LAS VEGAS, Aug. 6 — Forty-two seconds fighting in the Octagon. Two wins. Not a bad way to kick off a UFC career. Following a 20-second knockout of Alex Schoenauer (pictures) in April, Mike Swick (pictures) needed just 22 seconds to offer the same fate to Gideon Ray (pictures) in the final of three dark matches on the “Ultimate Fight Night” card at the Cox Pavilion on the campus of UNLV.
Ray, who fought the majority of his bouts at welterweight outside the UFC, moved forward, stalking the taller, heavier Swick. But the American Kickboxing Academy-trained middleweight quickly countered, dropping a left hook, right straight, left hook combination that put Chicago’s Ray to the canvas.
Swick pounced, dropping two more shots before referee Herb Dean (pictures) jumped in to save him.
Don’t worry Alex Karalexis (pictures): you’re not the only one who’s tasted Kenny Florian (pictures)’s elbows. Florian, who earned his way into the finals of the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” with a cut-inducing elbow on Chris Leben (pictures), countered a Karalexis flurry with yet another short shot that, this time, opened a large gash to his fellow Beantowner’s nose.
Florian went after Karalexis from the start, offering kicks to the shorter welterweight’s midsection, and knees to his head and body every time they clinched. Karalexis seemed to have trouble with Florian’s aggression and movement, and it wasn’t until almost four minutes into the first round that he took the fight to Florian.
It was now Karalexis brawling with Florian, making him move backwards. As action moved into the second round, Karalexis’s right side displayed a rose-colored welt. Known more for his jiu-jitsu game than standing and fighting, Florian brought the fight to the canvas.
But Karalexis held the taller Florian close, biding time until he could regain his feet. He did and again went after Florian. As they brawled, the crowed roared, until Florian threw his body behind a right elbow that connected to Karalexis’s nose.
“I was in tight,” said the victorious Florian. “I was covering up. As soon as he threw the same shot — boom.” Immediately Florian reacted like he knew the fight was his, raising his arms in apparent victory.
“I knew it was a deep cut,” Florian said. “I knew it was going to be a problem for him.”
Referee Cecil Peoples stepped in and brought Karalexis to the doctor at ringside, who immediately waved off the bout 2:52 into the second round.
Rebounding from a disappointing UFC debut versus welterweight contender Nick Diaz (pictures), Arizona’s Drew Fickett (pictures) needed less than two minutes to display the skills that earned him a UFC appearance in the first place, submitting Josh Neer (pictures) with a rear-naked choke in the opening bout of the eight-fight card.
Fickett never allowed Neer, a well-respected fighter out Des Moines, Iowa, the freedom to strike. A Fickett inside-trip takedown put Neer, making his UFC debut, on his back. Though he did well to keep guard, he made the mistake of not controlling Fickett’s hands while regaining his feet.
Smartly, Fickett jumped to Neer’s back, sinking in one hook before “The Dentist” could react. The second hook followed as Fickett wrapped his left arm around Neer’s throat. At first glance, the submission appeared to pressure Neer’s jaw and not his neck, but the striker was again slow to react — defending neither the submission nor making an effort to peel off Fickett’s legs.
Seconds later, the fighters fell to canvas and Neer’s lack of defense finally clued referee Steve Mazzagatti into the fact that the young fighter was unconscious.
“I’d really love a rematch with Nick Diaz (pictures),” said Fickett. “I feel like I wasn’t able to perform to the best of my abilities. I think Nick Diaz (pictures) is one of the greatest fighters out there in the world, but I think I really got something for him. He got me that night but I wish he’d give me another shot because I’m a different fighter, as you guys saw tonight.”