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UFC 275 Prelims: Joshua Culibao Holds Off Seung Woo Choi in Featherweight Firefight



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Former Hex Fight Series titleholder Joshua Culibao took a significant step forward in the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight division, as he was awarded a split decision over Seung Woo Choi in their featured UFC 275 prelim on Saturday at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. All three judges scored it 29-28, two of them siding with Culibao.

Culibao (10-1-1, 2-1-1 UFC) had his counterpart reeling in the first round, where he staggered the Korean with a left hook, dropped him with another and swarmed for a potential finish. Choi (10-5, 3-4 UFC) weathered the assault but wandered into peril yet again in the middle stanza. There, Culibao stepped into a right hand that had the onetime Top Fighting Championship titlist somersaulting across the cage to avoid further punishment. Choi responded in Round 3, as he struck for a takedown, progressed to the back and secured position with a body triangle before hunting a potential choke. Culibao ultimately denied those advances, absorbed some mild ground-and-pound and left his fate to the judges.

Debuting Hayisaer Faceplants Garcia


Enbo Fight Club prospect Maheshate Hayisaer leveled Steve Garcia with a one-punch knockout in the first round of their lightweight confrontation. Garcia (12-5, 1-2 UFC) faceplanted into the canvas 1:14 into Round 1, the unwitting victim of an utterly spectacular finish.

Hayisaer (9-1, 1-0 UFC) remained calm under fire, sat down the Jackson-Wink MMA rep with a right hand and fought through a subsequent clinch along the fence. He created some separation, walked Garcia into a short counter right hook that separated the Bellator MMA veteran from his senses and sent a rush of adrenaline through the crowd.

The 22-year-old Hayisaer has recorded seven straight victories.

Related » UFC 275 Round-by-Round Scoring


Opportunistic Allen Edges Malkoun


Sanford MMA’s Brendan Allen held his own in the scrambles and made the most of his tactical opportunities in a unanimous decision over Jacob Malkoun in a three-round middleweight tilt. All three cageside judges struck 29-28 scorecards for Allen (19-5, 7-2 UFC), who has rattled off 11 victories in 13 appearances.

Malkoun (6-2, 2-2 UFC) was competitive throughout and troubled the former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion with clinches, takedowns and positional control. However, his failure to consolidate those efforts with damage proved costly. Allen scrambled into top position in all three rounds and even managed to secure full mount late in the first, doing just enough to curry the necessary favor from the judiciary.

The setback closed the book on Malkoun’s modest two-fight winning streak.

Kang Outduels Replacement Danaa


Onetime Road Fighting Championship titleholder Kyung Ho Kang won for the fourth time in five outings, as he laid claim to a unanimous decision over Batgerel Danaa in a three-round bantamweight clash. Kang (18-9, 7-3 UFC) swept the scorecards with 29-28 marks from all three judges.

Precision jabs and thudding leg kicks tipped Kang’s spear and left his Mongolian adversary with visible damage to the face and lower extremities. A short-notice replacement for Saimon Oliveira, Danaa (12-4, 3-3 UFC) answered with jabs of his own and power punches—he snapped Kang’s head back with a sneaky shovel uppercut in the first round—but too often found himself outmaneuvered by the South Korean matador.

Danaa, 32, has lost two fights in a row.

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Juarez Wrecks Favored Liang


Entram Gym export Silvana Gomez Juarez rebounded from consecutive losses to Lupita Godinez and Vanessa Demopoulos, as she turned away Na Liang with punches in the first round of their women’s strawweight affair. Juarez (11-4, 1-2 UFC) brought it to a close 1:22 into Round 1.

Liang (19-6, 0-2 UFC) rolled out some overhand rights and a few takedown attempts to start but failed to seize the reins. Juarez dropped her counterpart to a knee with a clubbing right behind the ear and followed with a devastating multi-punch volley that slammed the door shut.

The 25-year-old Liang has suffered back-to-back defeats.

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Edwards Surges Past Pascual


Relentless kicks to the legs and body carried former King of the Cage champion Joselyne Edwards to a unanimous decision over Syndicate MMA’s Ramona Pascual in a three-round women’s featherweight pairing. All three cageside judges scored it for Edwards (11-4, 2-2 UFC): 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.

Pascual (6-4, 0-2 UFC) landed the blows of consequence but saw her efforts overrun by the volume with which she was met in return. Edwards unleashed kicks from both legs, focusing on the midsection and the area just above the knee. The Kings MMA product found another gear in the third round, where she shrugged off takedowns, punched effectively in combination and managed to mix in a few jumping switch kicks to the body.

The win closed the book on Edwards’ two-fight losing streak.
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