Sizeable underdog Jason Jackson sent ripples through the mixed martial arts world on Friday night with a shocking first-round stoppage of defending Titan Fighting Championships welterweight champion Dhiego Lima. The Boca Raton, Florida, fighter dropped Lima with a sizzling right-left hook to the head and then finished him off once the fight hit the canvas.
Farkhad Sharipov was a step better and a tad hungrier against Andrew Whitney as he out-brawled his foe to win a close, hard-fought unanimous decision. Sharipov stormed out of his corner and controlled the pace early but after Whitney rallied in the middle rounds, Sharipov closed the fight strongly to win the five-round verdict. The win allowed Sharipov to hoist the Titan FC bantamweight title as well.
In other action, Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante out-worked Robert Turnquest over three rounds to earn a unanimous decision; Kurt Holobaugh submitted Yosdenis Cedeno with a textbook rear-naked choke at 1:22 of the third; and Desmond Green edged Martin Brown via split decision, all on UFC Fight Pass.