Navajo Stirling backed up the considerable hype with a memorable performance.
The impressive City Kickboxing prospect was one of three hopefuls to net an
Ultimate Fighting Championship contract during Week 5 of
Dana White’s Contender Series , as he felled
Phillip Latu with a sensational one-punch knockout in the second round of their light heavyweight showcase on Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Stirling (5-0, 1-0 DWCS) sealed the deal 2:21 into Round 2 .
Latu (6-2, 0-1 DWCS) had issues with managing distance against the 6-foot-4 Kiwi but managed to connect with a few power punches, a counter right uppercut chief among them. Stirling answered with a variety of weapons: low kicks, front kicks to the body, jabs, lead left hooks and forearm strikes in close quarters. Midway through the middle stanza, both men uncorked left hooks. Stirling’s landed first and sent the Forge Fight Club rep crashing to the canvas in a dazed-and-confused state. No follow-up shots were required.
Women’s flyweight
Nicolle Caliari and bantamweight
Josias Musasa are set to join Stirling on the UFC roster in the weeks and months ahead.
Thai Brasil’s Caliari put away UAE Warriors champion
Corinne Laframboise with an armbar in the first round of their women’s flyweight tilt.
Caliari (8-2, 1-0 DWCS) drew the curtain 4:45 into Round 1, as she nailed down her fourth win in a row .
Laframboise (8-5, 0-1 DWCS) executed a takedown late in the period and paired it with some significant ground-and-pound. However, the BTT Canada rep played too loose in the Brazilian’s guard, left a limb exposed and paid the price. Caliari went belly down with the armbar, adjusted her grip and prompted a verbal tapout.
The setback was Laframboise’s first in more than four years.
Meanwhile, Elite Training Center’s Musasa kept his perfect professional record intact with a split decision over
Otari Tanzilov in a three-round bantamweight encounter. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28: Michael Bell and Junichiro Kamijo for the unbeaten Musasa, Tony Weeks for Tanzilov.
Musasa (8-0, 1-0 DWCS) pressed forward behind punches, crowded the Syndicate MMA-trained Georgian in the clinch and employed an effective get-up game across the 15-minute battle. Tanzilov (9-1, 0-1 DWCS) stayed active with his kicks, unleashed close-range knee strikes and secured multiple takedowns. However, his inability to corral Musasa on the canvas proved costly in practice and likely spilled over to the scorecards.
Elsewhere, Teixeira MMA’s
Yousri Belgaroui withstood a point deduction for repeated eye pokes and disposed of
Taiga Iwasaki with punches in the third round of their middleweight co-feature. A Levels Fight League champion,
Belgaroui (8-3, 1-1 DWCS) brought it to a close 2:34 into Round 3 .
Iwasaki (9-2, 0-1 DWCS) crashed headfirst into the clinch over and over again, interrupting the flow of the fight while scoring with a few close-range strikes. Belgaroui stayed composed and peppered his counterpart with a crushing jab, often following it with clean right hands. Iwasaki finally hit a wall in Round 3. Belgaroui backed him up with a thudding knee to the body, consolidated it with a jumping switch knee upstairs and gave chase with punches. Iwasaki retreated, fought back briefly and then folded against the fence after absorbing repeated blows to the head.
Belgaroui, 32, has rattled off three straight victories but did not do enough in a foul-marred appearance to procure a UFC contract.
Finally, a scheduled lightweight attraction featuring the undefeated
Kody Steele was canceled when opponent
Quemuel Ottoni elected to withdraw at the last minute. Steele will be rebooked for later in the season.
Local News
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