LAS VEGAS, NV – OCTOBER 07: (R-L) Cody Stamann punches Tom Duquesnoy of France in their bantamweight bout during the UFC 216 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 7, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Tom Duquesnoy (15-2) vs. Cody Stamann (16-1)
(Bantamweight Bout – 3 Rounds)
Stamann and Duquesnoy were the featured match-up of the FX prelims for a reason. They kept up a great pace,
mixed in kicks, punches, combinations, grappling and multiple take down attempts. There was little to no lapse in action for the 15 minutes as the 135ers aimed to make a name for themselves.
With plenty of swings in momentum and both warriors having their moments leading the action, it was no surprise that the fight ended up being a split decision. However, the man with the better connectivity and takedowns took the W” home.
RESULTS: Cody Stamann defeats Tom Duquesnoy via split decision. Scores of 29-28, 28-29 and 30-27.
Cody Stamann:
“I’m the top prospect at bantamweight. I’m the toughest guy coming into this division and I think everyone at 135-pounds needs to start taking notice. I knew Tom was going to be a great striker. His timing was really weird; I was throwing a lot of punches and he was just inches away. Those elbows and knees are viciously hard and much respect to him. I hope he has a long and prosperous career post fighting me. I don’t care who’s next. I want a top-15 guy and there is a Detroit card coming up in two months. I don’t have a scratch on me.”
Lando Vannata (9-2-1) vs. Bobby Green (23-8-1)
(Lightweight Bout – 3 Rounds)
The 155ers came together to fuse a classic war that will be remembered for quite some time. Initially , it looked grim for Green who was on the receiving end of Vannata’s serious fire power, eating strike after strike and getting put on wobbly legs early in Round 1. After visibly stunning his man with a combination that had Green on the mat, Vannata went in for the kill and as his foe rose off the canvas, Vannata landed a standing knee that was ruled illegal. After the point deduction the action continued and Green managed to rally getting himself back into the fight for Round 2 and 3.
Both men were bloodied up taking taking hard shots just as good as they gave for the final 10 minutes in a ridiculous pace only top notch warriors could maintain. Things got even more exciting thanks to their lack of using much defense. The match ended poetically enough in a draw. This will surely prompt a rematch and another opportunity for both lightweight warriors to steal the show once again.
RESULTS: The official scores saw it 29-27 for Vannata, 29-27 for Green and 28-28 which resulted in the draw.
Vannata’s horrible cuts on his head and face landed him a trip to the hospital since protocol calls for it, while Bobby Green stuck around to talk to media.
Bobby Green:
“It was excellent. It was a great dance and we got our dance on. That’s what happens, but you make the best of it. I think I get nervous, the crowd, the emotions. I just need to settle in a little bit, he had to hit me with a few punches to wake me up a little bit. I would love to do it again, he’s a great dance partner. I love guys who go in there to fight and that’s what he did. He did what he had to do and I did what I had to do.”
Pearl Gonzalez (6-3) vs. Poliana Botelho (6-1)
(Strawweight Bout – 3 Rounds)
Gonzalez spent the bulk of the battle charging at her foe and pinning her against the cage wall via double leg takedown. Pearl buried her head on her opponent’s waist for almost 4 minutes in Round 2 alone as she worked to get her to the mat looking to get deep on the shot. However, Botelho’s wide base enabled her to stay standing never hitting the canvas. She also landed some wicked Travis Browne vs. Josh Barnett style standing elbows to her foe’s head; so she was way more active as opposed to just milking the takedown as Gonzalez was.
The same took place in Round 3, Botelho controlled the action and cage. She went for her takedown, kept Gonzalez on the defensive and never let her breath by smothering her with her offense. This gave her an easy points win as they wrestled it out for a good portion of 15 minutes and once Botelho got the action to the ground, she sealed the deal with some good ground and pound from guard.
RESULTS: Poliana Botelho defeats Pearl Gonzalez via unanimous decision with scores of 30-27 all across the board.
Poliano Botelho:
Photo by Armando Romo
“I feel like a champion. I feel great after getting my first UFC win and one day I will be a UFC champion for sure. I had some personal issues as well as injuries that lead to my debut being delayed. I lost some family members and I need to dedicate this win to them and to God. I feel I will move up in the division step by step and one day I will be the UFC champion.”
Matt Schnell (11-4) s. Marco Beltran (8-7)
(Flyweight Bout – 3 Rounds)
The opening match of the preliminaries on FX featured Schnell out thinking and out working Beltran. Schnell was always a step ahead in the striking, landing combinations versus his foe’s single shots and stepping out of harm’s way with better movement and angles. Schnell was never threatened by his foe on the feet or on the ground and other than the 1st Round, Beltran was not really in the fight.
RESULTS: Matt Schnell defeats Marco Beltran via unanimous decision with scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 30-27
Matt Schnell:
Photo by Armando Romo
“It is just years and years of hard work and persistence paying off. I’ve dedicated myself to this and it feels good. I belong here, I know I do. I bring it every single time. I can never guarantee a victory, but I can guarantee maximum effort every single time and I’m going to go out there and give it my all. This division is wide open and I can beat anyone in this division. There are better matchups for me in this division than this guy was. There are guys that are smaller than me and I can do everything I want if I put my mind to it. I will continue to fight the good fight and I know what I’m capable of.”
