Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Yves Edwards knocked out Jeremy Stephens in the first round of the last preliminary fight at UFC on FOX 5, in Seattle, on Saturday. Edwards landed a counter right hand, ending the contest at 1:55 of the round.
Stephens loaded up and tried to land some heavy punches in the early moments of the fight. Edwards stayed cautious, keeping away from heavy shots in the process.
Just as it looked Edwards was stepping away from further heavy punches, he landed the counter right hand that sent Stephens falling to the canvas. Edwards followed through to the ground with more punches and an elbow before the referee stepped in to bring a stop to the contest.
“I feel really good,” Edwards said. “Damn, I’m smooth.”
Edwards, now 41-18-1 in his MMA career, is back on the winning track after dropping his last contest to Tony Ferguson at the TUF 14 Finale in December 2011. Stephens loses his third consecutive fight, and hasn’t seen a win since June of 2011.
Raphael Assuncao defeated Mike Easton by decision in the second to last preliminary fight on FX. Assuncao remained patient and picked his spots, landing several strikes on his opponent throughout the three-round fight. Easton appeared to hesitate on many occasions, and his opponent kept with his approach all the way to final bell.
Judges saw the contest unanimously in Assuncao’s favor, scoring the fight 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27.
Assuncao has won two fights in a row since dropping to 135 pounds from the featherweight division. Easton loses his first fight after collecting an eight-fight winning streak.
Ramsey Nijem vs. Joe Proctor
Ramsey Nijem was successful in his prelim fight with Joe Proctor, winning a unanimous decision. The fight went back and forth for a majority of the bout, making the contest a close one to call. Nejim, however, persevered through strikes that wobbled him, and edged out his opponent in striking and octagon control.
Judges saw it in the former TUF finalist’s favor with scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.
Daron Cruickshank vs. Henry Martinez
Daron Cruickshank earned the night’s first knockout, landing a head kick on Henry Martinez in the second round of their preliminary bout. Cruickshank dominated Martinez, but was unable to put him away immediately due to his opponent’s impressive durability. After several punches and kicks, Cruickshank finally dropped his foe with a right leg that landed cleanly on his opponent’s left ear. The finish came at 2:57 of the frame.
Abel Trujillo vs. Marcus LeVesseur
Abel Trujilo made a successful debut in the UFC with a second-round finish of Marcus LeVesseur in their prelim fight. Trujillo showed how much power he has, landing heavy strikes on his opponent on his way to the TKO. LeVesseur, beaten and battered, covered up on the ground, which allowed Trujillo to land several knees to the body. The fight came to a stop at 3:56 of the round.
Dennis Siver vs. Nam Phan
Denis Siver dominated Nam Phan in their prelim fight, collecting the unanimous decision with scores of 30-24, 30-25 and 30-26. Siver mixed up strikes on the feet, while Phan had little to offer in terms of offense. Siver, who typically likes to keep fights on the feet, took Phan down a several times, gaining top position and raining punches on the ground on his way to the win.
Scott Jorgensen vs. John Albert
Scott Jorgensen finished John Albert in the first round of their fight. Jorgensen secured his opponent’s back, sinking in a rear-naked choke, forcing Albert to tap with just a second left in the round.
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