Maniac remains undefeated in the UFC đź‘Ź
Marcus McGee wins W on his first big stage!
#UFC309 pic.twitter.com/aPet3mNlMa
— UFC (@ufc)
November 17, 2024
Marcus McGee passed another test in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s bantamweight division, but with considerable difficulty.
The MMA Lab representative outclassed Jonathan Martinez in the highly anticipated UFC 309 prelims on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York City, earning a unanimous decision victory. McGee (10-1, 4-0 UFC) dominated the scorecards with a combined mark of 29-28 from all three cageside judges.
Martinez (19-6, 10-5 UFC) got off to a slow start. The muscular McGee crushed him with a powerful jab, multiple punches, and occasional kicks to the legs and midsection. This approach gave him a two round to zero lead, and he needed every bit of it. Martinez hobbled him with a heavy leg kick late in the mid-round, then continued to attack the appendage throughout the third round. By the end of the match, McGee was reduced to a one-legged fighter, but he managed to hold on and send it on the scorecards.
Meanwhile, former Cage Fury Fighting Championship titleholder Jim Miller once again kept Father Time at bay, defeating Damon Jackson with a guillotine choke in the first round of their lightweight bout. The 41-year-old Miller (38-18, 27-17), whose age is unknown, ended the first round 2 minutes, 44 seconds into the fight.
UFC 309: Jones vs. Miocic. Saturday at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN+. Order now!
Jackson (23-8-1, 6-6-1 UFC) targeted the New Jersey native with one-twos, inside leg kicks and front kicks to the body. All his good work disappeared when he ducked into range, leaving his neck exposed. The opportunistic Miller bit into the guillotine, wrapping the Fortis MMA mainstay in full guard and forcing him to tap out with an unwavering squeeze.
This was Miller’s 16th first-round finish in his illustrious career.
Also on the undercard, Factory All three cageside judges scored it 30-27 for Onama (13-2, 5-2 UFC).
Romero (8-4-1, 0-1 UFC), who replaced Lucas Almeida on short notice, was acquitted under less-than-ideal circumstances. He surprised Onama with a right hand in the first round, sending him to the floor, moving backwards, and tossing him around with a rear-naked choke. However, Romero’s luck quickly ran out. Onama overcame the initial adversity and delivered exquisite two- and three-punch volleys to the head and body with power and precision. He took advantage of an exhausted Romero in the third round and rose to the top, briefly climbing to full mount and piling up points with ground and pound.
Onama, 30, will head into his next assignment on the strength of three consecutive wins.
Elsewhere, former M-1 Global Champion Marcin Tibura was forced to undergo a doctor’s stoppage in a heavyweight showdown against previously undefeated Jonata Dinis from Dana White’s Contender Series. Referee Herb Dean was advised to lower the decision after 10 minutes.
Tybura (26-9, 13-8 UFC) withstood an early knockdown and was able to force the Brazilian kickboxer out of his comfort zone. He got a takedown about two minutes into the middle stanza, methodically progressing from half guard to full mount. Diniz (8-1, 2-1 UFC) had no answer. As time wore on, Tybura unleashed a hailstorm of elbows that left the Santa Fe team standout with cuts on both eyelids and the bridge of his nose. To make matters worse, Dinis, visibly concussed, retreated to the corner on unsteady foot for a minute’s rest. After examination by a cageside doctor, he was deemed unfit to continue.
Tybura, 39, has won four of his last six fights.
Late in the preliminary draw, Fortis MMA’s Ramiz Brahimaj wiped out former Phil “CM Punk” Brooks tormentor Mickey Gall with punches in the first round of their welterweight bout. Brahimaj (11-5, 3-3 UFC) was shut out 2 minutes and 55 seconds into the first round.
Gall (7-7, 6-7 UFC) had an effective jab, often combining it with knife crosses. Brahimaj responded by dominating the Kill Cliff Fight Club representative in the clinch, relying on dirty boxing with plenty of uppercuts to find his sweet spot in close quarters. He pushed Gall backwards, knocked the New Jersey native down with an overhand right, and continued with follow-up punches until the job was done.
Without a win since 2021, the Gulls have lost four games in a row.
Finally, Shore MMA rising prospect Orban Elliott defeated former Fury Fighting Championship titleholder Bashir Hafez with punches in the third round of the welterweight pairing. Hafez (9-5-1, 1-2 UFC) succumbed to the blows 40 seconds into the third round, suffering the first stoppage loss of his 15-fight career.
Elliott (12-2, 3-0 UFC) steadily won with push kicks to the legs, jabs and body kicks while remaining patient and calm against a well-wounded opponent. Early in the third round, the Welshman stepped in with a devastating overhand right that forced Hafez to fold on the spot. Elliott chased him to the canvas and sliced ​​him open with short punches and hammerfists for a clean finish.
Elliott, 26, has won eight straight fights.
In other action, Eduardo Moura (11-1, 2-1 UFC) lands a counter right hand ahead of her unanimous decision against Veronica Hardy (9-5-1, 4-5 UFC) He looked to punish, score well-timed takedowns and suppress top control. In the third round of the women’s flyweight tilt, the scorecards were tied at 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28.
