Sijara Eubanks didn’t get to fight for the UFC women’s flyweight title in December, but the Ultimate Fighter 26 finalist made a strong move toward that goal in UFC Fight Night prelim action at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica on Friday, winning a three-round unanimous decision over Lauren Murphy.
Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for the No. 2-ranked Eubanks, now 4-2. The No. 3-ranked Murphy falls to 10-4.
Eubanks got on the board in the second minute of the opening frame, landing a couple right hands before scoring a takedown. Murphy rose quickly and got free, but emerged with a cut over her right eye. Eubanks remained the sharper striker, wrapping up the first round.
Eubanks put Murphy on the deck midway through round two and went to work. Murphy stayed busy from her back with kicks and submission tries, but the BJJ black belt wasn’t having it. Murphy’s work rate was impressive, though, and it kept this bout close.
The pace dipped in the third, but Eubanks still led the striking action, and with a takedown in the closing minute, it cemented the win for “SarJ.”
Swedish lightweight David Teymur moved to 5-0 in the UFC, extending his overall win streak to eight with a clear-cut three-round unanimous decision over Nik Lentz.
Using movement along with fast and accurate strikes, Teymur kept Lentz at bay for three rounds, with Minnesota’s Lentz only able to get close for a takedown twice. During those sequences, fence grabs by Teymur went unpunished, allowing the former Ultimate Fighter competitor to stay upright and get back to his long-range striking, a weapon that carried him to victory.
Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Teymur, who improves to 8-1. Lentz falls to 30-9-2 with 1 NC.
Belal Muhammad didn’t get the finish against late replacement foe Chance Rencountre, but the Chicago welterweight did make it four straight wins, as he scored a dominant three-round unanimous decision over the Oklahoma newcomer.
All three judges scored it 30-27 for Muhammad, now 14-2. Rencountre, who replaced Niko Price on short notice, falls to 12-3.
Controlling the action from start to finish, Muhammad drilled his opponent with leg kicks early, moved his attack upstairs as the bout progressed, and even threw in a couple takedowns on Rencountre, who had no answers for him on this night.
Rochester’s Desmond Green snapped a two-fight losing streak at home in upstate New York, taking a near-shutout decision over veteran lightweight Gleison Tibau.
Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-27 for Green, now 21-7. Tibau falls to 40-14.
Keeping it standing throughout, Green pumped his jab into Tibau’s face throughout, and his speed and movement kept Tibau from closing the distance and implementing his grappling attack. Late in the third, Green had Tibau wobbling thanks to some hard shots upstairs, but the gritty Brazilian held on and made it to the final horn.
British newcomer Nathaniel Wood earned his first UFC win in style, submitting veteran Johnny Eduardo in the second round.
With Wood willing to stand in the pocket with Eduardo, the Brazilian repeatedly tagged the newcomer, bloodying his nose with his accurate strikes. Wood got in his share of shots, but not enough to take the round from Eduardo.
Surprisingly, Eduardo looked to take the fight to the mat in round two, but as Wood turned back his opponent’s takedown attempt, he slipped in a D’Arce choke that forced Eduardo to tap out at 2:18 of the second frame.
With the win, London’s Wood moves to 14-3. Rio de Janeiro’s Eduardo falls to 28-12.
Highly-touted flyweight Jose “Shorty” Torres picked up a stoppage win over Jarred Brooks in his UFC debut, an ending punctuated by a slam from Brooks gone wrong in the second frame.
Torres looked sharp as the fight began, but a spinning back fist from Brooks put the momentum in his court, and he took control from the front choke position on the mat. Torres found his way upright midway through the round, but Brooks’ striking remained sharp and it set up a takedown. The Detroit product took Torres’ back as the Chicagoan stood up, and he remained there until the horn.
Torres worked his way back into the fight in the second round, but when Brooks attempted to make something happen with a big slam, he wound up knocking himself out when the two hit the mat. Follow-up strikes from Torres brought in referee Dan Miragliotta to stop the fight at 2:55 of round two.
Torres moves to 8-0 with the win. Brooks falls to 13-2.
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