UFC 185 Prelims: Ross Pearson’s ‘Real Deal’ Left Hook KOs Sam Stout in Dallas
When Ross Pearson lands flush, bad things happen. Ask Sam Stout.
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Stout (20-11-1, 9-10 UFC) held his own through a competitive first round but could not keep “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 9 winner at bay. Early in round two, they traded left hooks. Stout landed to the body, while Pearson connected up high. The Canadian collapsed to the mat in a dazed state and was met with a pair of standing-to-ground punches -- a left and a right -- that resulted in the stoppage.
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Unbeaten Theodorou Stops Narvaez
“The Ultimate Fighter Nations” winner Elias Theodorou kept his perfect professional record intact, as he dismissed Roger Narvaez with second-round punches in a preliminary middleweight encounter. Theodorou (11-0, 3-0 UFC) finished it 4:07 into round two.
Narvaez (7-2, 1-2 UFC) spent much of the first round circling away from danger and countering the Canadian from the outside. In the second round, however, Theodorou attacked with kicks at all levels, one of them appearing to break the Texan’s left forearm. The 26-year-old backed the wounded Narvaez to the cage, secured a takedown and assumed a dominant position on the mat. After an extended burst of unanswered punches and hammerfists from Theodorou, referee Kerry Hatley intervened.
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Dariush Choke Submits Cruickshank
Kings MMA rep Beneil Dariush submitted Daron Cruickshank with a second-round rear-naked choke in an undercard duel at 155 pounds. Cruickshank (16-6, 6-4 UFC), who failed to make weight for the match, conceded defeat 2:48 into round two.
Dariush (10-1, 4-1 UFC) controlled the standup with crushing low and body kicks in the first round, leaving “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 15 graduate with visible damage to his lead leg and ribcage. He later executed a takedown, applied his ground-and-pound and threatened a brabo choke. In round two, Dariush countered a takedown, fished for an armbar and moved to the Michigan Top Team export’s back during an ensuing scramble. Before Cruickshank knew it, he was entangled in a body triangle. The choke and tapout came next.
The 25-year-old Dariush has rattled off three wins in his past four outings.
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Rosholt Mauls Overmatched Copeland
Team Takedown’s Jared Rosholt dispatched former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion Josh Copeland with third-round ground-and-pound in a preliminary heavyweight battle. Copeland (9-2, 0-2 UFC) wilted 3:12 into round three.
After a relatively even first round in which the two men traded clubbing right hands, Rosholt (12-2, 4-1 UFC) went to work. The three-time NCAA All-American wrestler channeled his inner grizzly bear in rounds two and three, where he dumped Copeland with takedowns and punished him with ground-and-pound. Roughly midway through the third, Rosholt advanced to side control and blasted away with punches and elbows, forcing referee Dan Miragliotta to act.
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Benoit Upends Favored Pettis
Ryan Benoit sprang the upset and put away Roufusport’s Sergio Pettis with a short left hook and subsequent ground-and-pound in the second round of their preliminary flyweight scrap. Benoit (8-3, 1-1 UFC) closed the deal 94 seconds into round two.
Before the finish, Pettis (12-2, 3-2 UFC) was in complete control. The 21-year-old younger brother of Anthony Pettis, he mixed his kicks and punches beautifully, swept Benoit from the bottom being taken down and scored with his ground-and-pound. Early in the second round, Benoit invited an exchange on the feet, floored the Milwaukee native with a clean left hook on the chin and polished off Pettis with winging lefts and rights on the canvas.
The defeat halted a two-fight winning streak for Pettis.
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Debuting Duffy Wrecks Lindsey
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship veteran Joseph Duffy wrecked Jake Lindsey with a first-round head kick and two savage body punches in an undercard tilt at 155 pounds. A replacement for the injured Vagner Rocha, Lindsey (9-3, 0-3 UFC) succumbed to the blows 1:47 into round one.
Duffy (13-1, 1-0 UFC) lit up the American with clean punches throughout their brief encounter. The 27-year-old Irishman cracked Lindsey with an exquisite head kick and then folded him with a right hook to the kidney and a left hook to the liver, securing his third consecutive victory in a dazzling organizational debut.
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De Randamie Overwhelms Prospect Pacheco
Dutch muay Thai stylist Germaine de Randamie took care of former Jungle Fight champion Larissa Pacheco with second-round punches in a preliminary women’s bantamweight clash. De Randamie (5-3, 2-1 UFC) brought it to a close 2:02 into round two.
Pacheco (10-2, 0-2 UFC) was never competitive. De Randamie stuck the 20-year-old with right hand inside the first minute, paired jabs with leg kicks and answered a clinch from the Brazilian with a jarring knee in close quarters. In the second round, she staggered Pacheco with a right uppercut and followed with a series of pinpoint overhand rights that drove her to the fence and resulted in the stoppage.
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