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Israel Adesanya Eases Past Jared Cannonier, Retains Title in UFC 276 Headliner


While it wasn’t a performance to remember, Israel Adesanya remains the class of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s middleweight division by a significant margin.

Adesanya retained his 185-pound belt with an efficient performance in the UFC 276 headliner, earning a unanimous decision triumph over Jared Cannonier at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The City Kickboxing representative received scorecards of 49-46, 49-46 and 50-45 from the cageside judges to secure his fifth successful title defense.

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“The Last Stylebender” was tactical throughout, using a stiff left jab and kicks to various levels to keep Cannonier at bay. While Adesanya never truly had his opponent in danger, Cannonier spent much of the bout frozen in front of the Nigerian-born Kiwi, struggling to close the distance. Cannonier did increase his sense of urgency down the stretch, as he initiated the clinch on multiple occasions, landed offense in close quarters, and occasionally blitzed forward with power-punching combinations. However, those moments were not frequent enough to make a dent in Adesanya’s considerable lead on the scorecards.

In his post-fight interview, Adesanya looked ahead to future fight with former kickboxing rival Alex Pereira, who scored a massive knockout of Sean Strickland earlier on the main card.

Volkanovski Improves to 3-0 Against Holloway


Alexander Volkanovski fought like someone who wanted closure.

The City Kickboxing standout crafted a nearly flawless performance in the UFC 276 co-main event, improving to 3-0 against Max Holloway with a unanimous decision triumph in their featherweight championship trilogy. It was a clean sweep of the scorecards for the 33-year-old Aussie: 50-45, 50-45 and 50-45. Volkanovski has been victorious in his last 22 professional appearances, a streak that dates back to Dec. 14, 2013.

The third meeting lacked the suspense of the previous two bouts, as Volkanovski (25-1, 12-0 UFC) maintained a clear advantage in virtually all aspects of the fight. The reigning champion was quicker than his Hawaiian opponent, landing multi-punch combinations to the head while exhibiting deft footwork and head movement. Volkanovski got stronger as the bout progressed, and the tone of the bout seemed to shift for good in Round 2, when counter right hand opened a cut over Holloway’s eye that would continue to leak for the rest of the fight.

When he wasn’t tagging Holloway (23-7, 19-7 UFC) with punches to the head, Volkanovski also had success landing elbows in the clinch and whipping low kicks. To his credit, Holloway continued to push forward until the final horn, but his trademark volume was never evident against his defensively sound adversary. After the final decision was announced, Volkanovski reiterated his desire to test his mettle in the lightweight division.

“I want to move up to be double champ and keep two divisions busy,” he said. “If I get both belts, I’ll keep them both busy, let’s go.”

Related » UFC 276 Round-by-Round Scoring


Pereira Starches Strickland


Sean Strickland played with fire, and Alex Pereira made him pay.

The former two-division Glory Kickboxing champion sent a message to the middleweight division, scoring a massive knockout victory 2:36 into Round 1, potentially propelling the Brazilian into a title shot. Strickland sees a six-bout winning streak snapped in defeat.

Strickland (25-4, 12-4 UFC) was content to stand and trade with Pereira (6-1, 3-0 UFC), as he marched forward and did his best to pressure his foe with straight punches. That approach proved costly when “Poatan” connected with a clean left hook to the chin that dropped Strickland to one knee. Pereira then sealed his victory by sending his adversary tumbling to the canvas with two more accurate right hands. It was Strickland’s first KO defeat since May 12, 2018.

Barberena Volume Overwhelms Lawler


Bryan Barberena withstood heavy fire from Robbie Lawler to rally for a technical knockout victory in a classic welterweight brawl. A barrage of heavy punches against the fence caused Lawler to wilt 4:47 into Round 2, giving Barberena three consecutive victories within the Las Vegas-based promotion. Lawler, meanwhile, has lost five of his last six UFC bouts.

The fight turned out to be every bit the slugfest it was billed to be. Both men traded willingly in the pocket throughout the contest, with Lawler (29-16, 1 NC, 14-10 UFC) holding the edge in impactful strikes and Barberena (18-8, 9-6 UFC) connecting with greater volume in the early going. Lawler made his foe stumble backward with several stiff right jabs in Round 2, but that success proved to be fleeting. Barberena turned the tide with a right hook to the chin and he increased his output from there, keeping Lawler on his heels with punching combinations and deadly standing elbows. A final salvo of heavy power punches forced referee Mark Smith to step in on behalf of the reeling Lawler late in Round 2.

Related » UFC 276 Prelims: Miller Taps Cerrone


Eye Poke Results in No Contest for O’Malley-Munhoz


Sean O’Malley’s step up in competition ended in anticlimactic fashion, as his bantamweight clash with Pedro Munhoz was ruled a no contest due to an accidental eye poke. Munhoz was rendered unable to continue at the 3:09 mark of Round 2, when the bout was called off on the advice of the cageside doctor.

Munhoz (19-7, 10-7, 2 NC UFC) had a clear game plan in mind, attacking his younger foe with a steady diet of low kicks throughout the fight. O’Malley (15-1, 7-1, 1 NC UFC), meanwhile, was tactical in his approach, as he controlled the range by blending long, straight punches with the occasional flashy kick. Neither fighter appeared to have gained a clear advantage when O’Malley’s finger found the eye of an advancing Munhoz in the second frame. Munhoz is now winless in his last three Octagon appearances.

Continue Reading » UFC 276 Prelims: Turner Earns Fifth Straight Finish
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