Virna Jandiroba is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the fight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight title.
In the main event of UFC on ESPN 60, Jandiroba (21-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) overpowered Amanda Lemos (14-4-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC) in just under two rounds, choking on a bout-ending armbar. The former Invicta Fighting Championship strawweight titleholder landed a double leg takedown early in round one and quickly took the bout into her favor. With help from Lemos, who was looking to go for a guillotine, “Kalkara” pulled her head out of the choke and settled into Lemos’ half guard, while “Amanjinha” bounced back and swept into top position. Jandiroba fought back with a kneebar that Lemos escaped, but the resulting scramble ended with the jiu-jitsu ace surviving the remaining round in back control. The second round started better for Lemos, as she held her compatriot at arm’s length for the first few minutes and touched down with clean punches. But soon a clinch ensued, from which Jandiroba dragged Lemos to the canvas, showing just how deep her game is. Lemos grappled skillfully, but Jandiroba was one step ahead every time. Jandiroba took Lemos’ back in the center of the Octagon and went for a rear-naked choke. When Lemos fended off the choke, she broke away and executed a beautiful armbar that made her opponent tap within seconds.
The submission, made official at 4 minutes, 48 seconds into the second round, marked Jandiroba’s fourth consecutive submission since her decision loss to Amanda Rivas nearly three years ago and made her a strong contender to be Weili Zhang’s next title challenger. With Lemos’ loss, Jandiroba, while clearly a top 10 contender, no longer has a clear path to the belt.
Garcia outdoes Choi
In the featherweight co-main event at UFC Vegas 93, Steve Garcia (16-5) never let up, knocking out Seung-Woo Choi (11-7) with a powerful left punch and a follow-up strike. Coming into the bout on the strength of three consecutive knockout victories, Garcia once again lived up to his nickname “The Mean Machine.” After a rough opening as Garcia struggled to avoid Choi’s low kicks, the two fighters let their guard down and began a fierce battle near the center of the Octagon. In a cloud of Looney Tunes-esque dust, Garcia caught the Korean fighter with a left hand. Choi collapsed to the ground, and Garcia seized the opportunity to pounce with a flurry of punches that forced referee Herb Dean to step in at 1 minute, 36 seconds into the first round. With the win, Garcia now holds sole possession of the longest KO/TKO finish record in UFC and improves to 5-2 in the promotion. Choi’s fourth loss in his past five fights dropped him to 4-6 inside the Octagon.
Holobeaux beats Kruszewski in hard-fought lightweight bout
Kurt Hollobaugh and Keynan Kruszewski, promoted to the main event after Junyoung Park withdrew from his bout against Brad Tavares on Friday, pulled out all the stops and made the most of every moment in a lightweight bout that was less about defense and strategy and more about striking and momentum shifts. Both fighters put in some highlights in the first round, landing clean blows on each other’s chins and then coming forward to land more strikes. In the second round, Hollobaugh appeared to have the upper hand as he tormented Kruszewski’s body. With under a minute left in the round and the Brazilian reeling, Hollobaugh made the puzzling decision to take Kruszewski down, poking his arm for a guillotine attempt. Hollobaugh easily escaped a choke hold, but his best chance to end the bout had passed. Fortunately for Hollobaugh, the third round played out in a similar fashion, as Hollobaugh extended his lead even further as the bout progressed. Hollobaugh won by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) to improve to 2-5 in the Octagon in his two appearances with the promotion, while Kruszewski is now 0-2 since joining the promotion via Dana White’s Contender Series last fall.
Silva fights back, fighting off Darden.
In a frenzied flyweight battle, Bruno Silva smashed his way back from the brink of defeat with a thunderous uppercut and brutal follow-up strikes. The first round was a ferociously paced brawl, save for a timeout after Darden accidentally poked himself in the eye. Still, Darden won the first round, and in the second round, he extended his lead and appeared to be landing more of the heavy punches, until Silva caught him with a stunning left uppercut. The punch sent Darden staggering against the fence, where Silva swarmed him, finishing the bout with a flurry of unblocked punches that left Darden’s head stuck in the bottom of the cage. At 3 minutes, 38 seconds into the second round, referee Chris Tognoni rushed in to help the unconscious and bloody American. The comeback win marked Silva’s fourth consecutive finish at UFC, improving his record to 4-2 with one win coming by no contest and giving him a good chance to face his next opponent in the Top 15. Darden’s record at UFC is 5-4-1.
Choi Min-ho defeats Algeo with a stunning TKO
With his back against the wall, Duho Choi (15-4-1) pummeled Bill Algeo (16-9) with punches in the second round, rendering him unable to continue. The first round was a fast-paced bout where all aspects of MMA flowed seamlessly, with Choi attempting multiple guillotine chokes and Algeo forcing him under the fence and sucking at his hips to gain advantageous position. Algeo had some stand-up dominance, including a flash spinning elbow that staggered Choi, but neither man seemed close to a finish. The second round continued in the same vein, albeit at a slower pace, with Choi beginning to land more hits. The momentum was increasingly in Choi’s favor, as he landed a clean left punch that dropped Algeo to one knee, not dazed but clearly in pain and waving one hand around. Referee Herb Dean called the stoppage at 3:38 of the second round when he saw that Algeo was no longer defending himself. The TKO was Choi’s first win in eight years, ended a four-fight winless streak and likely secured his spot on the roster, improving his UFC record to 4-3-1. Algeo’s two-fight loss dropped him to 5-5 with the promotion.
Amir defeats Lee
In the first bout on the main card, Haider Amir (10-0) defended his unbeaten record in the most emphatic way imaginable, unleashing 1,000 punches on Jong Yong Lee (11-2) in just one minute of cage time. From the moment referee Mark Smith gave the order for both featherweights to attack, the bout was a riot, with punches trading hands early on. Both fighters landed solid strikes early on, but Amir recovered almost instantly, overwhelming the Korean with power, volume and incredible accuracy. True to his nickname “The Hurricane,” Amir unleashed a flurry of punches on Lee’s head, leaving Lee stunned and leaning against the fence as Smith pleaded for protection. With no response from Lee, Smith called the bout off 65 seconds into the first round. The sensational finish moved the 34-year-old late to the Octagon to 2-0 with two knockouts. Lee’s first loss at UFC leaves him with a 2-1 record in the promotion.
