K. Rodrigues lands a spinning punch on C. Vergara. Photo: Reproduction/Twitter @ufc
In his first fight as an Ultimate athlete, Kleydson Rodrigues showed personality, but did not achieve the dreamed victory in the UFC 274, held this Saturday (7), in Phoenix (USA). Opponent of CJ Vergara on the preliminary card, the flyweight (up to 56,7g) had good moments, but failed to convince the majority of judges after three rounds of fighting. After 15 minutes, the North American was declared the winner in a split decision.
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Revealed by 'Dana White's Contender Series', Kleydson, 26 years old, ended up suffering his second defeat as a professional in MMA. Before this weekend's clash, the representative of 'Team Nogueira' had accumulated six consecutive victories.
Promise of the division led by Deiveson, Vergara breathes a sigh of relief. With the victory, the athlete managed to win his first in the organization. In his debut, the fighter had been surpassed by Ode Osbourne.
The fight
The confrontation began with the Brazilian taking the initiative with a low kick, followed by a cross. Vergara responded with a cross, which landed squarely in Kleydson's face. The combat had aggressive tones, with the fighters measuring strength close to the center of the octagon. Rodrigues continued to focus on attacks on his opponent's base, but CJ continued to move forward and sought to pressure the Tupiniquim against the bars. After just over a minute of fighting, the Brazilian took advantage of his opponent's oversight and landed a great takedown. Vergara tried hard and managed to stay on her feet. The Amapá native, however, did not let go of his rival. Almost halfway through the fight, CJ managed to free himself and the duel was fought again in the center of the octagon. The clash took place with great technique presented by the athletes in their striking. When the Brazilian attacked, the North American didn't leave him unanswered. In the final seconds, Kleydson launched a shot from the waistline, but there was no more time.
In the second stage, Vergara connected with a kick at Kleydson's waistline, which forced the Brazilian to walk backwards. Taking advantage of the good moment, the North American went up and managed to take the fight to the ground. From below, the Brazilian tried to prevent his opponent's transitions, but the scenario was tense. With almost two minutes of competition, the advantage went to Vergara, who punished the Tupiniquim with ground and pound. Pressed against the bars, Rodrigues found no space to get up, and was the victim of his opponent's attacks. With just over a minute to go, CJ remained in a dominant position, while the Amapá native was just protecting himself. In the final seconds, Vergara got the mount, got to the back, but Rodrigues managed a beautiful reversal. The Brazilian got to his feet and started attacking his opponent in exchanges. The public applauded the fighters' performance, but the timer ran to zero.
The decisive round began with Vergara walking forward, throwing kicks and jabs. The Brazilian responded with a round punch, which went empty. With just over a minute, Kleydson connected with a straight right, which exploded in his opponent's face, but CJ continued to walk towards the Amapá native. After almost two minutes, Rodrigues surprised and tried a calf lock. On the ground, the situation was dramatic for Vergara, who tried to free herself. Near the final minute, CJ managed to get out of position and the match was fought again on the feet. The fighters began to engage in frank exchanges and even though they seemed tired, they continued to launch attacks. The fight ended with the Brazilian pressing his opponent against the bars.
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UFC 274 results
MAIN CARD (23 p.m. Brasília time)
Lightweight: Charles of the Bronx derrotou Justin gaethje via submission (rear naked choke) at 3m22s of R1
Straw weight: Carla esparza derrotou Rose namajunas in the judges' split decision (47-48, 49-46, 48-47) – Fight for the belt
Lightweight: Michael chandler derrotou Tony Ferguson by knockout (kick) at 17s of R2
Light heavyweight: Ovince St-Preux defeated Mauritius Shogun in the judges' split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Welterweight Weight: Randy Brown derrotou Khaos Williams in the judges' split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
PRELIMINARY CARD (18:30 p.m., Brasília time)
Welterweight Weight: Francisco Massaranduba derrotou Danny Roberts in the unanimous decision of the judges (30-26, 30-27, 29-28)
Feather weight: Macy chiasson derrotou Norm Dumont in the judges' split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
Fly weight: Brandon royval finished Matt schnell with a guillotine 2m14s from R1
Heavyweight: Blagoy Ivanov derrotou Marcos Foot in the unanimous decision of the judges (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Average weight: André Fialho derrotou Cameron VanCamp by knockout (punches) at 2m35s of R1
Fly weight: Tracy Cortez derrotou Melissa Gatto in the unanimous decision of the judges (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Fly weight: CJ Vergara derrotou Kleydson Rodrigues in the judges' split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Straw weight: Lupita Godinez derrotou Ariane Sorriso in the unanimous decision of the judges (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Bantamweight: JourneyNewson derrotou Fernie Garcia in the unanimous decision of the judges (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
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