UFC on ESPN 33 Prelims: Sara McMann Holds Ground at Bantamweight, Stifles Karol Rosa

Back in the win column! @Sara_McMann w/ the UD win at #UFCColumbus! pic.twitter.com/bnIS4So7Hc

— UFC (@ufc) March 26, 2022

Sara McMann went back to basics, and the results were revelatory.

The 2004 Olympic silver medalist stood her ground in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight division, as she took a unanimous decision from Parana Vale Tudo’s Karol Rosa in the featured UFC on ESPN 33 prelim on Saturday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28 for McMann (13-6, 7-6 UFC).

Rosa (15-4, 4-1 UFC) failed to maintain a manageable distance with the Team Alpha Male representative. McMann secured takedowns in all three rounds, stifled the Brazilian with top control and progressed to the back on more than one occasion. Rosa finally sprang a reversal late in the third round and applied some significant ground-and-pound, but the finish she needed never materialized.

The defeat halted Rosa’s run of consecutive victories at six.

Replacement Gutierrez Waylays Danaa

Factory X standout Chris Gutierrez put away Batgerel Danaa with a spinning backfist and follow-up elbows in the second round of their bantamweight scrap. A late-notice substitution for Montel Jackson, Gutierrez (18-4-2, 6-1-1 UFC) brought it to a spectacular close 2:34 into Round 2.

Danaa (10-3, 3-2 UFC) spent the majority of the fight eating leg kicks and crowding the onetime Sugar Creek Showdown champion with pressure and sweeping power punches. He delivered a takedown near the end of the first round and blasted away with left hands, but Gutierrez eventually re-guarded and bled the remaining time off the clock. Midway through the middle stanza, the Marc Montoya protégé caught Danaa with his hands down, decked him with a spinning backfist and rushed in for the finish.

Gutierrez, 30, will carry a three-fight winning streak into his next assignment.

Unbeaten Khizriev Throttles Tiuliulin

Former Fight Nights Global champion Aliaskhab Khizriev put Denis Tiuliulin to sleep with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their middleweight tilt. A short-notice replacement for Abusupiyan Magomedov, Tiuliulin (9-6, 0-1 UFC) lost consciousness 1:58 into Round 2.

Khizriev (14-0, 1-0 UFC) set the tone in the first round, where he withstood a few punching volleys from the Evolve Gym rep, executed a takedown and applied his ground-and-pound. He lured Tiuliulin to the ground again in Round 2, as he climbed to the back, cut off avenues of escape and snaked his arms in place for the choke. From there, the conclusion was academic.

The 31-year-old Khizriev, who revealed plans to cut down to 170 pounds, has finished five of his last six opponents.

Related » UFC Columbus Round-by-Round Scoring

Fiorot Passes Maia Test

Fast-rising women’s flyweight contender Manon Fiorot outstruck former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder Jennifer Maia to a unanimous decision in their three-round confrontation at 125 pounds. Fiorot (9-1, 4-0 UFC) carried all three cards with 30-27 scores.

Maia (19-9-1, 4-5 UFC) operated at a level or two below the powerfully built and exquisitely skilled Frenchwoman. Fiorot kept the Brazilian at bay with repeated side kicks to the body and leg, laser-guided left hands and the occasional check hook. Maia landed a head kick on the break in the second round and executed a pair of takedowns, but those efforts did little to bridge the considerable gap between the two.

Fiorot has won nine fights in a row.

Resurgent Nicolau Downs Dvorak

“The Ultimate Fighter Brazil” Season 4 semifinalist Matheus Nicolau won for the fifth time in as many appearances, as he laid claim to a unanimous decision over David Dvorak in a three-round flyweight clash. Nicolau (18-2-1, 6-2-1 UFC) swept the scorecards with 29-28 marks across the board.

Dvorak (20-4, 3-1 UFC), who entered the cage on a 16-fight winning streak, never shifted out of first gear. The Czech controlled the cage but often walked into return fire. Nicolau dazed and floored him with a left hook in the second round and staggered him again with the same punch in the third. Dvorak initiated a scramble late in the match, withstood the Brazilian’s leg attacks and assumed top position but failed to do much to consolidate his efforts with damage or control.

The setback was Dvorak’s first since May 11, 2012.

Saldana Rebounds, Outhustles Souza

Tactical takedowns, consistent leg kicks and accurate punching bursts carried Fight Ready export Luis Saldana to a unanimous decision over former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Bruno Souza in a three-round featherweight pairing. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28 for Saldana (16-7, 2-1 UFC), who bounced back from his Aug. 21 loss to Austin Lingo.

Souza (10-3, 0-2 UFC) pressed forward behind rear-leg front kicks, the occasional threat of a flying knee and combination punching. However, he failed to establish much of a rhythm, his momentum often cut off by his opponent’s takedowns. Saldana turned up the heat in the third round, where he connected on a spinning back kick to the body, slip-and-rip right hands and standing elbows in the clinch.

The 26-year-old Souza now finds himself on a two-fight losing streak.