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#Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 1)
#1 Dong Hyun Kim vs. Damien Brown
Dong Hyun Kim and Damien Brown put on an excellent display of technical skills in their UFC 221 matchup.
Apparently, Kim had a slight advantage early on, as he seemed to be finding the target more often that his foe. Nevertheless, Brown got into second gear in the ensuing round; tagging Kim at will.
The third stanza was yet another closely contested one, which could’ve gone either way. Nevertheless, in the end, Kim was awarded the decision victory by 2 of the 3 judges.
Result: Dong Hyun Kim def. Damien Brown via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
#2 Israel Adesanya vs. Rob Wilkinson
Adesanya was expected to put on a striking clinic at UFC 221, and he delivered to a T.
Adesanya used the first round to gauge the distance and get Wilkinson’s timing down. While the fight only lasted a little less than a couple of rounds, Adesanya showed tremendous takedown defense, before tagging Wilkinson with several excellent knees and follow-up punches for the stoppage victory.
Result: Israel Adesanya def. Rob Wilkinson via TKO (Knees & Punches) (Round 2, 3:37)
#3 Alexander Volkanovski vs. Jeremy Kennedy
Volkanovski and Kennedy represented two prospects doing battle with one another in a pivotal matchup.
While the fight was expected to likely be a close affair, once that Octagon door slam shut, it was all Volkanovski. The slick striker stunned Kennedy at will, and never let him off the hook.
Volkanovski brought an end to the fight in the second stanza, with a barrage of powerful punches & elbows.
Result: Alexander Volkanovski def. Jeremy Kennedy via TKO (Punches & Elbows) (Round 2, 4:57)
#4 Jussier Formiga vs. Ben Nguyen
Jussier Formiga almost knocked out Ben Nguyen in Round 3.
While Formiga seems to have improved both his offensive and defensive striking, he did miss on a few wild, spinning attacks in the first two rounds. Nevertheless, once he connected flush on Nguyen’s jaw, the latter was on roller skates in the moments that ensued.
Formiga chose to go for the submission instead of following up with more ground strikes—bringing an end to the bout by way of a Rear Naked Choke.
Result: Jussier Formiga def. Ben Nguyen via Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) (Round 3, 1:43)
