UFC 202 Diaz vs. McGregor : Prelims Results Recap

Cody ‘No Love’ Garbrandt (10-0) vs. Takeya Mizugaki (21-10-2)

In the featured prelim bout of the evening from inside the beautiful TMOBILE Arena, bantamweight WEC and UFC veteran, Mizugaki collided with rising undefeated star, Garbrandt. The Ohio-born warrior wasted no time dispatching of his Japanese adversary as he marched towards him looking to land crisp left hooks and powerful overhand rights off of his jab. Mizugaki gave up too much space by backing up and not throwing as much. When the fighter finally opened up along the cagewall, planted his feet and threw a combo Garbrandt landed a picture perfect right hand counter that blasted the chin of his foe who dropped to both knees. Mizugaki tried to instantly get back up but Garbrandt pounced on him with some short left hands then a clean left hook followed by 3 vicious right hammer fists that had his opponent out on his feet as the referee stepped in to stop the action.

RESULT: Cody Garbrandt remains undefeated via TKO over Takeya Mizugaki at (0:48) of Round 1 by way of strikes.

Raquel Pennington (8-6) vs. Elizabeth Phillips (5-4)

(Women’s Bantamweight Bout – 3 Rounds)

The two 135ers started off trading some strikes in the middle of the Octagon for the first minute before Phillips closed the distance off of a clinch looking to land some short punches on the inside or knees and elbows. She kept a tight body lock on the TUF season 18 alum while landing some knees to her legs along the cage wall. Pennington separated then shot in herself, pressed her foe along the cage then dropped levels sinking in a double leg take down. The Washington native managed to prop back up to her feet then sank in a guillotine choke attempt as she jumped guard but Pennington survived the attack. The Colorado native popped her head out from under her foe’s armpit, created distance then landed a 3-punch combination just before the round came to an end.

Going into Round 2 both ladies landed some shots before Phillips tried to hit another take down. She shot in deep along the cage wall and Pennington used it to slap on a guillotine choke while Phillips fought it out of half guard. Once the Washington native popped her head out she scrambled to get side control then full mount but Pennington returned to her feet and they began trading  some strikes at close range. Pennington used a Muay Thai plum to hit some knee strikes then with about a minute left Phillips dropped levels to try for a single leg take down. She managed to get her foe to her knees but ‘Rocky’ Pennington stood right up and continued defending before reversing the hold, wrapping her up with a body lock and slamming her to the mat shortly before Round 2 came to a close.

Heading into Round 3 both fighters traded a few strikes just outside of range. Pennington landed a 2-punch combination that connected before dropping levels and going for a take down along the cage wall. She hit it with about 3 minutes left and then scrambled to her foe’s back, sinking in her hooks and fishing for a rear naked choke while  Phillips defended. The last 2 minutes Phillips was on the defe‎nsive, she gave up her back then turned but ended up with Pennington in full mount. She scrambled again and then got top control then slid into her foe’s guard while Pennington threw up a triangle choke attempt. This let the Colorado fighter scoot her hips back, wall walk and get the fight upright while Phillips grapevine’d her left leg with her own left leg trying to drag the match back to the mat but ran out of time as the final bell sounded.

RESULT: Raquel ‘Rocky’ Pennington defeats Elizabeth Phillips via unanimous decision with scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 30-27.

Artem Lobov (13-12-1, 1 NC) vs. Chris Avila (5-3)

(Featherweight Bout – 3 Rounds)

Team Diaz’ Avila stepped into the cage for his UFC debut against Team McGregor’s Lobov ‎. The TUF alum wasted no time walking his man down along the cage wall landing looping right hands and left hooks as well as leg kicks to his man’s calves for the first 2 minutes of the bout. Avila began to open up more in the middle of the round but for his troubles Lobov doubled up on the straight left hand since the Californian kept a very low boxing guard. With the conventional fighter’s right hand being that low, Lobov’s southpaw stance enabled him to land the left hand repeatedly as the last two minutes ticked away. Avila attempted a clinch but didn’t do much off of it except land some short right hooks on the inside to his man’s head before they separated.

Going into Round 2 it was more of the same, Lobov walked his foe down as Avila circled to his right along the Octagon partially blocking some shots while walking into others. ‘The Russian Hammer’ pounded away with his left hand, the straight shot landed clean if not a low leg kick did the damage. Lobov landed more often and Avila was letting him take full control of the round for the first 3 minutes. The California native took to the center of the cage popping his jab, keeping the action in the center of the Octagon which gave him a little success but after he stepped in with the jab his foe swung at him with a looping hook or straight left. With about a minute left Avila closed the distance off of the clinch but again could not drag the match to the ground, they seperated and traded some punches in the middle of cage before the stanza came to  an end, the swelling on Avila’s thigh now very visible from Lobov landing the right low kicks.

Heading into Round 3 Lobov returned to the formula that had given him success thus far: walk his man down, press the action with a straight left and sneak in some leg kicks along the way. He did this for the first minute with ease.  Lodi, California’s Avila tried another clinch but had no luck dragging the match to the floor. During an exchange in the middle of the final minutes a headbutt made Lobov’s head gush blood making the referee stop it to have the doctor look at it. Once the action resumed the last 90 seconds  saw some good exchanges between both featherweights as Avila used his left hook to counter his man’s loopy shots. In the last 70 seconds Lobov missed a high kick and ended on the mat, Avila didn’t look for top control which brought the fight back to the feet. The two men continued trading some punches in the middle of the Octagon as the fight came to a close.

Randa ‘Quiet Storm’ Markos (6-5) vs. Cortney ‘Cast Iron’ Casey ‎(6-3)

(Women’s Strawweight Bout – 3 Rounds)

‎The opening bout of the evening featured 115ers Markos and Casey showcasing their grappling abilities. The ladies traded some strikes in the form of kicks and punches before Corney tried to drag the fight on the ground off of a take down. She got it there as Markos reversed the position and got a head lock holf off of side ‎control ala Ronda Rousey vs. Alexis Davis at UFC 175. However, while she attempted to scramble to top control she left her side exposed which allowed Casey to throw up her legs and lock up and armbar attack. The TUF season 20’s arms were both trapped, one under her foe and the other in-between her legs as it was being hyper-extended making Markos verbally tap.