UFC on ESPN 39 Prelims: Cody Brundage Knocks Out ‘TUF 29’ Veteran Tresean Gore

Cody Brundage SAID NO MORE WRESTLING pic.twitter.com/RSN7DPzBHI

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) July 10, 2022

Cody Brundage made short work of “The Ultimate Fighter 29” cast member Tresean Gore in a middleweight encounter, winning via knockout in the featured UFC on ESPN 39 preliminary bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The Factory X member unleashed a salvo of ground-and-pound from mount to seal his victory at the 3:50 mark of Round 1. Brundage has authored back-to-back first-round finishes in UFC competition.

Brundage (8-2, 2-1 UFC) forced Gore (3-2, 0-2 UFC) to wrestle early, but that approach changed as the bout progressed. While the early grappling exchange appeared to have fatigued the Brighton, Michigan, native, he was merely biding his time. Brundage set the stage for the final sequence when he countered a Gore low kick with a right hook. That sent Gore to the canvas and Brundage pounced with a purpose, landing punches from above before powering his way into mount, where he rendered his adversary unconscious with even heavier blows from the dominant position.

Shevchenko Edges Casey

Tiger Muay Thai representative Antonina Shevchenko withstood a late charge from Cortney Casey to capture a narrow split-decision triumph in a flyweight contest. All three cageside judges scored the contest 29-28, two of them siding with Shevchenko (10-4, 4-3 UFC). Casey (10-10, 6-9 UFC) has lost three of her last four promotional outings.

Shevchenko was content to fight at kickboxing range, where she connected with jabs and kicks to all levels — primarily with her lead leg — while fending off the majority of her opponent’s takedown attempts through the first 10 minutes. Casey enjoyed success landing her right hand when she pressured Shevchenko, and she put together a strong push in Round 3, as she landed multiple takedowns, controlled the clinch and dropped a heavy elbow from above. Ultimately, it wasn’t quite enough to sway the scorecards in her favor.

Related » UFC on ESPN 39 Round-by-Round Scoring

Onama Chokes Out Armfield

Uganda native David Onama imposed his will against short-notice foe Garrett Armfield, winning via submission in a featherweight affair. The Glory MMA & Fitness representative rendered his foe unconscious with an arm-triangle choke 3:13 into the second frame. Onama (10-1, 2-1 UFC) has finished all 10 of his professional triumphs by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

Armfield (8-3, 0-1 UFC), who was a replacement for Austin Lingo, held his own in Round 1, landing some decent shots in the pocket during exchanges and assuming top position on one occasion. Onama gradually took control, however, and his power advantage was evident as soon as he grounded his adversary in Round 2. Once on the canvas, Onama threatened from back control before transitioning to the fight-ending maneuver from top position. Armfield defended for as long as he could before eventually going to sleep.

Nzechukwu Overpowers Roberson

Fortis MMA product Kennedy Nzechukwu rode a clear size and strength advantage to a technical knockout victory over Karl Roberson in a light heavyweight showdown. A hailstorm of punches and elbows from mount forced the stoppage at the 2:19 mark of Round 3, ending a two-bout skid for Nzechukwu (10-3, 4-3 UFC). Roberson (9-6, 4-6 UFC) has lost four straight within the Las Vegas-based promotion — all inside the distance.

The 6-foot-5 Nzechukwu overpowered Roberson in close quarters, as he grounded his foe repeatedly, advanced to dominant positions and threatened with chokes. Roberson experienced fleeting success landing body kicks and straight punches at range, but all too often he allowed his opponent to close the distance with little resistance. The last instance led to Roberson’s demise, when Nzechukwu secured a takedown and quickly moved to mount before unloading with a barrage of unanswered blows for the finish.

Kakhramonov Grounds Lawrence

Former Cage Fury Fighting Championships title holder Saidyokub Kakhramonov relied on takedowns, top control and ground-and-pound to take a clear-cut unanimous decision against Dana White’s Contender Series alum Ronnie Lawrence in a bantamweight clash. All three judges saw the fight in favor of Kakhramonov (10-2, 2-0 UFC): 30-26, 30-27 and 30-27.

Kakhramonov was relentless throughout the fight, grounding his opponent multiple times in each frame and maintaining heavy pressure on the occasions when Lawrence (8-2, 2-1 UFC) was able to return to his feet. Kakhramonov was also successful with periodic ground-and-pound, bloodying his adversary while causing swelling under the right eye. The fight was in stark contrast to Lawrence’s previous two Octagon appearances, in which he held a 14-0 advantage in takedowns on his opposition.