UFC Fight Night 213 Prelims: Dolidze Hurts Hawes with Kneebar, Then Gets KO Victory

THIS KO FROM DOLIDZE 🥶 #UFCVegas63 pic.twitter.com/Ywrw3eGVp6

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 29, 2022

Phil Hawes will likely be feeling the effects of his encounter with Roman Dolidze for months to come.

Dolidze (11-1, 5-1 UFC) earned his third straight triumph in the Octagon, knocking out Hawes in the UFC Fight Night 213 featured prelim at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The 34-year-old Georgian rendered Hawes unconscious with a vicious punching combination near the fence 4:09 into Round 1 of their middleweight bout.

Hawes (12-4, 4-1 UFC) landed a takedown early in the opening frame, but it was Dolidze who was the aggressor on the mat. He landed multiple elbows from his back before transitioning to from an armbar to a kneebar — and that’s where the tide turned for good. Hawes right knee appeared to pop before Dolidze released the hold, and he stumbled on his way back to his feet. While Hawes showed heart by staying in the fight and attacking, his movement was clearly compromised from that point onward. Dolidze eventually took advantage, as he walked his wobbly foe down and sealed his victory with a combination of heavy power punches.

De Lima Drops, Submits Arlovski

Marcos Rogerio de Lima showed no regard for the Andre Arlovski mystique, as he submitted the Belarusian veteran in their heavyweight encounter. De Lima elicited a tap with a rear-naked choke 1:50 into the opening frame, bringing an end to the 43-year-old Arlovski’s four-bout winning streak. De Lima (20-8-1, 9-6 UFC) has been victorious in three of his last four promotional outings.

De Lima gave the former heavyweight champion no time to breathe, forcing an exchange immediately and dropping his foe with a left hook shortly thereafter. The 37-year-old Brazilian followed Arlovski (34-21, 23-15, 1 NC) to the canvas, advanced to a dominant position and unloaded with punches before finding an opening for the rear-naked choke. It was just the third submission triumph of de Lima’s professional tenure.

Park Chokes Out Holmes

South Korea’s Jun Young Park wore down Glory MMA & Fitness product Joseph Holmes for a submission victory in a middleweight clash. “The Iron Turtle” forced his adversary to tap to a rear-naked choke at the 3:04 mark of Round 2. It was Park’s first submission triumph since July 22, 2017.

Holmes (8-3, 1-2 UFC) put his seven-inch reach advantage to work early, as he tagged Park (15-5, 5-2 UFC) with long straight punches and kicks to the legs and body. The tide turned, however, when Park was able to close the distance and drag the fight to the mat. The World Top Team representative was especially dominant in the second stanza, when he alternated between back control and full mount while punishing his foe with ground-and-pound. That assault eventually created an opening for the fight-ending choke.

Garcia Mauls Hooper

Jackson-Wink MMA export Steve Garcia overwhelmed Dana White’s Contender Series alum Chase Hooper en route to a quick technical knockout victory in a featherweight affair. Three knockdowns propelled “Mean Machine” to a stoppage at the 1:32 mark of Round 1. Garcia (13-5, 2-2 UFC) has finished 10 of his career triumphs by way of KO or TKO.

After losing two of his first three promotional appearances, Garcia fought with an appropriate sense of urgency from the opening bell. The New Mexican was dominant in exchanges, flooring Hooper (11-3-1, 3-3 UFC) repeatedly with his left hand. Hooper, who is primarily known for his grappling, wore the damage on his face but still continued to engage with his adversary. After “The Dream” was floored for the third time, referee Herb Dean stepped in to save the 23-year-old fighter before Garcia could do further damage with follow-up strikes.

Durden Grounds Newcomer Mota

Takedowns, positional control and ground-and-pound carried American Top Team Atlanta representative Cody Durden to a clear-cut unanimous decision over former Legacy Fighting Alliance title holder Carlos Mota. All three cageside judges scored the bout for Durden: 30-27, 29-28, 29-28. Durden (14-4-1, 3-2-1 UFC) has been victorious in three of his last four Octagon appearances.

Mota (8-2, 0-1 UFC) struggled to remain upright throughout the contest. Durden set the tone in the opening frame, when he cracked his opponent with a 1-2 combination and followed him down to the canvas. From there, Durden repeatedly grounded Mota while staying busy with punches and elbows from above. Mota threatened with armbars and leg locks from his back on occasion, but he was unable to return to his feet consistently.

Rodriguez Earns First Octagon Triumph

Christian Rodriguez secured his first promotional triumph, as he submitted fellow Dana White’s Contender Series alum Joshua Weems in the opening round of their bantamweight clash. The 24-year-old Arizona resident forced Weems (11-3, 0-1 UFC) to tap to an anaconda choke at the 4:07 mark of the period. Weems, who missed weight by 3.5 pounds, sees a two-fight winning streak snapped in defeat.

After a few early exchanges between the combatants, Weems shifted gears and sucked Rodriguez (8-1, 1-1 UFC) into the clinch. “CeeRod” held his own in close quarters before reversing a Weems takedown into the finishing maneuver. Weems defended as long as he could before asking out of the fight.