UFC on ESPN 35 Prelims: Romanov Delivers Quick Submission of Sherman

1️⃣6️⃣-0️⃣@KongRomanov came in to handle BUSINESS.

[ #UFCVegas53 | Prelims LIVE on ESPN 2 ] pic.twitter.com/wlUttQucl3

— UFC (@ufc) April 30, 2022

Alexander Romanov was by far the biggest betting favorite on the UFC on ESPN 35 card, and he performed as such.

The Moldovan known as “King Kong” encountered little resistance from short-notice foe Chase Sherman en route to a quick submission victory in a preliminary heavyweight bout on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Romanov put Sherman away with a keylock at the 2:11 mark of the opening round to keep his undefeated record intact.

Romanov (16-0, 5-0 UFC) wasted little time getting Sherman (15-10, 3-9 UFC) to the canvas, as he landed an initial takedown and then suplexed his foe on his head within the bout’s first 30 seconds. Sherman had one more attempt at standing before he was planted on his back again. From there, Romanov passed to full mount, walked his foe to the fence and unloaded with some of his patented ground-and-pound. When that punishment become too much, Sherman attempted to turn away, exposing himself to the fight-ending submission. That allowed Romanov to isolate the limb and crank to force the tap in short order.

Romanov has finished four of his five UFC triumphs inside the distance.

Figueiredo Kneebars Lacerda

Francisco Figueiredo showcased a dangerous guard, transitioning to a kneebar in the blink of an eye to submit fellow Brazilian Daniel Lacerda in a flyweight matchup. The younger brother of UFC champion Deiveson Figueiredo elicited a tapout from his opponent 78 seconds into the contest. Figueiredo has lost just once in his last six professional outings.

Lacerda responded to a body kick from Figueiredo (13-4-1, 1 NC, 2-1 UFC) by executing a takedown, where he set up inside his foe’s guard. “Sniper” was immediately active from his back, and he capitalized when Lacerda (11-3, 0-2 UFC) attempted to clear his legs and advance position. Instead, Lacerda found himself trapped in a kneebar during a scramble, and Figueiredo only had to crank for a second before his opponent asked out of the fight.

Related » UFC on ESPN 35 Round-by-Round Scoring

Green Rallies, Overwhelms Lainesse

Gabriel Green weathered some adversity before pouring it on and rallying for a technical knockout victory against former Dana White’s Contender Series competitor Yohan Lainesse in a welterweight affair. A barrage of standing-to-ground punches from Green brought a halt to the contest 4:02 into the second round. The man known as “Gifted” has won eight of his last nine professional outings.

Lainesse (8-1, 0-1) started off well enough, working behind a variety of kicks and power punches, including one massive right hand that floored Green instantly. Green regained his bearings in short order and once he did, the Bellator MMA veteran was relentless. With Lainesse taking deep breaths, Green pressured his foe into the cage with punching combinations, sending his man to the floor with a series of devastating hooks to the body. From there, Lainesse could do little more than cover up as Green (11-3, 2-1 UFC) unloaded with the finishing salvo.

Levy Outduels Breeden in Slugfest

DWCS alum Natan Levy absorbed some heavy fire down the stretch but held on to take a unanimous decision triumph against Glory MMA & Fitness product Mike Breeden in a lightweight clash. All three judges submitted scorecards in favor of the Israeli: 29-28, 29-28, 30-27.

In a bout filled with momentum swings, Levy (7-1, 1-1 UFC) made Breeden work with repeated takedowns and control from the rear bodylock position early on. In Round 2, Levy put his foe on the retreat with a well-placed kick to the liver, but Breeden was able to survive until the horn.

Breeden (10-5, 0-2 UFC) never stopped moving forward. He did his best work in the final stanza, pressuring Levy against the fence with punching combinations to the head and body along with a solid standing elbow that wobbled his adversary. Levy fired back late in the period, most notably connecting with a counter left hook that caused Breeden to stumble.

Young Pounds Out Mazany, Earns First UFC Win

Shanna Young rebounded from a slow start to rally for a technical knockout victory against “The Ultimate Fighter 18” competitor Gina Mazany in a flyweight encounter. A barrage of punches and elbows from back mount at the 3:11 mark of Round 2 propelled Young (8-4, 1-2 UFC) to her first Octagon triumph.

Mazany (7-6, 2-6 UFC) was the aggressor in the opening frame, as she pressed the action, sucked Young into the clinch and briefly buckled her foe with a knee in close quarters. Young began to settle in over the latter portion of Round 1 and continued that momentum into the second period, when she scrambled into top position after an attempted throw by Mazany. From there, the Syndicate MMA representative transitioned to Mazany’s back, flattened her out and hammered away with strikes. After a couple warnings to Mazany to defend herself, referee Jason Herzog decided he’d seen enough.