Refresh the page for live UFC on FOX results of tonight’s preliminary UFC on FOX 19 card.
The UFC will touch down in Tampa, Florida for a night full of action free on FOX. We had our fun with the Fight Pass segment and now we’re on to the prelims which will be live on FOX – free for all to see. These prelims are headlined by a very important bout in the lightweight division between two guys on the verge of breaking through; Michael Chiesa and Beneil Dariush will battle to be the next promising contender. Be sure to refresh the page as I’ll be updating you with UFC on FOX results as they happen. And of course, be sure to check out the GMS forum to discuss all the latest MMA news as well as other discussions. UFC on FOX results:
Michael Graves chokes out Randy Brown
Graves technically dismantled Randy Brown via superior grappling skills as he secured the RNC in round two. Graves found himself in a bit of trouble in round one as a big right hand from Graves had him hurt, but positioning in the clinch and on the ground led Graves to grind down the gas tank and will of Brown. Graves put Brown on the mat several times, but couldn’t quite establish much success until the second round. Graves passed guard, and found himself on the back of Randy Brown where he opened the choke opportunity up with a few hammerfists. It was a masterful performance by Michael Graves who moves to 2-0 in the UFC after winning season 21 of the Ultimate Fighter.
Santiago Ponzinibbio Blasts Court McGee for First Round Finish
In a battle of momentum, Court set a fast and furious pace with a busy left jab, switch kicks to the body, and a steady cross. Court pressed Ponzinibbio and it looked like early on that Ponzinibbio was having trouble dealing with the pressure. However, Ponzinibbio slowly began to find the timing for his own right cross and powerful leg kicks. Ponzinibbio started slipping and countering with pin-point shots; eventually, a right hand dropped Court McGee. Ponzinibbio then poured it on against a turtled Court McGee and uncorked a barrage of crisp punches and kicks to force the stoppage.
For as long as it lasted, this match up was pure entertainment. Ponzinibbio may have had a hard time settling in to the rhythm of the fight, but once he did he showed that his striking is some of the best. He was crisp with his shot selection, and showed improved defense from his previous fights.
Raquel Pennington Edges Bethe Correira with Split Decision Victory
“Rocky” Pennington and Bethe Correira engaged in 15-minutes of back-and-forth action. Early on, Pennington gave Correira troubles with some slicker movement and different looks. However, Correira slowly began to lure Pennington into closer-range exchanges where she was able to let her hands go and land to pretty good extent. Pennington had a more diversified offensive game as she mixed in knees to the body and elbows in the clinch. While Correira had more volume, the judges sided with Pennington as she stayed competitive in every position. It was a very close fight, and an entertaining one, but “Rocky” Pennington takes the hard-earned split decision.
Pennington moves one step closer to the top of the bantamweight division, and with the amount of title changes going on, I think we could see Pennington against a real top contender for her next fight. As for Correira, she was last seen getting KO’d by Ronda Rousey – I don’t think this loss knocks her back that much. She looked solid and had much improved mechanics, but unfortunately couldn’t walk away with the decision.
Michael Chiesa Taps Out Beneil Dariush
Wow! An absolutely sensational rear-naked choke elicited the tap out from Beneil Dariush in round two. Early on in the fight, Dariush came out as the much sharper striker. He planted multiple left hands over the shoulder of Chiesa, and also damaged the legs with brutal leg kicks. However, Dariush failed to get anything going in the clinch or with his takedown attempts. Chiesa proved too big and utilized leverage perfectly to avoid a few deep takedown attempts. Ultimately, Chiesa used a lateral throw in the second round to get Dariush down. From there, Chiesa immediately took the back. It wasn’t long before Chiesa locked up the rear-naked choke. Without the arm under the chin, Chiesa showed off the power of his squeeze by forcing the tapout anyways.
Absolutely incredible finish by Michael Chiesa who is turning into one of the fastest rising contenders in the stacked lightweight division. While his striking technique seems to be the weakest element of his game, his size and strength accentuates his clinch game and of course his knack for finding the rear-naked choke is exceptional. In his post-fight interview, Chiesa called out Tony Ferguson – I would love to see that fight next.
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