UFC 241 prelims: Sandhagen shines, Worthy shocks Devonte Smith

Cory-Sandhagen-kimura-attempt

Cory Sandhagen, upside down, attempts a kimura submission during a UFC bantamweight fight. (Frank Franklin II/AP)

Octagon newcomer Khama Worthy was the biggest betting underdog heading into UFC 241, which must’ve made victory that much sweeter for the 32-year-old MMA journeyman.

Worthy was able to pull off the upset over highly-touted lightweight prospect Devonte Smith in the featured preliminary bout Saturday night at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Worthy, whose +650 win marked the biggest upset in the UFC so far in 2019, caught Smith with a counter-left hand early in the first round that put out the lights.

Smith (10-2) had a six-fight winning streak snapped, while Worthy (15-6) is now on a six-fight winning streak of his own.

In other preliminary action, Cory Sandhagen vaulted himself into bantamweight title contention thanks to his dismantling of respected veteran Raphael Assuncao.

Sandhagen, a 27-year-old who carries with him no shortage of confidence, improved to 12-0 in mixed martial arts and 5-0 under the UFC banner.

Assuncao was ranked as the No. 3 contender at 135 pounds prior to the bout, while Sandhagen was ranked at No. 9.

Also, lightweights Drakkar Klose and Christos Giagos put on quite the show over three high-paced rounds with Klose walking away with the decision victory.


Below are the official UFC 241 preliminary card results:

— Khama Worthy def. Devonte Smith by technical knockout
— Cory Sandhagen def. Raphael Assuncao by unanimous decision
— Drakkar Klose def. Christos Giagos by unanimous decision
— Casey Kenney def. Manny Bermudez by unanimous decision
— Hannah Cifers def. Jodie Esquibel by unanimous decision
— Kyung Ho Kang def. Brandon Davis by split decision
— Sabina Mazo def. Shana Dobson by unanimous decision

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