Alexander Gustafsson knocked out Matt Hamill in the second round of their UFC 133 bout. Gustafsson used a straight left and uppercut to drop Hamill, then ended it with ground and pound. Chad Mendes continued his march toward a title shot with a unanimous decision over Rani Yahya. Mendes won every round on the scorecards and stated his case for a bout with Featherweight champion Jose Aldo.
Alexander Gustafsson knocked out Matt Hamill in the second round of their UFC 133 fight Saturday night in Philadelphia.
Hamill landed a left hand in the opening seconds of the fight that appeared to bother Gustafsson, and he began bleeding from a cut near his right eye later in the round.
Gustafsson was too fast for Hamill all fight long, however. His footwork appeared to baffle Hamill, and Gustafson landed several solid punches from unusual angles.
In the second round, Gustafsson opened up with head kicks that, while not landing solidly, kept Hamill at bay. A flurry of punches set up a head kick near the middle of the round and backed Hamill up.
Hamill was an injury replacement for Vladimir Matysshenko, and he appeared to tire as the round wore on.
A pair of head kicks from Gustafsson set up the ending. Hamill backed toward the cage, wary of another kick, and Gustafsson threw a straight left down the middle that stunned him.
A pair of uppercuts dropped Hamill to the mat, and Gustafsson swarmed him with punches and elbows. After several seconds of punishment, referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in to end the fight at 3:34 of the second round.
Hamill suffered his second career knockout loss and first since 2008. He has now lost two in a row, and his record drops to 10-4.
Gustafsson recorded his eighth career knockout and first since November, 2009. His record stands at 12-1.
Chad Mendes continued his march toward a title shot with a unanimous decision victory over Rani Yahya.
Mendes had to overcome an injured hand midway through the fight. “I felt it pop,“ he said. “That makes it hard to win a fight.“
After spending much of the first round feeling each other out, Mendes lifted and dropped Yahya for a takedown. He didn’t follow the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu master the mat, however, instead opting to land a looping left hand as Yahya got back to his feet.
In the second round Mendes added two more takedowns, spending slightly more time in Yahya’s guard as his hand made it tougher to throw punches. A right hand late in the round buckled Yahya’s legs.
Much of the third round was spent in Yahya’s guard as Mendes recorded three takedowns in the round and controlled from top position. Yahya never really came close to sinking in a submission hold and really only attempted one.
All three judges scored the bout a 30-27 shutout for Mendes, matching AHN’s unofficial scorecard.
The undefeated Mendes won for the 11th straight time. Yahya lost for the third time in four fights and fell to 16-7.
UFC president Dana White fell short of promising Mendes a shot against Featherweight champion Jose Aldo if he won Saturday night, but the win certainly kept him near the top of the rankings in the division.
Ivan Menjivar won a unanimous decision over Nick Pace, 29-28 on all three scorecards. Menjivar nearly got choked out in the first round as Pace caught him in a standing rear naked choke. Menjivar worked his way out and took the final two rounds on the scorecards with punches and knees.
A pair of huge knees by Pace had Menjivar on the run in the final minute, but it wasn’t enough to sway the judges to score the round in his favor.
Menjivar won his second straight and is 23-8. Pace lost for the second time in three fights and stands at 6-2.
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