Read on for UFC Fight Night prelim results...
SAGGO vs SILVA
Lightweight prospect Jason Saggo scored an important victory at TD Place Arena in Ottawa Saturday night, as he took a split decision over Brazil’s Leandro Silva.
Scores were 29-28 twice and 28-29 for Prince Edward Island’s Saggo, now 12-2; Sao Paulo’s Silva falls to 19-3-1 with 1 NC.
The first two rounds were competitive, Saggo taking the first thanks to his ground game and Silva likely earning the second on the feet, where he landed the crisper strikes upstairs and downstairs.
A fight broke out in the second minute of the third, both fighters scoring with solid strikes, but Saggo holding the edge. A late surge by Silva made it interesting, as he caught a Saggo kick and worked his ground-and-pound in the closing moments, but when the verdict was read, it was in the Canadian’s favor.
More from Fight Night Ottawa: Results | Post-fight bonus recap | Thompson wins technical battle vs MacDonald | Cowboy wins co-main; Bosse claims thriller | Saggo, Jotko, Soto among winners in Ottawa prelims | Theodorou, Markos nab early wins | Octagon interviews: Stephen Thompson and Rory MacDonald, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Steve Bosse | Backstage interviews: Stephen Thompson, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Joanne Calderwood | FIGHT PASS customers: Watch the early prelims on demand | Best pics from Fight Night
CIRKUNOV vs. CUTELABA
Light heavyweight up and comer Misha Cirkunov continued to impress, as he finished his third consecutive UFC bout, this one via submission over newcomer Ion Cutelaba of Moldova.
Both fighters let loose with power shots as soon as the bout began, and the crowd loved it. Cutelaba ate the first big shot of the night, a left to the head, but a right hand put Cirkunov down a minute in for a flash knockdown. Cirkunov kept firing off left hands and he was landing them, Cutelaba showing an iron chin. And while the bombs kept coming, both men made it to the end of the round.
The pace settled down in the second, and that allowed Cirkunov to pull ahead as he walked Cutelaba into shots and controlled matters at close range. In the third, the Toronto product turned up the heat, landing with a Superman punch before putting Cutelaba on his back. There, it was game over, as Cirkunov sunk in an arm triangle choke that produced a tap out at 1:22 of the final round.
Cirkunov moves to 12-2 with the win; Chisinau’s Cutelaba falls to 11-2 with 1 NC.
JOTKO vs. McCRORY
The fourth consecutive win of Polish middleweight Krzysztof Jotko was his biggest to date, as he scored a spectacular first-round knockout of Tamdan McCrory.
After a brief feeling out process, both fighters engaged, Jotko landing flush with a left to the head. McCrory hit the deck and two follow-up hammerfists ended the bout, with referee Yves Lavigne stopping the bout at the 59-second mark.
Orneta’s Jotko improves to 18-1; Binghamton, New York’s McCrory falls to 14-4.
SOTO vs. BEAL
Joe Soto showed his veteran experience in his all-California meeting with Chris Beal, scoring a come from behind submission win in bantamweight action.
Beal looked great in the first round and a half, as he fired off punch combinations while avoiding all of Soto’s takedown attempts. But midway through round two, Soto began scoring with his own punches, and he put the tiring Beal in trouble when he took him to the mat late in the frame.
In the third, it looked like Beal was getting back into his striking rhythm, but once Soto found his opening, he took it, grounding Beal and sinking in the rear naked choke that ended the bout at 3:39 of the final round.
Porterville’s Soto moves to 16-5 with the win, his first in four UFC tries. Ventura’s Beal falls to 10-3.
