Lando Vannatta (8-1) gave Tony Ferguson (21-3) all he could handle at UFC Fight Night 91 earlier tonight (July 13, 2016), but the No.3-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight survived an early onslaught and locked up one of his go-to submissions to finish the UFC newcomer inside Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Ferguson, 32 won the contest by D'arce choke and handed Vannata his first professional defeat. That was the third time "El Cucuy" has won a UFC contest with that particular submission.
The official time of the stoppage came at 2:22 of round two.
The fight began on a high pace with Vannata moving in and out on Ferguson, but he landed a groin strike, which led referee Big John McCarthy to halt the bout so Ferguson could recover. When they re-started, Ferguson dropped the UFC newcomer with a jab. Vannata got back up quickly and landed a spinning-back fist that rocked Ferguson. Both fighters kept up the aggression and continued to trade shots. Ferguson started to land with regularity and bloodied the face of Vannata as the round wore on. But then Vannata rocked Ferguson with a huge headkick and he had "El Cucuy" in deep trouble, but he couldn't finish the No.3-ranked UFC lightweight. Ferguson tried for a heel hook, but couldn't get it and Vannata ended up on top for the closing seconds.
In the second, Ferguson opened up with a few stiff jabs. He blocked a few of Ferguson's punches and began to egg him on. Ferguson landed a huge right hand and Vannata just ate it with a smile while blood continued to trickle down his face. Vannata ducked down to slip a punch, but ended up making a critical mistake.
Ferguson grabbed a front headlock and quickly switched to a D'arce choke before dropping to the canvas. Vannata hung up for a few seconds, but Ferguson had him dead to rights and forced the tap for the submission victory.
Ferguson proved he is a tough as they come once again by surviving several big attacks early on in the contest by the very game Vannata, who stepped in on short notice for the injured Michael Chiesa. The win marks eight in a row for Ferguson, who remains a top contender for the UFC Lightweight title. He is now 11-1 in UFC competition.
Vannata may have lost, but boy, did the Jackson's MMA prospect make an impression in his UFC debut. We very well have seen a future star of the promotion.
For complete UFC Fight Night 91: "McDonald vs. Lineker" results, including play-by-play updates, click here.