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UFC 229 is upon us, and it is time to see what's happening at the beginning of the show.
Given the hype surrounding the main event of the night between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, it is no wonder that for many the event has been dubbed a one-fight event despite having an extremely impressive undercard.
While the main card is one that is sure to leave the audience spellbound, with the likes of Tony Ferguson, Anthony Pettis, and Alexander Volkov, the undercard does not deserve to go overlooked.
Sergio Pettis is on the twelfth fight of his career and was looking to pick up another win of his career, while on the other side, comparative newcomers, Lina Lansburg and Yana Kunitskaya faced each other in one of the biggest fights of their careers till date.
Early Preliminary Card:
- Lina Lansburg vs. Yana Kunitskaya (Yana Kunitskaya defeated Lina Lansburg via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Gray Maynard vs. Nick Lentz - Nick Lentz defeated Gray Maynard via KO (2nd Round, 1 Minute and 19 Seconds)
- Ryan LaFlare vs. Tony Martin - Tony Martin defeated Ryan LaFlare via TKO (3rd Round, 1 Minute)
Preliminary Card:
- Sergio Pettis vs. Jussier Formiga
- Vicente Luque vs. Jalin Turner - Vicente Luque defeated Jalin Turner via KO (Round 1, 3 Minutes and 52 Seconds)
- Scott Holtzman vs. Alan Patrick - Scott Holtzman defeated Alan Patrick via KO (3rd Round, 3 Minutes and 42 Seconds)
- Aspen Ladd vs. Tonya Evinger - Aspen Ladd defeated Tonya Evinger via KO (3 Minutes and 26 Seconds)
#1 Ryan LaFlare vs. Tony Martin
Ryan LaFlare and Tony Martin started off UFC strong. Both fighters came out strong in a fight which was very important to further the career of both fighters.
Round 1: Tony Martin came out strong, with both fighters checking each other out hurriedly in the first round. Martin seemed to be in charge for most of the first fight and even dropped LaFlare early on. With the fight being both fighters' 10th fight in the UFC they needed to compete for the top level in the competition.
Round 2: The second round saw Tony Martin drop LaFlare yet again, with LaFlare bleeding from his forehead for parts of the fight. The rest of the round, both the fighters tried their best to grapple for supremacy but were unable to really take advantage.
Round 3: The last round of the fight started as it appeared that the fight was winding down to a close and heading towards a decision end. But only a minute in, the fight changed, and it ended up being a completely different result. Tony Martin hit the high head kick which saw LaFlare dropped and within seconds the referee called a stop to the competition.
Result: Tony Martin defeated Ryan LaFlare via TKO (3rd Round, 1 Minute)
#2 Nik Lentz vs. Gray Maynard:
Round 1: It would be difficult to find a UFC fight more one-sided than the one between Nick Lentz and Gray Maynard. Nick Lentz was all over Maynard, with shots directly hitting his face, and him being dropped. There were quite a few big shots which had Maynard reeling in the second fight of the UFC 229 card. Nik Lentz ended the round on a high after a Guillotine choke almost saw him pick up the all-important win before Maynard escaped from it. The two continued to exchange blows until the fight ended.
Round 2: The second round of the UFC 229 fight saw both fighters go at it again. Nick Lentz was the fighter who got the all-important victory in the 2nd round, as he was able to knock out Maynard with a high kick followed by punches.
Result: Nick Lentz defeated Gray Maynard via KO (2nd Round, 1 Minute and 19 seconds)
#3 Yana Kunitskaya vs. Lina Lansberg:
Round 1: In a fight which saw Yana Kunitskaya mostly dominate, Lina Lansberg put up a good fight nonetheless but was no match for Yana. Lansberg was hit with an Uchi Mata, and ate a lot of knees in the first round.
Round 2: Kunitskaya's strikes kept her on top of the fight as they headed into the second round. Several knees and strikes saw Lina Lansberg scramble. Lina was shaken up heading into the third round and her attempts at a Kimura and side neck choke looked desperate at best.
Round 3: The third round looked a bit more equal in the beginning, but soon enough it was the same old story. It was Yana Kunitskaya with a few sharp strikes and blocking body kicks which is what was needed to pick up the win.
Result: Yana Kunitskaya defeated Lina Lansberg via Unanimous Decision (30-27*3)
Prelims:
#1 Scott Holtzman vs. Alan Patrick:
Round 1: One of the most one-sided fights of the night so far, Scott Holtzman dominated the fight in the 1st Round. His ground and pound and dropping of Alan Patrick saw him as the early favourite to win the fight. There did not seem any problems, as Holtzman worked Patrick in the corner.
Round 2: Scott Holtzman brought his 'crazy' out, in the second round, as he landed some insane elbows on his opponent after dropping him, the likes of which he did not have any business landing. The noise reverberated around the stadium, while everyone wondered how Patrick managed to survive them, and the get through the second round.
Round 3: Even if Patrick had been able to survive the 2nd Round, there was no way he could last through the third. He was knocked down in the third-minute mark with a huge counter punch, followed by some elbows, which saw him knocked out.
The win came at a price for Scott Holtzman, however, as he confirmed that despite winning he had suffered from fractures in both his hands during the fight.
Result: Scott Holtzman defeated Alan Patrick via KO (3rd Round, 3 Minutes and 42 Seconds)
#2 Aspen Ladd vs. Tonya Evinger:
Round 1: A lot was riding on this UFC 229 fight for the newcomer, Aspen Ladd as she took on the veteran Tonya Evinger. The two kept at it in the beginning, exchanging shots, and Evinger's experience was showing. However, Aspen Ladd managed to get on the back on Tonya Evinger on the ground, and with a vicious ground and pound brought an end to the UFC 229 Prelim fight.
Result: Aspen Ladd defeated Tonya Evinger via KO (3 Minutes and 26 Seconds)
#3 Vicente Luque vs. Jalin Turner:
Round 1: Where one veteran suffered a bad loss as Tonya lost to Aspen Ladd, Vicente Luque got the big win despite having taken the fight in only two weeks. Luque did an excellent job in making sure that he got the win that he was looking for with a few straight punches after taking a spinning elbow.
In the post-fight interview, he said that he considered himself ranked and that he was looking for a top 10 fight.
Result: Vicente Luque defeated Jalin Turner via KO (Round 1, 3 Minutes and 52 Seconds)
#4 Sergio Pettis vs. Jussier Formiga:
Round 1: In a move that was not expected, the first round was dominated by Jussier Formiga, as he grounded the experienced Pettis and took advantage on top of him, not letting him get in a single shot.
Round 2: Round 2 was more of the same for Pettis, as he struggled to get off the ground. Both fighters seemed exhausted, as neither were able to change their initial positions enough to make a difference.
Round 3: The last round saw Jussier Formiga on the back of Sergio Pettis in an attempted Rear Naked Choke, a position he held for the better part of 4 minutes.
Result: Jussier Formiga defeated Sergio Pettis via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 29-28, 29-28)
Find out what happened next in the main card of the night!
