Highlights! Bryan Battle continues to impress, chokes out A.J. Fletcher in two | UFC Vegas 79

Bryan Battle continued to prove his doubters wrong earlier tonight (Sat., Sept. 23, 2023) at UFC Vegas 79 live on ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, when the former Ultimate Fighter standout put an impressive stop to welterweight powerhouse A.J. Fletcher with a second-round submission (rear-naked choke).

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LIGHTWEIGHT CONTENDER COLLISION! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns home to its APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., Nov. 18, 2023, with a Middleweight main event showdown between top-ranked division contenders, Brendan Allen (No. 10) and Paul Craig (No. 13), both of whom are looking to inch closer to the 185-pound Top 5. In UFC Vegas 82’s co-main event, Michael Morales vs. Jake Matthews will lock horns in an exciting Welterweight collision.

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Battle was the betting favorite entering this fight, but fight fans still had their reservations about the overall game of “Pooh Bear.” He’s been a work in progress since his days on TUF and continues to improve each time out. Fletcher isn’t anything to write home about, but he’s a powerful puncher who was a solid test for Battle on paper.

Fortunately for Battle, his durability and grappling skills allowed him to pull ahead of Fletcher and control the fight. Battle was eventually able to gain back control along the fence and quickly sunk in a tight rear-naked choke towards the end of the second. Fletcher fought the hands for few seconds before tapping for the first time in his career.

Check out the submission sequence in the above video player.

Battle, 29, is now 5-1 since making his Octagon debut back in 2021. The welterweight prospect is only getting better at this point and could be one win away from a shot at the top 15, especially if he continues to find a way to finish the hard-nosed opponents UFC is throwing his way.

For complete UFC Vegas 79 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.