Edson Barboza dominates Dan Hooker on the feet, finishes him in third
Lightweight Edson Barboza (20-6) snapped out of a two-fight losing skid in impressive fashion, as he finished off Dan Hooker (17-8) with strikes at 2:19 of the third round.
Barboza absolutely lit up Hooker on the feet, landing spinning back kicks to the liver, powerful jabs and low leg kicks. Hooker could barely put any weight on his lead leg by the second round, but when he tried to push forward to close the distance, Barboza opened up with knees and elbows in the clinch.
Hooker, of New Zealand, won the crowd and the fans at home over, though, by continuing to march forward. He finally went down in the middle of the third, after Barboza landed a hard hook to the body. At that point, Barboza was basically landing anything he wanted.
It was a much-needed result for Barboza, who was coming off back-to-back losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Kevin Lee.
“He is one of the best in the world,” Barboza said of Hooker. “There are four guys in front of me, and I am back. Be ready guys. I train with the best team in the world, [American Top Team]. I am very happy.”
Font spoils Pettis’ return to bantamweight
Boston’s Rob Font (16-4) couldn’t secure a finish, but he soundly defeated former flyweight Sergio Pettis (17-5) over the course of 15 minutes.
Font used his length and speed on the outside to land the jab, and he followed it up frequently with the right hand. Pettis, 25, made adjustments in the second round, but Font clearly did not respect his power and continued to walk him down as the fight wore on.
Pettis also struggled to stay off his back, especially in the later rounds. It was a tough result for Pettis, who elected to move up to 135 pounds following a key loss at 125 pounds to Jussier Formiga in October. A Milwaukee native, Pettis was also fighting at home. Font improves to 6-3 overall in the UFC.
“He had real good wrist control, so I couldn’t get much work off [on the ground],” Font said. “I got my job going, but he was a lot slicker with head movement and footwork than I thought. I didn’t get the finish, but I got the ‘W’ and ring time. I’m happy with the performance.”
Oliveira makes quick work of Miller
Brazilian lightweight Charles Oliveira (25-8) avenged the first loss of his professional career, tapping out Jim Miller (29-13) via rear-naked choke at 1:15 of the first round.
In a rematch of a bout that took place in 2010, Oliveira quickly took Miller to the floor with a slam and transitioned to the back. Miller tried to fight off the choke, but the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt sunk in his 12th win by submission in the UFC, which is the most in company history.
Afterward, Oliveira said he wants to move back down to 145 pounds to challenge defending champion Max Holloway.
“Featherweight is my division,” Oliveira said through a translator. “Max Holloway, you can come. I’ll get you.”
Miller, 35, has now lost five of his past six. He holds the UFC record for most appearances in the Octagon with 31.
Zak Ottow defeats Dwight Grant by split decision
Welterweight Zak Ottow (17-6) pulled off the split decision upset over Dwight Grant (8-2) at UFC Fight Night in Milwaukee. It felt like it was Grant’s fight to lose, but he struggled to find a rhythm on the feet and looked hesitant at times. Going into the final round, Ottow’s coaches told him that he was probably down on the judges’ scorecards. He ended up winning a close decision on short notice.
Drakkar Klose defeats Bobby Green by unanimous decision
Lightweight Drakkar Klose (10-1-1) sneaked a close decision past Bobby Green (24-9-1) at UFC Fight Night in Milwaukee. All three judges scored it for Klose 29-28. Green wrestled Klose to the ground in the second round and landed some good counter punches and leg kicks throughout, but Klose was more active and consistent on the feet. That’s a 4-1 record in the UFC now for Klose, who trains with former lightweight champion Benson Henderson.
Joaquim Silva defeats Jared Gordon by third-round KO
Joaquim Silva was trailing much of the fight but landed a set of punches in the third round that knocked Jared Gordon out cold. The win moves Silva to 11-1 as a professional, 4-1 in the UFC. Gordon is now 14-3 overall. He has dropped his past two fights.
— Greg Rosenstein
Jack Hermansson defeats Gerald Meerschaert by first-round submission
Jack Hermansson dominated Gerald Meerschaert from the start, earning the first-round submission victory via guillotine choke. Hermansson took Meerschaert down to the mat early and rained down strikes from top position throughout. He later was able to get Meerschaert’s neck for the finish. He has won four of his past five bouts.
— Greg Rosenstein
Zak Cummings defeats Trevor Smith by unanimous decision
Zak Cummings defeated Trevor Smith by unanimous decision in a close right on Saturday night. Cummings and Smith both traded shots throughout, but Cummings left with this hand raised. Cummings has now won three of his past four bouts and improves to 22-6.
— Greg Rosenstein
Dan Ige defeats Jordan Griffin by unanimous decision
Dan Ige defeated Jordan Griffin by unanimous decision (29-28 for all three judges) on Saturday in Milwaukee. Ige clearly won the first and third rounds, taking Griffin down to the mat and using ground-and-pound. Ige improves to 10-2 in his professional career, while Griffin falls to 17-6.
— Greg Rosenstein
Mike Rodriguez defeats Adam Milstead by first-round TKO
Rodriguez landed vicious knees to the body of Milstead midway through the first round, leading to his TKO victory. He improves to 10-3 overall, victorious in four of his past five bouts. Milstead drops to 8-3 overall.
— Greg Rosenstein
Juan Adams defeats Chris de la Rocha by third-round TKO
Adams defeated De La Rocha by third-round TKO on Saturday in Milwaukee. Adams dominated from the start, landing a multitude of strikes on the feet and utilizing ground-and-pound in the second round. He moves to 5-0 overall. De La Rocha has lost 3 of 4.
— Greg Rosenstein