UFC 272 Prelims: Jalin Turner Scores Fourth Straight Finish, Puts Away Jamie Mullarkey

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Jalin Turner showed why he was given a featured position on the evening’s preliminary card at UFC 272.

“The Tarantula” secured his fourth consecutive finish in the Octagon, as he defeated Australia’s Jamie Mullarkey via technical knockout in a lightweight clash at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. A flurry of unanswered left hands on the canvas from the Dana White’s Contender Series alum brought a halt to the bout 46 seconds into Round 2.

The matchup delivered on its all-action promise in Round 1, when both lightweights were rocked at different points during exchanges. However, Turner (12-5, 5-2 UFC) was more effective overall, bloodying Mullarkey’s nose and mouth with a multifaceted arsenal that included punching combinations, kicks and knees. Turner picked up where he left off in Round 2, backing his foe up with a pair of knees to the body before flooring Mullarkey (14-5, 2-3 UFC) with a short right hook near the fence. As Mullarkey covered up on the floor, Turner unloaded with punches until referee Herb Dean had seen enough and waved off the fight.

Rodriguez Ekes Past Yan, Calls for Title Shot

Marina Rodriguez used a strong third round to carry her to a closely-contested split decision victory over Xiaonan Yan in a clash of strawweight contenders. Judges Ron McCarthy and Michael Bell saw the fight 29-28 in favor of the Brazilian muay Thai specialist, while Derek Cleary submitted a 29-28 tally for Yan. Rodriguez (16-1-2, 6-1-2) has won her last four in Ultimate Fighting Championship competition and called for a title shot in her post-fight interview.

Yan (15-3, 6-2 UFC) established momentum early thanks to superior hand speed and movement, as she consistently beat her opponent to the punch while mixing in the occasional takedown. Rodriguez turned the tide late in Round 2 when she punished her adversary with knees and elbows in the clinch before connecting on a solid combination before the horn.

That carried over into the final stanza when Rodriguez walked Yan down while landing a blend of punching combinations, knees and elbows. While Yan had some success in those exchanges, she slowed considerably from her impressive opening round.

Negumereanu Shakes Off Eye Poke, Takes Split Verdict Against Nzechukwu

Even with his nose bloodied and his vision potentially compromised, Nicolae Negumereanu still had enough in the tank to take a split verdict against Fortis MMA product Kennedy Nzechukwu in a light heavyweight encounter. Two judges saw the fight 29-27 for the Romanian fighter, while another had it 29-27 in favor of Nzechukwu.

The 6-foot-5 Nzechukwu (9-3, 3-3 UFC) was able to pick his spots offensively, tagging Negumereanu (12-1, 3-1 UFC) with right jabs, straight lefts and front kicks to the gut, but his output often left something to be desired. Meanwhile, a bloodied Negumereanu did his best to force a brawl, wading forward and winging right hands in an aggressive effort. A key moment occurred late in the bout when Nzechukwu had a point taken in Round 3 for an eye poke after being warned for another foul of the same nature in the opening stanza. Ultimately, Nzechukwu didn’t force the issue enough to sway the scorecards in his favor down the stretch.

Moroz Dominates Ex-Training Partner Agapova

Maryna Moroz made a statement against Mariya Agapova, winning via submission in a battle of former American Top Team stablemates at flyweight. The only Ukrainian female on the UFC roster forced Agapova to ask out of the contest with an arm-triangle choke at the 3:27 mark of Round 2. “The Iron Lady” has won her last three promotional appearances.

Moroz’s strength advantage was evident from the outset. She powered her way into the clinch, muscled Agapova (10-3, 2-2 UFC) to the canvas and threatened with a rear-naked choke and an armbar in the opening stanza. It was more of the same in Round 2, as Moroz (11-3, 6-3 UFC) dragged her adversary down and punished Agapova with heavy punches and elbows from dominant positions before eventually transitioning to the fight-ending maneuver.

Related » UFC 272 Round-by-Round Scoring

Nurmagomedov Remains Unbeaten, Chokes Out Kelleher

Umar Nurmagomedov will soon be known for more than just his family ties if he keeps up his current run of success.

The former Professional Fighters League competitor made short work of Brian Kelleher, winning via submission in a featherweight affair. Nurmagomedov forced his veteran foe to tap out to a rear-naked choke 3:15 into Round 1, the third consecutive submission triumph for the cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov. While the bout was contested at 145 pounds, Nurmagomedov (14-0, 2-0 UFC) says he plans to compete at bantamweight going forward.

Nurmagomedov began the bout by attacking with a toolbox of kicks and then landed effective knees when Kelleher (24-13, 8-6 UFC) attempted to tie him up. Shortly thereafter, the 26-year-old Dagestani shot for a takedown, laced his opponent’s left leg in his own and climbed onto Kelleher’s back near the fence. From there, he quickly slid his arm under the chin to bring the fight to a close.

Elliott Holds Off Ulanbekov

Former flyweight title challenger Tim Elliott held off a late charge from ex-Gorilla Fighting titleholder Tagir Ulanbekov to earn a unanimous decision triumph in a 125-pound battle. All three cageside judges submitted 29-28 scorecards for Elliott (18-12, 7-10 UFC), who has won three of his last four Octagon appearances. Ulanbekov (14-2, 2-1 UFC) sees a five-bout winning streak snapped in defeat.

Elliott seemed to confound Ulanbekov with his unorthodox style early, which allowed him to connect with multiple takedowns e and then follow up with perfectly-timed knees when his opponent returned to his feet. The Glory MMA and Fitness representative floored Ulanbekov with an overhand left late to cement the opening frame in his favor.

In the second stanza, Elliott showcased solid takedown defense and scrambling ability while using a glove grab — unseen by referee Chris Tognoni — to rock Ulanbekov with a punch in close quarters. Ulanbekov rallied for a dominant third round when he took Elliott’s back, threatened with a rear-naked choke and hammered away with punches until the horn. Ultimately, that late push wasn’t enough to curry favor with the judges.

Klein Edges Smith on Short Notice

Ludovit Klein captured a hard-fought split-decision triumph over Dana White’s Contender Series alum Devonte Smith in a featherweight clash. Douglas Crosby saw it 29-28 and Sal D’Amato scored it 30-27 — both for Klein — while Tony Weeks submitted a 29-28 tally in favor of Smith. Klein (18-4, 2-2 UFC) snaps a two-bout skid in victory.

Klein, who was a short-notice replacement for Erick Gonzalez, authored two of the fight’s most significant moments. The Spartakus Fight Gym product rocked Smith (11-3, 3-3 UFC) with a straight left hand in Round 1, drawing blood from his opponent’s mouth. He also put “King Kage” in retreat mode in the final stanza, when he connected with a front kick to the midsection early in the period. While Smith had occasional success throwing power kicks to the head and body and straight punches at range, Klein’s ability to control large periods of the contest in the clinch negated his opponent’s opportunities.

Jacoby Outpoints Oleksiejczuk, Extends Unbeaten Streak to 8

Former Glory Kickboxing competitor Dustin Jacoby shook off a slow start to take a unanimous decision triumph against Poland native Michal Oleksiejczuk in a light heavyweight contest. All three cageside judges submitted 29-28 scorecards in favor of Jacoby, who is unbeaten in his last eight professional outings — including six in UFC competition.

Oleksiejczuk (16-5, 4-3, 1 NC UFC) set the terms of engagement early, pressuring Jacoby (17-5-1, 5-2-1 UFC) while sticking a solid straight left hand through his opponent’s guard on multiple occasions. Jacoby picked up the pace in Round 2 when he rocked Oleksiejczuk during an initial exchange and swarmed with punches, elbows and knees in hopes of a finish. While Olejsiejczuk survived the onslaught, he couldn’t duplicate his success from the opening round, as Jacoby gradually took control through combination punching and clinch work.

With his toolbox of kicks noticeably absent, Jacoby revealed after the bout that leg injuries suffered during camp relegated him to a boxing-heavy approach during the bout.