Ion Kutelaba defeated KSW veteran Ivan Erslan in three rounds to close out qualifying for UFC Fight Night 243 at Accor Arena in Paris.
“The Hulk” (18-10-1, 7-9-1 UFC) entered this bout having lost four of his past five fights, so it was an impressive performance against his UFC debut opponent. There was a need. Cutelaba’s heavy hand carried that morning as Hulk walked through Erslan with a heavy haymaker. Kutelaba stumbled and dropped Erslan while trading in the pocket in the second round, then scored an easy takedown.
Kutelaba should have gotten back to his feet and continued the action, but an ill-timed takedown allowed Erslan to get back into the fight. Erslan rode Cutelaba for most of the final round, with Cutelaba reversing the lead near the end. The match looked like a clear call for Kutelaba at 29-28, but fans held their breath in horror as the scorecards were read out. Fortunately for Kutelaba, the split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) wasn’t enough to erase her first win since 2023.
Undefeated Cy Blanks Jung
Undefeated French light heavyweight Oumar Sy has been very impressive throughout his run, but was forced to adapt to savvy UFC veteran Da Un Jong. Despite being on a three-game losing streak, the stalwart Korean was stubborn and refused to bow down to the local favorites.
See quickly got back to his feet and bounced Jung’s head back with a sharp counter, but was stunned by a returned left hand. Hurt, Shi goes to wrestle and knocks Eun-jung down on his butt, but can’t keep him on the floor. See returned to striking in the second round, but with his single shots Jung continued the fight. Chong was bleeding from the eye and was hit with 20 seconds left in the round, but survived to see the final round.
Sy closed out the shutout (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) with a third-round jab. He landed punches at will, but lacked the gas to put pressure on for the finish. Sy finished the match in a dominant position with a body lock. It was a solid test for upside prospects. Cy may be a fighter to watch, but he will need to improve his conditioning when facing tougher opponents.
Klein’s decision: Roberts is a huge underdog.
Since opening his UFC stint with a 1-2 record, Slovakia’s Ludovic Klein has turned things around, winning seven of his last eight fights and drawing one. “Mr. Highlight” is a well-rounded fighter with a dangerous ground game, but he was unable to finish his lightweight bout against the finicky Roosevelt Roberts.
Roberts surprised Klein, the -1000 favorite, with his crafty boxing, sharp elbows, and high kicks, leading him to victory in the first round. Klein was undaunted and took over the fight over the next two rounds. Klein’s wrestling guarded Roberts and protected him from heavy ground and pound. By the end of the fight, Roberts’ eyes were bloodied as Klein (23-4-1) won by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).
Lapirus defeats Morales
Taylor Lapilas started 2024 on a tough note, but he is doing everything he can to finish the year strong. The French bantamweight defeated Vince Morales by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) in his second fight of the year. Morales, who re-signed with the same UFC, returns to the Octagon after winning the United Fight League title a month ago. Morales pushed through the fight, continually coming forward, but ended up taking some tough punches. Lapilas (21-4) won the match in an exciting fight that had the French crowd on its feet. It was a clear victory for “Double Impact,” but Morales (16-8)’s slugging style continued to separate him from the pace.
Overweight Perez taps Zheleznyakova
Aylin Perez is a rising star in the bantamweight division, but her lack of weight (136.5 pounds) won’t help her bank account grow to its full potential. Still, the Argentine has a style that makes it questionable whether he can get his opponents on the mat. Just ask Darya Zheleznyakova. Perez took the Russian MMA Factory product to the mat and wasted little time securing a first round arm triangle (3:52).
Zheleznyakova (9-2, 1-1 UFC) had Perez in side control but didn’t trust the position. Her final downfall was that she relinquished her position and brought the fight back to her feet. Perez scored a takedown and quickly mounted his prey. Zheleznyakova’s face finally turned cherry red before she tapped it. Perez (11-2, 4-1 UFC) celebrated her fourth straight win with a twerk to the face of Zhelezny Kakova.
Burress defeats Altamirano in flyweight shootout
Flyweights Victor Altamirano and Daniel Burress engaged in a close three-round battle, close enough to split the Sherdogs’ de facto scorers. Burress dropped the Fort Worth, Texas, native in the first round with a sharp right hand, but Altamirano closed the gap in the final two rounds. Ben Duffy, Tristian Critchfield and Jay Petrie agreed that Altamirano’s taekwondo-style kicks and unpredictable striking won him the final round. However, the match was decided by cards in the second round.
Burress hit a wide haymaker and Altamirano set up a clean short counter, but unfortunately for the American, a flashdown put the round in jeopardy. The flashdown ultimately resulted in Altamirano (12-5) losing the match by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), making it his third straight loss.
Cavalcanti defeats Cornole
France’s Nora Cornole hasn’t felt defeated inside the cage since her first fight three years ago. The bantamweight powerhouse cruised through his first two UFC bouts, hoping to rise to a new level of stardom in front of a supportive Accor Arena crowd. Standing across from her was Jacqueline Cavalcanti, the same opponent who defeated her in her debut match.
Three years of growth, support from his peers, and one very wrong judge’s opinion were not enough for Cornall to avenge the only loss of his career. Cavalcanti (8-1, 3-0 UFC) once again proved to be too fast and sharp for Cornole over three rounds, snatching a split decision victory (29-28, 28-29, 28- 29). Despite the close card, Cavalcanti’s constant pressure carried the match. Cornole (8-2, 2-1 UFC) seized the opportunity and fought until the final bell, but continued to be thoroughly beaten by his rival. The win moves Cavalcanti further into the wide-open bantamweight division seeking fresh talent.
duncan sleeps oki
If you’re still sleepy heading into the UFC Paris card, Chris Duncan’s bounce-back performance against Bolaji Oki will definitely wake you up. After several turbulent minutes, Oki was the only one asleep after Duncan’s python-like grip put the Belgian lightweight out.
Duncan (12-2, 3-1 UFC) recovered from a first-round submission in his last fight, but was put on the defensive early on by the aggressive Oki (9-2). After winning a split decision in their last fight, Oki stepped forward and tried to put Duncan away with hard strikes. Oki’s head was in the perfect position for a guillotine as he tried to take down Duncan near the cage. Duncan almost nailed the choke, but Oki popped out head first and landed on the ground, allowing him to hit the pound.
Duncan weathered the storm and got back up, but he knew Oki would take another shot. This time, preparations were made and the guillotine was immediately placed around Oki’s neck. Mr. Oki struggled and pulled on the grip, but soon the air was escaping from his brain. He wakes up with his first loss in nine fights.
