Jared Cannonier is right back in the middleweight title picture.
After going a full 25 minutes in the cage against Sean Strickland at UFC Fight Night, Cannonier won the bout by split decision. That victory puts him at the top of title contenders, right beside Robert Whittaker, to challenge Alex Pereira or Israel Adesanya for the middleweight championship.
This marked the final UFC card of the year, and there were plenty of highlights. The main card opened with four finishes, including a phenomenal knockout win for Drew Dober, who initially appeared overwhelmed by Bobby Green’s attack before seizing control. Alex Caceres displayed beautiful technique when he put the finishing touches on his TKO win against Julian Erosa, throwing a big left hand that missed, then–on one foot–connecting with a left kick to the head. Flyweight contender Amir Albazi switched up his punch count to finish Alessandro Costa in the third round of their bout, and Arman Tsarukyan looked dominant in a very significant victory against Damir Ismagulov.
Here are three key takeaways from the night:
Cannonier Defeats Strickland via Split Decision
Jared Cannonier picked up a critical win against Sean Strickland in the Fight Night main event. It went the distance and was ruled a split decision, but the bottom line for Cannonier is that it is a victory.
Cannonier (16-6) corrected his most glaring mistakes from his loss this past summer to Israel Adesanya. Instead of waiting, which he did far too often against Adesanya, Cannonier pressured a pressure fighter in this bout. His leg kicks (27 for Cannonier to only one for Strickland) were the constant answer to Strickland’s jab. Both landed heavy right hands, and this was certainly close, but Cannonier pushed the action in three of the five rounds.
This is a second straight loss for Strickland (25-5). His six-fight win streak is quickly becoming a distant memory, and he will need a new hot streak to get back in the title mix.
Tsarukyan Makes Statement to Halt Ismagulov
Arman Tsarukyan ended Damir Ismagulov’s 19-fight win streak, winning the bout in convincing fashion by unanimous decision.
An unrelenting wrestling approach was critical to Tsarukyan’s success in this bout. Only 26, Tsarukyan (19-3) is only a win or two away from the title. Currently ninth in the lightweight division, he should jump up a spot with this win against an extremely dangerous opponent in Ismagulov (24-2).
Tsarukyan controlled all three rounds, and his ground game was the separating factor. He had dominant positioning, with seven takedowns. The majority of those takedowns were different, and found success in shifting his body to bring down Ismagulov.
The next goal for Tsarukyan is an opponent in the top-five. Three years ago, he went the distance against Islam Makhachev. After taking the loss that night, he is now fighting with every fiber to earn that rematch.
Dober Ties UFC Lightweight Knockout Record
Drew Dober got the finish against Bobby Green, his eighth knockout victory in the Octagon. That ties Dustin Poirier for most knockouts in UFC lightweight history, and Dober (26-11, 1 NC) ends the year undefeated, winning all three of his fights in 2022.
Green’s left hand had no telegraph, and he really hurt Dober with his southpaw jab in the opening round. Green had his hands at his hips and his feet were constantly switching, and Dober could not anticipate what was coming. Despite the punishment, he timed out the attack from Green (29-14-1), then dropped him with a counterpunch in the second round.
In a bold move, Dober called out Jalin Turner during his post-fight interview. The 6’3” Turner stands no. 10 in the lightweight division, and he has won his last five fights. If Dober is going to break the lightweight knockout record, that would be a great fight to accomplish the feat.
Here is a list of the full results of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card:
Main card:
- Jared Cannonier defeated Sean Strickland by split decision (49-46, 46-49, 49-46)
- Arman Tsarukyan defeated Damir Ismagulov by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Amir Albazi defeated Alessandro Costa by knockout (uppercut) at 2:13 of Round 3
- Alex Caceres defeated Julian Erosa by TKO (left high kick) at 3:04 of Round 1
- Drew Dober defeated Bobby Green by knockout (left hand) at 2:45 of Round 2
- Michał Oleksiejczuk defeated Cody Brundage by TKO (strikes) at 3:16 of Round 1
Preliminary card:
- Cory McKenna defeated Cheyanne Vlismas by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Matthew Semelsberger defeated Jake Matthews by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Said Nurmagomedov defeated Saidyokub Kakhramonov by submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2, 3:50
- Rafa Garcia defeated Hayisaer Maheshate by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Rinat Fakhretdinov defeated Bryan Battle by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-27)
- Manal Kape defeated David Dvorak by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Sergey Morozov defeated Journey Newson by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
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