MANCHESTER — The UFC hit the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester, England Saturday for UFC Fight Night 30, and before the highly anticipated middleweight battle between former light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and Mark Munoz there was some great preliminary action.
Team Serra/Longo’s Al Iaquinta, who famously finished as the runner up on The Ultimate Fighter Live, faced well-rounded Polish prospect Piotr Hallman in the featured online preliminary bout.
In the first round, Iaquinta showed the improvements he has made in his striking game as he picked apart Hallman through the round. In the second, Hallman had the better of the opening three minutes but Iaquinta landed a solid strike on the on the incoming Hallman that dropped him and ultimately won Iaquinta the round. Going into the third, this fight was anyone’s for the taking. Iaquinta managed to take his chances and as Hallman began to wane he began to take him down at will.
Winner: Iaquinta via unanimous decision
In the penultimate preliminary bout, six-foot-six Luke Barnatt faced Andrew Craig. After an initial feeling out period both fighters began to get loose with their hands and toward the end of the first round Barnatt caught Craig clean with a barrage of punches and dropped him but failed to capitalize before the end of the round. In the second, Barnatt continued to build on the momentum he earned in the first round and dropped Craig once more before taking him down moments later and securing a rear-naked choke.
Winner: Barnatt via submission (rear naked choke), 2:12 of Round 2
The first female fight the UFC has held in Europe thrilled fans as home town favourite Rosi Sexton faced tough Brazilian Jessica Andrade. From the opening bell Andrade was the aggressor, throwing looping shots reminiscent of her fellow Brazilian Wanderlei Silva. Andrade eventually dropped Sexton at the end of the round. Andrade continued her brutal onslaught in the second and landed heavy and often, leaving Sexton bloody and bruised. In the third, a clearly dazed Sexton was dominated once more by the very talented 22-year-old Andrade, who thoroughly deserved her victory.
Winner: Andrade via unanimous decision
Andy Ogle faced American Top Team’s Cole Miller and from the get-go Miller dominated. On the feet Miller looked far sharper and once the fight hit the canvas he was in his element, taking Ogle’s back and controlling him for the majority of the first round. In the second it was more of the same for Miller who came close with a number of submission attempts. Going into the final round Miller was clearly two rounds up and Ogle was forced to go for broke. After landing some good strikes, he secured a takedown and began to rain down some vicious ground-and-pound, but ultimately Miller did enough in the opening rounds.
Winner: Miller via unanimous decision
Robert Whiteford, a short notice replacement for Mike Wilkinson became the first Scottish fighter to enter the Octagon against Jimy Hettes, a skilled prospect who has struggled with injuries in the last few years. Whiteford came out aggressive and initiated the clinch but failed to take into account Hettes’s judo acumen and soon found himself on his back in a position he remained in for most of the first round. In the second it was more of the same as early in the round Hettes took Whiteford’s back but unlike in the first Hettes got the finish. He capitalized on an attempted escape from Whiteford to secure a deep triangle choke which forced the tap.
Winner: Hettes via submission (triangle choke), 2:17 of Round 2
In the opening bout of the undercard, England’s own Brad Scott faced well-versed striker Michael Kuiper and after a clinch-heavy first round, Scott, a participant on TUF: The Smashes managed to use his ever improving jiu-jitsu to secure a front choke in the dying seconds of the first stanza. Scott, who ultimately came up short on TUF is definitely one to watch for the future. At 24 Scott is still far from his prime, but look for him to become a serious fan favourite in the U.K in the very near future.
Winner: Scott via submission (front choke), 4:14 of Round 1
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