Neil Magny stepped up once again as an injury replacement on short notice for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 78 event, and he scored his ninth win in less than two years in a very good fight against Kelvin Gastelum.
Magny impressed early and often in the fight, keeping Gastelum at bay with his range strikes, then showcasing some impressive grappling against the talented wrestler. The back and forth ground exchanges saw Magny get the edge for much of it, taking Gastelum’s back several times and attempting to attack for submissions. Still, Gastelum’s defense was sound, and he continued to work out of bad spots time and again.
Things were going fairly smooth for Magny, even in a close third round, but that changed in round four. Gastelum cracked Magny with a right hand that sent him to the ground, and after Magny eventually worked back to his feet, he dropped him once again. He failed to stop the bout, but finished strong in the final round as well. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for two of the judges, who awarded the bout to Magny by split decision.
In other action on the card, Ricardo Lamas scored a one-sided win over Diego Sanchez, busting up Sanchez’s leg and bloodying him up through much of their 15 minute bout for a unanimous decision win. Additionally, Henry Cejudo scored another big win in his flyweight campaign, out-working Jussier Formiga with an impressive striking and clinch attack.
[Photo (c) Ron Chenoy via USA Today Sports]
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