LAS VEGAS, NV – AUGUST 9: (L-R) Jonata Diniz of Brazil and Karl Williams of the U.S. Virgin Islands compete during the weigh-in for UFC APEX on August 9, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC)
Former GLORY kickboxer Jonata Diniz will be looking to maintain his unbeaten MMA record when he takes on heavyweight Karl Williams on the UFC Las Vegas 95 preliminary card.
Diniz qualified for the UFC via the Contender Series and knocked out Austin Lane in his debut in April.
Taking aim at Diniz’s 0 was Karl Williams, who recently made a permanent move to Las Vegas. The Extreme Couture fighter was 3-0 under the UFC banner, with wins over Lukasz Brzeski, Chase Sherman and Justin Tafa all by decision.
The heavyweight preliminary bout started off fairly tentatively, with Diniz throwing low kicks and Williams throwing jabs. Diniz started to put some power into his kicks, but after about two minutes, Williams caught him and stumbled him. As Williams pressed forward, Diniz responded with heavy counters. Diniz started to apply pressure, landing left punches and then a low kick that caused Williams to stumble briefly.
The fight settled down until the final minute, when Williams pressed forward, changed levels and went for a takedown. Diniz was undeterred, blocking and avoiding the attempt. He landed another left punch and another leg kick before the end of the round, but Williams countered with a fastball.
In the second round, Diniz continued to win with leg kicks, again nearly taking down Williams. Williams often came forward, but Diniz dominated the striking battle overall with kicks and good counters. A right hand from Williams kept Diniz in the fight, but Williams quickly landed combinations that drew the attention of Carl Williams. As the round progressed, Diniz and Williams brawled at times, trading heavy punches that damaged Diniz’s nose. Williams quickly went for the nose with a left hand, and Diniz followed up with a combination, followed by a kick to Williams.
Williams went into the third round probably trailing 20-18 on the scorecards, needing a finish to win and 10-8 rounds for a draw. But Diniz stuck to his game plan and went back to leg kicks, then sneaked in a high kick that was blocked. Another low kick sent Williams sputtering, and Diniz used the opportunity to hit him with a left. This put Williams in takedown mode, and Diniz backed off, but Williams hung on and finally scored the takedown.
With just over two minutes left, Williams had to look for the finish. In half guard, Williams slid her right foot to mount, but with her back against the fence, it was easier said than done. Diniz was pushed back against the fence and hung on to her opponent. Meanwhile, Williams finally landed a left hand, but it wasn’t powerful enough. As Diniz defended, the clock was ticking. Williams landed hammerfists and elbows, but the time expired before she could score the finish. On the scorecards, it was too late. Jonata Diniz maintained her perfect record.
Official result: Jonata Diniz defeats Karl Williams via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
