Islam Makhachev Steamrolls Overmatched Bobby Green in UFC Fight Night 202 Headliner

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Bobby Green never stood a chance—a testament to just how dominant Islam Makhachev has become.

In perhaps his final step toward a title shot in the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division, Makhachev put away Green with punches in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 202 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Filling in for the injured Beneil Dariush, Green (29-13-1, 10-8-1 UFC) succumbed to blows 3:23 into Round 1.

10. In. A. Row 😤

[ @MakhachevMMA | #UFCVegas49 ] pic.twitter.com/l6hlEkKTuL

— UFC (@ufc) February 27, 2022

Makhachev (22-1, 11-1 UFC) engaged the former King of the Cage champion on the feet, then crowded him in the clinch and secured a double-leg takedown. From there, the outcome was a formality. Makhachev progressed to half guard, climbed to full mount and ultimately moved to the back. The American Kickboxing Academy star and Khabib Nurmagomedov disciple flattened out the defenseless Green with crushing hip pressure before cutting loose with punches and hammerfists to prompt the stoppage.

The 30-year-old Makhachev has strung together 10 consecutive wins, the last four via finish.

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Turman Armbar Stuns Cirkunov

Wellington Turman submitted Xtreme Couture’s Misha Cirkunov with an armbar in the second round of their middleweight co-main event. A short-notice replacement for Makhmud Muradov, Turman (18-5, 3-3 UFC) drew the curtain 1:29 into Round 2. It was his first submission win in nearly three years.

The 34-year-old Cirkunov (15-8, 6-6 UFC) navigated some choppy seas in the first round, where he defended a rear-naked choke after the Brazilian took his back while standing. The Canada-based Latvian freed himself, assumed top position and dropped standing-to-ground punches before he made passes as brabo and north-south chokes. Momentum proved elusive. Cirkunov tripped the Glover Teixeira protégé to the floor early in the second round but failed to pay his dangerous guard the respect it was due. Turman locked in the armbar in an instant, forcing his surprised counterpart to raise the white flag.

Cirkunov now finds himself on a three-fight losing streak.

Cachoeira Topples Reeling Kim

Figueiredo Team representative Priscila Cachoeira rebounded from her Dec. 11 submission loss to Gillian Robertson with a unanimous decision over former Jewels champion Ji Yeon Kim in a three-round women’s flyweight feature. Cachoeira (11-4, 3-4 UFC) swept the scorecards with 29-28 marks from all three judges.

Kim (9-5-2, 3-5 UFC) outstruck the Brazilian for much of their encounter, but the fact that she spent most of her time moving backward proved costly. Cachoeira paid no mind to defense with her chin-high, hands-low approach and made it work. With the outcome apparently still in doubt, she hit the accelerator late in the third round, where she unleashed a volley of standing elbows, hacked open a vertical cut near Kim’s right eye and proceeded to swing for the fences. It may not have been pretty, but it was certainly effective.

The 32-year-old Kim has suffered three straight defeats.

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Tsarukyan Batters Alvarez Bloody

Arman Tsarukyan put away former Ansgar Fighting League champion Joel Alvarez in the second round of their lightweight attraction. With blood gushing from a gash across the bridge of his nose, Alvarez (19-3, 4-2 UFC) checked out 1:57 into Round 2.

Tsarukyan (18-2, 5-1 UFC) struck for a takedown inside the first minute, stifled the Spaniard’s venomous guard, stayed patient and waited for his opportunity. A slashing elbow across the nose turned the bout into the bloodbath, as Alvarez’s DNA spilled all over the canvas and both competitors. He weathered the initial onslaught and an examination by the cageside physician at the intermission. Still, the prognosis was undeniably grim. Tsarukyan delivered another takedown to start the middle stanza, got busy with his ground-and-pound and transitioned to a dominant position before closing the deal with unanswered punches.

The 25-year-old Tsarukyan has rattled off five consecutive victories.

Debuting Petrosyan Outpoints Rodrigues

Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Armen Petrosyan made a successful promotional debut, as he took a contentious split decision from former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Gregory Rodrigues in a three-round middleweight showcase. Judge Douglas Crosby scored it 29-28 for Rodrigues, while Michael Bell and Tony Weeks struck 29-28 and 30-27 scorecards for Petrosyan.

Petrosyan (8-1, 2-0 UFC) answered the Brazilian’s relentless pressure with stiff jabs, stinging leg kicks and well-conceived punching combinations. Rodrigues (11-5, 2-2 UFC) moved forward with no regard for his own well-being and landed the most significant blow of the fight in the third round, where he caught the ducking Academy MMA rep with a kick to the face. Petrosyan wobbled and then steadied himself but suffered significant damage to his nose. He responded later in the period, fought fire with fire and did enough to eke out a controversial decision.

The loss closed the book on Rodrigues’ four-fight winning streak.

Continue Reading » UFC Fight Night 202 Prelims: Nunes Handles Newcomer Pascual