Nuguette got the better of Makdessi at UFC 169. Photo: Reproduction
The first fight of Alan Nuguette in the United States there was a happy ending for the Brazilian. In the fight that closed the preliminary card of UFC 169, in Newark, New Jersey, the X-Gym athlete got the better of John makdessi in the judges' decision after three uneventful rounds, achieving victory despite being the underdog at the bookmakers.
Respecting his opponent's striking skills, Nuguette immediately tried to take the fight to the ground. However, Makdessi thwarted the takedown attempts and managed to keep the fight standing. Encouraged by the Brazilian fans present in the gym, Nuguette tried rotating blows, but did not surprise the Canadian. The Brazilian only managed to take the fight to the ground in the final seconds of the round, although Makdessi quickly got back to his feet.
In the second round, Nuguette decided to accept the fight on the feet in order to distract the Canadian to get the takedowns. The Brazilian even managed to take the fight to the ground, but did not stabilize the position. Thus, the fight returned to striking and remained that way until the end of the round. The Canadian connected more blows, although he clearly avoided letting go to block possible takedown attempts. And so the second round ended, to boos from the crowd.
The last period followed the trend of the previous ten minutes. Nuguette used kicks, although few connected efficiently. When he tried to take the fight to the ground, Makdessi was successful in defending. In the final seconds, the Canadian hunted the Brazilian in the Octagon, who avoided engaging in open exchanges.
In the end, Nuguette won the unanimous decision of the judges, with the fans booing the decision. Thus, the Brazilian maintains his unbeaten record after 12 MMA fights, while Makdessi has broken a streak of three consecutive victories.
New Jersey native Catone beats Watson in warm middleweight fight
The fifth fight of the night pitted middleweights Nick Catone (who has a victory over Costas Philippou) and Tom Watson (who has already beaten Murilo Ninja) face to face. In a well-studied fight, Watson showed effectiveness with his kicks, especially on Catone's thighs, who, in turn, worked better with hand combinations.
Fighting at home, Catone opted for a strategy that consisted of taking Watson to the ground in the final part of the rounds in order to guarantee an advantage in scoring. Even though he wasn't very forceful, his stance was enough for him to guarantee victory in the judges' decision. Catone recovered from a two-fight losing streak, while Watson racked up his second consecutive setback – he had lost to Thales leites in August 2013.
Check out the results of the UFC 169 preliminary card below:
Light weight (up to 70 kg): Alan Nuguette derrotou John makdessi in the unanimous decision of the judges (29 x 28, 29 x 28 and 30 x 27);
Flyweight (up to 57 kg): Chris Cariaso defeated Danny Martinez by unanimous decision (29 x 28, 29 x 28 and 29 x 28);
Middleweight (up to 84 kg): Nick Catone defeated Tom Watson by split decision (29 x 28, 28 x 29 and 30 x 27);
Light weight (up to 70 kg): To the fifth derrotou Kevin Lee in the unanimous decision of the judges (29 x 28, 29 x 28 and 28 x 27);
Middleweight (up to 84 kg): Clint Hester defeated Andy Enz by unanimous decision (30 x 27, 30 x 27 and 30 x 26);
Lightweight (up to 70 kg): Rashid Magomedov defeated Tony Martin by unanimous decision (29 x 28, 29 x 28 and 29 x 28);
Welterweight (up to 77 kg): Neil Magny defeated Gasan Umalatov via unanimous decision (29 x 28, 30 x 27 and 30 x 27).
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