Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was dealt a hefty blow with this fight card, but nevertheless, UFC 177: "Dillashaw vs. Soto" is kicking from inside Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, Calif., with a modified offering.
Only three "Prelims" fights took place on UFC 177's under card because of yesterday's dual mishaps.
In the "Prelims" feature fight, Derek Brunson dominated Lorenz Larkin on the ground for the majority of their contest, winning the fight by unanimous decision.
Both middleweights traded cautiously in the opening frame, each of them defending takedowns from the other. Larkin was successful in catching Brunson as the North Carolina-based combatant pushed forward. After clipping Larkin with a big right hand, Brunson locked his adversary in a guillotine. After letting go, Larkin allowed him to take his back, but "Monsoon" slipped out and survived the round.
Larkin caught Brunson with a couple of hard kicks to the body, while Brunson kept shooting for takedowns. Brunson drove his foe to the fence, and smothered him for the majority of the second frame.
Showing a sense of urgency in the third round, Larkin did well on the feet, but eventually succumbed to another takedown from Brunson. It was smooth sailing for the Jackson-Winkeljohn fighter from there on.
Anthony Hamilton scored a technical knockout stoppage over Ruan Potts in the second round of their heavyweight contest, taking advantage of a lackluster showing from the South African.
An early takedown from Hamilton put him ahead of Potts, which allowed him to score another moments later. After an odd instance where "Fangzz" was slow to get up from Hamilton's separation and wanted to fight off his back, "Freight Train" tossed him to the mat multiple times again and brought forth limited offense while Potts continued to lay on the ground for a while before getting up. Replays showed a takedown where Potts landed on his head, which could explain his unwillingness to engage.
Hamilton didn't really look all that dazzling, opting to take down his opponent and coast. The American started to nail Potts with shots to the body, which resulted in a nasty welt on the South African's body. Hamilton should have done better with his transitions, yet he capitalized by lacing Potts with dozens of body shots, as the latter simply didn't defend himself after warnings from referee Steven Davis.
In the first fight of the night, Chris Wade dismantled Cain Carrizosa quickly in the opening round, showcasing his dangerous submission arsenal.
Wade showed promise with his wrestling early, throwing Carrizosa on his back and worked his way to a rear naked choke attempt. Wade switched to an arm-in guillotine, and since his foe refused to tap, Wade put him to sleep early in a very quick fight.
Here are the quick results from the FOX Sports 1 broadcast:
185 lbs.: Derek Brunson def. Lorenz Larkin via unanimous decision (30-27x3)
265 lbs.: Anthony Hamilton def. Ruan Potts via TKO (strikes) at 4:17 of RD 2
155 lbs.: Chris Wade def. Cain Carrizosa via submission (arm-in guillotine) at 1:12 of R1
For MMAmania.com's complete blow-by-blow coverage of UFC 177: "Dillashaw vs. Soto," click here.