Rising bantamweight prospect Sergio Pettis was victorious in the featured preliminary bout at UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs Khabilov Saturday.
Pettis, the younger brother of UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, used his quickness and striking accuracy to his advantage en route to picking up a unanimous decision win over Yaotzin Meza.
Outside of a Pettis head kick that stunned Meza late in the second round, the fight was relatively uneventful. Pettis improved to 11-1 as a pro.
The event was the promotion’s first in Albuquerque, N.M.
In other preliminary action, WEC veterans Scott Jorgensen and Danny Martinez put on a show for the fans at the Tingley Coliseum with Jorgensen earning a unanimous decision win.
After being dropped with a series of lefts in the second round, Jorgensen regained his composure and continued to implement a successful wrestling attack that frustrated Martinez for much of the fight.
The win likely saved Jorgensen’s job, as the 31-year-old had lost five of six heading into Saturday. It was also Jorgensen’s first win in the flyweight division. Martinez fell to 0-2 in the UFC.
Guam’s Jon Tuck handed UFC newcomer Jake Lindsey his first career loss in lightweight action. The two went back and forth in the first two rounds before Tuck took over in the final frame. Lindsey landed a slam takedown, but Tuck quickly gained a dominant position and forced a tap from Lindsay after landing some heel strikes to the ribs. It was a peculiar finish to an otherwise entertaining fight and Lindsay appeared injured after it was over.
“When I picked Jon up and slammed him in the third, I don’t know exactly what happened but my vision went double and blurry,” Lindsay told reporters after the fight. “I’m not sure exactly how but he was catching me with some shots to the body and my lower back started to spasm.”
Welterweight Lance Benoist picked up his first win in nearly three years, defeating Bobby Voelker by unanimous decision. Benoist had been on a two-fight losing streak and hadn’t fought since September 2012. The loss dropped Strikeforce veteran Voelker to 0-4 in the UFC.
In the opening bout of the night, Patrick Cummins beat short-notice opponent Roger Narvaez by TKO in the second round of their light-heavyweight tilt. Narvaez, a natural middleweight, filled in for Francimar Barroso who was forced out of the event with a injury.
