UFC 189 Prelims: Matt Brown Snares Tim Means in First-Round Guillotine Choke
Matt
Brown knows how to finish what he starts.
Brown submitted former King of the Cage champion Tim Means with a first-round guillotine choke at UFC 189 “Mendes vs. McGregor” on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Means (24-7-1, 6-4 UFC) conceded defeat 4:44 into round one, his four-fight winning streak at an end and his climb within the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight division stalled.
Means made “The Ultimate Fighter 7” alum work. He staggered Brown
(20-13, 13-7 UFC) with a right hand and later connected with one of
his patented standing elbows. It was not enough. Brown answered
with a pair of standing elbows of his own, forced Means to dive on
a takedown and snatched a no-arm guillotine for the tapout.
Takedowns and a heavy top game spurred Tristar Gym representative Alex Garcia to a unanimous verdict against the returning Mike Swick in a preliminary welterweight pairing. Garcia (13-2, 3-1 UFC) earned 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27 marks from the judges.
The 27-year-old Garcia has rattled off seven victories across his past eight appearances.
Former Ring of Combat champion John Howard leaned on clean power punching and stinging leg kicks, as he eked out a split decision over Cathal Pendred in a three-round undercard tilt at 170 pounds. All three judges scored it 29-28, two of them siding with Howard (23-11, 7-6 UFC).
The glacial Pendred (17-3-1, 4-1 UFC) circled and clinched throughout the match, doing virtually no damage. Howard stalked the Irishman, fired off left and right hooks and punctuated many a combination with punishing kicks to the lead leg. Pendred saw his best chance at a ninth straight victory slip through his hands in the third round, where “Doomsday” freed himself from an attempted guillotine and picked up where he left off.
Pendred, 27, had not tasted defeat since December 2010.
Team Alpha Male prospect Cody Garbrandt kept his perfect professional record intact and went the distance for the first time in his career, as he claimed a unanimous decision from Enrique Briones in a preliminary bantamweight scrap. All three cageside judges saw it the same: 30-27 for the undefeated Garbrandt (7-0, 2-0 UFC).
Garbrandt mixed together his weapons beautifully, as he attacked with multi-punch combinations, sporadic kicks and well-timed takedowns. He absorbed a few haymakers from Briones (16-5-1, 1-1 UFC) and dodged several others, picking his spots on the feet. Garbrandt floored the 34-year-old Mexican with a right uppercut in the second round and punctuated his latest win with a final burst of power punches in the closing seconds of round three.
The setback was Briones’ first in eight outings dating back to June 2011.
Once-beaten Hawaiian Louis Smolka rode his superiority in scrambles and grappling exchanges to a unanimous verdict against former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Neil Seery in a three-round undercard encounter at 125 pounds. Smolka (9-1, 3-1 UFC) swept the scorecards with 30-27s across the board.
Seery (15-11, 2-2 UFC) fought effectively off his back, as he utilized annoying elbow strikes and a number of attempted guillotines. However, his work did little to dissuade Smolka. The 23-year-old cut the Irishman with a slicing straight right in the first round and corralled Seery on the canvas throughout their 15-minute battle. Smolka pursued a late finish with a pair of arm-triangle chokes in round three but settled for the decision.
The defeat halted Seery’s two-fight winning streak.
Takedowns, ground-and-pound and deft guard passing carried King of the Cage alum Cody Pfister to a unanimous decision over Yosdenis Cedeno in a preliminary lightweight affair. All three judges struck 29-28 scores for Pfister (12-4-1, 1-1 UFC), who has won five of his past six bouts.
Cedeno (10-5, 1-3 UFC) dictated the early exchanges, as he chewed up the 24-year-old’s lead leg with inside and outside kicks. Shin slammed into thigh throughout the first round, Pfister’s battered leg lifting off the mat from the impact. However, he made the necessary exchanges over the final 10 minutes. Pfister executed repeated takedowns, advanced to full mount in the second round and moved to the former Championship Fighting Alliance titleholder’s back on multiple occasions. Rounds got away from Cedeno, as he spent too much time on the defensive and watched a potential victory fade from view.
The 30-year-old Cedeno has lost three of his last four fights.
Brown submitted former King of the Cage champion Tim Means with a first-round guillotine choke at UFC 189 “Mendes vs. McGregor” on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Means (24-7-1, 6-4 UFC) conceded defeat 4:44 into round one, his four-fight winning streak at an end and his climb within the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight division stalled.
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Garcia Spoils Swick Return
Takedowns and a heavy top game spurred Tristar Gym representative Alex Garcia to a unanimous verdict against the returning Mike Swick in a preliminary welterweight pairing. Garcia (13-2, 3-1 UFC) earned 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27 marks from the judges.
Swick (15-6, 10-5 UFC), who had not fought since December 2012,
struggled to keep his persistent opponent at bay. The 36-year-old
American Kickboxing Academy mainstay succumbed to takedowns in
all three rounds and, outside of a probing jab, failed to maximize
his height and reach on the feet. Garcia put an exclamation point
on the win in the third round, as he twice climbed to full
mount.
The 27-year-old Garcia has rattled off seven victories across his past eight appearances.
‘Doomsday’ Howard Edges Pendred
Former Ring of Combat champion John Howard leaned on clean power punching and stinging leg kicks, as he eked out a split decision over Cathal Pendred in a three-round undercard tilt at 170 pounds. All three judges scored it 29-28, two of them siding with Howard (23-11, 7-6 UFC).
The glacial Pendred (17-3-1, 4-1 UFC) circled and clinched throughout the match, doing virtually no damage. Howard stalked the Irishman, fired off left and right hooks and punctuated many a combination with punishing kicks to the lead leg. Pendred saw his best chance at a ninth straight victory slip through his hands in the third round, where “Doomsday” freed himself from an attempted guillotine and picked up where he left off.
Pendred, 27, had not tasted defeat since December 2010.
Unbeaten Garbrandt Downs Briones
Team Alpha Male prospect Cody Garbrandt kept his perfect professional record intact and went the distance for the first time in his career, as he claimed a unanimous decision from Enrique Briones in a preliminary bantamweight scrap. All three cageside judges saw it the same: 30-27 for the undefeated Garbrandt (7-0, 2-0 UFC).
Garbrandt mixed together his weapons beautifully, as he attacked with multi-punch combinations, sporadic kicks and well-timed takedowns. He absorbed a few haymakers from Briones (16-5-1, 1-1 UFC) and dodged several others, picking his spots on the feet. Garbrandt floored the 34-year-old Mexican with a right uppercut in the second round and punctuated his latest win with a final burst of power punches in the closing seconds of round three.
The setback was Briones’ first in eight outings dating back to June 2011.
Smolka Snaps Seery Streak
Once-beaten Hawaiian Louis Smolka rode his superiority in scrambles and grappling exchanges to a unanimous verdict against former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Neil Seery in a three-round undercard encounter at 125 pounds. Smolka (9-1, 3-1 UFC) swept the scorecards with 30-27s across the board.
Seery (15-11, 2-2 UFC) fought effectively off his back, as he utilized annoying elbow strikes and a number of attempted guillotines. However, his work did little to dissuade Smolka. The 23-year-old cut the Irishman with a slicing straight right in the first round and corralled Seery on the canvas throughout their 15-minute battle. Smolka pursued a late finish with a pair of arm-triangle chokes in round three but settled for the decision.
The defeat halted Seery’s two-fight winning streak.
Pfister Weathers, Outworks Cedeno
Takedowns, ground-and-pound and deft guard passing carried King of the Cage alum Cody Pfister to a unanimous decision over Yosdenis Cedeno in a preliminary lightweight affair. All three judges struck 29-28 scores for Pfister (12-4-1, 1-1 UFC), who has won five of his past six bouts.
Cedeno (10-5, 1-3 UFC) dictated the early exchanges, as he chewed up the 24-year-old’s lead leg with inside and outside kicks. Shin slammed into thigh throughout the first round, Pfister’s battered leg lifting off the mat from the impact. However, he made the necessary exchanges over the final 10 minutes. Pfister executed repeated takedowns, advanced to full mount in the second round and moved to the former Championship Fighting Alliance titleholder’s back on multiple occasions. Rounds got away from Cedeno, as he spent too much time on the defensive and watched a potential victory fade from view.
The 30-year-old Cedeno has lost three of his last four fights.
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