UFC 273 Prelims: Hyped Irish Prospect Ian Garry Outpoints Darian Weeks

Still undefeated!@IanGarryMMA earns the UD victory to make it 9️⃣-0️⃣ in his sophomore showing! #UFC273 pic.twitter.com/UgUCyqbhDV

— UFC (@ufc) April 10, 2022

It wasn’t the showcase performance Ian Garry might have hoped for, but the Irish prospect was nonetheless victorious in his sophomore Octagon appearance at UFC 273.

The former Cage Warriors king relied on technical striking, intelligent movement and sound takedown defense to capture a unanimous triumph against Darian Weeks in a featured welterweight prelim at Vystar Veteran’s Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., on Saturday night. All three cageside judges saw the fight in favor of the Sanford MMA product: 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27.

In going the distance for the third time in his professional tenure, Garry (9-0, 2-0 UFC) was largely content to attack on the outside with long punches and a toolbox of kicks. Weeks’ striking defense held up for the most part, and he made the fight ugly by forcing Garry to fight with his back to the fence on multiple occasions. Garry authored his most definitive moment in Round 3, when he upped his striking output and eventually clipped Weeks with a right hand. Weeks (5-2, 0-2 UFC) recovered and made it to the final horn, but he wasn’t able to threaten his opponent enough to sway the scorecards in his favor.

Related » UFC 273 Round-by-Round Scoring

Relentless Hernandez Outgrapples Fremd

A relentless grappling game carried ex-Legacy Fighting Alliance titleholder Anthony Hernandez to a unanimous decision over short-notice opponent Josh Fremd in a back-and-forth middleweight clash. Hernandez earned scorecards of 30-27 (twice) and 29-28 for his second consecutive triumph in the Octagon. Fremd (9-3, 0-1 UFC) was a replacement for Dricus Du Plessis, who was pulled from the Hernandez matchup to face Kelvin Gastelum before that fight was ultimately canceled.

Hernandez threatened to make it a short night at the office in Round 1, as he landed takedowns, advanced to dominant positions and threatened with multiple submissions. Fremd survived and authored a comeback in the second frame when he reversed a crucifix and maintained top position before tagging Hernandez (9-2, 3-2 UFC) with a right hand late in the period.

Hernandez’s gas tank did not wane, however, and he put together a dominant third round behind an early takedown. From there, “Fluffy” gave his adversary no room to breathe, as he controlled positioning and again kept Fremd on the defensive with multiple submission attempts — including a reverse triangle in the waning moments.

Pennington Holds Off Ladd

Raquel Pennington secured a hard-fought unanimous decision triumph against Aspen Ladd in a matchup of Invicta Fighting Championships veterans at bantamweight. The former bantamweight title challenger received a trio of 29-28 scorecards to earn her fourth consecutive victory within the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Pennington (14-8, 11-5 UFC), who replaced Irene Aldana on short notice, worked behind a solid right hand while landing combinations to the head and body in volume. “Rocky” kept a gun-shy Ladd off-balance by mixing in clinch work and knees in the first two rounds, as well. Ladd (9-3, 4-3 UFC) did her best work in Round 3, when she scored a takedown and controlled the action in close quarters, but by then it was too late to make a difference.

Malott Left Hook Folds Gall

Team Alpha Male export Mike Malott had an Ultimate Fighting Championship debut to remember, scoring a technical knockout of Mickey Gall in a welterweight clash. A massive left hook sent Gall face-first to the canvas, and Malott (8-1-1, 1-0) sealed his victory with follow-up ground-and-pound for the stoppage at the 3:41 mark of Round 1. Gall (7-5, 6-5) has lost three of his last four promotional appearances.

The combatants traded willingly from the outset of the fight, but it was Malott who clipped Gall with right hands on a couple of occasions. Gall landed his share of offense too, bloodying his opponent’s nose with some of his connections. Malott struck the decisive blow, following an overhand right with a left hook directly to Gall’s chin. From there, the Dana White’s Contender Series alum landed approximately five to seven blows on the canvas before referee Larry Folsom stepped in on Gall’s behalf.

Oleynik Secures Another Submission Win, Taps Vanderaa

Even at 44 years old, Alexey Oleynik continues to rack up submission victories. The Russian known as “The Boa Constrictor” survived a few dangerous moments before rallying to submit Dana White’s Contender Series alum Jared Vanderaa with the rarely-seen scarf hold at the 3:39 mark of Round 1 in their heavyweight encounter. Oleynik (60-16-1, 9-7 UFC) snaps a three-bout skid in victory, earning his 47th career submission in the process.

Oleynik’s decision to jump guard earlier in the opening stanza initially appeared to be a mistake, as Vanderaa (12-8, 1-4 UFC) landed ground-and-pound and took his opponent’s back. Oleynik maintained his cool and eventually reversed position, executing a back take of his own before moving to top control. From there, Oleynik transitioned to the fight-ending maneuver, tightened his grip and forced Vanderaa to ask out of the contest.

Oleynik’s seven submission triumphs in UFC competition rank second in promotion history behind only Frank Mir (eight).

Rodriguez Outworks Hansen, Wins Debut

Ex-Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Piera Rodriguez turned the tables on Kay Hansen after a slow start, winning a unanimous decision in a strawweight affair. All three judges submitted 29-28 tallies in favor of the Venezuelan fighter.

Hansen (7-6, 1-3), who missed weight by 2.5 pounds, grounded Rodriguez (8-0, 1-0 UFC) multiple times in the opening stanza, but the Invicta FC veteran couldn’t maintain that momentum as the fight progressed. Rodriguez seized control with a takedown and a transition to back control in Round 2 before relying on more takedowns and clinch work in the final stanza to sway the scorecards in her favor.

Arce Outduels Octagon Newcomer Santos

Team Tiger Schulmann representative Julio Arce relied on superior footwork and effective countering to win a unanimous decision over Charles Oliveira training partner Daniel Gustavo Santos in a bantamweight tilt. All three cageside judges submitted scorecards in favor of Arce (18-5, 5-3): 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. The former Ring of Combat competitor missed weight by 0.5 pounds on Friday.

Santos’ (8-2, 0-1 UFC) remained aggressive throughout, as he stalked his opponent and took chances by throwing numerous spinning attacks. However, the Brazilian muay Thai stylist often missed the mark, and he ate plenty of straight shots from Arce for his efforts. Arce also blended in the occasional head kick — including one that wobbled Santos late Round 1 — and effective body work in winning for the 10th time in 13 professional outngs.