UFC on FOX: Lee vs. Iaquinta 2
December 15, 2018
Milwaukee, WI from Fiserv Forum
Live on UFC Fight Pass (4 PM ET), Fox Sports 1 (5 PM ET) and FOX (8 PM ET)
Fight Pass Prelims
Chris De La Rocha vs. Juan Adams (Heavyweight/265)
Favorite: Juan Adams -500
Round 1: De La Rocha is landing early with his jab. Adams is trying to chase him down, but De La Rocha is avoiding most of the shots He is busted open near his left eye though. Adams is moving forward and landing, De La Rocha cracks him though and Adams shoots in and completes a takedown. Adams appears to be the far superior grappler so far. Adams is in half guard and looking to move into side control, but De La Rocha is trying to hold the leg. Adams is landing shots any time he creates space which is often because De La Rocha isn’t doing anything to control the posture. De La Rocha is scrambling but Adams is moving with him. De La Rocha sweeps and he’s looking for a heel hook, but Adams is landing shots. De La Rocha creates a scramble and gets back to his feet just as the round ends. (10-9 Adams) Good round with lots of action. Adams is clearly the superior fighter, but De La Rocha is staying in it.
Round 2: This is the first time Adams has ever seen the second round. De La Rocha lands first with a right but Adams chases and lands a few shots. De Le Rocha scores with a trip though and Adams is down. He’s up but De La Rocha is keeping the pressure on him against the cage. De Le Rocha lands a solid right hand, but Adams returns an uppercut! They both appear to be exhausted as they grapple for position against the cage. Adams is landing some hard shots to the body. The ref separated them for some reason and we are back in the center. Adams was working so that separation was a bit strange. Neither guy has his hands up at this point, both guys are taking deep breathes. De La Rocha throws a few wild shots, but none land. Adams has a front headlock and pulls De La Rocha to the mat. Adams is now in top position working from half guard, he has just under a minute left to work in the round. Adams is just butchering De La Rocha at this point; his face is an absolute mess. (10-9 Adams) Fun round but very sloppy and both guys are exhausted.
Round 3: De La Rocha’s left eye is a mess and he is having a hard time keeping his hands up. He scores with a left hand, but Adams returns a kick to the body. It seems like Adams is one burst away from winning this fight. He moves in with a shot to the body, De La Rocha is covering up and Adams is landing repeatedly! This fight is over!
Result: Juan Adams def. Chris De La Rocha TKO (Punches) Round 3, 0:58
Analysis: Chris De La Rocha is a tough guy, but he just didn’t have the tools or the athletic ability to hang with Juan Adams. Adams had a very good and honest post fight speech where he spoke about his pre-fight nerves among other things. He could be a guy to watch in the heavyweight division.
Adam Milstead vs. Mike Rodriguez (Light-heavyweight/205)
Favorite: Adam Milstead -135
Round 1: They are trading and landing early. Both guys landed with hooks and uppercuts in the first exchange. Rodriguez scores with a right hand and Milstead is down! Rodriguez follows him down and drops into his guard! Rodriguez is landing but Milstead sweeps! Rodriguez reverses the sweep though and he’s right back in Milstead’s guard. Milstead escapes and we are back in the center. Rodriguez lands a left hand and Milstead may have been rocked there. Rodriguez lands a front kick to the body that pushes Milstead against the fence. Milstead connects with a knee to the body and Milstead is down and in the turtle position. Rodriguez is landing right hands from the half back mount position and this fight is over!
Result: Mike Rodriguez def. Adam Milstead via TKO (Knee and Punches) Round 1, 2:59
Analysis: Both guys came to fight but Rodriguez was quicker and more powerful. Milstead did well defending early on even when he was hurt but Rodriguez was just relentless in seeking the finish.
FS1 Prelims
Dan Ige vs. Jordan Griffin (Featherweight/145)
Favorite: -175
Round 1: Ige scores with a takedown early in the round and moves into the mount position. Griffin is busted open and Ige is landing lots of shots here. Griffin rolls and gives up his back! Ige is looking for a choke and he’s landing shots in the process. Griffin escapes out of the back door though and he has the neck of Dan Ige! Ige is trying to trip Griffin to alleviate the pressure. Ige completes the trip and he passes back into mount. Griffin looked like he was in control for a moment there but Ige has recovered and he is back in a dominant position. Griffin gives up his back again and Ige has one hook set as he threatens with the RNC! Griffin is working to get back to his feet but Ige is relentless! Griffin creates some separation though and throws a Headkick! Ige dodges but Griffin is attacking with a flurry of strikes just as the round ends! (10-9 Ige)
Round 2: Ige drives in with a double leg and completes it. He passes into side control and he is landing elbows and punches. Griffin turtles and traps a leg in the process. Ige drops backwards into a sort of crucifix position but Griffin scrambles and takes the back of Dan Ige! He has the neck but Ige escapes and recovers guard. Griffin is landing some dangerous shots from the top position! Ige is starting to look like he’s breaking here. Just as I say that he lands a series of up kicks, good stuff there. Griffin is leaving himself in a dangerous position here, he is in top control but Ige is threatening with up kicks and a triangle. Ige spins for a knee bar but Griffin defends and winds up in side control. (10-9 Griffin) Total 180 from the first round to the second. I don’t know if Ige is tired or if Griffin is just waking up the third round should decide the fight.
Round 3: Ige is attacking the body early with uppercuts. Griffin lands a straight left, but it didn’t have much behind it. Both guys are looking tired here with three minutes left in the round. Ige shoots for a takedown but Griffin is defending with the aid of the defense. Ige secures the hands though and completes the takedown. Ige has struggled to maintain the top position during this fight but he is in a good position here. Ige is mostly controlling here and not trying to pass. Griffin is looking to get up and does just that. Ige drops for an ankle pick but they end up in a weird position on the ground, neither guy is dominant, both guys are looking for something. Ige has a body lock, Griffin rolls but Ige stays with him and ends up in mount. (10-9 Ige) (29-28 Ige)
Result: Dan Ige def. Jordan Griffin via Unanimous Decision
Analysis: Good back and forth fight but it was the heart of Dan Ige in the third round that won him the fight. He was the better grappler for the most part and he was able to control Griffin on the ground and avoid any damage on the feet.
Zak Cummings vs. Trevor Smith (Middleweight/185)
Favorite: Zak Cummings -275
Round 1: Both guys are aggressive early, and both are landing shots. Cummings is bleeding near his left eye. Smith lands with a left hook and then a right straight. Cummings is fighting like Keith Jardine right now, lots of movement in all directions. Cummings just misses with a head kick. Smith is countering with a left hook every time Cummings moves in. Cummings returns fire with a straight right, but he just seems a little out of balance right now. Cummings drops for a takedown, but Smith caught him with a knee as he did so. Smith pushes through and nearly completes the takedown, but Smith uses the fence to stay up. (10-9 Smith) Smith is sharper, quicker and more powerful. Cummings can’t seem to get his feet underneath him, he looks sloppy, and he can’t figure out how to avoid the counter left hand.
Round 2: Cummings throws a low kick early and again Smith lands the counter left. Cummings is throwing looping punches and with a speed disadvantage he just isn’t getting there. Just as I say that he connects with a counter left hand! Cummings again connects with a left hook. Smith rushes in with a right hook of his own! Smith misses with a left and Cummings connects with a right hook. Cummings connects again, this time with a left hand. They are trading in the center with thirty seconds left in the round. Smith is pushing forward, and Cummings isn’t adjusting well to the movement. (10-9 Smith) Very sloppy fight but both guys are landing and trying to push forward. Smith is landing a bit more though and he’s probably up two rounds.
Round 3: Cummings trips Smith up with an inside leg kick in the first exchange. Cummings connects with another low kick and follows it up with a counter left hand! Smith is down, and Cummings is on top of him. Cummings drops to his back for some reason and Smith moves into top control. Smith is in half guard and he’s attempting to land shots from there. Cummings is working to get up and gives up his back to do so. Smith takes the back, but Cummings stands up and he’s now looking for a takedown of his own. Cummings gives up on the takedown and lands a left and then a right hand. He shoots in, but Smith grabs the neck and ends up in top position. Cummings sweeps and takes the back, but Smith counters and ends right back up on top. Smith is landing some shots from the top and Cummings could be in trouble here. Cummings reverses the position and he’s looking for a takedown with thirty seconds left in the fight. Smith is tired, and Cummings is attacking the body as the seconds tick away. (10-9 Smith) (30-27 Smith) It was a sloppy fight, but Smith managed to push forward more, and he seemed to land the crisper shots.
Favorite: Zak Cummings def. Trevor Smith via Unanimous Decision
Analysis: Cummings was landing, and the judges apparently liked what he was doing. He was hard to hit at times and he was relentless with the pressure and takedown attempts in the third round and that must have won it for him.
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Jack Hermansson (Middleweight/185)
Favorite: Jack Hermansson -175
Round 1: Hermansson takes Meerschaert down right out of the gate and moves right into mount. Meerschaert recovers half guard but Hermansson is attacking the neck with a guillotine. Meerschaert escapes the position though and briefly gets to his feet. Hermansson takes him right back down though and moves right back into mount. Meerschaert rolls to his stomach and Hermansson is hitting him with some hard shots. Hermansson is landing elbows and punches and Meerschaert might be hurt here. Hermansson is in complete control on the ground here. Meerschaert escapes and pulls guard attempting a guillotine. Hermansson pulls right out though and takes the mount position. Horrible decision but Meerschaert there. Hermansson is landing some hard shots from top position but Meerschaert is surviving. Hermansson has the neck and he has a tight guillotine here! Meerschaert taps! Fantastic performance there by Jack Hermansson! That is the best he has looked the UFC and Gerald Meerschaert is no slouch. That is five wins in six fights for Jack Hermansson.
Result: Jack Hermansson def. Gerald Meerschaert via Submission (Guillotine) Round 1, 4:25
Analysis: As I stated above that is the best that Jack Hermansson has looked so far in the UFC. Post-fight he called out Brad Tavares and Elias Theodorou, or actually he “suggested” them. The man has manners!
Jared Gordon vs. Joaquim Silva (Lightweight/155)
Favorite: Jared Gordon -135
Round 1: Gordon opens up by kicking Silva directly in the face. Silva returns a left kick to the body. Silva is throwing some heavy punches, but Gordon is evading them here in the early part of the first round. Gordon connects with a hard-right hand! Silva is stunned, and Gordon grabs a standing head and arm triangle and drags his opponent down to the mat. Silva is up but Gordon stuns him with a solid knee to the face! Silva circles off the fence but Gordon is rushing him! Gordon lands a right hook and Silva is hurt! Gordon scores with a double leg and plants Silva on his back! Gordon is living up to the “flash” nickname right now. Gordon is landing shots from the top position, but Silva is working to get to his feet. Silva is up but he has taken a beating so far. Silva connects with an overhand right and Gordon is hurt! Gordon shoots in for a takedown, but Silva catches him in a guillotine! Saved by the bell! Wow that was a round. (10-9 Gordon)
Round 2: Gordon avoids some big strikes early and takes Silva down. Gordon is trying to take the back, but Silva is resisting. Gordon smashes Silva’s left hip down in an attempt to pass but Silva recovers guard. Gordon passes into side control and hits Silva with a few hard-left hands. Silva is back on his feet, but Gordon is staying on him. Left hook lands for Silva. Gordon throws a nice combination that ends with a high kick. Gordon ducks and shoots but Silva sprawls and keeps the fight on the feet. Gordon lands a left straight and follows it up right a right. Silva returns an uppercut and shoots for a takedown. Silva takes the back as Gordon is attempting to get back to his feet. Silva grabs Gordons leg from his back and he’s attempting the Aljamain Sterling UFC 128 style kneebar here but Gordon escapes just as the round ends. (10-9 Silva)
Round 3: Gordon is moving on that leg like its damaged. Both guys connect with left hooks at the four-minute mark. Gordon is setting his right straight up with jabs and Silva is letting himself get hit to attempt to land his own hooks. Gordon connects to the body! Gordon shoots for a takedown but Silva stops it and briefly has the neck of Jared Gordon. Back on the feet and Silva is attacking the body with hooks. Silva connects with a left hook and then a right and Jared Gordon is out on his feet! This fight is over! Quite a comeback by Joaquim Silva there! It will be tough to top that for Fight of the night! Both guys deserve a bonus.
Result: Joaquim Silva def. Jared Gordon via KO (Punches) Round 3, 2:39
Analysis: That was a very fun fight that had everything you could want in an MMA fight. Jared Gordon looked like a champion at various points in that fight, but Joaquim Silva just kept it up, weathered the storm, and took Jared Gordon out once he tasted blood. He hits very hard for a lightweight and also showed himself to be skilled on the ground as well. Not that we didn’t already know that but its nice to see him reaffirm it. He admitted post fight that he was hurt in the fist round but recovered and like I stated above he deserves a bonus for that effort. Great stuff by both guys.
Bobby Green vs. Drakkar Klose (Lightweight/155)
Favorite: Drakkar Klose -265
Round 1: Klose opens up with a heavy kick to the body. Green moves in with a right hook, but Klose avoids the punch and briefly secures a clinch. Bobby Green is looking to avoid the ground here. The ref just separated the fighters and warned Klose for holding the glove. Klose lands a right kick to the body as we get back to the action. Hard low kick lands for Klose. He is having some success with his kicks here in this first round. Green rushes in with a flying knee but Klose grabs the leg and tries to drag him down! Green has the neck though and Klose was briefly in trouble before escaping. Klose misses big with a spinning back fist. Green is making himself hard to hit so far aside from those low kicks. We are seeing lots of intermittent clinch fighting but neither guy is able to do much with the other from there so far. (10-9 Klose)
Round 2: We see a bit of a feeling out process to start the second round. Klose moves in for a takedown but Green stops it. Klose moves in for another one, but Green secures a body lock and scores a takedown of his own. Klose recovers half guard from bottom position. Green passes into mount with a slick transition and he’s starting to land some shots on Drakkar Klose. He’s looking for a head and arm triangle but Klose escapes and rolls back to his feet with the aid of the cage. Klose moves in and secures a clinch, he lands a solid knee before Green can find separation. Green targets the body with a jab. Klose moves in for a body lock takedown, may have been going for a German suplex but Green counters and lands in top position. Klose recovers half guard, but Green is landing some shots in the final seconds of the round. (10-9 Green)
Round 3: Green slips early and gets hit a few times before he can recover his footing. Klose clinches and lands a few solid punches before Green can close the distance with an under hook. Back in the center and Green lands an uppercut and follows it up with a straight left. Green connects with another uppercut, but Klose returns a right hand of is own. Green lands a shot to the body and jab to the face. Klose lands a right hand and Green returns a left! Right hand lands for Green as he drops for a takedown! Everything matters at this point in such a close fight. One minute remains in the round and the fight for that matter. Klose causes Green to stumble with a low kick in the final seconds of the fight. The round ends with Bobby Green landing one final combination. Close fight but I think Green did just enough. (10-9 Green) (29-28 Green)
Result: Drakkar Klose def. Bobby Green via Unanimous Decision
Analysis: Drakkar Klose showed some very good cardio and his overall output might have been what won him the fight. He was able to avoid bad situations when Green took him down and while he wasn’t able to find his first UFC finish he still did enough to get the job done.
Zak Ottow vs. Dwight Grant (Welterweight/170)
Favorite: Dwight Grant -300
Round 1: Grant shows his explosiveness early with a series of quick uppercuts. Ottow throws a left hand but Grant counters with more explosive uppercuts! Ottow is just covering up anytime that Grant moves forward. Ottow is favoring a high but he isn’t having any success with it. It seems like those initial uppercuts got into his head a little bit. Ottow connects with a jab and side kick in the final seconds of the round. (10-9 Grant)
Round 2: Ottow is controlling the octagon but he isn’t really throwing any shots. Grant has turned it up a bit, but he seems a bit too willing to let Ottow lead. Ottow lands a kick to the body but Grant quickly moves him backward with the threat of punches. Grant just misses with a left hook but connects with the follow up right. Grant connects with a right hand in the final seconds of the round. Neither guy has a striking accuracy of over 20% right now. (10-9 Grant)
Round 3: Grant is attacking early but Ottow ducks underneath and scores with a sloppy takedown. Grant may have slipped there but it was hard to tell. Grant recovers guard but Ottow quickly passes to half guard. Grant posts up and returns to his feet. Ottow is working for another takedown but Grant grabs the fence drawing a warning from the ref. Ottow maintains control though and he is doing exactly what his coach asked of him in-between rounds. Left hook lands for Grant. Ottow rushes in for a takedown and nearly gets it but Grant is defending. Ottow shoots one final time as the round ends but he can’t complete the takedown. (10-9 Ottow) (29-28 Grant)
Result: Zak Ottow def. Dwight Grant via Split Decision
Analysis: I am not sure about that decision there, but you could make the argument that he won through his cage control. Neither guy landed many strikes and while I scored it for Grant it was Ottow in the third round that started bringing the fight and I guess that was enough to earn him the win. It is what it is though and Ottow wins in his hometown.
FOX Main Card
Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira (Lightweight/155)
Favorite: Charles Oliveira -320
Round 1: These two first fought in 2010. Back then we saw Jim Miller become the first man to defeat Oliveira when he submitted him with a kneebar in the first round. This is the 31st UFC fight for Jim Miller, he extends his own record every time he competes now. Oliveira scores with an early takedown and moves right to Jim Millers back. Oliveira has a rear naked choke and this fight is over. Charles Oliveira just extended his UFC submission record with that victory and submission.
Result: Charles Oliveira def. Jim Miller via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) Round 1, 1:15
Analysis: Well Charles Oliveira had to wait nearly a decade, but he has avenged his first career lost and he managed to do so with a submission. Jim Miller might be on his way out here but perhaps he will get another fight just because of who he is. He has now lost 5 of his last 6 fights.
(10) Rob Font vs. (2/FLW) Sergio Pettis (Bantamweight/135)
Favorite: Rob Font -165
Round 1: Pettis is landing now kicks early on in the round. He seems to be favoring kicks early and I suspect its because he is trying to figure out Font’s reach advantage. Font scores with a right hook! Font is the much bigger man and he is bullying Pettis here so far. Font connects with a hook to the body. Pettis moves in for a takedown but Font counters and trips Pettis down to the mat. Font is landing some big shots and Pettis can’t seem to do much about it so far. Pettis is throwing up kicks, but Font is avoiding them. Petts throws a wild spinning kick as he gets back to his feet that just grazed Rob Font. (10-9 Font)
Round 2: Both guys connect with jabs. Pettis is busted up near both eyes. Pettis lands a straight right but Font counters with a left hook. Pettis is standing in the pocket and trading, but he is giving up so much size here. Pettis lands a solid right hand! Font returns an uppercut as he looks for a body lock. Pettis counters though and trips Font down to the mat. Pettis attacks for a kimura but Font sweeps and attempts a kimura of his own just as the round ends. (10-9 Font) Pettis absolutely needs a finish here. He is getting bullied and his shots just aren’t damaging Font or even slowing him down.
Round 3: Font is landing his jab early. Pettis scores with a low kick but Font returns a right hook and an uppercut! Pettis spins for a wheel kick but can’t find it. Pettis just lost his mouth piece as Font scored with a takedown. Font is working from inside of the guard of Sergio Pettis. Font is looking to pass into half guard, but Pettis is preventing it from happening so far. Font takes the back as Pettis rolls, but he doesn’t have any hooks. Pettis is working to get back to his feet, but Font is still searching for a choke as he attempts to maintain control of the back. One minute remains in the round. Pettis recovers guard but Font is going to escape the round with a clear decision win. (10-9 Font) (30-27 Font)
Result: Rob Font def. Sergio Pettis via Unanimous Decision
Analysis: Sergio Pettis was the smaller man and he just couldn’t over come that. He managed to take everything that Font threw at him, but he had very few of his own opportunities to do much damage. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here because watching the fight it looked like a drop to 125 would serve him best. That might not be an option though. Rob Font remains a top ranked bantamweight after that win and he quest for a title shot moves one step closer.
(5) Edson Barboza vs. (14) Dan Hooker (Bantamweight/135)
Favorite: Dan Hooker -135
Round 1: Right out of the gate it is obvious that Barboza is the quicker man. Hooker moves in with a right hand but Barboza counters with a right hook. Low kick lands for Barboza, he’s landed several of those tonight and it’s starting to show. Left straight connects for Dan Hooker. Another hard-low kick lands for Barboza. Hooker connects again with his left straight. Barboza attacks the inside leg again though and he’s really busting that leg up. Right hand lands for Barboza and Hooker is stunned! Barboza moves in and lands a series of punches! Hooker takes them though and returns a slick right hand. (10-9 Barboza)
Round 2: Barboza looks tired. Hooker scores with a straight right! Hooker takes the fight to the ground and Dan Hooker takes top control! Barboza is looking for an Omoplatta but Hooker is swimming through it. Barboza pushes off and returns to his feet. He lands a shot to the body and follows it up with a switch kick! Barboza lands a left hook and Hooker is in trouble here! Barboza scores with a shot to the body! Hooker is moving forward but Barboza is just ripping into him. Left hook lands for Barboza. Right hook lands for Barboza…Hooker is tough…Left kick to the body lands for Barboza, and he follows it up with a left hook. Dan Hooker is taking a hellacious beating here, Hooker is made of stone. (10-9 Barboza) Hooker is staying in it but he is taking a horrible beating and the doctor is taking a look at him right now. Dan Hooker is saying he wants to fight though, and it looks like they’re going to let him.
Round 3: Barboza opens up with a kick to the lead leg and then the body. Hooker is moving forward with knees, but they aren’t landing. Hooker drops for a takedown but Barboza is using the fence to keep himself up. Barboza scores with a kick to the body and then another and another! Hooker returns a straight right though! Barboza hits him again with a kick to the body! Barboza is attacking the body now with knees! Wow this is a beating. Barboza lands a final punch to the body and Hooker drops. This fight is over. Wow that was a hell of a fight.
Result: Edson Barboza def. Dan Hooker via TKO (Punches) Round 3, 2:19
Analysis: Very one sided. After the Adonis Stevenson fight and the aftermath, it’s a bit hard seeing a guy take a beating like that. Hooker is tough, but he wasn’t in the fight really at any point past the mid-way point of the second round. His corner did not do him any favors in this fight.
(4) Kevin Lee vs. (8) Al Iaquinta (Lightweight/155)
Favorite: Kevin Lee -320 Favorite
Round 1: Iaquinta is looking for a takedown early but Lee is avoiding it. Iaquinta connects with a big spinning back fist off a takedown attempt. Good stuff there. Iaquinta scores with a hard kick to the midsection of Kevin Lee. Lee connects with a kick to the body. He follows it up with a nice right hook. Iaquinta charges forward with a right hand though that grazes Lee. Lee connects with a left jab. He’s starting to get his confidence up it seems. Iaquinta is bleeding beneath his right eye but it isn’t bad yet. Just something to watch. Iaquinta grabs a leg but Lee steps out of it. Low kick lands for Iaquinta. Iaquinta is effectively using his jab and has been through out the entire round. (10-9 Iaquinta) Close round but Iaquinta did just a bit more.
Round 2: Iaquinta connects first with a quick left hand. We’ve seen Kevin Lee switch stances quite a few times tonight and he just did so again. Kevin Lee has a body lock and he is looking for a takedown. He completes it and Iaquinta is down. Lee has a leg trapped and it is allowing him to land some good shots. Lee takes the back and he is looking for a rear naked choke. He has quite a few finishes from this position. Iaquinta is defending but Lee has two minutes left to work. Iaquinta is up but Lee connects with a hard kick to the body. Iaquinta returns a left hand. Iaquinta connects with a hard-left hand as the round ends. (10-9 Lee) Iaquinta looked good in the second part of the round but the takedown by Lee was the most significant moment.
Round 3: Iaquinta is starting to land more counters as the fight progresses. Lee lands a hard kick to the body but Iaquinta is still moving forward. Lee just misses with a hard knee! Iaquinta connects with a solid straight right. He is doing a good job of controlling the fight in this round. Iaquinta moves in for a takedown but Lee avoids it and completes a takedown of his own. Iaquinta hits the fence though and he is looking to get back to his feet. Lee is really struggling for this takedown but Iaquinta is making him work hard for it. Lee lifts Iaquinta up and slams him to the mat! Lee takes the back and he has a body triangle locked in very tight. Iaquinta scrambles though but Lee is threatening with the choke here! He has fifty seconds to get the job done. Iaquinta will survive the round though. (10-9 Lee)
Round 4: Iaquinta lands a hard-right hand! Lee didn’t seem to like it! Iaquinta is stalking and Lee is very wobbly! Iaquinta lands an uppercut! Iaquinta scores with a Headkick! Lee needs to make something happen here! Iaquinta lands a right hook to the body! Lee can’t get off the fence and Iaquinta just nailed him again. Lee connects with a solid kick to the body! Good job by Lee to show that he is still in the fight. Inside low kick lands for Iaquinta. He follows it up with a over hand right. Iaquinta lands one more right hand just as the round ends. (10-9 Iaquinta) It almost feels like Iaquinta let something slip away in that round, but I guess we’ll see.
Round 5: Lee is threatening with a takedown against the fence. Iaquinta is defending well though. Lee is really working for this takedown and he is looking to take the back standing! Iaquinta creates space and separates from Lee and the cage. Iaquinta lands with a straight left but Lee fires back with a right hand of his own! They are trading shots in the center here! 1:40 remains in the round and the fight! Iaquinta stuns Lee with a solid combo! First the body and then the head! Lee is wobbly! Iaquinta is pressuring! Iaquinta lands a hard-right hook with under a minute left in the round! Iaquinta scores with another combo! Lee is in trouble here! Lee is hurt as the round ends! Al Iaquinta pulls it out! Unless the judges were looking at something different this fight appears to be 3-2 for Iaquinta. Great fight. (10-9 Iaquinta) (48-47 Iaquinta)
Result: Al Iaquinta def. Kevin Lee via Unanimous Decision
Analysis: Kevin Lee seems very upset and surprised with the decision, but it was pretty clear. Round 1, 4, and 5 went to Iaquinta and the others went to Lee. Iaquinta is calling for McGregor in his post-fight interview and he’s using the fact that he didn’t tap, and McGregor did as his reasoning. Lee is complimentary in his post-fight speech, but he is clearly devastated. Tough loss for him but he is still young. Iaquinta for his part has solidified himself as a contender in the division.
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