Main Event – Mackenzie Dern Vs. Amanda Ribas
Dern went into the bout seeking redemption against the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist after she lost a unanimous points decision against Ribas in October 2019 in Tampa Bay, Florida, which was the first defeat of her professional MMA career. Despite having a loss against Amanda Ribas, the #6 ranked Dern went into the main event at the UFC Apex ranked two spots above her opponent.
The first round was very much a feeling-out process as Ribas maintained distance well, using her speed to throw combinations and then retreat, possibly paying a complement to Dern’s improved striking ability.
The second round was closer quarters, and Dern was able to utilize her grappling skills and get the better of the exchanges up close. After a prolonged period spent trying to take Ribas to the ground, Dern got her wish and controlled the action for much of the second round.
Dern continued to grow in confidence throught the third round and with just thirty seconds remaining on the clock, she once again managed to take Ribas to the ground. This time, her submission attempt gave dividend as she quickly transitioned on the ground to secure an armbar, and with less than five seconds remaining of the third round, Ribas tapped.
Co-Main Event – Santiago Ponzinibbio Vs. Carlston Harris
Harris began the fight well and dropped Ponzinibbio early on. The Argentinian recovered and, despite being dazed, made it to the end of the first round, making full use of the 60-second break to try and compose himself. Ponzinibbio began to grow into the fight, and the veteran started to land with combinations, causing a laceration to Harris’ face. Sensing he was in trouble, Harris attempted takedowns, but Ponzinibbio used his experience to defend successfully.
The third round continued in a similar fashion to the second, and a big right hand rocked Harris halfway through the round. Multiple strikes followed, and the referee put a stop to the contest to prevent Harris from receiving unnecessary damage. After back-to-back defeats against Kevin Holland and Muslim Salikhov, The Argentinian got back to winning ways with a third-round TKO victory.
César Almeida Vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan
The 36-year-old Cesar Almeida went into his fourth fight in just nine months since debuting in the UFC in April last year. His opponent, Alhassan, is three years older, at 39. With time not being on either man’s side, a win in this fight was pivotal for both men if they want to have some longevity within the UFC.
Alhassan began the fight well and landed a big right hand on Almeida, sending him to the canvas. Alhassan tried to apply pressure to finish the fight early, but the rocky Almeida weathered the storm before managing to return to his feet. Alhassan continued to seek a quick stoppage and, in the process, ate a left hook in what was a brutal knockout. It was going so well for Alhassan up until that point, but as we all know, anything can happen in this sport, and the unpredictable nature is why so many of us love it. Almeida received a $50k bonus for his knockout, and given his age and recent activity, don’t be surprised if we see him compete in the middleweight division again sometime soon.
Chris Curtis Vs. Roman Kopylov
Curtis had early success with his jab and landed some nice combinations to the body of Kopylov. The Russian responded with his own, and the kickboxer had success with landing some crisp kicks to the lower half of Curtis’ body. The first round was very close, and it was about to heat up in the second.
As the next round began, Curtis wobbled his opponent with an uppercut following a nice combination. Recognizing the danger he was in. Kopylov did a great job preventing Curtis from closing the distance too much and was able to land some effective counters against the American. The pair then clinched, and as they broke away, bleeding could be seen coming from Kopylov’s eye, which was the result of a clean elbow. It didn’t seem to affect him, and the pair continued the high-paced action. It was a great fight as we entered the third round, one which would be close to call thus far.
Curtis continued to be the main aggressor, looking to cause further damage to Kopylov’s nasty gash. The kickboxer, Kopylov, continued to target the lower body of his opponent by utilizing his kickboxing. He then switched it up and went for Curtis’ head and landed a flush head kick, which sent Curtis to the canvas. With just one second left of the round remaining, the official ended the fight, much to the dismay of Curtis, who felt he could continue, especially as the round was about to finish. Following the bout, Curtis announced his intention to return to the welterweight division, a weight class more suited to his size.
Christian Rodriguez Vs. Austin Bashi
It was a rather timid start to the fight as Bashi attempted many takedowns but struggled securing them. Rodriguez, aiming to keep the fight standing, was successful with his wishes and asserted dominace in the stand up exchanges.
After failing to take the fight to the ground in the first round, Bashi had more success in the second and managed to secure side control, however he wasn’t able to assert much dominance or cause any significant damage to his opponent. Rodrigue didn’t have too much difficulty getting back to his feet and was able to land hard knees in the clinch position.
Head kicks became the story of the third round as Rodriguez capitalized on the tiring Bashi, who struggled to make as many attempts at getting the fight to the ground compared to the previous two rounds. The third round was a dominant one for ”CeeRod”, and the judges saw it the same way, too, awarding him the fight on points (29-28 x3.)
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