williams Counter Levels Baeza


Murcielago MMA export Kalinn Williams took care of Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Miguel Baeza with punches in the third round of their welterweight feature. Williams (13-2, 4-1 UFC) drew the curtain 62 seconds into Round 3, winning for the 10th time in 11 appearances.

Baeza (10-2, 3-2 UFC) steered clear of danger for 10-plus minutes. He attacked Williams with leg locks in the first round, where he made a pass at a kneebar before shifting his attention to the heel hook. Baeza absorbed some ground-and-pound for his efforts but emerged from the skirmish no worse wear. He zeroed in on Williams’ base again in Round 2, where he slashed away with leg kicks, dictated the terms of their engagement on the feet and appeared to have seized the reins. Early in the third, Baeza connected with a pair of leg kicks and elected to exchange punches in the center of the Octagon. A counter right hook from Williams penetrated his guard, dropped him to the mat in a semi-conscious state and left him incapable of protecting himself from the punches that followed.

After starting his pro career with 10 straight victories, Baeza now finds himself on a two-fight losing streak.

Resurgent Song Levels Arce


Team Alpha Male’s Yadong Song continued to distance himself from a March 6 defeat to Kyler Phillips, as he put away former two-division Ring of Combat champion Julio Arce with a head kick and follow-up punches in the second round of their bantamweight attraction. Arce (17-5, 5-2 UFC) bit the dust 1:35 into Round 2.

Neither man did much through the first five minutes. Arce brought the aggression at the start of the middle stanza but unknowingly wandered into danger. Song (18-5-1, 7-1-1 UFC) dazed him with a head kick, followed with a right hand and backed him to the fence before flurrying with punches, driving him to the canvas and prompting the stoppage.

The 23-year-old Song has won two fights in a row.

Continue Reading » UFC Fight Night 197 Prelims: Upstart Alvarez Wrecks Favored Moises in Las Vegas Advertisement
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