Russell Doane stepped up on ridiculously short notice (five days) to fight undefeated Featherweight prospect, Mirsad Bektic (10-0), in UFC 204's opening pay-per-view match tonight (Sat., Oct. 8, 2016) inside Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. That's a tall order with a full camp, much less trying to steer out of a three-fight losing skid.
Too tall, apparently, for the Hawaiian, who was overwhelmed from the start, ultimately tapping to a rear-naked-choke that Bektic sunk in at 4:22 of round one.
Bektic got the better of the exchanges in the early part of the fight, using his striking to close the distance on Doane so that he could get the fight on the mat. Bektic used his superior grappling to control Doane on the canvas, biding his time until he could find an opening in Doane's defense. He was technical, calculated and patient. And when Doane gave him that opening, Bektic took full advantage, sliding his forearm under Doane's chin and squeezing until final tap.
That's now four wins inside the Octagon for Bektic, who is currently ranked No. 15. He'll need to compete more than once every 12 months if he wants to continues his rise. But, if and when he does, he will be a handful for any fighter in the 145-pound division.
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