Beating the Odds: UFC 204
Jimi Manuwa has two equalizers at his disposal: speed and power. Ovince St. Preux met them both.
The former Ultimate Challenge MMA champion knocked out St. Preux with a crushing left hook in the second round of their light heavyweight showcase at UFC 204 “Bisping vs. Henderson 2” on Saturday at Manchester Arena in Manchester England. A -148 favorite according to BetDSI.com, St. Preux met his end 2:38 into round two.
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“All the hard work I put in over the weeks and months paid off,” Manuwa said. “People come to see me fight because I don’t come for decisions. I come to put my opponents away.”
Manuwa was not the only underdog to leave the cage victorious. Damian Stasiak (+156) sprang an upset of his own, as he submitted “The Ultimate Fighter 18” finalist Davey Grant with a third-round armbar in a preliminary featherweight pairing. Grant (-182) bowed out 3:56 into round three, having had a limb bent beyond its bounds.
“I felt it cracking when I was in the armbar, but I just didn’t want to tap,” Grant said. “It meant too much.”
Meanwhile, former British Association of Mixed Martial Arts champion Leon Edwards (+150) submitted Albert Tumenov (-175) with a rear-naked choke 3:01 into the third round of their undercard battle at 170 pounds. Edwards executed a single-leg takedown, transitioned to the back and slipped his arms underneath the chin for the fight-ending choke.
Finally, Leonardo Santos (+166) eked out a split decision over countryman Adriano Martins (-195) in a forgettable three-round lightweight encounter. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28: Maciej Motylewski for Martins, Jeff Mullen and Paul Sutherland for Santos. Neither man did much to separate himself.
Santos has gone 10-0-1 over his last 11 appearances.
